Artists That Begin With W

James Wesley

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:59:00 GMT

“I’ve always been a big believer in tradition,” declares James Wesley. “A lot of the old ways are the best ways: family, God, treating people right, doing what you’re supposed to do. I think it’s time to come back to what’s real. That’s what country music is about.”

James Wesley puts those core values into his music with a whiskey-smooth voice and a timelessly winning way with a great country song. Wesley sings directly to real people about real things that profoundly affect real lives—and from his small-town upbringing to his blue-collar work ethic, he has a deep understanding of what those folks are longing to hear.

“I know there’s more people out there than just me who want to hear something that grabs you and makes you go, ‘Wow, that’s me—that’s how I feel, that’s my day, that’s my family,’” he says. “When you swing a hammer every day, when you’re out there doing what you have to do, you learn a lot of compassion for the people that do it day in and day out.”

Wesley grew up in tiny Mound Valley, a community of about 200 people in Southeastern Kansas. He first discovered country music via his grandmother’s record collection, which included heaping helpings of classic crooners like Marty Robbins, George Jones and Ray Price. “We’d go over there on the weekends,” he recalls. “She’d have the console set up and the records stacked up and we’d listen to them as they dropped. Those guys back then, they could sing. I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”

His mother was the first to notice Wesley’s own talent for singing when she overheard him belting out his favorite songs behind his bedroom door. “I thought if I shut my door I blocked everybody out, but evidently I didn’t block Mom out,” he says with a chuckle. “She heard me and said, ‘I’d love to have you sing in church.’ So that’s what I did.” Soon he taught himself to play guitar on an old Stella practice model. “I’ve got it to this day,” he says. “You can still see where I wore down the D, C and G chords on the fretboard.” By his late teens he was singing in local nightclubs and beginning to think about making music his life. “I’d sit in my bedroom and stare out of the window and dream of being out there, getting to see the world,” he remembers. His first move in that direction was to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he performed in a nightly music and variety show.

There he met his wife, Mindee, with whom he now has two young children—and finally set his sights on Nashville. “I could have stayed in Eureka Springs for the rest of my life, but I just had to chase the dream,” he says. “I had to follow my gut.”

He and Mindee sold their house and almost everything in it, rented a moving truck and headed for Music City. Once there, Wesley took a construction job to make ends meet and began learning the ropes of the Nashville music business. He met hit songwriter Rodney Clawson and producer Dan Frizsell, and the three began recording together.

Their work caught the attention of Broken Bow Records, which signed Wesley in December and quickly released the very first song on his original demo, “Jackson Hole,” as his debut single. The tune (penned by Clawson and Monty Criswell) immediately began racing up the charts, driven by listeners who loved its vivid story of fleeting love in a snowy setting. “Jackson Hole” offered fans an upfront introduction to the more vulnerable aspects of Wesley’s personality. “Growing up with three sisters, I’ve got a sensitive side too,” he says with a smile. “But I’m proud that I have that side, that I’m not callous. The only thing calloused about me is my hands.”

The breakout success of “Jackson Hole” instantly validated the enormous risk Wesley took in uprooting his family from Eureka Springs for an uncertain future in Nashville was worth it. “My family has seen all the ups and downs,” he says. “There’s been a lot of hard work. There’s been times it wasn’t easy, and they’ve been there the whole time. They’re great.” It also meant that Wesley’s days of construction work were over. “Thank God I get to put the hammer down, at least for a while,” he says with a laugh. “It’s nice to be able to do what I love to do.”

James Wesley hopes to do what he loves to do for a long time to come. “I want to be in it for the long haul,” he says. “I want to do those songs that everybody wants to hear, and that everybody can feel. I want to be the guy who tells the stories, and tells it like it is.”

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Whiskey Falls

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:39:00 GMT

When the four members of Whiskey Falls first heard the blend of their voices, they immediately knew what they wanted to do – take their combined passion for music and meld it into one unique sound.

Having musical influences that range from The Eagles, Alabama, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, U2 and Queen, just to name a few, their "Cala-Bama" music – which they describe as "Hotel California" meets "Sweet Home Alabama" – certainly caught the ears of many record labels in Nashville.

Seven Williams and Wally Brandt began making music together early on in their youth and eventually became proud co-founders of We 3 Kings – an acclaimed film and television music production company out of California. They soon found themselves back and forth to Nashville where they teamed up with some of the town’s top writers including Don Schlitz ("The Gambler"), Frank Meyers ("I Swear") and Stephanie Bentley ("Concrete Angel"). Raised on the music of the South – Gospel, Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Southern Rock – Buck Johnson grew up singing gospel music with his family. Years later he ventured into the world of songwriting where he found a new level of success when Carlos Santana recorded "Just Feel Better" – a tune which Buck wrote with now bandmate Damon Johnson. Damon, who grew up playing Merle Haggard and Hank Jr., knew from an early age to be as diverse as possible when it comes to music. That paid off for him throughout his musical career, particularly as the singer, songwriter and guitarist for southern rock band Brother Cane.

After taking the suggestion of a mutual friend, Buck and Damon, who knew each other from the Birmingham music scene, met up with Seven and Wally in California where the four were introduced.

