Published: June 27, 2008 09:46 am      

Hitchhiking Guitar Man on stage tonight

Dean Strickland, who was recently featured in the San Marcos Daily Record, will perform in town at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Gray Horse Saloon.

And he doesn’t call himself the Hitchhiking Guitar Man for nothing.

Since 2005, Strickland has taken more than 850 rides from strangers to gigs all over the state, and even to Nashville on several occasions. What started out as a desperate situation has turned into everyday life for the country singer. And Strickland hasn’t missed a gig yet.

“Being out on the road like that gives me a lot of time to think and pray,” Strickland said. “I’m always experiencing new things.”

What does he carry with him on the road? A Martin D28 guitar, 120 of his own CDs, a press kit, three big bottles of water and a tape recorder in case he wants to record a new song.