Eric Church

Last updated
Eric Church
Eric Church 2012 Cropped.jpg
Church in 2012
Background information
Birth nameKenneth Eric Church
Born (1977-05-03) May 3, 1977 (age 47)
Granite Falls, North Carolina, U.S.
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2005–present
Labels
Website ericchurch.com

Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me , produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".

Contents

His second album, 2009's Carolina , produced three more singles: "Smoke a Little Smoke" and his first top 10 hits, "Love Your Love the Most" and "Hell on the Heart". 2011's Chief , his first No. 1 album, gave him his first two No. 1 singles, "Drink in My Hand" and "Springsteen", and the hits "Homeboy", "Creepin'", and "Like Jesus Does". His third No. 1 single was "The Only Way I Know", which he, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan recorded for Aldean's album Night Train .

A fourth album, The Outsiders , was released in February 2014. It produced five new singles between 2013 and 2015 with the title track, "Give Me Back My Hometown", "Cold One", "Talladega" and "Like a Wrecking Ball". "Talladega" and "Give Me Back My Hometown" each reached number one on the Country Airplay chart. Eric Church got his sixth No. 1 hit with Keith Urban in May 2015 with the single "Raise 'Em Up". His fifth studio album, Mr. Misunderstood , was released in November 2015 and went on to produce two number one singles with "Record Year" and "Round Here Buzz". On July 13, 2018, Church released the first single and title track of his album Desperate Man , which was released in October 2018. In April 2021, Church released the triple album set Heart & Soul .

Early life

Church was born on May 3, 1977, in Granite Falls, North Carolina (Dudley Shoals area), to Ken and Rita Church. Church worked with his father at Clayton Marcus, a furniture upholstery company where his father was president. [2] At 13, he bought a guitar and began writing songs of his own. By his senior year of high school, he had found a gig at a local bar, which occupied most of his time. He played many Jimmy Buffett cover songs and a few of his own original songs in some dive bars. Some of these places were so rough that he got into a few altercations from the stage. For a few years, the band played often in bars and restaurants throughout North Carolina.[ citation needed ] The band "Mountain Boys" consisted of his college roommate, brother, and a fellow guitarist. [3]

Before moving to Nashville, Eric graduated from South Caldwell High School and then Appalachian State University with a degree in marketing. [4] Upon graduation, Church became engaged to a Spanish teacher in the town of Lenoir, North Carolina. The future bride's father attempted to persuade Church into a corporate career, which he rejected as an aspiring musician (and later referenced in his song "What I Almost Was" from his debut album). She broke the engagement and he headed to Nashville with his father's financial backing. His father also provided the opportunity to make contacts, and more importantly, time to focus on developing his songwriting ability.[ citation needed ]

Music career

2006–2010: Sinners Like Me and Carolina

Church co-wrote Terri Clark's 2005 single "The World Needs a Drink", [3] and the track "Whiskey Wings" on Dean Miller's 2005 album Platinum . [5] He started recording with different producers. Capitol Nashville showed an interest and watched him perform but they were yet to be convinced enough to offer a recording contract. [6] Autumn House-Tallant told HitQuarters that they did not think his music was "interesting" enough. [6] The record company's attitude changed after he started working with producer Jay Joyce. Doyle states, "Eric scored a meeting with Nashville heavyweight Arthur Buenahora, a publisher at Sony Music who also signed Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert. Church played him "Lightning", a ballad he wrote after watching the movie The Green Mile". (p. 5) The strong sound and direction the two forged together finally convinced Capitol Nashville that he was ready. [6] His first single, "How 'Bout You" peaked at No. 14 on Hot Country Songs and led off his debut album Sinners Like Me . In April 2006, he performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. [7]