When they heard the blend of their voices, they knew they were sitting on something bigger than life.

"It was magical and we felt it," Seven says. "A lot of times we say it is like singing in one breath when we sing together. There’s something very similar in the way that our tones and voices kind of match."

With no record label involved, Whiskey Falls, named after a national park in northern California, began writing and recording their songs with no intentions but to record the music pouring from their hearts. After seeing the band perform live as unsigned artists at an industry event, independent label Midas Records signed Whiskey Falls and put them on the road only three days later.

Their first single "Last Train Running" scored the band immediate success at radio which landed them a slot performing on the prestigious stage of the Grand Ole Opry only weeks after its release.

"We’ve all been privileged to be able to play on some important stages, but I think there was something really unique and special about that night," Buck explains. "After we finished our song, we came off the stage and there was Porter Wagoner. It was a couple of months before he passed. He says to us boys, I really love that song. We’re going to have you back. You can’t ask for more than that."

In the short fourteen months as a band, Whiskey Falls was named 2008’s "Breakout Band of the Year" by Nashville’s Music Row, has been featured in many major publications such as People Magazine, USA Weekend, Billboard Magazine, Country Weekly and more. They have also made appearances on national television including performances on The Early Show, Extra!, GAC and at several NASCAR pre-race events, as well as being featured in television commercials for AAMCO Transmissions. Their unreleased song "Load Up The Bases" was selected as the official theme song for Fox Sports South Network’s coverage of Major League Baseball and continues to be played in MLB stadiums nationwide.

"We are so grateful for the feedback that we’ve been getting," Damon says. "It has really been humbling for us to get the reaction that we have."

Besides the musical fulfillment Whiskey Falls experiences night after night, the bond of brotherhood shared amongst the members is something they cherish just as much.

"I am honored to play with these guys," says Wally. "We are all really good friends which makes it even better. I get on the bus after a couple of days home and I actually smile because I f eel like I’m back with my family."

As they prepare to further their venture into the world of country music, the members of Whiskey Falls are grateful for the warm reception they’ve received and plan to continue building upon that fan base as they continue to tour coast to coast in 2008 with over 200 dates already in the books.

"I get to travel the country with three guys who I love and respect," says Wally. "We get to see people smiling and connect with them through our songs. We get to do what we love, and if we can still do that five years from now I’d feel wonderfully blessed."

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The Wreckers

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:38:00 GMT

In 2004, Michelle Branch took a break from her successful solo career to team with friend and touring backup singer Jessica Harp in a new project called the Wreckers. Previous to the Branch collaboration, Harp had been working as a singer/songwriter in Nashville, and those country music elements mixed with Branch's pop sensibilities to inform the Wreckers' rootsy, harmony-rich sound. The duo debuted in autumn 2004, performing "Good Kind" on the WB teen drama One Tree Hill. "Good Kind" then appeared on the show's official soundtrack -- issued in January 2005 -- as the Wreckers prepared to release their full-length debut. Its first single, "Leave the Pieces," hit country radio before the album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, appeared in March 2006 on Maverick and reached number 14 on the album charts. The concert album Way Back Home: Live from New York City followed in 2007.

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Wynonna

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:13:00 GMT

Sing is powered by emotive sonnets that formed the backbone and backdrop of The Judds’ own musical touchstones, and fueled Wynonna’s penchant for multiple musical passions. Songs include the swinging Big Band tilt of “That’s How Rhythm Was Born,” first recorded by The Boswell Sisters, one of the earliest songs Wynonna remembers singing with her mother; “Till I Get It Right,” the Tammy Wynette heartbreaker; “Ain’t No Sunshine,” the Bill Withers classic;” I’m A Woman,” popularized by Maria Muldaur - and Merle Haggard’s 1980’s country lament, “Are The Good Times Really Over For Good.” The album also contains spirited rockers, such as “I Hear You Knocking” and the Stevie Ray Vaughan corker, “The House Is Rockin’,” among others. Wynonna even sneaks in a brand new original song, the title track “Sing,” written by Rodney Crowell and presented to her by longtime co-producers Brent Maher and Don Potter, who helped the superstar artist navigate these most cherished musical steppingstones in the making of this album.

“These are the songs I knew growing up and that I carried through the bumps and bruises on and off the road. Behind the scenes,” says Wynonna. “Songs I listened to backstage before the show. On the way to the Grammys and back home, and those lonelier moments when there is no one else around.”

Honest tales that speak to the heart; classic American songs of love, loss and survival written to heal wounds and soften the blows of a rollicking country journey, reminding her to brake for rock, folk, gospel, R&B, and blues along the way.

Sing swells with the cisterns of a legendary singer’s unshakeable foundation, experienced in full and seeping into a personal mythology that has become part of American country music lore. The album not only sheds new light on the rags-to-riches Judd legend, but provides country fans and rock aficionados a rare opportunity to envision the way a 12-year-old Wynonna first experienced the songs in her own musical imagination. “I’m sort of lifting the veil on all these songs for the first time,” she says. “Listening to them these past few months has made me remember all these incredible snapshots of my life with these songs as the soundtrack.”

