Kent Blazy
Encyclopedia
Kent Blazy is an American country music
songwriter. His credits include several singles for Garth Brooks
(including Brooks' first Number One hit, "If Tomorrow Never Comes
"), as well as singles by Gary Morris
, Diamond Rio
, Patty Loveless
and Chris Young.
. At an early age, he played rhythm guitar
and sang in various local bands, citing The Byrds
, Rodney Crowell
and Joe Ely
as influences. He later played for Canadian singer Ian Tyson
. Later on, Blazy met former Exile
member Mark Gray, who suggested that Blazy move to Nashville, Tennessee
. Eventually, he signed to a publishing contract, but the publishing company closed; despite the loss of contract, Gary Morris
sent Blazy's "Headed for a Heartache" into top 5 on the country charts.
By the late 1980s, Blazy met with a then-unknown Garth Brooks
, who gave him the idea for a song entitled "If Tomorrow Never Comes
." He and Brooks co-wrote the song, which went on to become Brooks' first Number One hit. Brooks continued to record Blazy's material throughout the 1990s, including the singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)
," "It's Midnight Cinderella
", "She's Gonna Make It
," "Somewhere Other Than the Night
" and the George Jones
duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)", the latter of which he partially plagiarized from Todd Snider
. Blazy has had at least one cut on all but one of Brooks' studio albums (excluding Brooks' Chris Gaines project
). He also co-wrote "That's What I Get for Lovin' You
" by Diamond Rio
and "Can't Get Enough
" by Patty Loveless
in the late 1990s.
Blazy, along with songwriters Pat Alger
, Tony Arata and Kim Williams, recorded an album entitled A Songwriters' Tribute to Garth Brooks, which included their renditions of songs that they had written for Brooks. This album was released in 2001 via VFR Records. Other songs that Blazy has co-written include "You Can Let Go
" by Crystal Shawanda
and "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
" by Chris Young from 2008 and 2009 respectively, as well as American Idol
season 8 finalist Danny Gokey
's debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me
."
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...
songwriter. His credits include several singles for Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
(including Brooks' first Number One hit, "If Tomorrow Never Comes
If Tomorrow Never Comes
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" served as the first single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating's second studio album, Destination. The song was produced by Steve Mac. The song peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as making the Top 10 in Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Germany,...
"), as well as singles by Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
, Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
, Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
and Chris Young.
Biography
Kent Blazy was raised in Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. At an early age, he played rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and sang in various local bands, citing The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
and Joe Ely
Joe Ely
Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll....
as influences. He later played for Canadian singer Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
. Later on, Blazy met former Exile
Exile (American band)
Exile, originally known as The Exiles, is an American band founded in Richmond, Kentucky by J.P. Pennington. They started by playing local clubs which led to touring with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars opening shows and providing backup for major rock artists of the period.Their name was shortened...
member Mark Gray, who suggested that Blazy 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...
. Eventually, he signed to a publishing contract, but the publishing company closed; despite the loss of contract, Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
sent Blazy's "Headed for a Heartache" into top 5 on the country charts.
By the late 1980s, Blazy met with a then-unknown Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, who gave him the idea for a song entitled "If Tomorrow Never Comes
If Tomorrow Never Comes
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" served as the first single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating's second studio album, Destination. The song was produced by Steve Mac. The song peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as making the Top 10 in Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Germany,...
." He and Brooks co-wrote the song, which went on to become Brooks' first Number One hit. Brooks continued to record Blazy's material throughout the 1990s, including the singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)
Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)
"Ain't Goin' Down " is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in July 1993 as the lead single from his album, In Pieces. The song also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, The Ultimate Hits, and Double Live...
," "It's Midnight Cinderella
It's Midnight Cinderella
"It's Midnight Cinderella" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released in June 1996 as the fifth single from his 1995 album Fresh Horses. The song reached a peak of #5 on the U.S...
", "She's Gonna Make It
She's Gonna Make It
"She's Gonna Make It" is a single by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was the second single from his 1997 album Sevens. It peaked at number two on the U.S. country singles chart, while it was a number-one country song in Canada....
," "Somewhere Other Than the Night
Somewhere Other Than the Night
"Somewhere Other Than the Night" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
" and the George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)", the latter of which he partially plagiarized from Todd Snider
Todd Snider
Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter with a musical style that combines Americana, alt-country, and folk.-Biography:...
. Blazy has had at least one cut on all but one of Brooks' studio albums (excluding Brooks' Chris Gaines project
Greatest Hits (Chris Gaines album)
Greatest Hits, also titled Garth Brooks in.... The Life of Chris Gaines, is part of the alter ego project of American country music artist Garth Brooks, in which Brooks assumes the fictitious persona of alternative rock artist Chris Gaines...
). He also co-wrote "That's What I Get for Lovin' You
That's What I Get for Lovin' You
"That's What I Get for Lovin' You" is the title of a song co-written by Kent Blazy and Neil Thrasher and released as a single by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was the second single released from their album, IV. It peaked at #4 in the United States, and #19 in Canada...
" by Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
and "Can't Get Enough
Can't Get Enough (Patty Loveless song)
"Can't Get Enough" is a single recorded by Patty Loveless. It was included on her first compilation album with Epic Records, Classics, her third compilation album overall. The single was released in 1999...
" by Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
in the late 1990s.
Blazy, along with songwriters Pat Alger
Pat Alger
Pat Alger is a country music songwriter, singer and guitarist.-Biography:Alger attended Georgia Tech studying architecture but decided to concentrate on writing songs. He started as a solo folk performer at folk clubs...
, Tony Arata and Kim Williams, recorded an album entitled A Songwriters' Tribute to Garth Brooks, which included their renditions of songs that they had written for Brooks. This album was released in 2001 via VFR Records. Other songs that Blazy has co-written include "You Can Let Go
You Can Let Go
"You Can Let Go" is the debut single by Canadian country music artist Crystal Shawanda. It was released in Canada in January 2008 and the U.S. in February 2008. Since its release, the song has become the fastest rising debut Canadian country single ever...
" by Crystal Shawanda
Crystal Shawanda
Crystal Shawanda is a Canadian country music artist. CMT documented her rise to fame in the six-part series Crystal: Living the Dream, which aired in February 2008. Signed to RCA Records in 2007, she released her debut single, "You Can Let Go," in Canada in January 2008...
and "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
"Gettin' You Home " is a country music song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Chris Young. It is the second single release from his second studio album, The Man I Want to Be, released on September 1, 2009...
" by Chris Young from 2008 and 2009 respectively, as well as American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season 8 finalist Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey is an American country music singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
's debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me
My Best Days Are Ahead of Me
"My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" is the title of a song written by Marv Green and Kent Blazy, and recorded by American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey...
."