The album's other two singles, "Two Pink Lines" and "Guys Like Me", both reached the Top 20 as well. [3] The fourth single, the title track, peaked at No. 51. An additional track from the album, "Lightning", was made into a music video despite not being released as a single. Church wrote the song shortly after moving to Nashville, inspired by the movie The Green Mile . [7] Following the album's success, Church toured with Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts. [7] Church was fired from opening for Rascal Flatts after repeatedly performing for longer than his allotted time, despite repeated warnings. He was replaced by Taylor Swift, who was just starting her career. Before Swift started the tour, Church and Swift spoke, where he told Swift that she would thrive on the tour and joked that she should give him her first gold record as a thanks. Swift later did give him her first gold record with an attached note that said "Thanks for playing too long and too loud on the Flatts tour. I sincerely appreciate it. Taylor". [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

In 2008, Church released a fifth single, "His Kind of Money (My Kind of Love)" to country radio. It debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at No. 55 in early 2008, and reached its peak of No. 46 in August. Originally slated as the lead single to an upcoming second album, "His Kind of Money" was instead included as a bonus track on albums sold at Best Buy. Following this song was "Love Your Love the Most", which debuted in early 2009 and was the first single from his second album Carolina , released in stores on March 24, 2009. [3] The night before the official release, Church and Capitol Records distributed copies of the album on the campus of Church's alma mater, Appalachian State University, during a "release party" concert. [13] As with his debut album, Carolina was produced by Jay Joyce, and is entirely composed of songs that he co-wrote. "Love Your Love the Most" brought Church to the top 10 for the very first time, peaking at No. 10 in September 2009. The album's second single, "Hell on the Heart", debuted in October 2009 and would also hit the top 10 in May 2010. The third single from "Carolina" was "Smoke a Little Smoke". In June 2010, Church moved to Capitol Nashville's new imprint EMI Records Nashville, becoming their second artist. On January 14, 2011, he released a four-song EP entitled Caldwell County.

2011–2015: Chief and The Outsiders

Church performing live at GNA's Countryfest at the Times Union Center, Albany, New York, July 7, 2012 Eric Church 2012 Cropped 2.jpg
Church performing live at GNA's Countryfest at the Times Union Center, Albany, New York, July 7, 2012

Church released "Homeboy" to country radio in early 2011. The album Chief , produced by Jay Joyce, was released July 26, 2011, debuting at No. 1 on both Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200. [14] [15] The album sold 145,000 copies in its first week. [14] On November 30, 2011, Chief was announced as a nominee for the 2012 Grammy Awards for Best Country Album. In January 2012 "Drink in My Hand" became his first No. 1 single. In February 2012, "Springsteen" was released as the third single from Chief. In an interview with American Songwriter, Church stated that the song was about "a love affair that takes place in an amphitheater between two people. It didn't happen with Springsteen, ironically, it happened with another artist." [16] The song went on to become a No. 1 country hit, as well as his first Top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's fourth single, "Creepin'", was released to country radio on July 16, 2012. Church lent his vocals for a song titled, "The Only Way I Know", with Jason Aldean along Luke Bryan. This song appears on Aldean's album Night Train , from which it was released as the second single. The fifth single from Chief, "Like Jesus Does", was released in January 2013 [17] and peaked at number six on Country Airplay chart in June 2013.

In September 2012, Church announced that he planned to release his first live album in 2013, containing recordings of performances at the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on October 8 and 9, 2012. [18] On February 8, the live album's title was announced as Caught in the Act, with a release date set for April 9. [19] Church has stated he plans to take some time off from music in 2013 to focus on his songwriting and musical direction. [20] At the 2012 CMA Awards in November, Church's album Chief won Album of the Year. [21] In November it was announced that Church would co-headline Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Nation Tour alongside Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Eli Young Band. [22] In December, Eric was honored as one of the CMT Artists of the Year Awards. His award was presented by Kid Rock and he received a video message of congratulations from Metallica's James Hetfield. [23]

On October 22, 2013, Church released a new single titled "The Outsiders". His fourth studio album, also titled The Outsiders , was released on February 11, 2014. [24] This album, as with Church's previous three, was produced by Jay Joyce and released on the EMI Records Nashville label. [15] It was followed in January 2014 by "Give Me Back My Hometown". This single reached number one on the Country Airplay chart, becoming his fourth overall. The third single, "Cold One", was released in June 2014, followed by "Talladega" in September. The latter reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in February 2015. The fifth single, "Like a Wrecking Ball", was released to country radio on March 9, 2015.