Wynonna was also reawakened to the generational and transformational possibilities inherent in the music chosen for Sing. “Take a song like ‘Woman Be Wise,’” she says, one of the album’s capstones, a bluesy gem that the legendary Bonnie Raitt made popular. “It reminds me of a period in my life when I spent a tremendous amount of time in my room because I was grounded for one thing and another. I just loved Bonnie, and used to fantasize about the day she’d call and ask me to join her band. I wanted nothing more than to go out on the road with a rock band. I was all about that pre-teen, forlorn, two-or-three dramas a day kind of stuff. I envisioned my daughter when I sang this - imagined other moms with their daughters - and tried to give it that ‘girlfriend to girlfriend’ perspective, knowing what I know now. I’m enjoying the calm and wisdom that comes with this period in my life – but it’s songs like this that remind me why I was so inspired by rock.”

Her passion for rock and gutsy R&B has long been a hallmark of her charismatic live shows. She’s been a welcome guest of rock icons like U2 and the Rolling Stones, and Sing’s beckoning version of “I Hear You Knocking,” (originally recorded by Smiley Lewis and made popular by Dave Edmunds), reminded her of her early love for bands like the Stones and Foreigner. Her set-the-house-on-fire version of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The House Is Rockin’” churns with the gritty tenacity of a rock n’ roll pro – displaying what Wynonna proudly brandishes as “the desire and absolute necessity to rock. I look at someone like Tina Turner and see that she just gets better with age, and I hope that’s where I’m headed.”

Wynonna also vividly recalls a fortuitous moment of crossing paths with Stevie Ray even before she was a known musical entity. “My mom knew his brother Jimmy and I remember being in his apartment. It was so magical, but then again I was just 16 and didn’t know any better. There I was making myself up in the bathroom while Jimmy and Stevie are practicing for a gig in the kitchen. I could hear them as I’m doing my hair. When I think back about that moment in my life, I realize how unbelievable and innocent it was all at the same time. I tried to continue the ‘feel’ of a moment like that when I did the song.”

Wynonna’s keen instincts for finding the essence of a song have earned her a reputation for making a wide range of musical choices her ‘own.’ She points to the Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick treasure – “Anyone Who Had A Heart” (a song she initially recorded for Bacharach’s 1999 concert release One Amazing Night and has been singing on the road ever since) as a chance to put her own touch on this beloved classic. “It’s always been one of my favorite songs. The version I did for Burt was more in keeping with the original. Here I get to do a little facelift. It was also a great exercise for me in trying another direction with a song that always gets a great reaction live.”

Wynonna’s interpretation of the Bill Withers’ classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” presented a different set of challenges. “I just love that song, and was a little bit hesitant, kind of like ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ I was about seven years old when it came out and still remember how powerful it was.” Wynonna credits long time musical collaborators Don Potter and Brent Maher with much needed musical and moral support on Sing. “Don always reminds me to follow my instincts and "Ain't No Sunshine" turned out to be one of my favorites.”

Respect for the material chosen for Sing was always the first priority, Wynonna did not hesitate in lending her voice to classics that have, over time become signature songs for some pretty heavy hitters: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” originally recorded by Hank Williams, Nat King Cole’s stunning ballad “When I Fall In Love,” – “One of my Top 5 favorite songs of all time,” says Wynonna, “I love the simplicity and the poetry of it. Don outdid himself on this version. I put this one down as one of those special markers of my career.” And country giant Merle Haggard’s “Are The Good Times Really Over For Good,” which Wynonna points out: “Was controversial then, and in many ways can be viewed as still controversial. But for me, Merle Haggard was another one of those great chapters in my growth. The second or third concert I ever attended was a Merle concert. He’s one of the true all-time greats.”

A quick going-over of just the credits for Sing conjures up musical history from almost every genre and era of the last half of the 20th century. Wynonna’s approach was to come to the studio focused only on each day’s task. “It really does get down to just singing the song. At the end of the day, music is here to produce a memory for people. Look at all the memories these songs inspired for me. I’m able to show up and be present. That’s what I’m breathing into these songs. I’m not so hell-bent on the destination that I forget the journey."

And what a journey it has been. For Wynonna, who Rolling Stone Magazine once referred to as ‘the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline,’ stats alone don’t do her solo career justice. She’s always pushed the boundaries of the country music repertoire. Impressive credentials like more than 10 million albums sold, 6 platinum-plus/gold-plus albums, 16 Top Ten hits, a Top Female Vocalist Of The Year Award from the Academy of Country Music, and many sold-out tours in the last 17 years - all come in second to her amazing ability to resonate with fans from all walks of life. “I’m blessed with the greatest fans in the world,” she says. “Even when I’m recording, I try to imagine them having a bad day and my music coming on and making them stop for a second, and hopefully feel something that they otherwise may have been too busy to notice.”

Her 2005 autobiography, Coming Home To Myself, also shared her many struggles over adversity throughout her career. The book was a staple of the New York Times Bestseller list, and served as a perfect companion piece to her autobiographical musical journey, Her Story: Scenes From A Lifetime, a double-live gold-plus certified CD and DVD, which hit #2 on the Top Country Album charts.

