George Ducas (singer)

Last updated
George Ducas performing live in 2023 Ducas live.jpg
George Ducas performing live in 2023

George Ducas
Born Galveston, Texas
Genres Country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Years active1994–present
Labels Liberty
Capitol Nashville
Loud Ranch
Website www.georgeducas.com

George Ducas is an American country music singer and songwriter, and musician, known for his blend of modern-day and roots country music. He has released four studio albums: 1994's George Ducas, 1997's Where I Stand, 2013's 4340 [1] and 2019's Yellow Rose Motel. His first two albums charted six consecutive singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, the highest being his signature hit "Lipstick Promises" which reached No. 9 and was also a No. 1 CMT video. Ducas returned to the No. 1 spot on CMT with his 2019 single "Eastwood."

Contents

Early life

George Ducas was born in Galveston, Texas and was raised in his early years by his father Steve (an Exxon chemical engineer) and his mother Irene (a teacher and a poet) in nearby Texas City, Texas. [2] [3] When he was 5, his parents [3] divorced and he spent the next five years in California with his mother, who gave him his first guitar. [4] He then moved back to Houston, Texas to live with his father and stepmother to attend middle school and high school. Ducas attended Lamar High School in Houston and afterward attended Vanderbilt University, [4] graduating with a degree in economics. After working six months at an Atlanta bank, [3] he quit and relocated to Nashville to pursue a full-time career in music. [5]

Career

Ducas performed in Nashville area clubs by night and honed his songwriting skills by day. In 1994, songwriter Radney Foster took "Just Call Me Lonesome", a song Ducas co-wrote, into the Top Ten on the country charts. [1]

Ducas' debut single "Teardrops" became a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.[ citation needed ] "Lipstick Promises" followed in early 1995 reaching #9 leading the way to the release of his eponymous self-titled debut album. George Ducas also produced the No. 52 "Hello Cruel World" and the No. 72 "Kisses Don't Lie".

Due to a restructuring of Liberty Records, Ducas was transferred to Capitol Records Nashville. Initially Ducas' sophomore album Where I Stand was slated for release in 1996, however some record label shuffling pushed the release into the following year kicking off with the lead single "Every Time She Passes By” followed by “Long Trail Of Tears”. Ducas enlisted Vince Gill to feature his accompanying background vocals on the album.[ citation needed ]

Ducas was a songwriter for artists Garth Brooks, Sara Evans, Eli Young Band, Randy Rogers Band, Gary Allan, The Chicks, and Trisha Yearwood.[ citation needed ] He co-wrote - "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)", a duet for Garth Brooks and George Jones - which received a Grammy nomination in 2009 for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. [6]

In 2005, Ducas and Radney Foster co-wrote the No. 1 hit "A Real Fine Place to Start" for Sara Evans which led to Ducas spending the latter half of 2007 opening shows for her. [7]

In October 2013, Ducas released 4340 through the newly created independent label Loud Ranch. [8] In 2016, Ducas released the single "Party with Your Boots On" which was licensed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as their first official artist theme song on a limited term usage agreement.[ citation needed ]

Ducas’ fourth studio album Yellow Rose Motel was released in January 2020. In addition to writing and recording the album in several Nashville recording sessions throughout 2017 and 2018, Ducas also co-produced the album. The song “Eastwood”, the first of three music videos from the album, became Ducas’ second #1 CMT video and remained in the top spot for three weeks. [9]

In 2020, as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of his biggest hit, Ducas recorded a new version of "Lipstick Promises." American Songwriter Magazine called the new version 'a fun re-work' as "...the new version now features a little more energy as George kicked the tempo up a couple of notches. It hasn’t changed per se, it just sounds a little more like he plays it when he’s live onstage." [10]

In 2020, Ducas began the process of recording his new album Long Way From Home, which was produced by Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam) and released in June of 2024. [11]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with release date, label, and selected chart positions shown
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
US Country US Heat
George Ducas 5736
Where I Stand ——
4340 [12]
  • Released: October 29, 2013
  • Label: Loud Ranch
——
Yellow Rose Motel
  • Release date: December 6, 2019
  • Label: Loud Ranch
——
Long Way From Home
  • Release date: June 21, 2024
  • Label: Loud Ranch/Xstream Music Group
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart
positions		Album
US Country CAN Country
1994"Teardrops"38—George Ducas
"Lipstick Promises"96
1995"Hello Cruel World"5246
"Kisses Don't Lie"7275
1996"Every Time She Passes By"5726Where I Stand
1997"Long Trail of Tears"5552
2010"Never Goes Away"——Volume Up, Windows Down
2011"Breakin' Stuff"——
2012"Cowtown"——
2014"All Kinds of Crazy"——4340
2015"LoveStruck"——
2020"Lipstick Promises (Reboot)"——
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
1994"Teardrops" [13] [14] Piers Plowden
1995"Lipstick Promises" [15]
"Hello Cruel World" [16] Roger Pistole
"Kisses Don't Lie" [17] D. J. Webster
1996"Every Time She Passes By" [18]
2015"Party with Your Boots On"Liz Chapman
2019"Eastwood"Cody Villalobos
2019"Unlove You"Cody Villalobos
2020"Lipstick Promises (Reboot)"Ben Boutwell

