Hank Williams Jr.

Good morning or good evening depending on where bloggers are reading from! This week I’m back talking about a great legend, Hank Williams Jr., also known as Bocephus. He has very recently became a great role model of mine, for the simple fact he speaks his mind and really does not care what others think or have to say. His song “Are You Ready for Some Football” has just been pulled for a statement he had made regarding the government as his punishment. Personally the “punishment” is a little ridiculous but it doesn’t seem to phase him.

                In 1949 on May 26^th Randall Hank Williams, who was also was nicknamed “Bocephus” by his late father, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Unfortunately at the age of 3, his father Hiriam “Hank” Williams Sr. had passed away. When Jr. had turned 8 years old he appeared on stage as Hank Williams Jr. and played his father’s songs. At age 11 he debuted on the Grand Ol’ Opry and by 14 he had made his first hit record. Talk about starting early! During his teenage years he learned to play piano from Jerry Lee Lewis, he had appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and was performing for 20,000+ people.

                During 1969, Bocephus and Johnny Cash teamed up at Detroit’s Cobo Hall for the biggest country show to date. In 1970, Jr. signed the largest recording contract in the history of MGM Records. Finally he broke free and gained his own music identity instead of shadowing his father. During the early 1970’s he had made his own southern rock side, which can be heard in his 1975 album Hank Williams Jr and Friends. The same year, Jr. had escaped death from falling off a mountain in Montana and had to have numerous surgeries to keep him alive.

                He had won the CMA’s entertainer trophy in 1987 and in 1988. 1989 he won his first Grammy for the duet with his late father, “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” and given his father had passed they had borrowed his vocals from a vinyl record.

Luke Bryan

           

Hello fellow readers! I am back this week talking about the ever so gorgeous, Luke Bryan. Over the past few months, I have listened to his music a lot and I think he’s a great artist. I love his music, and at this very moment I am in love with his new song “I Don’t Want This Night To End.” Go take a listen while reading J. I heard it on my way to class one morning and have not stopped listening to it! I don’t want to say it describes me because it doesn’t, but it really made me think of some good times I’ve had with some great people. Now just like last week, I can’t promise I know very much about the singer, so we’ll learn together. Let get to it!

                He was born with the given name Thomas Luther Bryan, from Leesburg, Georgia on July 17, 1976. Leesburg is a very small town from what I’ve been told. I have only made it to Savannah a few years ago.  Luke liked the outdoors and played sports, while helping out his father with his peanut and fertilizer business. His parents seemed supportive of his music, they had bought him his own Alvarez guitar at age 14, and by 15 his father would take him to a nearby club called Skinner’s, where he’d play guitar and sing with the best of the locals.

By the time Bryan was 16 he led in his own band playing at Skinner’s and other community events, a major "thank you" to a couple of local songwriters that invited him to their writing sessions at the nearby church in town. He’d moved to Nashville after he’d received major support from the people who heard him play. This was a huge step in his life and on the day of the move, his older brother Chris who was one of his best friends, and biggest supporters, was killed in a car accident.

                After the accident he was completely dedicated to music. He found comfort and escape in writing his songs. Bryan had enrolled himself into Georgia Southern University, and his band would perform every weekend on campus or at nearby parties and clubs. Everyone had encouraged him to move to Tennessee but he refused. After he graduated he went back to working with his father in his agriculture business. After about a year of working with his dad, he had been forced to quit and move to Nashville. Within two months of moving, he was signed a publishing deal with a company by Roger Murrah.

                Luke Bryan received the title Academy of Country Music’s top new artist and top new solo vocalist in 2009. He received the USA Weekend breakthrough video of the year award in 2010 for “Do I.”

Jason Aldean

               

Jason Aldean

                I’m back again ladies & gents, this week talking about Jason Aldean. I’ve just recently in this past year or two become a huge fan of him. Out of the albums he’s released, my favorite is “My Kinda Party.” I know every word to every song, and I love it. I don’t know very much about him though, so today I might just be learning as much as everyone else J. So, let’s get to the good stuff.

