Saturday, December 29, 2012

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan~ "Because We Love"



Uploaded on Mar 26, 2007

We were a little nervous because we'd just written the song, and hadn't performed it in public yet.

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan is an American country music duo from Florida.

It is composed of guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Jack Blanchard (born May 8, 1942) and his wife, keyboardist/vocalist Misty Morgan (born May 23, 1945).

The duo recorded for several labels in the 1970s, including the charting albums Birds of a Feather and Two Sides of Jack and Misty

Between 1969 and 1976, the duo also released fourteen singles, including "Tennessee Bird Walk", a Number One country hit and No. 23 pop hit in 1970.
 
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan

Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan in 2010 at their induction into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Background information
Origin Florida, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active 1970-present
Labels Wayside, Mercury, Mega, Chalice, Playback, Epic, United Artists, Columbia, Omni
Associated acts ?
Members
Jack Blanchard
Misty Morgan

Biography

Jack Blanchard was born on May 8, 1942, and Misty Morgan was born on May 23, 1945.[1] Both were born in the same hospital in Buffalo, New York and lived in Ohio as children.[2]

They met in 1963 in Florida, where Blanchard was working as a comedian and Morgan as a pianist.[2]

Musical career

By 1967, he and Morgan were married and began playing music together, and in 1969, the duo signed to Wayside Records to release its first single, "Big Black Bird (Spirit of Our Love)", which peaked at No. 59 on the U.S. country singles charts.[2]

After it came the novelty song "Tennessee Bird Walk", which went to Number One on the country charts[1] and No. 23 on the pop charts.[2]

Following it was another novelty hit in "Humphrey the Camel", at No. 5 country and No. 78 pop.
The duo's second album, Two Sides of Jack and Misty, was released on Mega Records two years later.

It produced four more chart singles, including the No. 15 "Somewhere in Virginia in the Rain" and another novelty song, "The Legendary Chicken Fairy".[1]

Later in the 1970s, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan released six singles on Epic Records, reaching Top 40 for the last time in 1974 with the No. 23 "Just One More Song".[1]

Except for a compilation album called Sweet Memories in 1987, the duo did not release any other material until 1995's Back in Harmony. From there, they began recording on a self-established independent label, "Velvet Saw Records" (named after Jack's nickname).[2]

From 2005 through 2008 they released three archival CD albums on Australia's Omni Records label.
Their song 'Yellow Bellied Sapsucker' was recently used in an episode of the third series of Australian television drama Tangle.

Source: Wikipedia

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Kenny Price~ "Happy Tracks"


Uploaded on Oct 20, 2008

"The Round Mound of Sound" as Kenny was known by, was one of the singing stars from Midwestern Hayride and went on to the show Hee Haw.


James Kenneth "Kenny" Price (May 27, 1931 - August 4, 1987) was a singer, songwriter, and actor. Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Sound," Price recorded for the Boone and RCA Victor, MRC and Dimension record labels, charting thirty-four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1966 and 1980.

His highest-peaking singles, "Walking on New Grass" and "Happy Tracks," both reached No. 7 on that chart.


Kenny Price
Birth name James Kenneth Price
Born May 27, 1931
Origin Florence, Kentucky
Died August 4, 1987 (aged 56)
Genres Country
Occupations Singer
Years active 1964–1984
Labels Boone, RCA Victor, MRC, Dimension

 

Biography

Price was born in Florence, Kentucky and raised on a farm in Boone County, Kentucky. He learned to play guitar when he was five years old.

At age 14, he started playing live music for WZIP in Covington, Kentucky.

From 1952 until 1954, Price served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, reaching the rank of corporal.

While stationed in Korea, he auditioned for a USO show, and before being discharged, he had decided to become a professional musician.

He studied for a brief time at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and became a musician on Midwestern Hayride on WLWT, eventually taking over as the show's host until it went off the air in the early 1970s.

He first recorded for Boone Records, then moved on to RCA in 1969, where he stayed until 1976.

For most of his career, Price worked with Ray Pennington, whose style complemented his own.

