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John Brannen | |
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| Born | March 19, 1952 Savannah, Georgia, United States |
| Origin | Charleston, South Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Heartland rock, roots rock |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Website | johnbrannen |
John Brannen (born March 19, 1952) [1] is an American roots rock/ heartland rock, singer-songwriter whose song "Somebody" appeared on the Eagles album Long Road Out of Eden . Brannen is heralded as an "underground legend" and has been active as a songwriter and performer since the early 1980s.
Brannen was born into a prominent and storied Southern family in Savannah, Georgia, United States. His parents first met at a diplomatic function in China, where his mother worked for the American consulate. Brannen's father, a cotton broker of some note, died unexpectedly and under strange circumstances in Brazil shortly before John was born. After his father's death, Brannen's mother moved to the coastal town of Bluffton, South Carolina where she would later raise John with help from her father. It was through his maternal grandfather – a man of stature with a predilection for classic poets, especially Tennyson and Longfellow – that Brannen first came into touch with his passion for lyricism and, subsequently, music. By the time he turned eighteen, Brannen had hitchhiked across the United States, surfed extensively in Hawaii, and sailed the West Indies. It was around this period in time that he became acquainted with Waylon Jennings, who he cites as "the voice," and his paramount influence. After a brief stint at The College of William & Mary where he planned to major in political science, Brannen abandoned secondary education for a career in music.
In the 1980s, Brannen spent time in New York City and Nashville before being wheedled into a move to the West Coast by Joe Walsh, guitarist for the Eagles, who had become a friend and mentor of Brannen's. The move to Los Angeles quickly paid off, as Brannen landed an artist deal at the Capitol Records imprint, Apache Records. His Apache debut, Mystery Street found its way into the Top 20, and the music video for his first single "Desolation Angel" garnered considerable attention as an MTV Hip Clip. By 1993, in the wake of the success of Mystery Street, Brannen was signed by the recently renamed Mercury Nashville Records. His eponymous debut for Mercury Nashville contained the single "Moonlight and Magnolias," which became a Top 10 hit on VH1. In an effort to launch Brannen's career, Mercury Nashville chose him for one of three slots on the Triple Play Tour. The remaining two slots were filled by Shania Twain and Toby Keith.
In the wake of the Triple Play Tour, [2] Brannen went on a self-imposed hiatus, settling in Charleston's French Quarter and "burying himself in the sand," as he has put it.[ citation needed ] Seven years passed between his eponymous Mercury Nashville debut and Scarecrow, his 2000 release for Corazong Records. After Scarecrow, Brannen was signed by Sly Dog Records.
Since his return to the limelight in 2000, Brannen has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, and Jackson Browne. Of these comparisons, Springsteen is the most frequently posited.[ citation needed ]The Good Thief and Twilight Tattoo, released in 2004 and 2006, respectively, are his most recent records. Twilight Tattoo, which features "A Cut So Deep," a duet with Lucinda Williams, was co-produced by Brannen and David Z. [3] Most recently, Brannen has had success as the songwriter of "Somebody" which appeared on Eagles album, [4] Long Road Out of Eden , and was co-written with Brannen's longtime collaborator and friend, Jack Tempchin.
John David Souther is the self-titled debut album American singer-songwriter J.D. Souther, released in 1972. The song "How Long" was recorded by the Eagles for their 2007 album Long Road Out of Eden, from which it was released as a single. It was a Grammy award winner for them under the "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" category. "Run Like a Thief" was covered by Bonnie Raitt on her album Home Plate.
John David Souther is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and Eagles. Souther is known for his songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "New Kid in Town". "How Long", which appears on Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. Souther recorded two major hit songs in his solo career: "You're Only Lonely" (1979) and "Her Town Too" (1981), a duet with his longtime friend James Taylor.
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