2015–2018: Mr. Misunderstood and Desperate Man

On November 3, 2015, Church's new surprise album, Mr. Misunderstood , arrived in the mailboxes of his fan club members. The album became available to the public on iTunes the following day. The album was released as a surprise with no fanfare and no promotional advertisements. It was produced by Jay Joyce and executive producer Arturo Buenahora, Jr. The first single, the title track, was released to radio on November 9, 2015. The first live performance and debut of the track was at the 2015 CMA Awards. The song peaked at No. 15 on the airplay chart on February 6, 2016. [25] "Record Year" is the album's second single. The album's final track, "Three Year Old", pays tribute to all the lessons Church has learned from his three-year-old son, who was also credited with naming Church's guitar "ButterBean". Church used "ButterBean" for the creation of the album. [26] Mr. Misunderstood was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2016 ACM Awards and the title track was nominated for Video of the Year. [27] Mr. Misunderstood features ten self-written and co-written tracks and features themes of independence, lessons learned, and loyalty. The album was recorded by Jason Hall at St. Charles in Nashville. In March 2016, "Record Year" was released to radio; it reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay in August 2016. The album's third single, "Kill a Word" released to country radio on August 29, 2016. Church was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. [28]

Church played his biggest solo tour to date with his Holdin' My Own Tour that featured 62 shows in 61 cities from January through May 2017. The tour was capped off by two sold-out shows at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, with the Friday night show breaking the arena's capacity record before being one-upped by the Saturday night show which set of record of 19,020 attendees. [29] On October 4, 2017, Church debuted a song he had written for Sonny Melton, who died in the Las Vegas shooting tragedy. The song, called "Why Not Me", was performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. [30] In November 2017 Church released a limited run vinyl box set titled 61 Days in Church that would be released in monthly stages through 2018. [31] [32] [33] [34] The collection includes 124 tracks all of which were recorded live at the 61 shows of his 2017 Holdin' My Own Tour. The set includes two songs from each concert of the tour with the exception of the final two Nashville shows, which feature three songs from each night. He had already began releasing the album in stages for free on digital streaming services in September 2017. On July 12, 2018, Church announced via social media that he would release his sixth album, Desperate Man , on October 5, 2018. He released the album's first single and title track the following day. [35]

2020–present: Heart & Soul

On November 11, 2020, Church won the Entertainer of the Year award at the 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards. He performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" alongside Jazmine Sullivan at Super Bowl LV. On April 16, 2021, Church released the album Heart , followed by the album & , on April 20, and Soul , on April 23. The triple-album release contains 24 songs in total, including the singles Heart On Fire and "Hell of a View". [36] In October 2021, after two of his bandmates tested positive for COVID-19, Church performed two solo concerts on his The Gather Again Tour. The solo shows were in Pittsburgh on October 8 and Philadelphia on October 9. [37] On February 22, 2022, Church was announced to perform at the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards on March 7, 2022. [38]

Personal life

On January 8, 2008, Church married music publisher Katherine Blasingame at West Glow Resort in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. At the wedding, Church performed "You Make It Look So Easy", a song he wrote for Blasingame. On October 3, 2011, their first son, Boone McCoy Church, was born; [39] [40] he is the subject of Church's song "Three Year Old". On February 15, 2015, their second son, Tennessee Hawkins "Hawk" Church was born. [41] Their home (along with Church's "man cave"), located in Nashville, was featured in an episode of CMT's Cribs. [42]

The Chief Cares Fund is a foundation organized by Eric and Katherine Church in 2013. The non-profit organization has been used to help underprivileged families in Tennessee, North Carolina, and even as far as helping orphans in Nepal receive clothing, proper bedding, and schooling. The foundation has also delivered Bibles to Haiti and helps fund Humane Society no-kill animal shelters. People can donate to the foundation on Eric Church's website by simply donating or by purchasing exclusive Chief Cares Platinum Tickets to his concerts where money from the tickets go to the Chief Cares Fund. [43]

In November 2022, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper awarded Church the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian honor. [44]

Church wears his signature aviator sunglasses as a result of wearing contact lenses. When his career was getting started, he was forced to deal with the heat from the stage lights drying out his contacts. [45] As he began performing in larger venues, his aviators and Von Dutch denim trucker hat became his trademark.