Price had 34 singles chart in his career, including "Walking on the New Grass" (a top 10 hit in 1966), "Happy Tracks", "Northeast Arkansas Mississippi County Bootlegger" (a top 20 hit in 1969), and "The Sheriff of Boone County" (a pop crossover that hit the top 10).

His novelty number "(This Is) The Shortest Song in the World", written with record producer Ronny Light, enjoyed some airplay after its release on album in 1970.

Standing six feet tall and weighing nearly 300 pounds for most of his professional career, he was nicknamed "The Round Mound of Sound".

Many of his comedic songs made reference to his size—"The Heavyweight" is an obvious example.

In later years Price became significantly thinner and lampooned himself in the song "The Boone County Weight Watchers of America".

In 1976 Price relocated to Nashville and became a regular on the television variety show Hee Haw.

(He remained with the show until his death).

He served as the bass vocalist for the beloved Hee Haw Gospel Quartet, which included Grandpa Jones, Buck Owens, and Roy Clark.

Price and fellow Hee Haw cast member Lulu Roman got their own short-lived spin-off series called Hee Haw Honeys, which ran from 1978-79.

Price and Roman guest starred on two episodes of The Love Boat. He later had a small role in the film Cold Justice, which was released after his death.

His wife, Donna Price, wrote a few memorable tunes for him, including the hit "Let's Truck Together".

In the mid-1980s, Kenny and Donna starred in The Nashville Network (now Spike) travelogue series called Wish You Were Here, where they traveled across the United States in a RV and visited places of interest.

Price died of heart failure in 1987, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Source: Wikipedia.org 



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Friday, December 28, 2012

Johnny Cash~ "Rock of Ages"


Uploaded on Apr 4, 2011
JohnnyCash1Fan1


Johnny Cash
A black-and-white photo of Cash holding his face
Cash in 1969.
Background information
Birth name JR Cash
Born February 26, 1932
Kingsland, Arkansas, United States
Died September 12, 2003 (aged 71)
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genres Country, rock and roll, gospel
Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1955–2003
Labels Sun, Columbia, Mercury, American, House of Cash, Legacy Recordings
Associated acts The Tennessee Three, The Highwaymen, June Carter Cash, The Statler Brothers, The Carter Family, Area Code 615, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Bob Dylan
Website johnnycash.com
Notable instruments
Martin Acoustic Guitars[1]

Career

Early career

In 1954, Cash and Vivian moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he sold appliances while studying to be a radio announcer. At night he played with guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant.

Perkins and Grant were known as the Tennessee Two. Cash worked up the courage to visit the Sun Records studio, hoping to get a recording contract. After auditioning for Sam Phillips, singing mostly gospel songs, Phillips told him that he didn't record gospel music any longer.

It was once rumored that Phillips told Cash to "go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell," though in a 2002 interview Cash denied that Phillips made any such comment.[39]

Cash eventually won over the producer with new songs delivered in his early rock'a'billy style. In 1955 Cash made his first recordings at Sun, "Hey Porter" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!", which were released in late June and met with success on the country hit parade.


Cash (standing at right) with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley dropped in on Phillips while Carl Perkins was in the studio cutting new tracks, with Jerry Lee Lewis backing him on piano. Cash was also in the studio and the four started an impromptu jam session. Phillips left the tapes running and the recordings, almost half of which were gospel songs, survived and have since been released under the title Million Dollar Quartet.

In Cash: the Autobiography, Cash wrote that he was the one farthest from the microphone and was singing in a higher pitch to blend in with Elvis.

Cash's next record, "Folsom Prison Blues", made the country Top 5, and "I Walk the Line" became No. 1 on the country charts and entered the pop charts Top 20. "Home of the Blues" followed, recorded in July 1957.

 That same year Cash became the first Sun artist to release a long-playing album. Although he was Sun's most consistently selling and prolific artist at that time, Cash felt constrained by his contract with the small label partly due to the fact that Phillips wasn't keen on Johnny recording gospel, and he was only getting a 3% royalty as opposed to the standard rate of 5%.

Presley had already left Sun, and Phillips was focusing most of his attention and promotion on Lewis. The following year Cash left the label to sign a lucrative offer with Columbia Records, where his single "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" became one of his biggest hits.

