Jeff Carson
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Lee Herndon known professionally as Jeff Carson, is 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 has charted fourteen single
s on the Billboard
country charts, including the Number One hit "Not on Your Love
", the Top Ten hits "The Car
" and "Holdin' Onto Somethin'
", and the Top 20 "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)". He retired from music in 2009 and became a police officer
.
and raised in Gravette, Arkansas
. In his childhood, he played harmonica and guitar and sang in church. In high school
, he and some friends formed a band. They won second place at a local talent show for performing the song "Seven Bridges Road
". After graduating, he moved on to another talent competition held at a park in Rogers, Arkansas
. The winner of that competition then asked Carson to play in his band, which he did for four years until the band split up.
Carson later moved on to Branson, Missouri
, where he found work playing bass guitar in local bands, in addition to writing songs. While in Branson, he met his then-future wife, who persuaded him to move to Nashville, Tennessee
, which he did in 1989. In Nashville, he found work with a band that played at the Opryland Hotel, before convincing the hotel to book him as a solo act. He eventually recorded demos for other artists, before he was discovered by record producer Chuck Howard in 1994 and signed to Curb Records
.
", which became his only number one later that year. Both singles were included on his debut album, titled Jeff Carson
, which produced two more Top Ten hits in "The Car
" (number 3) and "Holdin' Onto Somethin'
" (number 6), the latter of which was previously recorded by John Michael Montgomery
. Between those two singles was a Christmas release called "Santa Got Lost in Texas" (number 70), and after "Holdin' On to Somethin'" came the album's final single, "That Last Mile" (number 62).
as well as a Top 40 pop and country hit for the Raybon Brothers; "Here's the Deal" (#64); and "Cheatin' on Her Heart" (number 52). This album also included an alternate mix of "Butterfly Kisses" which combined elements of labelmate Kippi Brannon
's then-current single "Daddy's Little Girl", as well as a duet with Merle Haggard
on a rendition of his hit "Today I Started Loving You Again".
. In 2002, Carson suffered a broken vertebra in a sledding accident at home. Although he briefly spent some time in a body cast, he was not seriously injured. Another single from Real Life, entitled "Until We Fall Back in Love Again", peaked at number 46.
", a cut from a multi-artist compilation called God Bless the USA 2003. He also co-wrote the track "Where Has My Hometown Gone" on Craig Morgan's album I Love It
, as well as Elbert West
's single "Kimberly Cooper's Eyes". A duet with Lisa Brokop
entitled "God Save the World", released in 2005, also failed to chart. His most recent single, "When You Said You Loved Me", was sent to radio in early 2007, as the lead-off single to an upcoming Greatest Hits package. The single failed to chart, however, and his Greatest Hits album was cancelled. In February 2009, he retired from the music business and joined the Franklin, Tennessee
police force as a full-time police officer
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist. Originally a session musician in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
and later a demo singer, he was signed to Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
in 1995, releasing his self-titled debut album that year, followed by Butterfly Kisses in 1998 and Real Life in 2002. He has charted fourteen single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts, including the Number One hit "Not on Your Love
Not on Your Love
"Not On Your Love" is a song written by Tony Martin, Troy Martin, and Reese Wilson, and recorded by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released as the second single from his self-titled debut album, it represents Carson's only Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.The...
", the Top Ten hits "The Car
The Car (song)
"The Car" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in October 1995, it was the third single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 1995....
" and "Holdin' Onto Somethin'
Holdin' Onto Somethin'
"Holdin' Onto Somethin" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in 1996, it was the fourth single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in June 1996...
", and the Top 20 "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)". He retired from music in 2009 and became a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Biography
Jeff Carson was born in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
and raised in Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,325 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. In his childhood, he played harmonica and guitar and sang in church. In high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, he and some friends formed a band. They won second place at a local talent show for performing the song "Seven Bridges Road
Seven Bridges Road
"Seven Bridges Road" is the title of a song written by Steve Young that he recorded in 1969 for his Rock Salt & Nails album. A popular version was recorded by the Eagles in 1980 which still receives significant airplay on classic rock stations....
". After graduating, he moved on to another talent competition held at a park in Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
. The winner of that competition then asked Carson to play in his band, which he did for four years until the band split up.
