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Billy Currington

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Billy Currington
Currington in August 2008
Currington in August 2008
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Matthew Currington
Born (1973-11-19) November 19, 1973 (age 51)
Savannah, Georgia, US
OriginRincon, Georgia, US
GenresCountry
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1996–present
LabelsMercury Nashville
Websitebillycurrington.com

William Matthew "Billy" Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American country music singer and songwriter, signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003. He has released six studio albums for the label: Billy Currington (2003), Doin' Somethin' Right (2005), Little Bit of Everything (2008), Enjoy Yourself (2010), We Are Tonight (2013), and Summer Forever (2015).

These six albums have produced 18 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, including 11 number one hits; "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Good Directions", "People Are Crazy", "That's How Country Boys Roll", "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer", "Let Me Down Easy", "Hey Girl", "We Are Tonight", "Don't It", "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To", and "Do I Make You Wanna". He has also charted as a duet partner on Shania Twain's single "Party for Two" and his own non-album single "Tangled Up", for a total of twenty top 40 hits.t

Setting a new record in August 2017 with his #1 single "Do I Make You Wanna", Currington is the only country music artist in Billboard Country Airplay history to have a song in the #1 spot gain an audience of nearly 9,500,000 over another country music artist's song in the #2 spot[1]

Early life and career

Billy Currington was born in Savannah, Georgia, raised in Rincon, Georgia,[2] and currently lives in Savannah, Georgia. He has four sisters (Lexie, Ann, Kim, and Kellie) and two brothers (Charles and Jason). When he was one and a half years old, his mother, Donna, married Laurie (Larry) Currington, whose surname Billy adopted.

When he was a junior in Effingham County High School (Springfield, Georgia), Currington auditioned for a spot at Opryland, the renowned country music theme park located in Nashville. Failing the audition, after high school he moved to Nashville to pursue his career in country music.[3] His first stint did not last too long, and he later sang for a bar named Cavalier Country Club in Georgia. In Nashville, Currington also worked for a concrete company, and as a personal trainer.[citation needed]

One of the clients he worked with as a personal trainer led Currington to recording demo tapes, as well as writing songs. He eventually had cuts by George Strait, Tracy Byrd, and Marty Raybon.[4] After almost being offered to join RCA Records, he signed to Mercury Records in 2003.

Currington founded the Global South Relief organization which delivers supplies to those in need in Central American countries.[5]

Musical career

Currington in April 2010

Billy Currington (2003–2004)

His self-titled debut album was released in 2003. The first single was "Walk a Little Straighter" about his relationship with his alcoholic stepfather, including a chorus that Currington wrote when he was twelve years old.[6] "Walk a Little Straighter" went on to peak at No. 8 that year on the Hot Country Songs chart and established Currington as a major country performer in Nashville. He first hit the top 5 on the country charts with his second single, "I Got a Feelin'", also from his debut album.

He scored a third consecutive top 10 hit with Shania Twain in late 2004, on the song "Party for Two". The song was from Twain's Greatest Hits album and was released in two formats: a pop version with Mark McGrath as Twain's duet partner, and the country version, which featured Currington.

Doin' Somethin' Right (2005–2007)

In 2005, Currington released a second album entitled Doin' Somethin' Right,[6] which peaked at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart and No. 11 on the Billboard 200. Doin' Somethin' Right produced his first number one in "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", followed by "Why, Why, Why" at No. 13 and another number one in "Good Directions". Co-written by Capitol Records artist Luke Bryan, the latter was the No. 2 country song of 2007 according to the Billboard Year-End charts. Doin' Somethin' Right is certified platinum by the RIAA. Doin' Somethin' Right also featured "Lucille" which was a song Currington covered from original artist Kenny Rogers.

Little Bit of Everything (2007–2009)

On July 19, 2007, Currington announced he had cancelled the rest of his tour dates for the year because of laryngitis. His 2007 single, "Tangled Up", peaked at No. 30 in late 2007, and his third album was delayed.[3]

He was absent from the charts for nearly a year before the release of his next single, "Don't", in mid-2008. It was the first single from his third studio album, Little Bit of Everything, which was released on October 14. Currington co-wrote five of the songs on this album.[7] "Don't" peaked at No. 2 on the country charts in early 2009. "People Are Crazy", co-written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones, was released as the second single from the album in March 2009 and this became his third number one hit in July 2009. The third single to be issued, "That's How Country Boys Roll" became his fourth number one hit in March 2010. The song was the first that Billy shared writing credit on to reach number one.