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Earl Keen</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1956)

Robert Earl Keen is an American country singer-songwriter and entertainer. Debuting with 1984's No Kinda Dancer, the Houston native has recorded 20 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. His songs have had cover versions recorded by many musicians, including George Strait, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen and Nanci Griffith. Keen has toured extensively in the US and abroad throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radney Foster</span> American country music singer-songwriter, musician and music producer

Radney Muckleroy Foster is an American country music singer-songwriter, musician and music producer. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his recording debut as part of the Foster & Lloyd duo, recording three studio albums and with nine singles on the country charts.

Hot Apple Pie was an American country music band founded in 2002 by Brady Seals, Keith Horne, Trey Landry (drums), and Mark "Sparky" Matejka (guitar). Matjeka was replaced in 2006 by Kevin Ray. Seals was initially co-lead vocalist and keyboardist in the band Little Texas until 1994. Between then and 2002, he recorded three studio albums, including two for Warner Bros. Records. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2005, Hot Apple Pie released its self-titled debut album that year. This album produced three chart singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the No. 26-peaking "Hillbillies."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ingram</span> American country music singer (born 1970)

Jack Owen Ingram is an American country music artist formerly signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eleven studio albums, one extended play, six live albums, and 19 singles. Although active since 1992, Ingram did not reach the U.S. Country Top 40 until the release of his single "Wherever You Are" late-2005. A number one hit on the Billboard country charts, that song was also his first release for Big Machine and that label's first Number One hit. Ingram has sent six other songs into the country Top 40 with "Love You", "Lips of an Angel", "Measure of a Man", "Maybe She'll Get Lonely", "That's a Man", and "Barefoot and Crazy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Real Fine Place to Start</span> 2005 single by Sara Evans

"A Real Fine Place to Start" is a song written by Radney Foster and George Ducas and recorded by American country music artist Sara Evans. It was released in May 2005 as the first single from Evans' 2005 album Real Fine Place. The song became Evans' fourth number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September 2005, holding that position for two weeks. This would also be her last number one single until "A Little Bit Stronger" reached number one in May 2011. On June 15, 2006, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Supernaw</span> American country music singer-songwriter (1960–2020)

Douglas Anderson Supernaw was an American country music artist. After several years performing as a local musician throughout the state of Texas, he signed with BNA Records in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teardrops on My Guitar</span> 2007 single by Taylor Swift

"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose. In the United States, the song was the second single from Swift's 2006 self-titled debut album; Big Machine Records released it to country radio on February 20, 2007, and to pop radio as a crossover single on November 9, 2007. An international mix was included on the international edition of Swift's second studio album, Fearless, and released as a single in Europe on May 7, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deryl Dodd</span> American country music artist

Deryl Dwaine Dodd is an American Texas country music artist. Originally a regular on the Texas club circuit, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, soon finding work as a lead guitar player, background vocalist and songwriter. After moving to Nashville in 1991 he played lead guitar for Tracy Lawrence and Martina McBride. By 1996, he was signed to a recording contract, releasing two albums for Columbia Records Nashville before a debilitating bout of viral encephalitis put his career on hiatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Armiger</span> Country music singer

Kaitlyn Michelle Armiger is a country artist from Sugar Land, Texas, U.S. She was first inspired to pursue country music after winning a Houston, Texas, citywide competition for young country singers. As of 2014, Armiger has released four albums for Cold River Records and has charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.

Randy Rogers Band is an American country music band from San Marcos, Texas. The band is composed of Randy Rogers, Geoffrey Hill (guitar), Jon Richardson, Brady Black (fiddle), Les Lawless (drums), and Todd Stewart. They have recorded seven studio albums and two live albums, and have charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zane Williams</span> American country music singer (born 1977)

Zane Williams is an American country music singer. He is best known for his song "Hurry Home", covered by Jason Michael Carroll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Howdy</span> American musical group

Boy Howdy was an American country music band founded in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. Its members were Jeffrey Steele, Hugh Wright (drums), and brothers Cary Park and Larry Park. Between 1992 and 1995, the band recorded two albums and an extended play, all on the Curb Records label. In that same time span, Boy Howdy charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, including the Top Five hits "She'd Give Anything" and "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore." After Boy Howdy disbanded in 1996, Steele worked as both a solo artist and songwriter.