In the early 1960s, Cash toured with the Carter Family, which by this time regularly included Mother Maybelle's daughters, Anita, June and Helen. June later recalled admiring him from afar during these tours.

In the 1960s he appeared on Pete Seeger's short lived television series Rainbow Quest.[40] He also acted in a 1961 film entitled Five Minutes to Live, later re-released as Door-to-door Maniac. He also wrote and sang the opening theme.
 

Outlaw image

As his career was taking off in the late 1950s, Cash started drinking heavily and became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. For a brief time, he shared an apartment in Nashville with Waylon Jennings, who was heavily addicted to amphetamines. Cash used the uppers to stay awake during tours. Friends joked about his "nervousness" and erratic behavior, many ignoring the warning signs of his worsening drug addiction. In a behind-the-scenes look at The Johnny Cash Show, Cash claims to have "tried every drug there was to try."

Although in many ways spiraling out of control, Cash's frenetic creativity was still delivering hits. His rendition of "Ring of Fire" was a crossover hit, reaching No. 1 on the country charts and entering the Top 20 on the pop charts. The song was written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore. The song was originally performed by June's sister, but the signature mariachi-style horn arrangement was provided by Cash, who said that it had come to him in a dream.

In June 1965, his truck caught fire due to an overheated wheel bearing, triggering a forest fire that burnt several hundred acres in Los Padres National Forest in California.[41][42] When the judge asked Cash why he did it, Cash said, "I didn't do it, my truck did, and it's dead, so you can't question it."[22][page needed]

The fire destroyed 508 acres (206 ha), burning the foliage off three mountains and killing 49 of the refuge's 53 endangered condors. Cash was unrepentant: "I don't care about your damn yellow buzzards." The federal government sued him and was awarded $125,172 ($923,127 in 2012 dollars). Cash eventually settled the case and paid $82,001.[43]

 He said he was the only person ever sued by the government for starting a forest fire.[22][page needed]

Although Cash carefully cultivated a romantic outlaw image, he never served a prison sentence. Despite landing in jail seven times for misdemeanors, each stay lasted only a single night. His most infamous run-in with the law occurred while on tour in 1965, when he was arrested October 4 by a narcotics squad in El Paso, TX.

The officers suspected that he was smuggling heroin from Mexico, but it was 688 Dexedrine capsules and 475 Equanil tablets that the singer had hidden inside his guitar case. Because they were prescription drugs rather than illegal narcotics, he received a suspended sentence.



Johnny Cash and his second wife, June Carter
Cash had also been arrested on May 11, 1965, in Starkville, Mississippi, for trespassing late at night onto private property to pick flowers. (This incident gave the spark for the song "Starkville City Jail", which he spoke about on his live At San Quentin prison album.)

In the mid 1960s, Cash released a number of concept albums, including Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965), an experimental double record mixing authentic frontier songs with Cash's spoken narration, and Bitter Tears (1964), with songs highlighting the plight of the Native Americans. His drug addiction was at its worst at this point, and his destructive behavior led to a divorce from his first wife and canceled performances.

In 1967, Cash's duet with June Carter, "Jackson", won a Grammy Award.
Johnny Cash's final arrest was in Walker County, GA where he was taken in after being involved in a car accident while carrying a bag of prescription pills.

Cash attempted to bribe a local deputy, who turned the money down, and then spent the night in a LaFayette, Georgia jail. The singer was released after a long talk with Sheriff Ralph Jones, who warned him of his dangerous behavior and wasted potential. Johnny credited that experience for saving his life, and he later came back to LaFayette to play a benefit concert that attracted 12,000 people (the city population was less than 9,000 at the time) and raised $75,000 for the high school.[44]

Cash curtailed his use of drugs for several years in 1968, after a spiritual epiphany in the Nickajack Cave, when he attempted to commit suicide while under the heavy influence of drugs. He descended deeper into the cave, trying to lose himself and "just die", when he passed out on the floor.

He reported to be exhausted and feeling at the end of his rope when he felt God's presence in his heart and managed to struggle out of the cave (despite the exhaustion) by following a faint light and slight breeze. To him, it was his own rebirth. June, Maybelle, and Ezra Carter moved into Cash's mansion for a month to help him conquer his addiction.