Ever since her record-breaking, quintuple platinum debut solo CD, 1992’s Wynonna, which reached #1 on the Country chart and loomed in the Top 5 of Billboard’s Top Albums chart (producing 4 #1 singles), the singer has remained one of country’s most recognizable, yet unpredictable icons. Subsequent best selling releases such as the 1993 follow-up masterpiece Tell Me Why, 1996’s more introspective Revelations, her rock-driven, blues-inspired 1997 effort The Other Side, and 5th album, which she co-produced, 2000’s New Day Dawning (which featured covers of Joni Mitchell and The Fabulous Thunderbirds) - have established her as an artist who continues to challenge herself and grow as a performer. Her most recent studio album was released in 2003, the acclaimed What The World Needs Now Is Love.

The early-1980’s launch of The Judds, featuring Wynonna and her mother Naomi, (whose humble Kentucky family life reflected the everyday struggles of many Americans) found the duo being credited with ‘single-handedly saving country music,’ according to Time magazine. Their kitchen table harmonies and home-spun rapport was a breath of fresh air to a stagnant country music scene at the time. Their cross-generational appeal, powerful vocal interplay, and dedication to ‘family love and rural values’ would catch on with fans of all musical genres, and win them CMA Country Duo of the year honors in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991. Five-time Grammy award winners, and one of the most successful musical pairings of all time, The Judds have sold more than 20 million records, snagging multiple gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA.

“I feel I’ve come full circle and I’m back to where I started: an 18-year-old girl sitting on the back porch playing and singing her heart out. I’m ready to begin the journey again.”

Over the mountains and through the valleys. High and low places accounted for.

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Mark Wills

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:09:00 GMT

Mark Wills found both personal and professional success in Georgia's capital city. He met his wife Kelly there. They married in 1996, the same year "Jacob's Ladder" jump-started his country career on Mercury Records. That single was followed by a string of Top 10 smashes: "Places I've Never Been" (1997), "I Do (Cherish You)" (1998), "Don't Laugh at Me" (1998), "Wish You Were Here" (1999), "She's in Love" (1999) and "Back at One" (2000).

With its heartfelt message of tolerance and charity, "Don't Laugh at Me" garnered nominations from the Country Music Association for single, song and video of the year in 1998. Again, career success dovetailed with personal happiness. His daughter Mally was born, bringing a deeper joy and depth to the words of the songs he sings as an artist.

In 2001, Wills released his fourth CD, Loving Every Minute, which included a duet with labelmate Jamie O'Neal. His Greatest Hits followed in 2002, featuring the huge radio hit "19 Somethin'." He released the album And the Crowd Goes Wild in 2003.

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Jimmy Wayne

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:56:00 GMT

Jimmy Wayne was born Oct. 23, 1972, in Cleveland County, N.C. He endured a tumultuous childhood, as his father abandoned the family when Wayne was a toddler, and his mother was in and out of prison twice. Growing up in foster homes, Wayne became an avid journal-keeper, using writing as a way of therapy. Living on the streets at 16 and a high school dropout, he was hired by an elderly couple to cut their grass, and eventually, they invited him to move into their home.

With a stable home life, Wayne went back to high school and worked his way through community college, earning an associate's degree in criminal justice. After working in the North Carolina prison system, Wayne moved to Nashville, practiced guitar until becoming proficient and put his life experience to music. Tracy Byrd cut one of his songs, "Put Your Hand in Mine," in 1998.
Wayne's first single, "Stay Gone," was inspired by his sister Patricia, who was having marital troubles at the time. She told Wayne that everything would be better if her husband would just stay gone. Wayne released his self-titled debut album on DreamWorks Nashville in 2003.

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Gretchen Wilson

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:16:00 GMT

To all appearances, Gretchen Wilson went overnight from talented obscurity to phenomenon. Her meteoric rise, the kind experienced by only a handful of artists in the past few decades, was that rare instance where talent and moment meet to form a cultural tidal wave. Still, she knows better than anyone the simple force that fueled it.

"The reason I've been successful is that I've been genuine from the get-go," she says, "and I continue to try to do that. I'm an open book." It helps that the identity she wears so guilelessly is one that resonates strongly with fans of country and Southern rock--the independent, take-no-guff, hard-working and hard-partying country woman. Gretchen's ability to inhabit that persona publicly, as well as her flair for tailoring songs as gorgeously rough-edged as she is, have given her the kind of "I am what I sing" originality few women in country music history--Loretta, Tammy, Dolly and Tanya chief among them--have ever been able to achieve.

Set as it was within the broader scope of the Muzik Mafia, a talented and audaciously original ensemble, and like-minded entertainers from Kid Rock to Hank Jr., her rise was part of a genuine musical and cultural groundswell. Her first single, "Redneck Woman," spent six weeks at #1; her debut album, Here For The Party, sold more than five million copies; she won across-the-board awards including a Grammy and ACM, CMA and AMA nods for best female vocalist; and she toured to large and raucous crowds around the world. Her second CD, All Jacked Up, rode enthusiastic reviews to platinum status as Gretchen's accomplishments continued to stack up.

Over the last three years, she has been featured on “60 Minutes,” “Dateline NBC,” “20/20 Primetime” and CNN’s “People In The News,” and she has appeared on virtually every morning, noon and late-night television show on the air. Magazine covers and major news features could paper an entire wall.

