Sammy Kershaw
Encyclopedia
Samuel Paul "Sammy" Kershaw (born February 24, 1958, in Kaplan, Louisiana
) is an American country music
artist. A third cousin of Cajun
fiddler Doug Kershaw
and ex-husband of Lorrie Morgan
, he has been active in country music since 1991. He has released ten studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than twenty-five singles have entered Top 40 on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts, including the number one hit "She Don't Know She's Beautiful
" and ten more Top Ten hits: "Cadillac Style", "Anywhere but Here", "Haunted Heart", "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", "National Working Woman's Holiday", "Third Rate Romance", "Meant to Be", "Vidalia", and "Love of My Life".
in Acadiana
in south Louisiana. At the age of eleven, Sammy received his first guitar
, a gift from his grandfather. However, his father died that same year. Thereafter young Kershaw worked a variety of jobs by day while playing roadhouse
s at night to support his family.
He began performing in Acadiana with Louisiana legend J.B. Pere. Subsequently, he opened shows for Ray Price
, Merle Haggard
and George Jones
while barely into his teens. When the pressures of growing up fast took their toll in the form of a serious drug
and alcohol
problem, he quit his bad habits in 1988 and took a break from music to work as a remodeling supervisor at Wal-Mart
.
, which released his debut album Don't Go Near the Water
in 1991. This album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced four hit singles. The lead-off, "Cadillac Style", went to #3 in late 1991-early 1992, followed by the #12 title track, "Yard Sale" at #17, and finally "Anywhere but Here" at #10. Kershaw was initially reluctant to release "Cadillac Style" because he felt that it was not suitable for his style; however, his co-producer, Buddy Cannon
, convinced him to give the song a chance. Kershaw's often honky-tonk material and singing voice led to critical comparisons to George Jones
, and one of Jones's early singles, "What Am I Worth", was covered on his debut as well.
Kershaw's second album, Haunted Heart
, followed in 1993. Its lead-off single, "She Don't Know She's Beautiful
", became his only Number One hit in April of that year. Following it were the title track, the Dennis Linde
-penned "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", and "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", all of which hit the Top Ten as well. Although Kershaw had been told by others that radio audiences might not identify with the subject matter on "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", Kershaw had wanted to release the song because he had an experience similar to its story line. Like his debut, Haunted Heart was also a platinum album. In mid-1994, Kershaw also covered the Lynyrd Skynyrd
song "I Know a Little" on the tribute album Skynyrd Frynds
, which included country music covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. Also in 1994, Kershaw contributed the song "Fire and Rain
" to the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Country
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
Feelin' Good Train
was the title of Kershaw's third album, released later in 1994. This album also produced four more hits, including two consecutive #2's in "National Working Woman's Holiday" and "Third Rate Romance" (the latter a cover of the Amazing Rhythm Aces
hit from 1975), with the #27 "Southbound" and #18 "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" following in 1995. The album also included a duet with George Jones on "Never Bit a Bullet Like This", which had previously been released from Jones's 1993 album High-Tech Redneck. Feelin' Good Train, which was certified gold, was followed by a Christmas album Christmas Times A Comin and his first greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, both in 1995. The latter produced a #47-peaking single in "Your Tattoo" (written by Kostas
and Jack Tempchin
), the first single of his career not to reach Top 40.
, was issued in 1996. It produced Top Ten hits in "Meant to Be" and "Vidalia", the latter of which Kershaw also considered a risky song, saying "If radio will play this one more than twice—so people can get the story and learn what a Vidalia onion
is—it'll be a smash." These songs were followed by "Fit to Be Tied Down" and the title track, both of which hit Top 30. Also included on Politics, Religion and Her were covers of Chuck Berry
's "Memphis, Tennessee
" and Sammy Johns
' "Chevy Van". The same year, Kershaw briefly took ownership of a NASCAR
Busch series team (now Nationwide Series), with driver Randy Porter and UniFirst uniforms as the primary sponsor.
