Catt Gravitt

Last updated
Catt Gravitt
Birth nameCathy Lee Gravitt
Born Moline, Illinois, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Songwriter

Cathy Lee "Catt" Gravitt is an American songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. In the music business for over 20 years, she signed on as a writer with her current publishing company, Razor and Tie, in 2008. [1] Gravitt has songwriting credits in multiple genres and has written songs with or for several artists including Kid Rock, Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini, Jake Owen, Vince Gill and Natalie Grant, among others. In 2012, she won the SESAC Songwriter of the Year award. [2] [3] Gravitt most recently won the Canadian Country Music Association's 2018 Songwriter(s) of the Year award, along with co-writers Skip Black and Aaron Goodvin, for the song "Lonely Drum", performed by Aaron Goodvin. [4]

Contents

Career

After graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a journalism degree, Gravitt initially set out to be an artist. [5] She was signed to A&M Records in an all-girl pop group in Los Angeles. After the group parted ways she made her way to Nashville where she sparked the attention of producer Garth Fundis (Trisha Yearwood, Don Williams, Sugarland). [5] After being signed to a label development deal, Gravitt began focusing more specifically on her writing career. [6]

A song Gravitt co-wrote about a fire that injured her godson was initially put on hold for an artist in country music, and ended up in the hands of Christian music/gospel artist Natalie Grant. The song, “In Better Hands” became a CCM No.1 single (Gravitt’s first no.1) for Grant, [7] and was nominated for Gospel Music Associations (GMA) Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year in 2008. [8] [9]

Gravitt has had three different publishing deals, but has been with publishing company Razor and Tie since 2008. [10] [11]

In recent years, Gravitt has had simultaneous radio singles ("Amen", Eden's Edge; "Alone With You", Jake Owen; "Why Ya Wanna", Jana Kramer) on the charts in country music; garnered a producer credit (as well as helping to pen 8 of the 11 tracks on the debut album) for rock band Sons of Sylvia, along with well-respected producer Jack Joseph Puig (John Mayer, U2, Stone Temple Pilots); and a vocal producer gig from Warner Bros. [5]

Gravitt has multiple writing credits for major pop artists like Adam Lambert [12] and Kelly Clarkson, [13] and the Irish group Boyzone. [14]

Recognitions and awards

Gravitt was a part of the 2004, 5x multi-platinum Rascal Flatts album Feels Like Today with her song "Where You Are" (co-written with songwriter James LeBlanc). The album reached No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums charts, and was nominated by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for Album of the Year. [15]

"In Better Hands" (Natalie Grant Relentless , 2008 Curb Records) became Gravitt's first No. 1 song on the Hot Christian AC chart. It received GMA Dove Award nominations for both Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year in 2008. The album itself reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums of 2008. [16]

Released in October 2011, Gravitt's song "Alone With You", recorded by Jake Owen, was a multi-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, [17] and was certified GOLD by the RIAA. [18] His album Barefoot Blue Jean Night also reached No. 6 on the US Billboard 200, and No. 1 on U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums.

Kelly Clarkson recorded Gravitt's song "Honestly" on her 2011 platinum album Stronger which reached No. 2 on the U.S Billboard Top 200 Albums. [19] The album also won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2012. [20] (Clarkson is No. 2 on Billboard's Year End Charts for AC Artists in 2012.) [21]

Another one of Gravitt's songs "Why Ya Wanna" was recorded by Jana Kramer and released in 2012, breaking a record previously set by recording artist Taylor Swift when it reached No. 3 on the mediabase chart; the highest debut for any new artist since Swift's song "Tim Mcgraw" which reached No. 5 on the mediabase chart with its debut in 2006. [22] The song, which was certified GOLD in the US by the RIAA, [23] also reached No. 3 on the U.S Billboard Country and U.S. Billboard Country Airplay charts. "Why Ya Wanna" landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Year End Charts for Hot Country Songs for 2012. [24] (Kramer also went on to receive the No. 4 spot on Billboard's Year End Charts for both Top New Country Artists, and Top Country Female Artists.)

