Eddie Bayers | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | January 28, 1949 |
Origin | Patuxent, Maryland, U.S. |
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Session musician |
Instrument(s) | Drums |
Years active | 1968—present |
Formerly of | The Players, The Notorious Cherry Bombs |
Website | eddiebayers |
Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) [1] is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music Awards 'Drummer of the Year,' and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. He was also a member of two bands: The Players, and The Notorious Cherry Bombs. In 2022, Bayers was one of four inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Ray Charles, The Judds, and Pete Drake.
The son of a career military man, Bayers moved around as a child, originally from Maryland [2] then spending time in Nashville, North Africa, Oakland, and Philadelphia. [3] [4] His early musical training was as a classical pianist studying Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. [3] [4] During his college years in Oakland, California he was a member of the Edwin Hawkins Singers and he also jammed with future stars Jerry Garcia, and Tom and John Fogerty and developed an appreciation for the creative aspects of music. [5] After a short stint in a New Jersey show band he decided to move to Nashville. [6]
Arriving in Nashville in 1973, Bayers became the house keyboard player at the Carousel Club [3] where he met drummer Larrie Londin who inspired him to take up drumming. [7] [8] His drumming was influenced by soul drummers such as Al Jackson, Jr. and Clyde Stubblefield. [2] He became the staff drummer at Audio Media Studios along with guitarist Paul Worley, keyboardist Dennis Burnside, and bassist Jack Jackson. Some of the artists Bayers has worked with include Tanya Tucker, Mindy Smith, John Denver, Ricky Skaggs and George Strait. [6] He has since worked with the likes of The Beach Boys, [9] Garth Brooks, [5] Glen Campbell, [10] Kenny Chesney, [5] Peter Frampton, [5] Vince Gill, [4] Rebecca Lynn Howard, [7] Lane Brody, [11] Julio Iglesias, [12] Alan Jackson, [5] Elton John, [8] Mark Knopfler, [5] Uncle Kracker, [7] Bob Seger, [4] [13] Sting, [5] Steve Winwood, [5] and Trisha Yearwood. [5] [14] He also co- produced Rosanne Cash's album Interiors, [6] A Glen Campbell Christmas , [10] [15] and the soundtrack for A Thing Called Love. [6]
In 2002, Bayers formed a band, The Players, with fellow studio musicians Brent Mason, Paul Franklin, John Hobbs, Michael Rhodes. The group released a live DVD, Live in Nashville, [16] featuring their own performances along with guest appearances by Peter Frampton, Shawn Colvin, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, and Jim Horn. [8]
Bayers replaced his former mentor, drummer Larrie Londin, [17] in a reunited Notorious Cherry Bombs for a 2003 ASCAP Country Awards dinner. [8] The band decided to stay together and has released The Notorious Cherry Bombs which was nominated for Grammies in both the 'Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal' and 'Best Country Song' categories. [18] Along with Bayers the band consists of Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Hank DeVito, Richard Bennett, and Michael Rhodes. [8]
An all-star lineup was assembled to be the backing band at the 2010 Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony dubbed the Medallion Band. Bayers served as drummer and was accompanied by keyboardist and music director John Hobbs, pedal steel player Paul Franklin, electric guitarist Steve Gibson, bassist Michael Rhodes, fiddler Deanie Richardson, tuba player Larry Paxton, background vocalists Dawn Sears and Jeff White, and acoustic guitarist Biff Watson. [19] [20] Later that year Bayers and a slightly revamped Medallion Band accompanied Shawn Camp in honoring Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Dean. [21] Bayers played the same role for the 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony with the band now dubbed the Medallion All-Stars. [22]
Eddie Bayers was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. Bayers received the 'Academy of Country Music Drummer of the Year Award' 14 times, [3] 'Nashville Music Awards Drummer of the Year' three times, [4] and one of the 10 greatest session drummers of all time by Drum! magazine. [23] He has been nominated for the 'CMA Musician of the Year' ten times but has yet to bring home the prize. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] On May 1, 2022, [29] he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. [30] [31]
In addition to his work as a musician, Bayers has contributed to the recording industry as a 12-year member of the Board of Governors for NARAS. [7] He is also the part-owner of the Money Pit recording studio. The No. 1 singles "What I Really Meant to Say" by Cyndi Thomson and "Blessed" by Martina McBride were both recorded at his studio. [32]
Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the country music single and album charts, multi-platinum recordings and record-breaking live performances, while also crossing over into the mainstream pop arena.
Wynonna Ellen Judd, known simply as Wynonna, is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country musicians in history. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, including those with The Judds. She first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in their mother-daughter country music duo, The Judds. They released seven albums on Curb Records, in addition to 26 singles, of which 14 were No. 1 hits. In 2023 Wynonna was named the best country music artist, picking up the "country champion" award at the "People's Choice Country Awards".
