Chris Tompkins is an American songwriter from Nashville, originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...

. He won Music Row's

Music Row

Music Row is an area just to the southwest of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the country music, gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music industries...

2007
"Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year" award and was honored as the Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Alabama Music Hall of Fame

The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a after a state-wide referendum in 1987...

 songwriter of the year. Perhaps his most popular recent work was the platinum seller and 2008 Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 winner "Before He Cheats

Before He Cheats

"Before He Cheats" is a song written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and the third wide-release single from Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It was the fifth release from the album overall. It was named the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association...

", co-written with Josh Kear

Josh Kear

Joshua Peter "Josh" Kear is an American songwriter. His credits include Carrie Underwood's number-one "Before He Cheats," for which Kear won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2007 and Lady Antebellum's number-one "Need You Now," for which Kear won an Academy of Country Music Award for Best...

, and sung by Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

. This song was credited the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association

Country Music Association

The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...

. However he was also a named writer for "I'm Gone" on Bo Bice

Bo Bice

Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice, Jr. is an American singer and musician who placed second to Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol. He has recorded three studio albums, including one on RCA Records...

's See the Light

See the Light

See the Light is the title of the second album by Bo Bice, released on October 23, 2007.-History:Bice's debut album, The Real Thing, was with RCA. According to BoBice.com, he is now signed with the indie label $ugarmoney/StratArt, a partnership between Bo and the label of Strategic Artist...

album, "Don't Cost a Dime" on Martina McBride

Martina McBride

Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....

's Shine

Shine (Martina McBride album)

Shine is the tenth studio album from American country music singer Martina McBride. It was released on March 24, 2009 through RCA Records Nashville. The album spun three Top 20 hits on the Billboard country chart: "Ride" and "Wrong Baby Wrong" both reached #11, and "I Just Call You Mine" peaked at...

album, "On My Way Home" on J. Michael Harter

J. Michael Harter

James "J." Michael Harter is an American country music artist. Signed to the independent Broken Bow Records in 2002, Harter released his debut album Unexpected Change that year. It produced one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in "Hard Call to Make", which peaked at #45...

's Unexpected Change album, "Time Machine" on Shelly Fairchild

Shelly Fairchild

Shelly Fairchild is an American music recording artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 2004, she released her debut album Ride in early 2005...

's album Ride

Ride (Shelly Fairchild album)

Ride is the debut album of American country music artist Shelly Fairchild, released in March 2005 on Columbia Records. It includes the singles "You Don't Lie Here Anymore", "Tiny Town" and "Kiss Me". Although "You Don't Lie Here Anymore" reached #35 on the U.S...

, as well as a number of other songs.

See also

• 50th Grammy Awards
  50th Grammy Awards
  The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
  
  
• Country Music Association Awards
  Country Music Association Awards
  The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...