Such is her cross-medium viability that her first book, the autobiographical “Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life,” landed her on the prestigious New York Times Best Seller List. Now, with the release of her third album, One Of The Boys, Gretchen Wilson solidifies her position as one of contemporary country's most original and multi-faceted female artists, a woman in whom ambition and ability come together in every aspect of her career.

"When it comes to the music," she says, "I get involved on a personal level in everything that counts. I'm involved in the writing, recording, producing, mixing, and promoting of the music, down to which photos we pick and how the lyrics are laid out on the paper. I've been very lucky that way from the beginning in that the people at my label, when it came down to it, have trusted me with my gut on the music." Building on that freedom, One Of The Boys is a tour de force, a musical extension of the complex woman sometimes underappreciated by those who only know her rowdy aspects. One Of the Boys cuts a wider swath through both the hell-raising and the softer sides of a woman who has been in the public eye just three short years.

The record's first single, "Come To Bed," details the aftermath of a relationship's fireworks, looking for the healing power of physical contact. "To Tell The Truth" wears its pain on its sleeve, while "Pain Killer" looks at the end of a relationship. "Heaven Help Me" may be the most compelling, the most heartfelt, the most poignant slice of life Gretchen has laid down. Even within the CD's uptempo excursions, Gretchen's softer side shows through, with both the title track and "Girl I Am" detailing a woman's need to feel comfortable revealing herself in all her complexity.

But make no mistake, this being a Gretchen Wilson record, it has more than its share of barnburners. "To be honest," she says, "I wrote songs for this record based on my life but also on my live show. I wanted to be able to play more electric guitar this year, to rock a little harder. I open the show with a Les Paul on now, which is pretty rock 'n roll, and you've got to have those kind of songs." She's got plenty, from "You Don't Have To Go Home" and "Place In The Whiskey," which bring rowdy slices of the night life to bear on the project, to "If You Want A Mother," sure to put any less-than-equal partner on the defensive, and "There Goes The Neighborhood," with its light look at rural redneckization.

Overall, One Of The Boys is as strong and authentic a musical statement as Gretchen has ever made. "I didn't put a song on this record--didn't even record one--that I didn't think was a great song," she says, "and I believe that lyrically and emotionally they're as true as anything I've ever done. It's just like pages out of a diary--they're really true stories and emotions and feelings and things that happened." Part of its strength lies in Gretchen's ability to dedicate more time to the writing and recording of this project than either of the others. She also drew on the strengths of some of her most cherished songwriting collaborators. The result, she says, "is the most important record I've ever made. It solidifies me as a songwriter, at least to myself, and I'm very hard to please. I am my worst critic."

The album comes at a time when she is more contented with her personal journey as well. A single mother, after splitting with the father of her daughter Grace, she has drawn her family around her on her property outside Nashville, and has found herself more able to enjoy domestic life amid the whirlwind that can still be her professional life.

"I'm as happy a person as I've ever been," she says, "and I attribute that to everything I've absorbed and learned and gone through in the last few years." Still, as the head of a major business enterprise, the focal point of a huge touring company, and a major modern media star, she has come a long way, in both her personal and artistic lives, from Pocahontas, Illinois, where she was born to a 16-year-old mother. With her father out of the picture, she got much of her grounding from her grandmother, who also introduced her to what stability the youngster knew and to the classic country of Patsy Cline, among others. Amid life's uncertainties--trailers, moving to stay ahead of rent collectors, taking care of her younger brother, bartending at 14 alongside her mother--she found release in country and rock music. She was on her own by 15, managing Big O's, a bar outside town, and singing for its rough-and-tumble patrons. She sang along to CD's for tips until she was old enough to join a cover band and sing as far down the interstate as St. Louis.

Dream and talent combined to send her in 1996 to Nashville, where she put her bartending skills to use in Printers' Alley, sitting in with the band now and then. It was there that John Rich and Big Kenny ran across her. Rich battled his way through her natural skepticism to convince her he could be helpful as she sought recognition as a singer. She began singing demos and became part of the fledgling Muzik Mafia, singing on Tuesday nights in ever-bigger clubs and pitching herself to record labels.

She garnered little interest until an epiphany in front of a TV screen at Rich's place before a writing session. Realizing she was simply not the kind of country singer so common at the time--"the Barbie doll type"--she focused instead on what she was and, with Rich, wrote "Redneck Woman," which would help turn the corner and become an across-the-board phenomenon. As she has turned that moment into a nuanced identity and a long-term career, she has grown into the woman she dreamed of while she served drinks at Big O's. It has been an adventure.

"I feel like I've grown so much spiritually, emotionally and professionally in the last couple of years," she says. "Everything has evolved and I'm more in the moment now than I used to be." Beyond career and family, Gretchen has maintained an active charitable role, performing recently in clubs and small theaters to raise money for organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Children's Miracle Network. As the scope of her life continues to grow, the young woman from the tough background looks to find her ultimate place in the larger scheme of things.