Church has become an avid advocate for the use of cannabis, reflected in songs such as "Smoke a Little Smoke"; at the time of that song's release, Church's record label urged him not to release the song, though it had minor success as a single. [46] Church has also referenced marijuana use in other songs like "The Joint" and "I'm Gettin' Stoned", and has even been the subject of a marijuana joke at the 49th ACM Awards where Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan referred to Eric Church as the Willie Nelson for the new-country generation and compared Eric Church's dressing room to a cannabis dispensary.

Church opened Chief's, a bar, restaurant, and performance venue in downtown Nashville in April, 2024. [47]

Controversy

In March 2022, Church was heavily criticized by fans for cancelling a then-upcoming April concert in San Antonio, Texas, in order to watch the North Carolina Tar Heels play Duke in the NCAA Championship Final Four. [48] In response to the criticism, Church announced a makeup concert in New Braunfels, Texas, for the date of September 2, and justified the cancellation in a follow-up interview stating, in part, "To win that, it was a wild week or two. It was just something I had to be there, and had to take my boys ... I can’t recreate Duke and Carolina Final Four." [49]

Musical styles

Church's style has been described as country rock, outlaw country, and southern rock. Church's influences include Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Little Feat, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, The Grateful Dead, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Waylon Jennings. [50] Church has also said that many hard rock and heavy metal bands influenced his music, including Metallica and AC/DC. [51]