Cash proposed onstage to June at a concert at the London Gardens in London, ON, CA on February 22, 1968; the couple married a week later (on March 1) in Franklin, KY. June had agreed to marry Cash after he had "cleaned up".[45]

He rediscovered his Christian faith, taking an "altar call" in Evangel Temple, a small church in the Nashville area, pastored by Rev. Jimmie Rodgers Snow, son of country music legend Hank Snow.

According to longtime friend Marshall Grant, Cash's 1968 rebirth experience did not result in his completely stopping use of amphetamines. However, in 1970, Cash ended all drug use for a period of seven years.

Grant claims that the birth of Cash's son, John Carter Cash, inspired Cash to end his dependence. Cash began using amphetamines again in 1977. By 1983, he was once again addicted, and entered the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, CA for rehabilitation.

Cash managed to stay off drugs for several years, but by 1989, he was dependent again and entered Nashville's Cumberland Heights Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center. In 1992, he entered the Loma Linda Behavioural Medicine Centre in Loma Linda, California for his final rehabilitation (several months later, his son followed him into this facility for treatment).[46][47][48]


Folsom Prison Blues

Cash felt great compassion for prisoners. He began performing concerts at various prisons starting in the late 1950s. His first prison concert was held on January 1, 1958 at San Quentin State Prison.[49]

These performances led to a pair of highly successful live albums, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (1968) and Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969).

The Folsom Prison record was introduced by a rendition of his classic "Folsom Prison Blues", while the San Quentin record included the crossover hit single "A Boy Named Sue", a Shel Silverstein-penned novelty song that reached No. 1 on the country charts and No. 2 on the U.S. Top Ten pop charts.

The AM versions of the latter contained a couple of profanities which were edited out. The modern CD versions are unedited and uncensored and thus also longer than the original vinyl albums, though they still retain the audience reaction overdubs of the originals.

In addition to his performances at U.S. prisons, Cash also performed at the Österåker Prison in Sweden in 1972. The live album På Österåker ("At Österåker") was released in 1973. Between the songs, Cash can be heard speaking Swedish, which was greatly appreciated by the inmates.

Much more Info on Johnny Cash is upon Wikipedia.org.

Source:Wikipedia

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Johnny Cash~ "Daddy Sang Bass"


Uploaded on Dec 8, 2007
SimonNenagh

 
John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003), was an American singer-songwriter, actor,[2] and author,[2] who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.[3]

Although he is primarily remembered as a country music icon, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll—especially early in his career—as well as blues, folk, and gospel.

This crossover appeal led to Cash being inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Cash was known for his deep, distinctive bass-baritone voice;[a][5] for the "boom-chicka-boom" sound of his Tennessee Three backing band; for his rebelliousness,[6][7] coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor;[4] for providing free concerts inside prison walls;[8][9][page needed] and for his dark performance clothing, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black".[b]

He traditionally started his concerts by saying "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."[c][12] and usually following it up with his standard "Folsom Prison Blues".

An abundance of Cash's music, especially that of his later career, echoed themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption.[4][13]

His signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm" and "Man in Black".

He also recorded humorous numbers, including "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue"; a duet with his future wife, June Carter, called "Jackson"; as well as railroad songs including "Hey, Porter" and "Rock Island Line".[14]

Late in his career, Cash covered songs by several rock artists, most notably "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails.


Johnny Cash
A black-and-white photo of Cash holding his face
Cash in 1969.
Background information
Birth name JR Cash
Born (1932-02-26)February 26, 1932
Kingsland, Arkansas, United States
Died September 12, 2003(2003-09-12) (aged 71)
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genres Country, rock and roll, gospel
Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1955–2003
Labels Sun, Columbia, Mercury, American, House of Cash, Legacy Recordings
Associated acts The Tennessee Three, The Highwaymen, June Carter Cash, The Statler Brothers, The Carter Family, Area Code 615, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Bob Dylan
Website johnnycash.com
Notable instruments
Martin Acoustic Guitars[1]

 

Early life

Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas,[15] the fourth of seven children to Ray Cash (May 13, 1897, Kingsland, Arkansas – December 23, 1985, Hendersonville, Tennessee)[16] and Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers; March 13, 1904, Rison, Arkansas – March 11, 1991, Hendersonville, Tennessee).[17][18]

Cash was named J. R. Cash because his parents couldn't think of a name.