On August 1, 2009, Billy Currington suffered a concussion at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta after the stage on which he was performing collapsed during a massive wind storm that also injured Currington's bass guitarist and killed a spectator.[8]

Enjoy Yourself (2010–2012)

In May 2010, he released his tenth solo single overall, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer", which hit No. 1 in September. Also written by Troy Jones, it was the first single from his fourth studio album, entitled Enjoy Yourself---which was released on September 21, 2010. The album's second single "Let Me Down Easy" went to radio on October 4, 2010 and reached No. 1 in 2011.[9] The album's third single "Love Done Gone" released to country radio on April 18, 2011 and reached No. 11 later that year. The album's fourth single "Like My Dog" released to country radio on October 10, 2011 and peaked at No. 24 in 2012.

We Are Tonight (2013–2014)

Currington's fifth studio album, We Are Tonight, was released via Mercury Nashville on September 17, 2013.[10] The album's first single, "Hey Girl", was released to country radio in March 2013. It peaked at number one on the Country Airplay chart in October 2013. The album's second single, the title track, was released to country radio on November 18, 2013. It peaked at number one on the Country Airplay chart in August 2014.

Summer Forever (2014–present)

Currington released a new single, the first from his sixth studio album, in late October 2014, titled "Don't It".[11] The album, Summer Forever, was released on June 2, 2015.[12] The album's second single, "Drinkin' Town with a Football Problem", was released to country radio on June 8, 2015. "It Don't Hurt Like it Used To" was sent to country radio on February 8th, 2016 as the album's third single. It reached #1 on Country Airplay in October 2016, remaining in that spot for two consecutive weeks. The album's fourth single, "Do I Make You Wanna" released to country radio on November 21, 2016. The song reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart in August 2017 and stayed there for three consecutive weeks, making it Currington's third #1 single from this album. "Wake Me Up" is the album's fifth and final single, releasing to country radio in September 2017.[13]

Tours

Personal life

On April 24, 2013, the Chatham County, Georgia Grand Jury indicted Currington on felony criminal charges of "abuse of an elder person by inflicting mental anguish" and "making terroristic threats". Both criminal charges stem from an incident involving boat captain Charles Harvey Ferrelle on April 15, 2013.[14] The indictment alleged that Currington had made terrorist threats to Ferrelle. Currington was later released from a Georgia jail after posting $27,700 bond. If convicted, Currington could have faced a prison term of 1 to 5 years. Also, on April 26, 2013, as a result of negative press surrounding the indictment incident, the Charlotte Motor Speedway replaced Currington as a performer for its All Star pre-race entertainment.[15] He entered a "not guilty" plea in August 2013.[16]

On September 25, 2013, Currington pleaded no contest to the abuse charge; the terroristic threats charge was dropped. Currington was sentenced to 5 years' probation, a $1000 fine, and anger management counseling; he is also required to have no contact with the boat captain.[17]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Result
2006 CMT Music Awards Hottest Video of the Year — "Must Be Doin' Something Right" Won
2010 Grammy Award Male Country Vocal Performance — "People Are Crazy" Nominated
Academy of Country Music Single Record of the Year — "People Are Crazy" Nominated
Song of the Year — "People Are Crazy" Nominated

Discography

Main article: Billy Currington discography

References

  1. ^ https://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/country_update_0814.pdf
  2. ^ "Billy Currington Walks a Little Straighter With Debut Hit". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Shelburne, Craig (2008-10-15). "Billy Currington Takes It Easy With New Album". CMT. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  4. ^ Morris, Edward (2003-10-13). "Billy Currington Walks a Little Straighter With Debut Hit". CMT. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  5. ^ "PROFILE: BILLY CURRINGTON". Universal Music Group. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Leggett, Steve. "Billy Currington biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  7. ^ "Billy Currington's New Album Arrives Oct. 14". CMT. 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  8. ^ "Billy Currington and Band Back in Nashville Following Tragedy at Canadian Festival". CMT. 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
  9. ^ "Top Country Songs & Charts, Country Music Hits & Popular Country Music Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
  10. ^ Skates, Sarah (June 10, 2013). "Billy Currington Preps First Album in Three Years". MusicRow. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  11. ^ "Billy Currington, 'Don't It' [Listen]". Taste of Country. October 28, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  12. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (April 22, 2015). "Billy Currington To Release 'Summer Forever' in June". MusicRow. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  13. ^ http://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/billy-currington-wake-me-up/
  14. ^ "Billy Currington indicted for 'terroristic threats' in Georgia". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee: Gannett. April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  15. ^ "Charlotte Motor Speedway replaces Billy Currington as All-Star race pre-race entertainment". Fox News. April 26, 2013.
  16. ^ Testimony from Currington's trial for "making terroristic threats", tasteofcountry.com; accessed September 6, 2015.
  17. ^ "Billy Currington pleads no contest in threats case". foxnews.com. September 27, 2013.
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