Discography

Studio albums

Tours

Headlining

Band members

Current members

Former members

Awards and nominations

AwardsYearNominee/WorkCategoryResultRef
ACM Awards 2011Eric ChurchTop New Solo VocalistWon [55]
2012ChiefAlbum of the YearNominated [56]
"Homeboy"Video of the YearNominated
2013Eric ChurchMale Vocalist of the YearNominated [57]
ChiefAlbum of the YearWon
"Springsteen"Single of the YearNominated
Song of the Year (songwriting with Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell)Nominated
"Creepin'"Music Video of the YearNominated
"The Only Way I Know" (with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan)Vocal Event of the YearWon
2014Eric ChurchMale Vocalist of the YearNominated [58]
2015Jim Reeves International AwardWon [59]
Male Vocalist of the YearNominated
The OutsidersAlbum of the YearNominated
"Give Me Back My Hometown"Song of the Year (songwriting with Luke Laird)Nominated
2016Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated [60]
Male Vocalist of the YearNominated
Mr. MisunderstoodAlbum of the YearNominated
"Mr. Misunderstood"Video of the YearWon
Raise 'Em Up (with Keith Urban)Vocal Event of the YearNominated
Single Record of the YearNominated
2017"Kill a Word" (featuring Rhiannon Giddens)Song of the YearNominated [61]
Eric Church Merle Haggard Spirit AwardWon [62]
2019Desperate ManAlbum of the YearNominated [61]
2020Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated [61]
"Some of It"Song of the YearNominated [62]
2021Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated
Male Artist of the YearNominated
American Country Awards 2012Eric ChurchArtist of the Year: MaleNominated [63]
Touring Artist of the YearNominated
"Drink in My Hand"Single of the YearNominated
Single of the Year: MaleNominated
ChiefAlbum of the YearNominated
"Springsteen"Song of the Year (songwriting with Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell)Won
American Music Awards 2012 Eric Church Favorite Country Male Artist Nominated [64]
2014 The Outsiders Favorite Country Album Nominated [65]
Billboard Music Awards 2013 "Springsteen"Top Country SongNominated [66]
2017 "Kill A Word" (featuring Rhiannon Giddens)Top Country CollaborationNominated [67]
CMT Music Awards 2013"Springsteen"Video of the YearNominated [68]
"Creepin'"Male Video of the YearNominated
"The Only Way I Know" (with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan)Collaborative Video of the YearWon
"Homeboy"CMT Performance of the YearNominated
2017"Record Year"Male Video of the YearNominated [69]
2019"Desperate Man"Nominated [70]
CMA Awards 2011 Eric ChurchNew Artist of the YearNominated [71]
2012 Male Vocalist of the YearNominated [72]
ChiefAlbum of the YearWon
"Springsteen"Single of the YearNominated
Song of the Year (songwriting with Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell)Nominated
Music Video of the YearNominated
2013 Eric ChurchMale Vocalist of the YearNominated [73]
"The Only Way I Know" (with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan)Musical Event of the YearNominated
2014 Eric ChurchMale of the YearNominated [74]
The OutsidersAlbum of the YearNominated
"Give Me Back My Hometown"Song of the Year (songwriting with Luke Laird)Nominated
Single of the YearNominated
2015 Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated [75]
Male Vocalist of the YearNominated
"Talladega"Single of the YearNominated
"Like a Wrecking Ball"Song of the Year (songwriting with Casey Beathard)Nominated
"Raise 'Em Up" (with Keith Urban)Musical Event of the YearWon
2016Eric ChurchMale Vocalist of the YearNominated [76]
"Record Year"Music Video of the Year (directed by John Peets, Reid Long)Nominated
Single of the YearNominated
Song of the Year (songwriting with Jeff Hyde, Eric Church)Nominated
Mr. Misunderstood Album of the YearWon
2017 Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated [77]
Male Vocalist of the YearNominated
"Kill A Word" (featuring Rhiannon Giddens)Musical Event of the YearNominated
2019Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearNominated [78]
Desperate ManAlbum of the YearNominated
"Some of It"Music Video of the YearNominated
2020Eric ChurchEntertainer of the YearWon
Male Vocalist of the YearNominated
Grammy Awards 2012 Chief Best Country Album Nominated [79]
2013 "Springsteen" Best Country Solo Performance Nominated [80]
Best Country Song (songwriting with Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell)Nominated
2015 "Give Me Back My Hometown"Best Country Solo PerformanceNominated [81]
Best Country Song (songwriting with Luke Laird)Nominated
"Raise 'Em Up" (with Keith Urban) Best Country Duo/Group Performance Nominated
The OutsidersBest Country AlbumNominated
2020 Desperate Man Nominated [82]
"Some of It"Best Country SongNominated
2021 "Stick That in Your Country Song" Best Country Solo Performance Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Chesney</span> American country musician (born 1968)

Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded more than 20 albums that include more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 32 of which have reached number one. Many of these also have charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Underwood</span> American singer (born 1983)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rascal Flatts</span> American country rock band

Rascal Flatts was an American country rock band founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The group consisted of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and was previously a member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West. LeVox and DeMarcus are both natives of Columbus, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Aldean</span> American country singer (born 1977)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Big Town</span> American country band

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has had the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Their musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all four members alternating as lead vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Bryan</span> American country singer (born 1976)

Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is an American country singer, songwriter, and television personality. Bryan is a five-time "Entertainer of the Year", being awarded by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association. In 2019, Bryan's 2013 album Crash My Party received the first Album of the Decade award from the Academy of Country Music. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 75 million records sold. Since 2018, Bryan has been a judge on American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Brown Band</span> American country music band

Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, Daniel de los Reyes (percussion), and Caroline Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Band Perry</span> American country music group

The Band Perry were an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Neil Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Stapleton</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1978)

Christopher Alvin Stapleton is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and the husband of Morgane Stapleton. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 1996, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to get an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pursue his career in music. Subsequently, he signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brantley Gilbert</span> American country rock singer (born 1985)