Labor of Love
was issued later in 1997 as his fifth album. Unlike his previous albums, this one was predominantly composed of ballad
s. It produced a #2 in "Love of My Life", and although none of the other three singles ("Matches", "Honky Tonk America" and "One Day Left to Live") reached higher than #22, the album was nonetheless certified platinum as well. His next album, Maybe Not Tonight
, brought a Top 20 duet with Lorrie Morgan
. Kershaw stated that he enjoyed working with Morgan on the song, telling Country Weekly
magazine, "I knew our vocals would match up… Plus, we have fun together. We're friends and we have been friends for a long time." Maybe Not Tonight was commercially less successful than its predecessors, however, and it became the first album of Kershaw's career not to achieve an RIAA certification. Following "Maybe Not Tonight" were the singles "When You Love Someone" and "Me and Maxine", both of which peaked in the thirties. "Louisiana Hot Sauce", the final release from Maybe Not Tonight, was also the first single of his career not to enter the charts.
In 2000, Kershaw released an album of cover songs entitled Covers the Hits
. This album comprised ten cover songs that Kershaw had recorded in his career. Some of the songs on it, such as the single "Third Rate Romance", were previously found on Kershaw's studio albums, while others came from various tribute albums (such as Skynyrd Frynds) to which he had contributed. Covers the Hits also included a rendition of Dr. Hook's "Little Bit More", a previously unreleased cover which Kershaw had recorded during the sessions for Labor of Love.
(the title track
being a cover of the Bryan Adams
/Barbra Streisand
duet). This album was even less successful commercially, with its only Top 40 hit being the #39 "He Drinks Tequila". Shortly afterward, a second Greatest Hits package was released, and Kershaw left Mercury's roster.
In 2003, Kershaw signed to Audium Entertainment to release the album I Want My Money Back
. This album produced a #33-peaking in its title track, but the second single fell short of the Top 40. The third and final single, "Beer, Bait & Ammo" (which failed to chart), was previously recorded and written by Kevin Fowler
on his 2000 debut album of the same name, and would later be recorded by Mark Chesnutt
on his 2004 album Savin' the Honky Tonk
.
After Audium closed its Nashville division, Kershaw signed to Category 5 Records
, then a newly-established independent label, in 2006. His first release for the label and first chart single in three years, "Tennessee Girl", fell three spaces short of the Top 40 that year. It was the first release from his 2006 album Honky Tonk Boots
. The album's only other single, a cover of Mel McDaniel
's Number One hit "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", failed to chart, and financial difficulties caused the label to close in 2007. In October of the same year, he divorced Morgan, citing irreconcilable differences
.
On June 13, 2007, Kershaw announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor
of Louisiana in the October 20 jungle primary
. The position was held by the incumbent Democrat
, Mitch Landrieu
. Kershaw also faced a second Republican candidate, State Representative
Gary Beard
of Baton Rouge, an engineer
first elected to the state House in a 2001 special election. Kershaw finished second with 30 percent of the vote, but Landrieu won re-election with a majority on the first ballot.
In 2008, Sammy Kershaw was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
in honor of his career achievements and was also inducted into the Louisiana Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame in 2010.
Kershaw's first single in two years, "Real People", was released in late 2008 in the Boomerville/Big Hit label. However, the single failed to chart. His tenth studio album, Better Than I Used to Be
, was released on August 31, 2010.
Watching his state embroiled in the Gulf Oil Spill in April 2010, Kershaw, a Lafayette resident, became the official spokesperson for protectourcoastline.org, a non-profit dedicated to providing relief to the fisherman and shrimpers affected most by the spill.
On August 28, 2010, Kershaw announced his second bid for lieutenant governor in the October 2 special election to replace Mitch Landrieu, who left office in May after being elected mayor
of New Orleans. Kershaw's intraparty rivals included state Republican chair Roger F. Villere Jr.
of Metairie
, St. Tammany Parish president Kevin Davis of Slidell
, and Secretary of State Jay Dardenne
of Baton Rouge. Kershaw polled 19 percent and carried 31 (more than any other candidate) of the 64 parishes but ran third behind Dardenne and Democrat
Caroline Fayard
; Kershaw then endorsed fellow Republican Dardenne in the runoff election and joined Dardenne at campaign events, giving Dardenne a "bear hug" at Dardenne's victory celebration.