Also released in 2012, Gravitt's songs "Underneath" and "Runnin'" were a part of Adam Lambert's album Trespassing which became No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, Canadian Albums Chart, and Hungarian Albums Chart. [25] [26]

Gravitt was nominated for Music Row's Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year in 2012, [27] and won the SESAC Songwriter of the Year award for 2012, [2] [28] an award that was held by singer/songwriter from the country group Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott, for the previous two years.

Most recently, Gravitt won the Canadian Country Music Association's 2018 Songwriter(s) of the Year, along with co-writers Skip Black and Aaron Goodvin, for the song "Lonely Drum", performed by Aaron Goodvin. [4]

Discography

Singles

YearSingle US Christian Hot AC ArtistAlbum
2007"In Better Hands"1 Natalie Grant Relentless
YearSingle US Top 40 ArtistAlbum
2010"I'll Know You" Sons of Sylvia Revelation
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
YearSingle US Country ArtistAlbum
2011"Amen"18 Edens Edge Edens Edge
2011"Alone With You"1 Jake Owen Barefoot Blue Jean Night
2012"Why Ya Wanna"3 Jana Kramer Jana Kramer
2012"Whiskey"27 Jana Kramer Jana Kramer
2014"Love"37 Jana Kramer "Thirty One"
YearSingleCanadian Country ChartArtist
2016"Lonely Drum"8 Aaron Goodvin
YearSingleTop 40 CountryArtistAlbum
2017"Tennessee Mountain Top"36 Kid Rock Sweet Southern Sugar
YearSingleMainstream RockArtistAlbum
2017"Greatest Show on Earth"16 Kid Rock Sweet Southern Sugar
YearSingleActive Rock RadioArtistAlbum
2017"Greatest Show on Earth"20 Kid Rock Sweet Southern Sugar