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Underwood's single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), was bolstered by the successful crossover singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", becoming the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. She won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. The next studio album, Carnival Ride (2007) had one of the biggest opening weeks of all time by a female artist and won two Grammy Awards. Her third studio album, Play On (2009), produced the single "Cowboy Casanova", which had one of the biggest single-week upward movements on the Hot 100.
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Montgomery. Although Gentry won a talent contest in 1994, he reunited with Eddie Montgomery after Gentry was unable to find a solo record deal, and Montgomery Gentry was formed in 1999. The duo is known for its Southern rock influences, and has collaborated with Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith, Five for Fighting, and members of The Allman Brothers Band.
Jason Aldine Williams, known professionally as Jason Aldean, is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released eleven albums and 40 singles. His 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2012 album Night Train is certified double-platinum, while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless, 2009 album Wide Open, and 2014 album Old Boots, New Dirt are all certified platinum. Aldean has received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career, twice for Best Country Album.
Chipmunks in Low Places is a country album written by John Boylan and Andrew Gold and performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks. It features cover songs as well as original material. Released on September 29, 1992, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA, becoming the group's first platinum record and making it the Chipmunks' best-selling album. The album reached number 21 on the Billboard 200, becoming their first album to chart in ten years. The album also managed to peak at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Country Albums, making it the highest peaking album for the group on the chart. In Canada, the album peaked at number 9, and was number 49 in the Top 50 Country albums of 1993.
Jeffrey LeVasseur, known as Jeffrey Steele, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with recording his own material, Steele has become a prolific Nashville songwriter, having co-written more than 60 hit songs for such artists as Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus, and others.
Byron Hill, is an American songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Living and working professionally in Nashville, TN for more than forty years, his songs have been recorded by many country and pop artists.
Randy Yeuell Owen is an American country musician. He is best known for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band that saw tremendous mainstream success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Alabama became the most successful band in country music, releasing over 20 gold and platinum records, dozens of number 1 singles, and selling over 75 million records during their career. Owen also maintains a career as a solo performer. He released his solo debut One on One in late 2008 and charted two singles from it.
Jason Michael Carroll is an American country music artist. After being discovered at a local talent competition in 2004, Carroll was signed to the Arista Nashville label in 2006, releasing his debut album Waitin' in the Country that year. This album produced three consecutive Top 40 country hits for him on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Alyssa Lies", "Livin' Our Love Song" and "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead". Carroll's second album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, has also produced his fourth and fifth Top 40 hits. Carroll and Arista Nashville parted ways in February 2010.
American country music singer Carrie Underwood has released nine studio albums, one greatest hits album, and 29 singles. Underwood rose to fame after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released in 2005 and is the fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. It also became the best-selling solo female country debut in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) history, as well as the top-selling debut album of any American Idol contestant in the United States.
The discography of American country and bluegrass singer Alison Krauss consists of fourteen studio albums—five solo, six with her group Union Station, and three collaboration albums. She has also released four compilation albums, one live album, and over 30 singles. Her most successful album, Live, has been certified 2× Platinum.
American country music singer Miranda Lambert has released ten studio albums, one extended play, one video album, and has made 23 other album appearances. She has released 39 singles, nine promotional singles, and 37 music videos. Lambert has sold 7 million albums in the United States, with her first seven studio albums being certified platinum. In 2001, Lambert released a self-titled and self-financed independent album. After gaining exposure as the third-place winner of the television competition Nashville Star, Lambert signed with Epic Nashville in 2004.
American country music singer Blake Shelton has released 12 studio albums, four extended plays, five compilation albums, and 54 singles. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Shelton has sold 52 million singles and 13 million albums in the United States. He also has achieved 14 No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked him as the 31st Top Artist of the 2010s decade.
Buddy Jewell is the third studio album by American country music singer Buddy Jewell. The album was Jewell's major-label debut and his first album since winning season one of Nashville Star. As part of the Nashville Star prize, the album was produced by Clint Black and recorded entirely in ten days.
The discography of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson consists of twenty-four singles and seven studio albums.
American country music singer Jason Aldean has released eleven studio albums, one extended play, and forty solo singles. All of his music has been released through BBR Music Group, with Michael Knox as his sole record producer.
"Cowboy Casanova" is a song by American singer Carrie Underwood. It was written by Underwood, Mike Elizondo, Brett James. It was released on September 14, 2009, by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On. The song sold 2,300,000 copies, making it the fourth-biggest single of her career behind "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Before He Cheats", and "Blown Away".
The albums discography of American singer Johnny Cash spans his lengthy career, from 1954 to 2003. It includes the release of 97 albums, most of them for Columbia Records. Over the years, Cash also collaborated with many of the industry's most notable artists.
Joey Moi is a Canadian record producer, audio engineer, mixer, songwriter, and musician. He is known for his work with the rock groups Nickelback and My Darkest Days, and country music acts Chris Lane, Dallas Smith, Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, and Morgan Wallen.