When Cash enlisted in the Air Force, they wouldn't let him use initials as his name, so he started to use the legal name John R. Cash. In 1955, when signing with Sun Records, he took Johnny Cash as his stage name.[19]

The Cash children were: Roy, Margaret Louise, Jack, J. R., Reba, Joanne and Tommy.[20][21] His younger brother, Tommy Cash, also became a successful country artist.

In March 1935, when Cash was three years old, the family settled in Dyess, Arkansas. He started working in cotton fields at age five, singing along with his family simultaneously while working.

The family farm was flooded on at least two occasions, which later inspired him to write the song "Five Feet High and Rising".[22][page needed]

His family's economic and personal struggles during the Great Depression inspired many of his songs, especially those about other people facing similar difficulties.

Cash was very close to his older brother, Jack.[23]

In May 1944, Jack was pulled into a whirling head saw in the mill where he worked and was almost cut in two. He suffered for over a week before he died on May 20, 1944, at age 15.[22][page needed]

Cash often spoke of the horrible guilt he felt over this incident. According to Cash: The Autobiography, his father was away that morning, but he and his mother, and Jack himself, all had premonitions or a sense of foreboding about that day, causing his mother to urge Jack to skip work and go fishing with his brother. ]

Jack insisted on working, as the family needed the money.

On his deathbed, Jack said he had visions of heaven and angels.

Decades later, Cash spoke of looking forward to meeting his brother in heaven.

Cash's early memories were dominated by gospel music and radio. Taught by his mother and a childhood friend, Cash began playing guitar and writing songs as a young boy.

In high school he sang on a local radio station; decades later he released an album of traditional gospel songs, called My Mother's Hymn Book. He was also significantly influenced by traditional Irish music that he heard performed weekly by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program.[24][page needed]

Cash enlisted in the United States Air Force on July 7, 1950.[25]

After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and technical training at Brooks Air Force Base, both in San Antonio, TX, Cash was assigned to a U.S. Air Force Security Service unit, assigned as a Morse Code Intercept Operator for Soviet Army transmissions at Landsberg, Germany "where he created his first band named The Landsberg Barbarians."[26]

He was the first radio operator to pick up the news of the death of Joseph Stalin.[27]

After he was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant on July 3, 1954, he returned to Texas.[28]


Marriages and family

On July 18, 1951, while in Air Force training, Cash met 17-year-old Vivian Liberto at a roller skating rink in her native San Antonio.

They dated for three weeks, until Cash was deployed to Germany for a three-year tour. During that time, the couple exchanged hundreds of pages of love letters.[29]

On August 7, 1954, one month after his discharge, they were married at St. Anne's Catholic church in San Antonio.

The ceremony was performed by her uncle, Father Vincent Liberto. They had four daughters: Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy and Tara. Cash's drug and alcohol abuse, constant touring, and affairs with other women, and his close relationship with future wife June Carter, led Liberto to file for divorce in 1966.[30]

In 1968, 13 years after they first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, Cash proposed to June Carter, an established country singer, during a live performance in London, Ontario,[31] marrying on March 1, 1968, in Franklin, Kentucky.

They had one child together, John Carter Cash (born March 3, 1970). They continued to work together and tour for 35 years, until June Carter died in 2003.

Cash died just four months later. Carter co-wrote one of Cash's biggest hits, "Ring of Fire," with singer Merle Kilgore. She and Cash won two Grammy awards for their duets.