Brantley Keith Gilbert is an American country rock singer, songwriter and record producer from Jefferson, Georgia. He was originally signed to Colt Ford's label, Average Joes Entertainment, where he released Modern Day Prodigal Son and Halfway to Heaven. He is now signed to the Valory division of Big Machine Records where he has released five studio albums—a deluxe edition of Halfway to Heaven, Just as I Am, The Devil Don't Sleep, Fire & Brimstone, So Help Me God, and 14 country chart entries, four of which have gone to number one. He also co-wrote and originally recorded Jason Aldean's singles "My Kinda Party" and "Dirt Road Anthem."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Eldredge</span> American musician and producer (born 1986)

Brett Ryan Eldredge is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer, signed to Warner Music Group Nashville. Eldredge has had five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, three of which came from his debut album, Bring You Back: "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music", and "Mean to Me".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big & Rich</span> American country music duo

Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich, both of whom are songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists. Before the duo's foundation, Rich was bass guitarist in the country band Lonestar, while Kenny was a solo artist for Hollywood Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotty McCreery</span> American country singer (born 1993)

Scott Cooke McCreery is an American country singer. He rose to fame after winning the tenth season of American Idol in May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Rhett</span> American country singer-songwriter from Tennessee

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. is an American country singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Pardi</span> American country singer

Jonathan Ryan Pardi is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Capitol Nashville, he has released four studio albums: Write You a Song (2014), California Sunrise (2016), Heartache Medication (2019), and Mr. Saturday Night (2022). Pardi has also charted fourteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, of which four have hit number one on the latter: "Head Over Boots", "Dirt on My Boots", "Heartache Medication" and "Last Night Lonely". Pardi's music style is defined by neotraditional country influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Church discography</span>

American country music artist Eric Church has released seven studio albums, two live albums, three extended plays, and 29 singles. He made his debut on the Billboard Hot Country Songs with his 2006 single "How 'Bout You". Church charted eight more singles between then and 2011 when he achieved his first number-one single with "Drink in My Hand". This would be the first of six solo number-one singles for him in his career, the other five being "Springsteen" in 2012, "Give Me Back My Hometown" and "Talladega" in 2014, "Record Year" in 2016, and "Some of It" in 2019. Church was also a featured artist on four other songs that have reached the top of the country music charts. These are Jason Aldean's "The Only Way I Know" in 2012, Keith Urban's "Raise 'Em Up" in 2015, the multi-artist collaboration "Forever Country" in 2016, and Luke Combs' "Does to Me" in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Swindell</span> American singer-songwriter

Colden Rainey Swindell is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has written singles for Craig Campbell, Thomas Rhett, Scotty McCreery, and Luke Bryan, and has released four albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville. He has released thirteen singles, eight of which have reached number one on the Hot Country Songs and/or Country Airplay charts. Three more singles have reached the Top 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan + Shay</span> American pop music duo

Dan + Shay is an American country pop music duo composed of vocalists and songwriters Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney. They are signed to Warner Records Nashville and have released five albums, Where It All Began, Obsessed, Dan + Shay, Good Things and Bigger Houses. Of their nine singles, five have topped the Country Airplay chart and three have topped the Hot Country Songs chart. The duo have collaborated with Justin Bieber, Charlie Puth, Rascal Flatts, Lindsey Stirling, RaeLynn, and Kelly Clarkson. From 2019 to 2021, the duo won three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the songs "Tequila", "Speechless", and "10,000 Hours".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dominion (band)</span> American country music band

Old Dominion is a modern American country music band formed in Nashville. The band consists of Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers (drums), Geoff Sprung, and Brad Tursi. Their music is contemporary country with rock instrumentation, and has pop overtones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Combs</span> American country music singer and songwriter (born 1990)

Luke Albert Combs is an American country music singer and songwriter. Born and raised in North Carolina, he began performing as a child. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he released his debut EP, The Way She Rides, in 2014.