"I think sometimes that I haven't even found my purpose yet," she says. "I think sometimes this is a stepping stone and there's something greater still for me to do. I'm not sure what, yet, but a lot of it I think comes from this overwhelming sense that my grandma knew something I didn't know. I know what her purpose was now. She never even could find her natural parents, but her purpose was to make me who I am, because I didn't have anybody else who molded me. She was it, and I know I have a greater purpose than all of this too, and I have a feeling that somehow she'll be the one to tell me."

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Darryl Worley

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:13:00 GMT

Darryl Worley was born Oct. 31, 1964, in Pyburn, Tenn. As a child, he had both musicians and moonshiners in his family. When Worley was a child, his father quit his job of 25 years to join the ministry, hauling the family away from home. Moving from town to town, Worley began to excel in sports but broke his back playing basketball in high school. While in college, he took on some odd jobs, including diving for mussels, commercial fishing on the Tennessee River and working in the local paper mill. He earned a degree in biology from Northern Alabama University with a minor in organic chemistry and then taught seventh and eighth grade biology.

Later, Worley left a lucrative business to pursue a career in music. He signed a publishing deal for $150 a week at Fame in Muscle Shoals and often commuted to Nashville, playing bars. His traditional country music caught the attention of DreamWorks Nashville, which released his debut single in 2000. Although the album Hard Rain Don't Last earned rave reviews for its hard country sound, its first three singles stalled just outside the Top 10.

However, the title track to his follow-up album, I Miss My Friend, climbed to No. 1 in 2002. Shortly thereafter, Worley visited American troops in Afghanistan and wrote a song about the experience titled "Have You Forgotten?" Capturing the anger and frustration of many Americans regarding the war, the song catapulted to No. 1, and Worley quickly released the album Have You Forgotten? (including material from previous albums) in 2003. He has since become an outspoken advocate of the military and has toured numerous bases overseas.

Worley released a self-titled album in late 2004, but parted ways with Universal Music shortly thereafter. A new album is slated for 2006 on 903 Music, a label started by Neal McCoy.

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Chuck Wicks

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Everyone has heard the phrase “practice makes perfect” and though it’s a mantra more often associated with sports than songwriting, it’s just as apropos for that vocation as any other endeavor--just ask singer/songwriter Chuck Wicks.

Though he took the country format by storm with his Top 5 debut single, “Stealing Cinderella,” and his Top 15 follow-up hit, “All I Ever Wanted” (and recently earned a whole new audience of fans as a celebrity contestant paired with real-life girlfriend Julianne Hough on the ABC mega-hit Dancing with the Stars), it hasn’t all come easy. Wicks spent several years paying his dues by parking cars and writing songs. He developed his craft, apprenticing with some of the top songwriters on Music Row. That hard work pays off on Starting Now, Wicks’ RCA Nashville debut album, which showcases the depth of his artistry as a vocalist and songwriter.

“If it wasn’t for the Music Row community and a lot of the songwriters around town, there’s no way I would be where I’m at now,” says Wicks, who wrote or co-wrote every song on his album, except one.

Growing up on his family’s farm in Smyrna, Delaware, Wicks immersed himself in a variety of music, from traditional country to R&B, and cites a diverse array of influences, among them Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers and Brian McKnight. As much as he loved music, he really didn’t give much thought to making it a career. Like many young men, sports dominated his world, and he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He moved south to attend Florida Southern College and play baseball, but it was during his senior year that the desire to play music began eclipsing his athletic aspirations.

“My passion for country music just kind of took over, and I learned about Nashville,” recalls Wicks, who began performing during college. “I decided to take a couple of trips there and figure out how to get into music. I quit college two classes short of graduation and ended up getting a development deal on RCA.”

Long on desire and talent, but short on experience, the timing just wasn’t right, and that initial development deal didn’t lead to an album. As Wicks would learn, it takes so much more than talent to achieve success in the country music arena. If good looks and a great voice were the only ingredients necessary to launch a career, small town America wouldn’t be littered with the broken dreams of every aspiring artist who gave up and went home.

Giving up and going home never crossed Wicks’ mind. Instead he dug in deeper and spent the next several years writing songs, learning and practicing his craft alongside such well known Music Row writers as Monty Powell, George Teren, Rivers Rutherford, Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley and his brother Mike. “I had a lot of great songwriters take me under their wing and show me the ropes--how to sit down and put pen to paper and try to write a song. So that’s all I did for four years. I just sat in a writers’ room and wrote with some of the best writers in the world. I learned from them and just kept writing and developing my own style.”

Wicks would write songs during the day and at night he often found himself parking cars that belonged to some of the co-writers he’d just written with. “As soon as I moved here, I had to get a job,” Wicks says. “I parked cars seven days a week at Fleming’s Steak House. I was writing during the day and working at night. Some of those songwriters that I was writing with, I would actually park their car at night when they’d go out to dinner. It was a humbling experience for sure. I knew that I had to work hard, and I knew there was a time where it wasn’t going to be easy--and that was definitely the time--but I knew I just had to keep on going.”

When asked what kept him going during those lean years, Wicks replies: “I’ve always believed in myself. I knew I had work to do. I knew my songs had to get better, and that’s why I really worked on the craft of songwriting. When you have a good meeting, it makes you want to stay a little longer. If you have a good writing appointment, you want to stay a little longer. When someone tells you, ‘Man, I like your songs!’ or ‘I like your voice!’ it’s those little things that make you want to stick around and keep going for it.”