Vivian Liberto claims a different version of the origins of "Ring of Fire" in I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny, stating that Cash gave Carter the credit for monetary reasons.[32]

Heritage


Public bench plaque, Falkland, Fife

Cash's heritage was a British Isles mix. He learned upon researching his heritage that he was of Scottish royal descent on his father's side, traced back to Malcolm IV of Scotland.[33][34][35]

After meeting with now-dead laird Major Michael Crichton-Stuart of Falkland, Fife, Scotland, Johnny traced the Cash family tree to eleventh-century Fife;[36][page needed][37][38] Cash Loch and other locations in Fife bear the name of his family.[36][page needed]

Cash also had English and Scots-Irish ancestry. Though he did not have Native American ancestry, his empathy and compassion for Native Americans were unabated.

These feelings were expressed in several of his songs, including "Apache Tears" and "The Ballad of Ira Hayes", and on his album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian.

Much, much more About Johnny Cash is Located at Wikipedia.org


Source: Wikipedia.org




Somebody Come and Play In the Traffic With Me! Earn as You Learn, Grow as You Go!



The Man Inside the Man
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JMK's Production

 

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Somebody Come and Play in "Traffic" with me. If you would like to "Join" A Growing Biz Op! Here is Your Chance to get in an Earn While You Learn to Do "The Thing" with us all here at Traffic Authority.

Simply click this link and Grow as you Go Come and Play In Traffic With Me and My Team at Traffic Authority!

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Ricky Van Shelton~ "Family Bible"

Uploaded on Mar 27, 2011
heavenlysoundsful

A slideshow of images accompanied by the song 'Family Bible' performed by country singer Ricky Van Shelton.

Ricky Van Shelton (born January 12, 1952) is a retired American country music artist. Active between 1986 and 2006, he has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

This figure includes ten Number One hits: "Somebody Lied", "Life Turned Her That Way", 'Don't We All Have the Right", "I'll Leave This World Loving You", "From a Jack to a King" (a cover of the Ned Miller hit), "Living Proof", "I've Cried My Last Tear for You", "Rockin' Years" (a duet with Dolly Parton), "I Am a Simple Man", and "Keep It Between the Lines".

Besides these, seven more of his singles have landed in the Top Ten on the same chart. He has also released nine studio albums, of which his first four have all been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Ricky Van Shelton
Born (1952-01-12) January 12, 1952 (age 60)
Danville, Virginia, USA
Genres Country
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, Guitar
Years active 1986–2006
Labels Columbia, Vanguard, Audium, RVS
Associated acts Charlie Major, Jack Greene, Ned Miller, Dolly Parton, Steve Buckingham
Website Ricky Van Shelton Official site 

 

Early life

He was born at Danville Regional Medical Center in Danville, Virginia to Jenks and Eloise Shelton in 1952,[1] but was raised in Grit, Virginia[2] and went to High school in Gretna, Virginia. Although "Van" is a common portion of surnames derived from people of Dutch origin, "Van" in this case is Ricky's middle name.

Shelton's father sang Gospel music while he was still a child, and from this Shelton also sang Gospel, but he also liked Pop music. He was soon in church, singing Gospel music. When he was a teenager, however, Shelton discovered Country music. He soon started singing in his brother's band, singing Country music, and performed at any local gathering he could.

Musical career

Move to Nashville

After he graduated from high school, Shelton started performing in area clubs and also worked a series of jobs. In 1984, Bettye Witt, his girlfriend at the time (and, since August 4, 1986, wife) found a job in Nashville, Tennessee (the Country music capital), and Shelton went along with her.

In Nashville, Shelton tried to land a deal with a recording contract, and worked in area nightclubs. In 1986, Jerry Thompson, a newspaper columnist, heard one of Shelton's demos, and arranged an audition with Columbia Records.

Soon thereafter, Shelton was offered a recording contract with CBS, with Jerry Thompson serving as his manager. In that same year, he recorded his first album, Wild-Eyed Dream. The title track was released as a single, and reached No. 24 on the Country charts.[3]

1986-1988: Wild-Eyed Dream

By 1987, Shelton released his debut album, Wild-Eyed Dream. The album ended up being very successful for Shelton and his record label.

The next song from the album, "Crime of Passion" gained him an even bigger hit on the Country charts, when it reached the Top 10 early that year.

The follow-up was an even bigger success. This next song was called "Somebody Lied", and in December 1987 it became his first No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Nine other songs would make it to No. 1 on the Country charts during his career. He had a pair of other No. 1 singles from his debut album: "Life Turned Her That Way" and "Don't We All Have the Right".