References

  1. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (November 11, 2015). "Review: Eric Church Retreats From the Dark Side on 'Mr. Misunderstood'". Spin . Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Pulaski plans Eric Church furniture line - Furniture Today". Furnituretoday.com. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ruhlmann, William. "Eric Church biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  4. ↑ "Eric Church biography". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  5. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Platinum review". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Interview with Autumn House-Tallant". HitQuarters. 3 Oct 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Morris, Edward (2006-08-02). "Church Turns Heads With Sinners Like Me". CMT . Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  8. ↑ Hammar, Sterling WhitakerAnia (27 May 2019). "How Eric Church's Rascal Flatts Feud Helped Launch Taylor Swift". Taste of Country.
  9. ↑ Dukes, Billy (18 August 2012). "Remember When Taylor Swift Gave Eric Church Her First Gold Record?". Taste of Country.
  10. ↑ Star, Cathalena E. Burch Arizona Daily (31 March 2011). "Eric Church's Taylor Swift story". Arizona Daily Star.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Gayle (4 February 2014). "Rascal Flatts Comment on Firing Eric Church From Their Tour". The Boot.
  12. ↑ Liptak, Carena (27 May 2019). "Eric Church Deliberately Pushed Rascal Flatts' Buttons During 2006 Tour". The Boot.
  13. ↑ "Eric Church to Hold Album Release Party in Boone". Archived from the original on 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  14. 1 2 "Eric Church Lands First No. 1 Album, Amy Winehouse Climbs Into Top 5". Billboard . Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  15. 1 2 "The Billboard Cover Story – The Gospel According to Eric Church: Thinking Global". Billboard . Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  16. ↑ Giles, Jeff (11 June 2012). "Eric Church, "Springsteen"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  17. ↑ "Eric Church, 'Like Jesus Does' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Eric Church Live Album to Hit Stores in 2013". The Boot. September 4, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Eric Church Announces Release Date for First Live Album, 'Caught in the Act'". Taste of Country. February 8, 2013. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Eric Church rebels against the Music City machine". Charleston City Paper. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Eric Church Finally Finds His Niche, Wins Album of the Year Award at 2012 CMAs". Taste of Country. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on January 9, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Kenny Chesney Announces 2013 No Shoes Nation Tour". Taste of Country. November 8, 2012. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  23. ↑ "2012 CMT Artists of the Year Revealed". MTV.com. December 9, 2012. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  24. ↑ Talbott, Chris (November 4, 2013). "Eric Church set to drop new album, 'The Outsiders,' blow minds at CMAs with metal moment". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Eric Church - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard . Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  26. ↑ "Eric Church Releases Surprise Album 'Mr. Misunderstood'". Rolling Stone. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  27. ↑ "Eric Church leads the 2016 ACM Awards with 5 nominations – Eric Church". Eric Church. Archived from the original on 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  28. ↑ "30 Country Music Stars Join Forces for Historic CMA Music Video, 'Forever Country' - ABC News". ABC News . Archived from the original on 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  29. ↑ "Eric Church ends tour with record-breaking Nashville concert". The Tennessean . Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  30. ↑ Kelley, Caitlin (5 October 2017). "Eric Church Debuts New Song Dedicated to Las Vegas Shooting Victims at Grand Ole Opry". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  31. ↑ "Eric Church Releases Huge '61 Days in Church' Live Set". Rolling Stone . 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  32. ↑ "Eric Church Unveils 61 Days in Church". CMT. 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  33. ↑ "Eric Church's New 61 Days in Church Release Covers The Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and More". CMT. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  34. ↑ "Eric Church Reveals '61 Days in Church' Live Collection". Theboot.com. September 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  35. ↑ "Eric Church on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  36. ↑ Hudak, Joseph (January 21, 2021). "Eric Church Is Releasing Three New Albums". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  37. ↑ Nicholson, Jessica (October 8, 2021). "Eric Church Sets 2 Solo Shows After Bandmates Test Positive for COVID-19". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  38. ↑ Grein, Paul (February 22, 2022). "Carrie Underwood, Eric Church & More Added to 2022 ACM Awards' Performance Roster". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Eric Church Welcomes Son Boone McCoy – Moms & Babies – Celebrity Babies and Kids – Moms & Babies – People.com". Celebritybabies.people.com. 2012-03-22. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  40. ↑ "Eric Church Baby News Brings 'Two Pink Lines' Full Circle". Theboot.com. 2011-04-19. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  41. ↑ "Eric Church Welcomes Second Son Tennessee Hawkins". Etonline.com. 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