Songs written by Gravitt

YearSongArtistAlbumCo-writers
1997"Don't Break the Wings" Holly Dunn Leave One Bridge Standing
2001"I'm Goin' Back" Trace Adkins Chrome Craig Wiseman, Bobby Terry
2003Where You Are"James LeblancMuscle Shoals City Limits
"You Have No Idea" Kenny Rogers Back to the Well
"If I Was An Angel"Daniel Lee MartinAll That I Am
2004"Where You Are" Rascal Flatts Feels Like Today James LeBlanc
"If I Was An Angel" Glenn Cummings Big
2005"In My Neighborhood" Craig Morgan My Kind of Livin'Monty Padson, Danny Wells
"This is Me Missing You"Joey DanielsTake Me Off the Market
2006"My Life" Ronnie Milsap My Life Gerald O'Brien, Pam Rose
"High"Trace AdkinsDangerous Man
"My Life" Doc Walker Doc Walker Gerald O'Brien, Pam Rose
"Love Me Wild" Angela Hacker Nashville Star Season 5
2008"In Better Hands" Natalie Grant Relentless Jim Daddario
"Help Me, Help You" Julianne Hough Julianne Hough Danny Green
2009"Anything is Possible"Jake McveyAnything is Possible
"Train" Davisson Brothers Band Davisson Brothers Band
"Lies" Martina McBride Shine Tania Hancheraff, Gerlad O'Brien, David Campbell
"You Wouldn't Cry (Andrew's Song) Mandisa Freedom Mandisa, Cindy Morgan
En Tus Manos (In Better Hands)Shelia RomeroEn Tus Manos
2010"Plastic Jesus" High Valley High Valley James LeBlance
"High"David BradleyMovin' On
"Nothing Without You" Boyzone Brother Tom Shapiro, busbee
"50 Ways" Sons of Sylvia Revelation Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"The War Within"Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark, Brian Howes
"Song of Solomon"Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"Long Beach"Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark
"John Wayne"Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"I'll Know You"Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark, Brian Howes
"Give Me Love"Ashley Clark, Mile Shimshack
"Ghost Town"Ashley Clark, Mike Shimshack
2011"I Hope You're Listening to the Radio"Nicole DonatoneIf You Knew
"Hurry Down Sunshine"Mycle WastmanI'm All Over It
"Sunshine"George CanyonBetter Be Home Soon
"Tell Me a Lie" The Downtown Fiction Let's Be Animals
"Every Other Memory" Eli Young Band Life at Best Chris DeStefano, Josh Kear
"Nothing Without You" Committed Committed
"Alone With You" Jake Owen Barefoot Blue Jean Night Shane McAnally, J. T. Harding
"Honestly" Kelly Clarkson Stronger Tom Shapiro, Robert Marvin
2012"I Hope You're Listening to the Radio"Lucie EvansI Hope You're Listening to the Radio
"What a Song Can Do" Rachel Crow Rachel Crow Gerald O'Brien, Jackie Wilson
"Underneath" Adam Lambert Trespassing Adam Lambert, Tom Shapiro, Josh Crosby
"Runnin' "Adam Lambert, David Marshall, Fred Williams, Robert Marvin
"Goodbye California" Jana Kramer Jana Kramer Jana Kramer, Josh Crosby, Leslie Roy
"Whiskey"Sam Mizer
"Why Ya Wanna" Ashley Gorley, Chris DeStefano
"Last Supper" Edens Edge Edens Edge Hannah Blaylock
"Amen"Skip Black, Hannah Blaylock, Gerald O'Brien
"Roots"Cherrill Green, Skip Black
2014"Just Another Song" Lucy Hale Road Between Mike Daly, Lucy Hale
"Fight" Gloriana Three
"Baseball Cap"John KingOn Your Lips EP
2015To the MoonAshley ClarkGreyhound EP
"Day Before Temptation" The SteelDrivers The Muscle Shoals Recordings
"XO" Kelsea Ballerini The First Time Kelsea Ballerini, Gerald O'Brien
"Bullet" Jana Kramer Thirty One Jana Kramer, Martin Frederiksen
"Don't Touch My Radio"Jana Kramer, Blair Daly
"Just Like in the Movies"Jana Kramer, Brian Keirulf
"Love" Jimmy Robbins
2016"Lonely Drum"Aaron GoodvinAaron Goodvin, Skip Black
"I Can't Do This" Vince Gill Down to My Last HabitVince Gill, Brennin Hunt
2017"Tennessee Mountaintop" Kid Rock Sweet Southern SugarKid Rock, Tim Montana
"Greatest Show on Earth"Kid Rock, Tim Montana
2018"OK" Ilse DeLange Ilse DeLangeIlse DeLange, Tofer Brown
"Millionaires"Thompson SquareMarv Green, Courtney Cole
2019"Impossible"Carlos VaraCarlos VaraCarlos Vara, Josh Bruce Williams
"The Only Thing I Ever Got Right" Ilse DeLange Gravel and DustIlse DeLange, Tofer Brown
2021"Don't Quit" Jordan Smith Be Still & Know Jordan Smith, Bernie Herms

Other credits

Vocal production

LabelArtistSongAlbumYear
Interscope Records Sons of Sylvia "John Wayne" Revelation 2010
"Ghost Town"2010
"The War Within"2010
Warner Bros. Jana Kramer "Why Ya Wanna" Jana Kramer 2012
"Whiskey"2012
"Goodbye California"2012
RCA Adam Lambert "Underneath" Trespassing 2012
Epic Cher Lloyd "Human" Sorry I'm Late 2014

TV/Placements

One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives, Nashville, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Jay Leno Show, CMT Music Awards, ACA Awards, The Next: Fame is at Your Doorstep, Opry Live, The Singing Bee, Home for the Holidays 2012 CBS Special, The Fosters, Vanderpump Rules , etc

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References

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