Perseverance paid off. Wicks landed a deal with RCA Records and began working on his album with producers Monty Powell and Dann Huff. The result is a compelling debut, a collection of songs that demonstrate a depth of artistry not usually found on a first album. The strength of the record is a reflection of the years Wicks spent honing his talent. There’s a warm, self-assured quality to his voice, and the songs give voice to the hopes, fears and dreams of today’s Americans.

“When You’re Single” is an unflinching look at a solitary life and the desire to be in love. The song boasts a warm, lilting tone reminiscent of James Taylor at his best. On the flip side, “She’s Gonna Hurt Somebody” is an up-tempo ode to a woman who has been done wrong and is looking for revenge. “Man of the House,” Wicks’ newest single, is a tender ballad about a young boy trying to help take care of his family while his father is away serving in the war. “Mine All Mine” showcases Wicks’ penchant for R&B and the soulful edge in his voice.

The first single, “Stealing Cinderella,” is about a guy asking his girlfriend’s dad for her hand in marriage and seeing all the photos of her growing up. It’s obvious she’s the apple of her dad’s eye, but to him, the young man is “just some fella, riding in and stealing Cinderella.” “There are a lot of great songs that I can’t wait to get to, but as far as coming out of the box as a new artist, we wanted something that would stand out,” says Wicks of the song, which was inspired by a girlfriend whose job was playing Cinderella at Disney World. “Just the title alone, ‘Stealing Cinderella,’ makes you want to listen to it, and when you listen to it, it’s such a great story. We knew it was the right choice.”

It’s just the latest in a long line of right choices for Chuck Wicks. He’s a talented young artist, unafraid of hard work, and with a strong sense of his own musical identity. “This record reflects who I am as a person. I hope people will hear that and want to be a part of what I sing and write about,” says Wicks, who took his songs on the road in 2008, opening for Brad Paisley. “I don’t think I’m like anybody else, and it translates through my music and the album that I made.”

It may have taken a few years to get to this point, but Wicks wouldn’t change a thing. “I’m a much better artist now,” he says. “I wasn’t ready before, and now I am. I’m glad I parked cars for five years. It makes me appreciate everything that I’ve had to work for to get to this point.”

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Clay Walker

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:08:00 GMT

Certain artists just seem to have an innate sense of what it takes to please an audience. Clay Walker is one of those artists. Whether on stage or in the recording studio, Walker never gives less than a hundred percent, and it's that kind of dedicated work ethic combined with God-given talent that have made him one of the most successful country acts of the past decade.

He first topped the Billboard country singles chart in 1993 with "What's It to You" and followed with his second consecutive No. 1 hit, "Live Until I Die." Since then he's placed 31 titles on Billboard's singles chart including such additional chart toppers as "Dreaming with my Eyes Open," "If I Could Make Living," "This Woman and This Man," and "Rumor Has It." (The latter two songs each spent two weeks at the summit.) He's enjoyed his share of success at the cash registers and has consistently been one of the busiest artists on the road. He's scored four platinum-selling albums, signifying sales of a million units, and two gold albums, discs that sold over 500,0000 units.

However, that doesn't mean Walker has any intention of resting on his laurels. The talented Texan has teamed with acclaimed producer Keith Stegall to record his first album for Curb Records. "He's a great producer," Walker says. "I've always been a fan, but for whatever reason just have not had the opportunity to work with him. He's one of the few producers that really allow the lyric of the song to carry the song more than trying to put huge production around it. He gives the lyric room to breathe in a song and I think that's real important."

With that respect came a level of trust and comfort during the recording process. "I had no anxiety at all working with him," says Walker, "because I didn't feel like there was anything I could add to the record as far as suggestions that would be better than what Keith already had--and that's a real comfort to me."

One of Walker's favorite tracks on the new album is a song titled "Fall." He says Stegall is rather low key in the studio, not very animated at all, but he knew after he'd recorded the song, it met Stegall's approval. "Keith stood up and high-fived the engineer when we got done with the vocal and I thought, that's the first that I've ever seen that, maybe he was just glad that I got all the lyrics right," Walker says with a laugh. "It was refreshing to know there wasn't a lot of wasted time in the studio with Keith. He knows what he wants and he communicates that with the musicians really well."

Walker says his approach to the new album was simple: "The biggest thing that I wanted to do was to just get songs on the radio and make music that people love. I wanted to continue the style they've known me for and not change things too much because the music we've made in the past is good music. Mainly I was looking for stronger lyrics. I think you try to do that with every record, and the more you record, the better you get at being able to pick hit songs."

Walker admits he had plenty of help looking for material for his eighth album, but the process still took longer than he'd anticipated. "There were people involved in the song search that I really, really respect.

Keith Stegall and Doug Johnson are both guys I respect for finding great songs. They know what No. 1 hits are. So that took a lot of pressure off, but at the same time, it took us a year to find all the songs for this CD, which was a lot longer than I'm used to. I'm used to finding the songs in two or three months, but the song search stretched out for nearly a year. They were both saying: 'You know what? We aren't coming until this album is a masterpiece.' I think that that's a wonderful approach. Now that it's finally here, I'm excited to get it all out."

