Michael Johnson (singer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Johnson is an American
pop
, country
and folk
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
. He is best known for his 1978 hit song "Bluer Than Blue
". To date, he has charted four hits on the Billboard Hot 100
charts, and nine more on the Hot Country Songs
charts, including two Number One country hits in 1986's "Give Me Wings
" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder
". He also co-wrote "Cain's Blood", the debut single of 1990s country group 4 Runner
.
, Colorado
, in the south-central part of the state; he grew up in the major metropolitan city of Denver
. He started playing the guitar
at 13. In 1963, he began attending Colorado State University
to study music but his college career was truncated when he won an international talent contest two years later. First prize included a deal with Epic Records
. Epic released the song "Hills", written and sung by Johnson, as a single. Johnson began extensive touring of clubs and colleges, finding a receptive audience everywhere he went.
Wishing to hone his instrumental skills, in 1966 he set off for Barcelona, Spain, to the Liceu Conservatory, studying with the eminent classical guitarist, Graciano Tarrago. Upon his return to the States, he joined Randy Sparks
in a group called the New Society and did a tour of the Orient. When the band dissolved in 1967, he signed on with the Chad Mitchell Trio
for a year, spending some of that time co-writing with another member, John Denver
. The group was renamed Denver, Boise & Johnson. When the trio came to an end, Johnson made a radical departure from everything he had done previously by taking on a major supporting role in the off-Broadway production of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
." The show visited New York, Los Angeles
and Chicago over the next year; by then, Johnson was ready to return to creating and performing his own music.
In 1971, Johnson signed with Atco Records
to release his first album, There Is A Breeze, which was released in 1973 and produced by Johnson, Chris Dedrick, Peter Yarrow
and Phil Ramone
in New York and Toronto, Canada. Feeling this first effort wasn't a true reflection of his music, Johnson self-produced his next LP in 1975, For All You Mad Musicians, relying more on his voice and guitar for a folk feel. He followed this up with Ain't Dis Da Life, where he added a rhythm section. With each new recording and his continued touring, his popularity was increasing. It was time to make a move on the national market.
Teaming up with Brent Maher and Steve Gibson in Nashville
, Tennessee
, Johnson created a two-song demo consisting of "Bluer Than Blue
" and "Almost Like Being in Love
" (the latter song from the Broadway
musical Brigadoon). EMI America took one listen and wasted no time in signing him, quickly getting The Michael Johnson Album out in 1978. The first single, "Bluer Than Blue", became Johnson's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the summer of 1978; the song became a chart-topping single on the Adult Contemporary
chart. "Almost Like Being in Love" went to #91 on the R&B
chart while hitting the Top 5 on the AC chart and the Top 40 on the pop chart. His next EMI album, Dialogue, provided his third big hit, "This Night Won't Last Forever" and a Gold Record for European sales of "I'll Always Love You."
Johnson recorded five albums in all for EMI and in 1985 moved over to RCA
, where he adopted a contemporary country style
that stayed compatible with his soft, mellow leanings; this shift was evident in his choice of duet partners country-pop singers Juice Newton
and Sylvia
. Johnson's change proved successful, as he scored five Top Ten country hits from 1986 to 1989, including the chart-toppers "Give Me Wings" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder." After two country albums on RCA (plus two greatest hits collections), Johnson moved over to Atlantic Records
in 1991, which effectively halted his commercial momentum. He recorded sporadically in the 1990s for smaller labels. In 1995, the country music group 4 Runner
scored a minor hit with the single "Cain's Blood", for which Johnson co-wrote an updated version with Jack Sundrud of Poco
. Johnson also proved to be a successful writer of print when he wrote "The Solo Performer" columns for the magazine Performing Songwriter from 1993 through 1998.
In August 2007, Johnson underwent successful quadruple bypass heart surgery. A charitable organization, "Friends of Michael Johnson," was temporarily set up to help defray medical expenses.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, country
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...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He is best known for his 1978 hit song "Bluer Than Blue
Bluer Than Blue
"Bluer Than Blue" is the title of a 1978 song recorded by Michael Johnson. The song was written by noted pop and country music songwriter Randy Goodrum. Goodrum says that the song came to him while driving down the road, so he pulled into a Wendy's, ordered a hamburger and wrote the verses down...
". To date, he has charted four hits on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
charts, and nine more on the Hot Country Songs
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...
charts, including two Number One country hits in 1986's "Give Me Wings
Give Me Wings
"Give Me Wings" is a 1986 single written by Rhonda Fleming and Don Schlitz and recorded by Michael Johnson. "Give Me Wings" was Michael Johnson's third country hit and was the first of two number one country singles. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of sixteen weeks on...
" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder
The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder
"The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder" is a 1987 single written by Hugh Prestwood and recorded by Michael Johnson. "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder" was Michael Johnson's second and last number one on the country chart and his follow up to "Give Me Wings" The single went to number one for...
". He also co-wrote "Cain's Blood", the debut single of 1990s country group 4 Runner
4 Runner
4 Runner was an American country music vocal group founded in the late 1980s by lead singer Craig Morris, baritone Billy Crittenden, tenor Lee Hilliard, and bass Jim Chapman...