Quenton Keith Gattis was an American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He released two studio albums and charted one single, "Little Drops of My Heart", on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart while signed to RCA Nashville. In 2002, Gattis joined Dwight Yoakam's band as band leader and lead electric guitar player and is credited on Yoakam's studio album Blame the Vain. In 2005, Gattis released his record Big City Blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Jarosz</span> American musician

Sarah Ellen Jarosz is an American singer-songwriter from Wimberley, Texas. Her debut studio album, Song Up in Her Head, was released in 2009 and the song "Mansinneedof" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance. Her second studio album, Follow Me Down, released in 2011, received a Song of the Year nomination from the Americana Music Association's 2012 Honors and Awards. Her third studio album, Build Me Up from Bones, was released on September 24, 2013 through Sugar Hill Records. Build Me Up from Bones was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, and its title track was nominated for Best American Roots Song. In 2016, Jarosz released her fourth studio album, Undercurrent. The album won two Grammy Awards.

<i>George Ducas</i> (album) 1994 studio album by George Ducas

George Ducas is the debut studio album by American country music singer George Ducas. It was released in September 1994 on Liberty Records, and peaked at number 57. It featured four singles: "Teardrops", "Hello Cruel World", "Kisses Don't Lie", and his biggest hit, "Lipstick Promises", which reached number 9.

Elisabeth Wagner, known professionally as Liz Rose, is an American country music songwriter, best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written 17 of Swift's officially released songs, including "You Belong with Me", which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year; "Teardrops on My Guitar"; "White Horse", which won both Swift and her a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2010; and "All Too Well ", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2023. She works regularly alongside songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, collectively calling themselves The Love Junkies and notably writing songs for Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Rhyder</span> American singer-songwriter

Brandon Rhyder is an American Texas Country/Red Dirt singer from Carthage, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lipstick Promises</span> 1994 single by George Ducas

"Lipstick Promises" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist George Ducas. It was released in November 1994 as the second single from his debut album George Ducas. The song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in April 1995. Ducas wrote this song with Tia Sillers. Ducas released a new version of the song in 2020.

Jon David Wolfe is an American country music singer and songwriter. Rising to prominence in the early 2000s, he's revered for his energetic performances and authentic style. His albums, including "It All Happened in a Honky Tonk" (2010), "Natural Man" (2015), and "Any Night in Texas" (2017), spawned hits such as "That Girl in Texas”, “I Don’t Dance”, and “Boots on a Dance Floor.”

Tia Maria Sillers is an American songwriter. She has written over 40 singles in multiple music formats, including the Lee Ann Womack single "I Hope You Dance", and the Kenny Wayne Shepherd single "Blue on Black". Sillers' songs have been featured in numerous films, television shows and commercials.

References

  1. 1 2 Ankeny, Jason. "George Ducas biography". AllMusic . Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ Mitchell, Rick. "On the brink of stardom: There's another George on country's horizon." Houston Chronicle . September 30, 1994.
  3. 1 2 3 Hurst, Jack. "Head of his class: 'Kid from Vanderbilt' graduates to Nashville with high marks." Chicago Tribune . February 5, 1995.
  4. 1 2 "George Ducas | Biography & History". AllMusic .
  5. ↑ Rose, Van. "Singer banks on staying power." The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa). March 2, 1997.
  6. ↑ "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS. January 4, 2002. Archived from the original on October 10, 2003. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Sara Evans Announces Tour With Josh Turner". Cmt.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Album review: George Ducas – 4340 Album". No Depression. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ "George Ducas Makes Our Day With Eastwood". Cmt.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ "George Ducas Polishes Off A Commemorative Edition of Lipstick Promises". americansongwriter.com. November 5, 2020.
  11. ↑ "'Long Way from Home' - George Ducas - New Album Review". June 20, 2024.
  12. ↑ "iTunes – Music – 4340 by George Ducas". iTunes . November 11, 2013. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ Billboard – Nov 5, 1994 – Google Books Result. November 5, 1994. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  14. ↑ "CMT: Videos: George Ducas: Teardrop". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  15. ↑ "CMT: Videos: George Ducas: Lipstick Promises". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  16. ↑ "CMT: Videos: George Ducas: Hello Cruel World". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  17. ↑ "CMT: Videos: George Ducas: Kisses Don't Lie". Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  18. ↑ Billboard – Jun 15, 1996 – Google Books Result. June 15, 1996. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
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.