Justin Tranchita

Last updated
Justin Tranchita
Birth nameJustin Chase Tranchita
Born (1981-06-22) June 22, 1981 (age 42)
Geneva, Illinois, US
Genres Country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2011–present
LabelsFools Parade
Website justintranchita.com

Justin Chase Tranchita (born June 22, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman. Born in Geneva, Illinois and raised in Princeton, Illinois. He achieved popularity by his recurring role on Game of Pawns [1] and his music.

Contents

Life and career

Early life and career beginning

Justin was born to Joseph James Tranchita and Julee Ann Child in Geneva, Illinois, on June 22, 1981. His paternal grandfather was an immigrant from Marsala, Italy, while his mother was of Jewish and Irish ancestry. He has four elder siblings, Joe (born 1971), Julie (born 1974), Pam (born 1976) and Angie (born 1978) and four younger siblings, Jonathan (born 1983), Elliott (born 1990), Joshua (born 1995) and Marie (born 2000).

He was raised in Princeton, Illinois just past the Red Covered bridge on a farm with animals surrounded by corn fields. He attended Princeton High school and played football for the school but due to his parents religious beliefs he was pulled out of attendance and home schooled after his sophomore year. Tranchita went on several humanitarian trips as a boy taking him all over America and twice to Israel. After his parents divorced his senior year in high school Tranchita had a crisis of faith and left Princeton. He later told the Bureau County Republican that "It was kind of a long road out of Princeton but it was the best place a kid could grow up. " [2]

Justin received a music scholarship to Greenville College and attended in 1999. In 2000 he dropped out of college and relocated to Branson , Missouri where he met Don Williams brother of American singer Andy Williams and Robert Vinton son of American singer Bobby Vinton who helped Justin take the leap into a career in music and television.

Television and music

Tranchita starred on the television series Game of Pawns which airs on the Discovery Channel globally. The series was filmed in 2013 by High Noon Entertainment and is based on the goings on in a pawn shop in Branson, Missouri. Justin is joined by Scott Velvet and Brian Roman in this television game show which continues to run as re-runs in the United States and around the world on Discovery networks. [3]

Recorded with producer and writer Steve Messer, the song "This is America" features lyrics about American politics. It first became noticed when the Ben Carson presidential campaign heard the song and decided to use it as their campaign song for 2016. [4] Quickly after Ben Carson used the song it had commercial success by reaching number one on the Billboard Twitter Emerging Artist chart on November 28th, 2015 where it continued to stay on the chart for weeks. [5] The song was controversial in nature and garnered mixed reviews, digg.com said it was "one of the worste campaign songs of all time." Dan Fallon of digg.com wrote "Props to Tranchita for almost getting the lyric "While governmental power tends to grow continuously" to not sound super awkward." [6] Tranchita told The Guardian, "When I started to look into Ben Carson and what he stood for...people who have a faith – I identify with them because it does separate from people who do not.” [7] Ben Carson personally thanked Justin for allowing him to use the song publicly in a statement to his Facebook followers, [8] This is America returned to the number one spot again in 2016 after spending ten weeks on Billboards Emerging chart. This gave Tranchita a number one hit with the same song in two different years. [9]

Discography

Michigan State House Run

After the song "This is America" vaulted Tranchita into the political limelight he decided to run for the Michigan State House, district 32 in March of 2016. He was among Macomb County Republicans competing in state House races. [10] Tranchita said the popularity of his song was responsible in part for his run, he told The Detroit News , "Millions of people have responded to [the song]... There's some angst, some anger, and people are feeling like their voices aren't heard. I feel that. I'm a blue-collar guy, not some elitist or crony that wants to be in the ruling class." [11] After a very hard fought race Tranchita was narrowly defeated in his first ever political campaign by six percent in the August 2016 primary. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Vinton</span> American singer (born 1935)

Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton is an American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One of his most popular songs is "Blue Velvet" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, No. 1 in Canada, and number 2 in the UK in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song)</span> 2002 single by Justin Timberlake

"Cry Me a River" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his debut solo album, Justified (2002). It was written by Scott Storch with producer Timbaland and was inspired by Timberlake's former relationship with singer Britney Spears. Jive Records released the song to contemporary hit and rhythmic radio in the United States on November 25, 2002, as the album's second single. Accompanied by an electric piano, beatbox, guitars, synthesizers, Arabian-inspired riffs and Gregorian chants, "Cry Me a River" is a pop and R&B song about a heartbroken man who moves on from his last girlfriend, who had cheated on him. The song's music video featured a Spears lookalike and fueled the rumors that she had, from September 2001 to February 2002, cheated on Timberlake with Wade Robson, his choreographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Diggity</span> 1996 single by Blackstreet

"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, Another Level (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996, the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Iceland and New Zealand. "No Diggity" ended "Macarena"'s 14-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number nine. "No Diggity" was the final number-one single of Cash Box magazine. The track sold 1.6 million copies in 1996 and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It uses samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhinestone Cowboy</span> 1975 single by Glen Campbell

"Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. When released on May 26, 1975, as the lead single and title track from his album Rhinestone Cowboy, it enjoyed huge popularity with both country and pop audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Good Care of My Baby</span> 1961 song by Bobby Vee

"Take Good Care of My Baby" is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song was made famous by Bobby Vee, when it was released in 1961.

"Blue Velvet" is a popular song written and composed in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. A top 20 hit for Tony Bennett in its original 1951 version, the song has since been re-recorded many times, with a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reaching No. 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To All the Girls I've Loved Before</span> Song by Hal David and Albert Hammond

"To All the Girls I've Loved Before" is a song written by Hal David (words) and Albert Hammond (music). It was originally recorded by Hammond in 1975 on his album 99 Miles From L.A., but is more famous for a 1984 recording by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson, which appeared on Iglesias's album 1100 Bel Air Place. A breakthrough for Iglesias in the English language market, the song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" went to number one on the country chart, and was one of two entries on the country chart for Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson as a duo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Lonely (Bobby Vinton song)</span> 1964 single by Bobby Vinton

"Mr. Lonely" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Bobby Vinton, backed by Robert Mersey and his Orchestra. The song was first released on Vinton's 1962 album, Roses Are Red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Carson</span> American country music artist (1963–2022)

Jeffrey Lee Herndon, known professionally as Jeff Carson, was an American country music artist. Originally a session musician in Branson, Missouri, and later a demo singer, he was signed to Curb Records in 1995, releasing his self-titled debut album that year, followed by Butterfly Kisses in 1998 and Real Life in 2002. He charted 14 singles on the Billboard country charts, including the Number One hit "Not on Your Love", the Top Ten hits "The Car" and "Holdin' Onto Something", and the Top 20 "Real Life ". He retired from music in 2009 and became a police officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roses Are Red (My Love)</span> 1962 single by Bobby Vinton

"Roses Are Red (My Love)" is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton, backed by Robert Mersey and his Orchestra, in New York City in February 1962, and released in April 1962, and the song was his first hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Love Can Break a Heart</span> 1962 single by Gene Pitney

"Only Love Can Break a Heart" is a popular song from 1962, performed by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David (words) and Burt Bacharach (music) and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Townes Earle</span> American musician (1982–2020)

Justin Townes Earle was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP Yuma (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009 and for Song of the Year in 2011 for "Harlem River Blues". His father is alternative country artist Steve Earle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Bieber</span> Canadian singer (born 1994)

Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer. He is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and global influence in modern-day popular music. Bieber was discovered by American record executive Scooter Braun and signed with RBMG Records in 2008, gaining recognition with the release of his debut seven-track EP My World (2009) and soon establishing himself as a teen idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurt (Roy Hamilton song)</span> 1954 song

"Hurt" is a 1954 song by Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs. "Hurt" was originally performed by Roy Hamilton, whose version peaked at number eight on the R&B Best Seller chart and spent a total of seven weeks on the chart. A version by Ricky Denell also received considerable radio airplay in 1954 on pop radio stations. The song is considered to be the signature hit of Timi Yuro, whose version went to number four on the Billboard pop chart in 1961. Juice Newton's 1985 version scored number one on Billboard's Country chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasri (musician)</span> Canadian musician and producer

Nasri Tony Atweh, known mononymously as Nasri, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the reggae fusion band, Magic!, a group consisting of fellow Toronto natives, Mark Pellizzer, Alex Tanas, and Ben Spivak. MAGIC!'s single "Rude" became a major international hit single. He is currently managed by Wassim "Sal" Slaiby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MattyBRaps</span> American singer and rapper

Matthew David Morris, better known as MattyB or MattyBRaps, is an American singer and rapper who launched his career by creating remixes of popular music and posting them to YouTube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brothers Osborne</span> American country music group

Brothers Osborne is an American country music duo consisting of brothers T.J. Osborne and John Osborne. Born in Deale, Maryland, the duo signed a recording contract with EMI Records Nashville in 2012 and began releasing music the following year. Their 2015 song "Stay a Little Longer" became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, and their success led to the release of their debut studio album titled Pawn Shop the same year. Since then, Brothers Osborne have released the albums Port Saint Joe (2018) and Skeletons (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confident (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2013 single by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper

"Confident" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, featuring vocals from American rapper Chance the Rapper. The song is taken from Bieber's second compilation Journals (2013). Written by Bieber in addition to Kenneth Coby, Maurice "Verse" Simmonds, Chancelor Bennett and produced by Soundz, "Confident" was released as a single on December 9, 2013, by Island Records, as the tenth and last song from a ten-week digital download campaign entitled Music Mondays, in which one new song was released every Monday night, held from October 7, 2013 to December 9, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorry (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2015 single by Justin Bieber

"Sorry" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album, Purpose (2015). Written by Bieber, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Skrillex, and BloodPop; the song was produced by the latter two. It was released on October 22, 2015, as the second single from the album. A dancehall pop, tropical house and moombahton song, "Sorry" contains in its instrumentation "brassy horn bleats", warm island rhythms and a bouncy dembow riddim drum beat. Lyrically, "Sorry" is a plea for a chance to apologize to a lover, with Bieber asking forgiveness and a second chance to redeem himself. Bieber has since said that the lover was Selena Gomez.

Justin Rafael Quiles Rivera, known professionally as Justin Quiles or J Quiles, is an American singer. Quiles has been nominated for Premios Juventud.

References

  1. ↑ "About Game of Pawns". Discovery. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  2. ↑ "Finding ... and reaching the pinnacle within". Bureau County Republican. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  3. ↑ "Pawn show debuts". Branson Tri-Lakes News. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  4. ↑ "This is America". www.bencarson.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  5. ↑ "Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists | Billboard". Billboard .
  6. ↑ "A Brief History Of Terrible Presidential Campaign Songs". digg.com. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  7. ↑ Lartey, Jamiles (6 November 2015). "Ben Carson rapper Aspiring Mogul explains how candidate inspired him". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Ben Carson | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  9. ↑ Navi. "Country Singer Justin Tranchita Continues To Dominate Billboard's Emerging Artists Chart". Empty Lighthouse Music & Arts Magazine. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  10. ↑ "Candidates filing for state and federal seats".
  11. ↑ "Macomb House races will see who's in tune with voters".
  12. ↑ "Macomb County primary results: Yaroch and Farrington win GOP races".
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.