.
Life
Johnson was born in the small town of AlamosaAlamosa, Colorado
The city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, in the south-central part of the state; he grew up in the major metropolitan city of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. He started playing the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at 13. In 1963, he began attending Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
to study music but his college career was truncated when he won an international talent contest two years later. First prize included a deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Epic released the song "Hills", written and sung by Johnson, as a single. Johnson began extensive touring of clubs and colleges, finding a receptive audience everywhere he went.
Wishing to hone his instrumental skills, in 1966 he set off for Barcelona, Spain, to the Liceu Conservatory, studying with the eminent classical guitarist, Graciano Tarrago. Upon his return to the States, he joined Randy Sparks
Randy Sparks
Randy Sparks is a musician, singer-songwriter and founder of The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority. Prior to that, in the late 1950s he had a solo career and released two albums under the Verve label, a self-titled album in 1958 and Walking the Low Road in 1959...
in a group called the New Society and did a tour of the Orient. When the band dissolved in 1967, he signed on with the Chad Mitchell Trio
Chad Mitchell Trio
The Chad Mitchell Trio were a North American vocal group who became known during the 1960s. They performed folk songs, some of which were traditionally passed down and some of their own compositions. Unlike many fellow folk music groups, none of the trio played instruments...
for a year, spending some of that time co-writing with another member, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
. The group was renamed Denver, Boise & Johnson. When the trio came to an end, Johnson made a radical departure from everything he had done previously by taking on a major supporting role in the off-Broadway production of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is an American musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel.-Original Off-Broadway Production:...
." The show visited New York, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and Chicago over the next year; by then, Johnson was ready to return to creating and performing his own music.
In 1971, Johnson signed with Atco Records
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
to release his first album, There Is A Breeze, which was released in 1973 and produced by Johnson, Chris Dedrick, Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow is an American singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote one of the group's most famous songs, "Puff, the Magic Dragon"...
and Phil Ramone
Phil Ramone
Phil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten...
in New York and Toronto, Canada. Feeling this first effort wasn't a true reflection of his music, Johnson self-produced his next LP in 1975, For All You Mad Musicians, relying more on his voice and guitar for a folk feel. He followed this up with Ain't Dis Da Life, where he added a rhythm section. With each new recording and his continued touring, his popularity was increasing. It was time to make a move on the national market.
Teaming up with Brent Maher and Steve Gibson in Nashville
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...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Johnson created a two-song demo consisting of "Bluer Than Blue
Bluer Than Blue
"Bluer Than Blue" is the title of a 1978 song recorded by Michael Johnson. The song was written by noted pop and country music songwriter Randy Goodrum. Goodrum says that the song came to him while driving down the road, so he pulled into a Wendy's, ordered a hamburger and wrote the verses down...
" and "Almost Like Being in Love
Almost Like Being in Love
"Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner....
" (the latter song from the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Brigadoon). EMI America took one listen and wasted no time in signing him, quickly getting The Michael Johnson Album out in 1978. The first single, "Bluer Than Blue", became Johnson's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
chart in the summer of 1978; the song became a chart-topping single on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. "Almost Like Being in Love" went to #91 on the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart while hitting the Top 5 on the AC chart and the Top 40 on the pop chart. His next EMI album, Dialogue, provided his third big hit, "This Night Won't Last Forever" and a Gold Record for European sales of "I'll Always Love You."
Johnson recorded five albums in all for EMI and in 1985 moved over to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, where he adopted a contemporary country style
Country Style
Country Style, formerly Country Style Donuts, is a chain of coffee shops operating primarily in the Canadian province of Ontario , which serves donuts, soup, sandwiches, salads, and coffee. The chain is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.-Organization:In January 2006, there were 120 "traditional"...
that stayed compatible with his soft, mellow leanings; this shift was evident in his choice of duet partners country-pop singers Juice Newton
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
and Sylvia
Sylvia (singer)
Sylvia Jane Kirby is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. More commonly known by the singular name Sylvia, she enjoyed crossover music success with the song "Nobody" in 1982....
. Johnson's change proved successful, as he scored five Top Ten country hits from 1986 to 1989, including the chart-toppers "Give Me Wings" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder." After two country albums on RCA (plus two greatest hits collections), Johnson moved over to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1991, which effectively halted his commercial momentum. He recorded sporadically in the 1990s for smaller labels. In 1995, the country music group 4 Runner
4 Runner
4 Runner was an American country music vocal group founded in the late 1980s by lead singer Craig Morris, baritone Billy Crittenden, tenor Lee Hilliard, and bass Jim Chapman...
scored a minor hit with the single "Cain's Blood", for which Johnson co-wrote an updated version with Jack Sundrud of Poco
Poco
Poco is an Southern California country rock band originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. The title of their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, is a reference to the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. Highly influential and creative,...
. Johnson also proved to be a successful writer of print when he wrote "The Solo Performer" columns for the magazine Performing Songwriter from 1993 through 1998.