                In 1977, Jason was born in Macon, Georgia. I also learned Jason and I have one thing in common, the unfortunate event of parents being divorced at the age of 3. During middle school he’d stay with his mother in Georgia, while during the summer he’d spend with his father in Florida. He had fallen in love early with country music, and made his first official appearance when he was 14 at his local VFW. I wish he could play at the VFW where I live. It’s right down the road from my house. Graduating high school, his father was his booking agent, later playing gigs in different college towns. A year or two after, Michael Knox had seen Aldean in action and signed him to Warner-Chapell Publishing.

                After a few recording deals didn’t work the way he’d planned, he had started to give up on music until an independent label, Broken Bow Records, had been attracted by his talent. This record label had released his debut album, “Jason Aldean” in 2005.

                In January 2007, Jason returned to work to release his second album, “Relentless.” The single “Johnny Cash” was in stores of May that year. His third album was released in 2009, “Wide Open,” following his latest, “My Kinda Party” in 2010. These 4 albums were all released on Broken Bow Records.

                November 2010, “My Kinda Party” debuted at number 2, and finally crawled its way up to number 1 that February. Aldean had also recorded yet another number 1 country single in March of this year. “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a duet with Kelly Clarkson.

Travis Tritt

I’m back again this week talking about country singer, Travis Tritt. Growing up, my dad and I listened to him nonstop. It’s the only thing other people could hear blaring in my dad’s GMC Jimmy going down the road in Virginia. I also happen to think Travis Tritt and my dad share a very BIG resemblance. He’s personally my favorite country singer. His songs have real meaning, he’s not just singing to make money. Tritt sings from personal experiences that have led him to where he is now.

Travis Tritt came up in the early 90’s, trying out his own sound, mixing country and southern blues rock. The sound works for him very well. As time went by, his image grew from new upcoming country singer, into pure outlaw with a lot of guts. This image made him stick out from the rest of the singers he was up against, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and Clint Black. During the 90’s he had platinum albums, three number one hits, and Top Ten singles.

During his earlier life, he taught himself to play the guitar at the age of 8, and by 14 was writing his own songs. His parents didn’t agree with his choice of career, his father believed there was no money in writing or performing. His mother on the other hand didn’t mind, but wanted him to have a different genre of music, gospel. Before he turned 22, he was married and divorced twice, and was unsuccessful at having an average, everyday life. While working different little jobs he continued to play his music. One job he had, working for an air conditioning company, their vice president was also a guitarist who had given up his dreams of pursuing a musical career and urged Tritt to follow his.

In 1989, Tritt was signed to Warner Brothers’ Nashville division. His debut album, Country Club was in stores by 1990. Though he was successful, the Nashville music industry was nervous about Travis. The music he played and the stage shows were too rock & roll, plus his image wasn’t the same as all the other country legends. With his second album, It’s All About to Change, he had a major breakthrough. Upon hiring a new manager who worked with Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood, his second album went multi-platinum.

Brantley Gilbert

Hey! My name’s Sarah, and for the next few weeks I’ll be writing about different country music artists. I got to writing about different artists because I love music and the artists’ background tells a lot about what they write and why they write their music. Born in Jefferson, Georgia listening to country music and bands originated from Athens, Georgia such as R.E.M. and the B-52’s. Growing up he listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd and outlaw southern country music. He has grasped the outlaw side of country in his music he has released. The guitars sound like they played rock mixed with his southern drawl. Gilbert was in a nearly fatal car accident when he was only 19 years old, and the car accident inspired him to give his all to music. It seems to have pushed him to come this far. His music is full of meaning and makes a point. Jason Aldean and Colt Ford have recorded some of Gilbert’s songs. Jason Aldean performed “Dirt Road Anthem” and “The Best of Me”, while Colt Ford recorded with Gilbert in “Dirt Road Anthem.” Personally I like Jason Aldean’s version better, Colt Ford’s version does not flow easily. Colt Ford’s voice is very different, and something I am not used to. My favorite song written by Brantley is “Kick It in the Sticks.” It reminds me much of my friends from my home school, and it describes what I have grown up around the past 7 years. I love the country, and this song’s perfect. “Take It Outside” is another good song from him I like. Gilbert is one of my favorite country music artists, aside from Travis Tritt, who I grew up listening to with my dad. I like Gilbert’s sound, and I like how he’s rough around the edges. I like his attitude when he sings or performs.

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Information: http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/gilbert__brantley/bio.jhtml