In the 2011 race for lieutenant governor, Kershaw endorsed Dardenne's opponent, fellow Republican Billy Nungesser
. Dardenne ultimately defeated Nungesser 53%-47%.
Kaplan, Louisiana
Kaplan is a small city in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,177 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abbeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
) is an American country music
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. A third cousin of Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
fiddler Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
and ex-husband of Lorrie Morgan
Lorrie Morgan
In 1996 Morgan married Jon Randall, a singer/songwriter now credited with writing the 2004 Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss hit "Whiskey Lullaby"; they divorced three years later in 1999....
, he has been active in country music since 1991. He has released ten studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than twenty-five singles have entered Top 40 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...
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 the number one hit "She Don't Know She's Beautiful
She Don't Know She's Beautiful
"She Don't Know She's Beautiful" is the title of a song written by Paul Harrison and Bob McDill, and recorded by American country music singer Sammy Kershaw...
" and ten more Top Ten hits: "Cadillac Style", "Anywhere but Here", "Haunted Heart", "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", "National Working Woman's Holiday", "Third Rate Romance", "Meant to Be", "Vidalia", and "Love of My Life".
Early life and career
Sammy Kershaw was born in KaplanKaplan, Louisiana
Kaplan is a small city in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,177 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abbeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
in south Louisiana. At the age of eleven, Sammy received his first 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...
, a gift from his grandfather. However, his father died that same year. Thereafter young Kershaw worked a variety of jobs by day while playing roadhouse
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
s at night to support his family.
He began performing in Acadiana with Louisiana legend J.B. Pere. Subsequently, he opened shows for Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
, 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,...
and 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....
while barely into his teens. When the pressures of growing up fast took their toll in the form of a serious drug
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
problem, he quit his bad habits in 1988 and took a break from music to work as a remodeling supervisor at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
.
Musical career
One of Kershaw's demonstration tapes made its way to Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, which released his debut album Don't Go Near the Water
Don't Go Near the Water (album)
Don't Go Near the Water is the debut album of American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. Released in 1991 on Mercury Records, the album produced four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: "Cadillac Style", the title track, "Yard Sale", and "Anywhere but Here", which...
in 1991. This album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced four hit singles. The lead-off, "Cadillac Style", went to #3 in late 1991-early 1992, followed by the #12 title track, "Yard Sale" at #17, and finally "Anywhere but Here" at #10. Kershaw was initially reluctant to release "Cadillac Style" because he felt that it was not suitable for his style; however, his co-producer, Buddy Cannon
Buddy Cannon
Buddy Cannon is an American country music songwriter and record producer. Active since the late 1970s, he is known primarily for his work as Kenny Chesney's record producer, for which he won the Academy of Country Music's Producer of the Year award in 2006.Along with Bill Anderson and Jamey...
, convinced him to give the song a chance. Kershaw's often honky-tonk material and singing voice led to critical comparisons to 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....
, and one of Jones's early singles, "What Am I Worth", was covered on his debut as well.
Kershaw's second album, Haunted Heart
Haunted Heart
Haunted Heart is the second major studio album released by American country music singer Sammy Kershaw. It produced four singles: "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", the title track, "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", and "I Can't Reach Her Anymore"...
, followed in 1993. Its lead-off single, "She Don't Know She's Beautiful
She Don't Know She's Beautiful
"She Don't Know She's Beautiful" is the title of a song written by Paul Harrison and Bob McDill, and recorded by American country music singer Sammy Kershaw...
", became his only Number One hit in April of that year. Following it were the title track, the Dennis Linde
Dennis Linde
Dennis Linde was an American singer and songwriter whose work was primarily in country musicHe is best known for writing the 1972 Elvis Presley hit, "Burning Love"...