  42. ↑ "Eric Church Marries in North Carolina". CMT News. January 15, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  43. ↑ "Chief Cares – Eric Church". Eric Church. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  44. ↑ "North Carolina Awards | NC DNCR". Ncdcr.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  45. ↑ "Eric Church talks sunglasses inside & Blake Shelton beef". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-11-13.
  46. ↑ Eric Church /. "Eric Church blazes his own path". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  47. ↑ Windsor, Pam. "Eric Church & Developer Ben Weprin On The Partnership Behind 'Chief's' - Nashville's Newest Downtown Bar". Forbes.com.
  48. ↑ Madani, Doha (March 30, 2022). "Country star Eric Church cancels show so he can watch UNC-Duke Final Four game, angers fans". NBC News. NBC Universal. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  49. ↑ Vaughn, Grace Lenehan (April 22, 2022). "Eric Church Further Explains Decision to Cancel Show for Basketball Game: One of Those 'Unique, Once-in-a-Lifetime Things'". Taste of Country. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  50. ↑ "MSN | Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos". Msn.com.
  51. ↑ "Eric Church – Musical Influences". YouTube. 2012-01-30. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  52. ↑ "Eric Church To Headline The 2010 Jagermeister Country Music Tour – NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/". Prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  53. ↑ "ERIC CHURCH SETS GATHER AGAIN TOUR DATES FOR FALL OF 2021". Tasteofcountry.com. 7 April 2021.
  54. ↑ "End of an Era: Joanna Cotten Leaves Eric Church's Band". Savingcountrymusic.com. August 2022.
  55. ↑ "CMT : ACM Awards : Archive : 2010". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  56. ↑ "CMT : ACM Awards : Archive : 2011". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  57. ↑ "CMT : ACM Awards : Archive : 2012". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  58. ↑ "CMT : ACM Awards : Archive : 2013". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  59. ↑ "Eric Church – Website". Eric Church. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  60. ↑ "CMT : ACM Awards : Archive : 2015". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  61. 1 2 3 "2017 Academy of Country Music Awards -- The Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  62. 1 2 "Reba McEntire and Toby Keith to receive Special Awards from Academy of Country Music". Newsok.com. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  63. ↑ "2012 American Country Awards Winners – Full List". Taste of Country. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  64. ↑ "2012 American Music Awards winners and nominees – complete list". UPROXX. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  65. ↑ "AMAs 2014: And the Winners Are ..." Billboard. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  66. ↑ "2013 Billboard Music Awards winners and nominees – complete list". UPROXX. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  67. ↑ "Drake, The Chainsmokers Lead Nominees for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  68. ↑ "2013 CMT Music Awards Winners – Full List". Taste of Country. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  69. ↑ "CMT Music Awards 2017 Nominees Announced". Us Weekly. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  70. ↑ Freeman, Jon (6 June 2019). "2019 CMT Music Awards: The Complete Winners List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  71. ↑ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 2011 : Country Music Association". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  72. ↑ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 2012 : Country Music Association". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  73. ↑ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 2013 : Country Music Association". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  74. ↑ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 2014 : Country Music Association". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  75. ↑ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 2015 : Country Music Association". Cmt.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  76. ↑ "Nominees - 2016 CMA Awards". 2016 CMA Awards. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  77. ↑ "CMA Awards 2017: Miranda Lambert Tops List of Nominees". PEOPLE.com. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  78. ↑ Leimkuehler, Matthew. "CMA Awards 2019: List of winners". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  79. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2012: Complete Winners And Nominees List". The Hollywood Reporter. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  80. ↑ "Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  81. ↑ "Grammys 2015: And the Winners Are ..." Billboard. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  82. ↑ "2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.