Carson later moved on to Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, where he found work playing bass guitar in local bands, in addition to writing songs. While in Branson, he met his then-future wife, who persuaded him to move to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, which he did in 1989. In Nashville, he found work with a band that played at the Opryland Hotel, before convincing the hotel to book him as a solo act. He eventually recorded demos for other artists, before he was discovered by record producer Chuck Howard in 1994 and signed to Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
.
1994-1996: Jeff Carson
Carson's debut single, "Yeah Buddy", was released in late 1994, peaking at number 69 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was followed by "Not on Your LoveNot on Your Love
"Not On Your Love" is a song written by Tony Martin, Troy Martin, and Reese Wilson, and recorded by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released as the second single from his self-titled debut album, it represents Carson's only Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.The...
", which became his only number one later that year. Both singles were included on his debut album, titled Jeff Carson
Jeff Carson (album)
Jeff Carson is the self-titled debut album of American country music artist Jeff Carson. It was released in 1995 on MCG/Curb Records, and features five singles: "Yeah Buddy," "Not on Your Love," "The Car," "Holdin' onto Somethin'" and "That Last Mile"...
, which produced two more Top Ten hits in "The Car
The Car (song)
"The Car" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in October 1995, it was the third single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 1995....
" (number 3) and "Holdin' Onto Somethin'
Holdin' Onto Somethin'
"Holdin' Onto Somethin" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in 1996, it was the fourth single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in June 1996...
" (number 6), the latter of which was previously recorded by John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "...
. Between those two singles was a Christmas release called "Santa Got Lost in Texas" (number 70), and after "Holdin' On to Somethin'" came the album's final single, "That Last Mile" (number 62).
1997-1999: Butterfly Kisses
Carson released his second album in 1997. Entitled Butterfly Kisses, this album produced four singles, none of which reached top 40: "Do It Again" at number 55; the album's title track (number 62), which was also a Number One Adult Contemporary hit and minor country hit for Bob CarlisleBob Carlisle
Bob Carlisle is a Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning American musician who performs Christian music. He performed with several bands, most notably Allies and Billy Thermal, before launching a solo career...
as well as a Top 40 pop and country hit for the Raybon Brothers; "Here's the Deal" (#64); and "Cheatin' on Her Heart" (number 52). This album also included an alternate mix of "Butterfly Kisses" which combined elements of labelmate Kippi Brannon
Kippi Brannon
Kippi Rolynn Binkley is an American country music singer known as Kippi Brannon. She made her debut on the country music scene as a teenager, releasing four singles on MCA Records in the early 1980s before leaving her career in favor of a college education...
's then-current single "Daddy's Little Girl", as well as a duet with Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
on a rendition of his hit "Today I Started Loving You Again".
1998-2002: Real Life
His eleventh single, "Shine On", was released in 1998. After it, too, failed to reach Top 40, Carson's third album was repeatedly delayed. "Scars and All" did not reach the country charts, but was a Number One on the PowerSource Christian charts. Following it in 2001 was his first Top 40 country single in five years, "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)". It reached number 14 at the end of the year, and was followed by the release of his third studio album, also called Real LifeReal Life (Jeff Carson album)
Real Life is the third studio album to be released by American country music artist Jeff Carson. It contains the single "Real Life ", a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts in mid-2001 and Carson's first Top 40 country hit since 1996's "Holdin' On to Something"...
. In 2002, Carson suffered a broken vertebra in a sledding accident at home. Although he briefly spent some time in a body cast, he was not seriously injured. Another single from Real Life, entitled "Until We Fall Back in Love Again", peaked at number 46.
2003-present: Retirement and police work
Carson charted again in 2003 with his cover of the Christian pop hit "I Can Only ImagineI Can Only Imagine
"I Can Only Imagine" is a single recorded by contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano track, was inspired by the death of Millard's father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing...
", a cut from a multi-artist compilation called God Bless the USA 2003. He also co-wrote the track "Where Has My Hometown Gone" on Craig Morgan's album I Love It
I Love It
-Tracks 1-10:*Larry Beard – acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin*Mike Brignardello – bass guitar*Glen Duncan – fiddle*Rob Hajacos – fiddle*Mike Johnson – steel guitar, Dobro*Jeff King – electric guitar*Paul Leim – drums*Chris McHugh – drums...