-penned "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", and "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", all of which hit the Top Ten as well. Although Kershaw had been told by others that radio audiences might not identify with the subject matter on "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", Kershaw had wanted to release the song because he had an experience similar to its story line. Like his debut, Haunted Heart was also a platinum album. In mid-1994, Kershaw also covered the Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
song "I Know a Little" on the tribute album Skynyrd Frynds
Skynyrd Frynds
-Albums:-Singles:...
, which included country music covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. Also in 1994, Kershaw contributed the song "Fire and Rain
Fire and Rain
"Fire and Rain" is a folk/rock song written and performed by James Taylor. As a song on his second album, Sweet Baby James, the song engendered widespread attention for him. The album was released in February 1970, with the song being released as a single that month. "Fire and Rain" quickly rose to...
" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country was the follow-up to No Alternative in the Red Hot Series of compilation albums, a series produced to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Feelin' Good Train
Feelin' Good Train
Feelin' Good Train is the third studio album released by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in 1994 on Mercury Records. The album produced four singles for Kershaw on the Billboard country charts...
was the title of Kershaw's third album, released later in 1994. This album also produced four more hits, including two consecutive #2's in "National Working Woman's Holiday" and "Third Rate Romance" (the latter a cover of the Amazing Rhythm Aces
Amazing Rhythm Aces
The Amazing Rhythm Aces are an American country rock group. The band has characterized their music as "American Music" or "Roots Music" — rock, country, blues, R&B, folk, reggae and Latino...
hit from 1975), with the #27 "Southbound" and #18 "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" following in 1995. The album also included a duet with George Jones on "Never Bit a Bullet Like This", which had previously been released from Jones's 1993 album High-Tech Redneck. Feelin' Good Train, which was certified gold, was followed by a Christmas album Christmas Times A Comin and his first greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, both in 1995. The latter produced a #47-peaking single in "Your Tattoo" (written by Kostas
Kostas
Kostas Lazarides is a Greek-born American country music songwriter, known professionally as Kostas. He has written for several country music artists, including Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, and Travis Tritt, and has won eleven awards from Broadcast Music Incorporated...
and Jack Tempchin
Jack Tempchin
Jack Tempchin is an American musician and singer-songwriter, best known for writing the Eagles classic "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and co-writing their hits "Already Gone", "The Girl From Yesterday," "Somebody," and "It's Your World Now."...
), the first single of his career not to reach Top 40.
Mid-late 1990s
Kershaw's fourth studio album, the gold-certified Politics, Religion and HerPolitics, Religion and Her
Politics, Religion and Her is a 1996 album by country musician Sammy Kershaw. The album launched several charting singles and itself charted at #115 on The Billboard 200, also peaking at #17 on Top Country Albums...
, was issued in 1996. It produced Top Ten hits in "Meant to Be" and "Vidalia", the latter of which Kershaw also considered a risky song, saying "If radio will play this one more than twice—so people can get the story and learn what a Vidalia onion
Vidalia onion
A Vidalia onion is a sweet onion of certain varieties, grown in a production area defined by law in Georgia and by the United States Code of Federal Regulations . The varieties include the hybrid yellow granex, varieties of granex parentage, or other similar varieties recommended by the Vidalia...
is—it'll be a smash." These songs were followed by "Fit to Be Tied Down" and the title track, both of which hit Top 30. Also included on Politics, Religion and Her were covers of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee (song)
"Memphis, Tennessee" is a song by rock & roll singer-songwriter Chuck Berry. It is sometimes shortened to "Memphis". In the UK, the song charted at #6 in 1963, at the same time Decca Records issued a cover version in the UK by Dave Berry and the Cruisers, who came from Sheffield, Yorkshire...
" and Sammy Johns
Sammy Johns
Sammy Johns is an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his million selling 1975 hit single, "Chevy Van".-Career:...
' "Chevy Van". The same year, Kershaw briefly took ownership of a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Busch series team (now Nationwide Series), with driver Randy Porter and UniFirst uniforms as the primary sponsor.