His album reached the No. 1 spot on the Top Country Albums chart in 1987, was one of the biggest-selling Country albums of the year, and it made Shelton one of the most successful male vocalists of that year.

1988-1989: Living Proof

He achieved equal success the next year with a new album and a new single. The album was entitled Loving Proof, and it too was a No. 1 Billboard Country album.


The album spawned three No. 1 hits for Shelton. These songs were, "I'll Leave This World Loving You" (for two weeks in November 1988), "From a Jack to a King" (in March 1989), and "Living Proof" (in October 1989).

"From a Jack to a King" was a remake of the original by Ned Miller. By this time in Country music, Neo-Traditionalism was in its peak, and because of this, so was Shelton's career, just like so many of his counterparts, like Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, and Dwight Yoakam, to name a few.

1989-1991: RVS III, Christmas album and children's books

His albums continued to win him praise and keep him high on the charts. His third album was no different. Titled RVS III, this album spawned only one No. 1 single, called "I've Cried My Last Tear For You".

Although this was his only No. 1 from the album, two singles came close, "Statue of a Fool" and "I Meant Every Word He Said", both of which reached number 2 on the Country charts. By now in his career, Shelton was one of Country music's most successful male vocalists, playing the game along with the other big male names in the business.

 All his albums around this time had been certified by the RIAA as Platinum, and were also all No. 1 albums on the "Top Country Albums" chart. In 1990, he recording a Christmas album entitled Ricky Van Shelton Sings Christmas.

Around the same time, Shelton wrote a series of Children's books. The first two titles of his books were, Tales From a Duck Named Quacker and Quacker Meets Mrs. Moo. The series also contains "Quacker meets Canadian goose" and were all illustrated by Shan Williams Burklow.

1991-1992: Backroads

Shelton continued his success as the decade began to progress. The next year, 1991, proved another successful year for Shelton. He duetted on the song, "Rockin' Years" with Dolly Parton (which also went to No. 1), as well as a new album, entitled, Backroads.

The album featured his last No. 1 hits, along with a number 13 hit called "After the Lights Go Out". His hit streak continued up until this year, and his album was just as successful as his songs.

1992-1993: Greatest Hits Plus, Don't Overlook Salvation and alcoholism

By 1992, Shelton's success on the Country charts was tapering off, and fast. He enjoyed one last Top 10 hit (which actually reached number 5) titled "Wild Man", which was put on his newest album, called Greatest Hits Plus, which had all his biggest hits since he first jumped into the Country spotlight in 1987.

Another single, "Just As I Am," was featured on his Greatest Hits album, but it only made the Top 30 that year.

He also released a Gospel music album of all his Gospel material entitled Don't Overlook Salvation, which sold quite well.

However, in 1992, Shelton was also battling another problem. He admitted to the public he was an alcoholic, and led to some serious problems in his personal life. However, he decided to get help, and soon enough, Shelton was sober.

1993-1994: Love and Honor and departure from Columbia

By 1993, it was clear that Shelton was winding farther and farther away from the Top 10 on the Country charts. In 1994, he had his last Top 20 hit with "Where Was I". After 1994's Love and Honor album, Shelton decided to leave Columbia Records, saying he was fed up with the label.

After being under Columbia Records, Shelton was absent from the Country charts for a long period of time. However, Columbia continued to release Greatest Hits collections to the public. Shelton continued to work on other projects during this time, which didn't mean giving up performing.

1997-1999: Making Plans and label formation

In 1997, Shelton formed his own label entitled, RVS Records (which stands for his initials). That same year, he released his first album in three years entitled Making Plans. Shelton financed the project himself however, and worked out to release his album only to Wal-Mart stores.

2000-2001: Fried Green Tomatoes

In 2000, Shelton signed with the Audium label, where he made another album called Fried Green Tomatoes, which spawned his first single in over five years called "The Decision", but it failed to make a substantial impact on the Country charts.[3]

2006-present: Retirement

In May 2006, Ricky announced that he would be retiring from touring to spend more time with his family.[4]

Source: Wikipedia 

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