In August 2007, Johnson underwent successful quadruple bypass heart surgery. A charitable organization, "Friends of Michael Johnson," was temporarily set up to help defray medical expenses.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
|||
| 1973 | There Is a Breeze There Is a Breeze There Is A Breeze is the debut album by singer-guitarist Michael Johnson. It was first released in August 1973 on Atco Records, re-released on Sanskrit Records in 1976, and released on EMI America in 1981.It was co-produced by Phil Ramone, Peter Yarrow, Chris Dedrick and Michael Johnson; and... |
Atco | |||
| 1975 | For All You Mad Musicians | Sanskrit | |||
| 1977 | Ain't Dis Da Life | ||||
| 1978 | The Michael Johnson Album | 81 | 83 | EMI | |
| 1979 | Dialogue | 157 | |||
| 1980 | You Can Call Me Blue | ||||
| 1981 | Home Free | ||||
| 1983 | Lifetime Guarantee | ||||
| 1986 | Wings | 26 | RCA | ||
| 1988 | That's That | ||||
| 1990 | The Best of Michael Johnson | ||||
| 1992 | Michael Johnson | Atlantic | |||
| 1995 | Departure | Vanguard | |||
| 1997 | Then and Now | Intersound | |||
| 1999 | The Very Best of Michael Johnson: Bluer Than Blue (1978–1995) | Razor & Tie | |||
| 2000 | LIVE at the Bluebird Cafe | American Originals | |||
| 2002 | Classic Masters | EMI | |||
| 2005 | Always - Roberto Bianco with Michael Johnson | Yellow Rose |
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... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
CAN Country |
CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
CAN AC |
||||
| 1978 | "Bluer Than Blue Bluer Than Blue "Bluer Than Blue" is the title of a 1978 song recorded by Michael Johnson. The song was written by noted pop and country music songwriter Randy Goodrum. Goodrum says that the song came to him while driving down the road, so he pulled into a Wendy's, ordered a hamburger and wrote the verses down... " |
— | 12 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | The Michael Johnson Album | |
| "Almost Like Being in Love Almost Like Being in Love "Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner.... "[A] |
— | 32 | 4 | — | 40 | 10 | |||
| 1979 | "This Night Won't Last Forever This Night Won't Last Forever "This Night Won't Last Forever" is the title of a song written by Bill LaBounty and originally recorded by him. LaBounty's version of the song was a minor Adult Contemporary and pop hit, reaching #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. One year later, Michael Johnson covered the song and took it to #19 on... " |
— | 19 | 5 | — | 66 | 9 | Dialogue | |
| "I'll Always Love You I'll Always Love You (Michael Johnson song) "I'll Always Love You" is a single by Michael Johnson, released in 1979 along with his fifth album, Dialogue.-Nina version:"I'll Always Love You" is a soundtrack single released by Filipino pop, R&B singer Nina in February 2006 under Warner Music Philippines... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "You Can Call Me Blue" | — | 86 | — | — | — | 37 | You Can Call Me Blue | |
| 1986 | "Gotta Learn to Love Without You" | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | Wings | |
| "Give Me Wings Give Me Wings "Give Me Wings" is a 1986 single written by Rhonda Fleming and Don Schlitz and recorded by Michael Johnson. "Give Me Wings" was Michael Johnson's third country hit and was the first of two number one country singles. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of sixteen weeks on... " |
1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | |||
| 1987 | "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder" is a 1987 single written by Hugh Prestwood and recorded by Michael Johnson. "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder" was Michael Johnson's second and last number one on the country chart and his follow up to "Give Me Wings" The single went to number one for... " |
1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | ||
| "Ponies" | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Crying Shame Crying Shame "Crying Shame" is a single by American country pop artist Michael Johnson. Released in 1987, it was the first single from the album That's That. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... " |
4 | — | — | 8 | — | — | That's That | ||
| 1988 | "I Will Whisper Your Name I Will Whisper Your Name "I Will Whisper Your Name" is a single by American country pop artist Michael Johnson. Released in 1988, it was the second single from the album That's That. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... " |
7 | — | — | 19 | — | — | ||
| "That's That That's That (Michael Johnson song) "That's That" is a single by American country pop artist Michael Johnson. Released in 1988, it was the third single and title track from the album That's That. The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.... " |
9 | — | — | * | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "Roller Coaster Run (Up Too Slow, Down Too Fast)" | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997 | "Whenever I Call You Friend" (featuring Alison Krauss Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in... ) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Then and Now | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions |
|||||||||
Featured singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1985 | "I Love You by Heart I Love You by Heart "I Love You by Heart" is a single by American country music artists Sylvia and Michael Johnson. Released in 1985, it was the third single from the album One Step Closer The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.... " |
Sylvia Sylvia (singer) Sylvia Jane Kirby is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. More commonly known by the singular name Sylvia, she enjoyed crossover music success with the song "Nobody" in 1982.... |
9 | 7 | One Step Closer |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Whenever I Call You Friend" (w/ Alison Krauss Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in... ) |
Tom Bevins |