, as well as Elbert West
Elbert West
-Track listing:#"Crawlin' Time" – 3:22#"Side of the Road" – 3:46#"Diddley" – 2:52#"Neon Light" – 3:35...
's single "Kimberly Cooper's Eyes". A duet with Lisa Brokop
Lisa brokop
Lisa Brokop is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter and actress. Active since 1990 in the country music field, she has released a total of six studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the country music charts in her native Canada...
entitled "God Save the World", released in 2005, also failed to chart. His most recent single, "When You Said You Loved Me", was sent to radio in early 2007, as the lead-off single to an upcoming Greatest Hits package. The single failed to chart, however, and his Greatest Hits album was cancelled. In February 2009, he retired from the music business and joined the Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
police force as a full-time police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
||
| Jeff Carson Jeff Carson (album) Jeff Carson is the self-titled debut album of American country music artist Jeff Carson. It was released in 1995 on MCG/Curb Records, and features five singles: "Yeah Buddy," "Not on Your Love," "The Car," "Holdin' onto Somethin'" and "That Last Mile"... |
|
22 | 152 | 7 | 4 |
| Butterfly Kisses |
|
39 | — | 28 | — |
| Real Life Real Life (Jeff Carson album) Real Life is the third studio album to be released by American country music artist Jeff Carson. It contains the single "Real Life ", a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts in mid-2001 and Carson's first Top 40 country hit since 1996's "Holdin' On to Something"... |
|
38 | — | 29 | * |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released * denotes unknown peak positions |
|||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
|||
| 1995 | "Yeah Buddy" | 69 | — | — | Jeff Carson |
| "Not on Your Love Not on Your Love "Not On Your Love" is a song written by Tony Martin, Troy Martin, and Reese Wilson, and recorded by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released as the second single from his self-titled debut album, it represents Carson's only Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.The... " |
1 | 97 | 2 | ||
| "The Car The Car (song) "The Car" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in October 1995, it was the third single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 1995.... " |
3 | 113 | 3 | ||
| 1996 | "Holdin' Onto Somethin' Holdin' Onto Somethin' "Holdin' Onto Somethin" is a single by American country music artist Jeff Carson. Released in 1996, it was the fourth single from his debut album, Jeff Carson. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in June 1996... " |
6 | — | 20 | |
| "That Last Mile" | 62 | — | — | ||
| 1997 | "Do It Again" | 55 | — | 95 | Butterfly Kisses |
| "Butterfly Kisses Butterfly Kisses (song) "Butterfly Kisses" is the title of a song written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas from Carlisle's third studio album Butterfly Kisses . The song was written for his daughter Brooke's 16th birthday. Carlisle also wrote a journal entitled Butterfly Kisses for fathers and their daughters... " |
66 | 103 | — | ||
| "Here's the Deal" | 64 | 101 | — | ||
| 1998 | "Cheatin' on Her Heart" | 52 | — | 97 | |
| "Shine On" | 49 | — | — | Real Life | |
| 2000 | "Scars and All" | — | — | * | |
| 2001 | "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)" | 14 | 103 | * | |
| 2002 | "Until We Fall Back in Love Again" | 46 | — | * | |
| 2003 | "I Can Only Imagine I Can Only Imagine "I Can Only Imagine" is a single recorded by contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano track, was inspired by the death of Millard's father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing... " |
50 | — | * | God Bless the USA 2003 |
| 2005 | "God Save the World" (with Lisa Brokop Lisa brokop Lisa Brokop is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter and actress. Active since 1990 in the country music field, she has released a total of six studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the country music charts in her native Canada... ) |
— | — | * | Best of America, Vol. 2 |
| 2006 | "When You Said You Loved Me" | — | — | * | Non-album song |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions |
|||||
Other charted songs
| Year | Single | Peak positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 1995 | "Santa Got Lost in Texas" | 70 | single only |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Yeah Buddy" | Sara Nichols |
| "Not on Your Love" | Jim Shea | |
| "The Car" | Michael Salomon Michael Salomon Michael Salomon is a music video/film director, who has directed many music videos, including many of Toby Keith's music videos... |
|
| 1996 | "That Last Mile" | Greg Crutcher |
| 1998 | "Shine On" | David Abbott |
| 2001 | "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)" |