Labor of Love
Labor of Love (Sammy Kershaw album)
Labor of Love is the fifth studio album released by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in 1997 on Mercury Records. It was the third album of his career to achieve RIAA platinum certification...
was issued later in 1997 as his fifth album. Unlike his previous albums, this one was predominantly composed of ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s. It produced a #2 in "Love of My Life", and although none of the other three singles ("Matches", "Honky Tonk America" and "One Day Left to Live") reached higher than #22, the album was nonetheless certified platinum as well. His next album, Maybe Not Tonight
Maybe Not Tonight
Maybe Not Tonight is the title of the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in 1999 on Mercury Records. The first album of his career not to achieve an RIAA certification, it also failed to produce any Top Ten country hits...
, brought a Top 20 duet with Lorrie Morgan
Lorrie Morgan
In 1996 Morgan married Jon Randall, a singer/songwriter now credited with writing the 2004 Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss hit "Whiskey Lullaby"; they divorced three years later in 1999....
. Kershaw stated that he enjoyed working with Morgan on the song, telling Country Weekly
Country Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
magazine, "I knew our vocals would match up… Plus, we have fun together. We're friends and we have been friends for a long time." Maybe Not Tonight was commercially less successful than its predecessors, however, and it became the first album of Kershaw's career not to achieve an RIAA certification. Following "Maybe Not Tonight" were the singles "When You Love Someone" and "Me and Maxine", both of which peaked in the thirties. "Louisiana Hot Sauce", the final release from Maybe Not Tonight, was also the first single of his career not to enter the charts.
In 2000, Kershaw released an album of cover songs entitled Covers the Hits
Covers the Hits
Covers the Hits is the title of an album released in 2000 by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It is composed of ten cover songs, most of which were reprised from various tribute albums to which Kershaw contributed. Some of the material was previously recorded by Kershaw on his studio...
. This album comprised ten cover songs that Kershaw had recorded in his career. Some of the songs on it, such as the single "Third Rate Romance", were previously found on Kershaw's studio albums, while others came from various tribute albums (such as Skynyrd Frynds) to which he had contributed. Covers the Hits also included a rendition of Dr. Hook's "Little Bit More", a previously unreleased cover which Kershaw had recorded during the sessions for Labor of Love.
2000s
By 2001, Kershaw and Morgan had married. The two recorded a vocal duet album in 2001 entitled I Finally Found SomeoneI Finally Found Someone (Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw album)
-Chart performance:...
(the title track
I Finally Found Someone
"I Finally Found Someone" is a song duet from 1996 with Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand. The song was part of the soundtrack in Barbra's self-directed movie The Mirror Has Two Faces and was nominated for an Oscar...
being a cover of the Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
/Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
duet). This album was even less successful commercially, with its only Top 40 hit being the #39 "He Drinks Tequila". Shortly afterward, a second Greatest Hits package was released, and Kershaw left Mercury's roster.
In 2003, Kershaw signed to Audium Entertainment to release the album I Want My Money Back
I Want My Money Back
I Want My Money Back is the title of an album released in 2003 by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. His first album for Audium/Koch Entertainment, it produced two singles on the Billboard country charts: the title track at #33 and "I've Never Been Anywhere" at #58.Two songs on this album...
. This album produced a #33-peaking in its title track, but the second single fell short of the Top 40. The third and final single, "Beer, Bait & Ammo" (which failed to chart), was previously recorded and written by Kevin Fowler
Kevin Fowler
Kevin Fowler is an American Texas Country artist. He has released five studio albums, and has charted three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the top 40 hit "Pound Sign "...
on his 2000 debut album of the same name, and would later be recorded by Mark Chesnutt
Mark Chesnutt
Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
on his 2004 album Savin' the Honky Tonk
Savin' the Honky Tonk
Savin' the Honky Tonk is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for the Vivtaon! label, it features the singles "The Lord Loves the Drinkin' Man", "I'm a Saint", and "A Hard Secret to Keep", which reached #34, #33, and #59, respectively, on the Hot...
.
Category 5 Records
Category 5 Records was an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 2006, the label included eight different country music artists in its roster. The label was owned by Raymond Termini, and was disestablished in 2007....
, then a newly-established independent label, in 2006. His first release for the label and first chart single in three years, "Tennessee Girl", fell three spaces short of the Top 40 that year. It was the first release from his 2006 album Honky Tonk Boots
Honky Tonk Boots
Honky Tonk Boots is the title of an album released in 2006 by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. His only release for the Category 5 Records album, it was also his first studio release since 2003's I Want My Money Back. The album's lead-off single, "Tennessee Girl", peaked at number 43 on...
. The album's only other single, a cover of Mel McDaniel
Mel McDaniel
Mel McDaniel was an American country music artist. His chart making years were mainly the 1980s and his hits from that era include "Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", the Number One "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", "I Call It Love", "Stand on It", and a remake of Chuck Berry's...
's Number One hit "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", failed to chart, and financial difficulties caused the label to close in 2007. In October of the same year, he divorced Morgan, citing irreconcilable differences
Irreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
.
On June 13, 2007, Kershaw announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Louisiana in the October 20 jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
. The position was held by the incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Mitch Landrieu
Mitch Landrieu
Mitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu is the Mayor of New Orleans, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Landrieu family. Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party and a Roman Catholic. He is the son of former New Orleans mayor and Secretary of the United States Department of...
. Kershaw also faced a second Republican candidate, State Representative
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Gary Beard
Gary Beard
Gary James Beard is a former conservative Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from East Baton Rouge Parish who was handily defeated in his bid for lieutenant governor in the jungle primary held on October 20, 2007. Beard ran third in the race with 130,935...
of Baton Rouge, an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
first elected to the state House in a 2001 special election. Kershaw finished second with 30 percent of the vote, but Landrieu won re-election with a majority on the first ballot.
In 2008, Sammy Kershaw was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is an IRS certified 501 non-profit organization based in the state capitol of Baton Rouge, La., that seeks to preserve Louisiana's rich music culture and heritage and to further educate its citizens and people worldwide about the state’s unique role contributing...
in honor of his career achievements and was also inducted into the Louisiana Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame in 2010.
Kershaw's first single in two years, "Real People", was released in late 2008 in the Boomerville/Big Hit label. However, the single failed to chart. His tenth studio album, Better Than I Used to Be
Better Than I Used to Be
-External links:*[ Better Than I Used To Be] at Allmusic...
, was released on August 31, 2010.
Watching his state embroiled in the Gulf Oil Spill in April 2010, Kershaw, a Lafayette resident, became the official spokesperson for protectourcoastline.org, a non-profit dedicated to providing relief to the fisherman and shrimpers affected most by the spill.
On August 28, 2010, Kershaw announced his second bid for lieutenant governor in the October 2 special election to replace Mitch Landrieu, who left office in May after being elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of New Orleans. Kershaw's intraparty rivals included state Republican chair Roger F. Villere Jr.
Roger F. Villere, Jr.
Roger Francis Villere, Jr. is a businessman from Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans who on March 26, 2004, was elected state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party by the 144-member GOP State Central Committee. He succeeded Pat Brister of St...
of Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
, St. Tammany Parish president Kevin Davis of Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
, and Secretary of State Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
of Baton Rouge. Kershaw polled 19 percent and carried 31 (more than any other candidate) of the 64 parishes but ran third behind Dardenne and Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Caroline Fayard
Caroline Fayard
Cathryn Caroline Fayard , daughter of Cynthia Felder Fayard and Calvin Clifford Fayard, Jr., of Springfield, Louisiana, is a Democrat who sought the office of lieutenant governor of Louisiana in the 2010 elections....
; Kershaw then endorsed fellow Republican Dardenne in the runoff election and joined Dardenne at campaign events, giving Dardenne a "bear hug" at Dardenne's victory celebration.
In the 2011 race for lieutenant governor, Kershaw endorsed Dardenne's opponent, fellow Republican Billy Nungesser
Billy Nungesser
William Harold "Billy" Nungesser is the President of Plaquemines Parish in suburban New Orleans, Louisiana. A Republican, Nungesser was re-elected in the 2010 general election, defeating two other candidates with more than 71% of the vote. His second term began on January 1, 2011...
. Dardenne ultimately defeated Nungesser 53%-47%.