After recording six albums for Giant Records, and one on RCA, Walker recently signed with Curb Records. "I feel like Curb is a great place to be because they are all about artistry. They have the feel of a small record label with only a handful of artists, but they have the power of an RCA or BMG or Sony," he says. "So with that kind of power and that kind of an approach, I see why they are successful and I hope to be a part of that success for them."

Walker has been playing some of new music on the road and getting enthusiastic response. "I love the country sound of this record," he says. "Every one of these songs has a cool flavor to it and none of them sound alike. That's what I love. I guess the only common thing to the whole thing is the fact that they are country."

The cream of the Music Row songwriting community contributed their talents to Walker's project, among them Rivers Rutherford, Doug Johnson, Brett James and Kim Williams. Walker also contributes two cuts himself. "I wrote one in San Diego called 'I Hate Nights Like This,'" he recalls. "It describes a beautiful starry night by the ocean and it's really a true story. The lyrics are 'I hate nights like this, it makes me want to be in love.' I think it's really soulful and heartfelt."

Walker also penned a tune titled "She Likes It In The Morning."

"It's a song that's playful and at the same time says that a woman needs to know that she's the most important thing in your life. A woman wants to be treated like a queen. She wants to know that she is absolutely everything to you. That's what this song is basically saying. It's a ballad and it really reminds me of some of the stuff that I grew up listening to and loved--some of the early George Strait stuff and even a touch of some Conway Twitty in there and Earl Thomas Conley. It just has that late 80's feel to it and I love that."

The album also includes Walker's first duet, a cover of the country classic "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" that he recorded with Freddy Fender, the country veteran who had a monster hit with the tune in the 1970s. "I've always been a big fan of Freddy's," says Walker."

"He's a great guy."

Walker says he learned Spanish about four years ago and developed an even greater appreciation for the song, but it really came to hold a special place in his heart after he and a friend stopped to eat ribs at a little barbecue place in Mississippi. There was a family holding a wedding reception and-- thrilled to find one of their favorite country artists there-- they asked him to sing a song for the newlyweds. Walker dedicated "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" to the bride from her father.

"They were standing there together and I could see that although the father was happy for the daughter, I could see exactly what I'm going to feel whenever one of my daughters get married. You do feel like you lose them," Walker says with a sigh. "I could see the look on his face. So I dedicated this song and he started crying and she started crying.

They were dancing to it and I thought that song will never mean the same to me again. I won't think about it as two lovers, I'll think about it as a father saying to the daughter, 'If he ever hurts you, I'll be there before the next teardrop falls.' If you go back to listen to the lyric of it, it says, 'If he brings you happiness, then I wish you both the best. . .but if he ever leaves you blue, just remember I love you and I'll be there before the next teardrop falls.'"

Unlike some artists who record duets at different times and in different places, then edit their performances together, Walker and Fender got together at a Nashville studio to record "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." "When we went in and recorded this together in the studio, it was just magic," Walker says. "You could feel the sparks. I think the musicians could too. There was a vibe inside the studio that I've not felt before. It was really spectacular."

The session is one of the highlights in a career that began in Beaumont, Texas. Walker says he knew early that he wanted to be a country recording artist. When he was only 16-years-old, and working nights as a desk clerk at a Super 8 Motel, he took a tape of a song he wrote to a nearby radio station. The disc jockey told him it was against corporate policy to play such tapes on the air. "I was heartbroken, but when I left the studio and got in my car--and I remember it was about 6:30 in the morning-- as I was driving away from the radio station and he said, "Folks, I'm not supposed to do this, but this song is just too good to pass up. This song was written by a hometown boy, his name is Clay Walker!' He spun it and I could not believe it. It was one of the highlights of my whole career. Even to this day, when I think about the one moment in time, it said to me: 'This is what you're going to be!' That defined it. I knew with no question, that was it."

Like Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd, Walker made a name for himself on the competitive Texas honky tonk circuit before graduating to success on a national level. "After I saw Mark and Tracy do it, that gave me even more desire because I knew both of them," Walker recalls. "Watching them do it led me to believe that if I kept trying hard, then maybe I could get my break too."

He did and in 1993, his first single on Giant, "What's It To You," flew up the chart and landed at No. 1. His smooth, evocative voice and energetic stage presence quickly established Walker as the latest Texas export to find national acclaim and a lengthy string of hits has followed. However, the Houston resident has never strayed far from his Texas roots or the Lone Star lifestyle. In fact, one of the accomplishments Walker is most proud of is having placed seventh in the cutting horse competition at the Houston Livestock Rodeo, the largest rodeo in the United States. He took the prize with his horse Maddie.

It's an impressive feat, made even more special because Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 10 years ago. "If you'd asked me when I was diagnosed that first day if I would still be alive, I would have said 'No' because that's what the doctor's said," he admits. "Here I am, 10 years later and actually I'm probably healthier than I was 10 years ago."

After more than a decade in the national spotlight, Clay Walker believes the best is yet to come. "I trust my gut more than ever now," he says. "I definitely don't feel like a rookie, but at the same time, I think the best years of my recording career are ahead of me. I believe if the good Lord wants it, who's going to stop it?"

Find Clay on the web: