Tommy Lee James 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...

 songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 and record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

. Based in 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...

, he is originally from Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...

. He graduated from Northside High School then attended Radford University

Radford University

Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...

 where he studied voice. He moved to Nashville with dreams of becoming a Rock Star, but blossomed as a songwriter.

James is the writer of a number of hit songs including Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

's "And Still," Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...

's "A Man This Lonely," Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn's duet "If You See Him/If You See Her

If You See Him/If You See Her

"If You See Him/If You See Her" is the title of a song released in 1998 by American country music artist Reba McEntire, along with the duo Brooks & Dunn. It served as the title track to each artist's respective 1998 albums , both released on June 2 of that year...

," Martina McBride

Martina McBride

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

's "Wrong Again

Wrong Again (song)

"Wrong Again" is a song performed by Martina McBride. Released in September 1998, it was the fifth single from McBride's Evolution album. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts....

," Cyndi Thomson

Cyndi Thomson

Cyndi Thomson is an American country music artist. Thomson wrote songs with songwriter Tommy Lee James and in 2000, she signed with Capitol Records Nashville as a recording artist...

's "What I Really Meant to Say

What I Really Meant to Say

"What I Really Meant to Say" is a country music song written by Cyndi Thomson, Tommy Lee James, and Chris Waters. It was released in March 2001 as Thomson's debut single, as well as the lead-off single to her debut album, My World. The song reached the top of the Hot Country Singles & Tracks ...

," and Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

's "She’s My Kind of Rain." All these songs went to number one on the charts.

James had an additional chart topping success with "I Wish" recorded by Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...

 and "Let's Be Us Again

Let's Be Us Again (song)

"Let's Be Us Again" is the title of a song recorded by American country music singer Lonestar. The song reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was released in March 2004 as the first single from their album, also titled Let's Be Us Again...

" recorded by Lonestar

Lonestar

Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...

 which was a top 4 hit. He also co-wrote the critically acclaimed single by Gary Allan

Gary Allan

Gary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...

 entitled "Life Ain't Always Beautiful

Life Ain't Always Beautiful

"Life Ain't Always Beautiful" is the title of a song written by Cyndi Goodman and Tommy Lee James, and recorded by American country music singer Gary Allan. It was released in January 2006 as the second and final single from his 2005 album, Tough All Over...

."

James has had many other cuts with artists such as Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

, 98 Degrees

98 Degrees

98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....

, Pam Tillis

Pam Tillis

Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....

, Blue County

Blue County

Blue County was an American country music duo composed of actor-singers Aaron Benward and Scott Reeves. They released their self-titled debut album in 2004 on Curb Records. This album produced four singles on the Billboard country singles charts, including the #11 "Good Little Girls"...

, Emerson Drive

Emerson Drive

Emerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates , Danick Dupelle , Mike Melancon , Dale Wallace , and David Pichette .Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open...

, Jedd Hughes

Jedd Hughes

Jedd Hughes is a country musician born in Australia. Hughes grew up in Quorn, where he grew up listening to his father's country records. He won a local country music contest at the age of eight and began playing guitar from age nine, taking lessons from his father...

, Little Big Town

Little Big Town

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all...

, Delta Goodrem

Delta Goodrem

Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...

, and Pussycat Dolls

Pussycat Dolls

The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...

.

In addition to being a writer, James also produced Capitol Records

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 recording artists Cyndi Thomson

Cyndi Thomson

Cyndi Thomson is an American country music artist. Thomson wrote songs with songwriter Tommy Lee James and in 2000, she signed with Capitol Records Nashville as a recording artist...

, Susan Ashton

Susan Ashton

Susan Ashton is a best-selling and award-winning American Contemporary Christian Music and country music artist who topped the Christian charts throughout the 1990s...

 and Emily West

Emily West

Emily Nemmers is an American country music artist who records under the name Emily West. Signed to Capitol Records Nashville, she debuted on Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in early 2008 with the single "Rocks in Your Shoes". This song peaked at #39 early in the year, and is the first single...

; Big Machine artist Danielle Peck

Danielle Peck

Danielle Marie Peck is an American country music artist. Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2005, Peck released her self-titled debut album, which produced the Top 30 country hits "I Don't", "Findin' a Good Man", and "Isn't That Everything"...

; and former Lonestar

Lonestar

Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...

 vocalist Richie McDonald

Richie McDonald

Richard Vance "Richie" McDonald is an American country music artist. From 1992 until his departure in 2007, he was the lead singer of the group Lonestar, which recorded seven studio albums on BNA Records during his tenure as lead vocalist. McDonald co-wrote several of the band's singles, and sang...

 .

Writing credits

Year	Artist	Title	Album
1996	Reba McEntire Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...	"It Don't Matter"	What If It's You What If It's You What If It's You, released in 1996, is the twenty-third album from Reba McEntire. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard country chart and #15 on the Billboard 200. It is certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. What If It's You was the first album she did not use studio musicians, relying...
2003	Tim McGraw Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...	"She's My Kind of Rain"	Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
2007	Delta Goodrem Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...	"Believe Again Believe Again "Believe Again" is a New Age-influenced pop song written by Delta Goodrem, Brian McFadden, Stuart Crichton, Nigel Hove and Tommy Lee James, produced by Stuart Crichton and Marius de Vries for Goodrem's third studio album Delta . The single, released in Australia on 8 December 2007, features... "	"Delta Delta (album) Delta is the third studio album by Australian singer Delta Goodrem. It was released in Australia on 20 October 2007 through Daylight Records. Goodrem began work on the album in 2006 and collaborated with several writers including Vince Pizzinga, Tommy Lee James, Jörgen Elofsson, Richard Marx,... "
		"In This Life"
		"You Will Only Break My Heart You Will Only Break My Heart "You Will Only Break My Heart" is the third single from Delta Goodrem's third studio album Delta. It was released to Australian radio on 25 February and will have a physical release on 29 March... "
		"One Day"
		"Angels in the Room"
	Trisha Yearwood Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...	"This Is Me You're Talking To This Is Me You're Talking To "This Is Me You're Talking To" is the title of a song written by Tommy Lee James and Karyn Rochelle, and recorded by American country artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released in January 2008 as the second single from her tenth studio album, Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love.-Background:The... "	Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine gave Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love four and a half out of five stars, noticing that she has "never sounded better" with the release of the album...
		"Nothin' 'Bout Memphis"
	Martina McBride Martina McBride Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....	"Tryin' to Find a Reason"	Waking Up Laughing Waking up Laughing Waking Up Laughing is the ninth album from country singer Martina McBride. This album is the first in McBride's career in which she has both co-written songs and been involved in the production single-handedly. This album produced three chart singles for McBride on the Billboard Hot Country Songs...
2009	Emerson Drive Emerson Drive Emerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates , Danick Dupelle , Mike Melancon , Dale Wallace , and David Pichette .Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open...	"I Love This Road"	Believe Believe (Emerson Drive album) Believe is the sixth studio album by Canadian country music group Emerson Drive. The album was released in Canada on May 5, 2009 via Midas/Valory/Open Road. The album's first single, "Belongs to You," reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the United States.-Critical...
	Taylor Swift Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...	"Untouchable"	Fearless Fearless (Taylor Swift album) Fearless has been well-received by music professionals, with many praising Swift for her introspective lyrics, as well as her mature sound. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an...
2010	Jessica Harp Jessica Harp Jessica Leigh Harp is an American songwriter and former country artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Between 2005 and 2007, Harp and Michelle Branch recorded and performed as The Wreckers, a duo that topped the country charts in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated "Leave the Pieces." After The Wreckers...	"Letting Go"	A Woman Needs A Woman Needs -Chart performance:A Woman Needs debuted at #31 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart, selling 2,918 copies in its first week....
2011	Ronnie Dunn Ronnie Dunn Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...	"Bleed Red"	Ronnie Dunn Ronnie Dunn Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
	Pixie Lott Pixie Lott Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...	"All About Tonight All About Tonight (Pixie Lott song) "All About Tonight" is a song by English recording artist Pixie Lott from her upcoming second studio album, Young Foolish Happy. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2011 as the album's lead single. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show on 11 July 2011... "	Young Foolish Happy Young Foolish Happy Young Foolish Happy has received mixed to negative reviews from most music critics. Kim Dawson and John Earls of the Daily Star opined that "there's nothing foolish about [the] album" and that "[s]hirking teeny-bop options for proper soul passion helps her silky voice shine, especially on bump 'n'...

External links

• Interview with Tommy Lee James