Emerson Drive was a Canadian country music band consisting of Brad Mates, Danick Dupelle, Mike Melancon (drums), and Dale Wallace. The band was founded in 1995 as 12 Gauge, which consisted of Mates, Pat Allingham (fiddle), Steven Swager, Chris Hartman (keyboards), Dan Binns (guitar), David Switzer (guitar), and Remi Barre (drums); Swager was replaced with Jeff Loberg early on. After recording under this name, the band moved to the United States in 1999 and renamed themselves to Emerson Drive. They released two albums for the former DreamWorks Records Nashville branch: Emerson Drive in 2002 and What If? in 2004. These accounted for their first hit singles in the United States: "I Should Be Sleeping", "Fall into Me", and "Last One Standing". After DreamWorks closed, Emerson Drive signed with Midas Records Nashville for the 2006 album Countrified, which produced their only American number-one single in "Moments". Further releases in the United States were unsuccessful, but the band continued to chart in Canada through releases on Open Road Recordings and Big Star Recordings over the next ten years.
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show in November 1934 it became a hit; within 24 hours, 500,000 copies of sheet music and more than 30,000 records were sold. The version for Bluebird Records by George Hall and His Orchestra was very popular in 1934 and reached the various charts of the day. The song has been recorded by over 200 artists including Mariah Carey, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, the Crystals, Neil Diamond, Fred Astaire, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Mitch Miller, Boxcar Willie, Bill Evans, Chris Isaak, the Temptations, The Pointer Sisters, Kylie Minogue, the Carpenters, Michael Bublé, Luis Miguel, Michael Bolton, the Jackson 5, Dolly Parton and Lady Gaga.
Lonestar is an American country music group from Nashville, Tennessee. The group consists of Drew Womack, Michael Britt, Dean Sams, and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich. Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen, with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.
John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After departing from the band in 1998, he embarked on a solo career on BNA Records in the late 1990s, releasing two singles for the label and recording Underneath the Same Moon, which was not released until 2006. In 2001, he self-released Rescue Me, an album he was inspired to record by a cancer patient named Katie Darnell. By 2003, he joined Big Kenny to form the duo Big & Rich, who released three albums on Warner Bros. Records as well as ten singles, including the Number One "Lost in This Moment". After Big & Rich went on hiatus in 2007, Rich began work on a third solo album, Son of a Preacher Man, which has produced two more chart singles. In 2011, Rich released two extended plays, Rich Rocks and For the Kids, before re-establishing Big & Rich in 2012.
"Amazed" is a song by American country music group Lonestar, released on March 22, 1999, to country radio as the second single from their third studio album Lonely Grill (1999). The power ballad is the band's longest-lasting number one single and biggest hit, spending eight weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart. The song was written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo, and Chris Lindsey. A pop remix of the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts in 2000. The song has sold over 1,650,000 digital copies in the US as of February 2016.
"Comin' to Your City" is a song written and recorded by American country music duo Big & Rich. It was released in September 2005 as the lead single and title track from the album of the same name. The song reached number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also used as theme song for The Sean Hannity Show. A version of "Comin' to Your City" is used as the theme song for ESPN's College GameDay, but the ESPN version has references to several college football teams in the lyrics which do not appear in the original song.
What If? is the fourth studio album by Canadian country music band Emerson Drive. It was released on June 29, 2004 via DreamWorks Nashville and was the group's final release with the label. Like their previous album, American musician Richard Marx produced the album. The group co-wrote one song on the album, "If You Were My Girl".
"My Front Porch Looking In" is a song written by Richie McDonald, Frank J. Myers and Don Pfrimmer, and recorded by American country music group Lonestar. It was released in March 2003 as the first single from the band's compilation album From There to Here: Greatest Hits. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Coming Home is the sixth studio album by American country music group Lonestar, released in 2005 on BNA Records. This album produced two singles for them on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "You're Like Coming Home" and "I'll Die Tryin'". Both of these songs were originally recorded by the Canadian country band Emerson Drive on their 2004 album What If?.
"Fall into Me" is a song by Canadian country music band Emerson Drive, released on July 1, 2002, as the second single from their eponymous third studio album following the top-five hit "I Should Be Sleeping". It was written by Danny Orton and Jeremy Stover with production by American musician Richard Marx. It would peak at number three on the US Hot Country Songs chart in early 2003. It was their highest charting single in the United States until "Moments" reached number one in 2007.
"Mr. Mom" is a song written by Ron Harbin, Richie McDonald and Don Pfrimmer, and recorded by American country music band Lonestar. It was released in July 2004 as the second single from their fifth studio album Let's Be Us Again. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart on November 20, and is their last number one hit to date.
"You Still Own Me" is a song originally recorded by Scottish-Canadian country music artist Johnny Reid. It was recorded on his 2005 album Born to Roll.
"Only God " is a song written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange that has been recorded by multiple artists. It was first recorded by American country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus for his third studio album Storm in the Heartland (1994). It was then recorded by Chris Ward for his only studio album One Step Beyond (1996). Lari White would also record a version, this time as a duet with Toby Keith, for her fourth studio album Stepping Stone (1998).
"I'm Already There" is a song by American country music band Lonestar, written by lead singer Richie McDonald along with Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers. It was released on April 16, 2001 as the lead-off single to their fourth studio album of the same name. It spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song was the band's fifth consecutive Number One, and their seventh overall.
Trace Adkins is an American country music singer. His discography consists of fourteen studio albums and six greatest hits albums. Of his fourteen studio albums, six have been certified by the RIAA: 1997's Big Time is certified Gold, as are 2001's Chrome, and 2006's Dangerous Man. His 1996 debut Dreamin' Out Loud and 2003's Comin' On Strong are certified Platinum. 2005's Songs About Me is his best-selling album, certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. Two of Adkins' compilation albums, Greatest Hits Collection, Vol. 1 and American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II are certified Platinum
"Hold On, I'm Comin'" is a 1966 single recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
"No News" is a song recorded by American country music band Lonestar. It was released in January 1996 as the second single from their debut album, Lonestar. "No News" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in April 1996, giving the group its first number-one single. It was written by Phil Barnhart, Sam Hogin, and Mark D. Sanders.
"Everything's Changed" is a song written by Richie McDonald, Larry Boone and Paul Nelson, and recorded by American country music band Lonestar. It was released in June 1998 as the fourth and final single from their 1997 album Crazy Nights. Their ninth chart single overall, it was also the last single to feature bass guitarist John Rich, who left the band to pursue a solo career. The song peaked at number 2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The discography for Canadian country music group Emerson Drive consists of seven studio albums, one compilation, one EP, 33 singles, and 25 music videos. The band was formed in February 1995, under the name 12 Gauge, and released an independent debut album in 1996 titled Open Season. The group then released their second album, Until You Walk the Tracks in 1997. The album included the singles "Love's a Trip" and "Some Trains Never Come", which peaked at number 70 and number 36 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart.
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.
