Billy Currington

Last updated
Billy Currington
Billy Currington 2008.jpg
Currington in August 2008
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Matthew Currington
Born (1973-11-19) November 19, 1973 (age 50)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Origin Rincon, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1996–present
Labels Mercury Nashville
Website billycurrington.com

William Matthew Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2003, he has released seven studio albums for the label: his self-titled debut (2003), Doin' Somethin' Right (2005), Little Bit of Everything (2008), Enjoy Yourself (2010), We Are Tonight (2013), Summer Forever (2015), and Intuition (2021).

Contents

These six albums have produced 18 singles on the U.S. 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". Currington 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 20 top 40 hits.

Setting a new record in August 2017 with his number-one single "Do I Make You Wanna", Currington is the only country music artist in US Billboard Country Airplay chart history to have a song in the number one spot gain an audience of nearly 9,500,000 over another country music artist's song in the number two 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 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 BillyCurringtonApr10.jpg
Currington in April 2010

Billy Currington (2003–2004)

Currington's self-titled debut album was released in September 2003. The album's first single was "Walk a Little Straighter". This song is about his relationship with his alcoholic stepfather, including a chorus that Currington wrote when he was just 12 years old. [6] "Walk a Little Straighter" went to No.8 that year on the Hot Country Songs chart. Also, it allowed Currington to become a major country performer in Nashville. The second single from the album, "I Got a Feelin,' became the singer's first Top 5 on the US country charts, with a peak at No.5.

He scored a third consecutive top 10 hit with Shania Twain in late 2004 with 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 his second studio album Doin' Somethin' Right , [6] which peaked at No.2 on the Top Country Albums chart and at No.11 on the Billboard 200. This album produced his first number one hit with "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", followed by "Why, Why, Why" at No.13 and another number one hit with "Good Directions". Co-written by Capitol Records artist Luke Bryan, "Good Directions" was the No.2 country song of 2007 according to the Billboard Year-End charts. Doin' Somethin' Right was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album also featured "Lucille", a song that Currington covered from original artist Kenny Rogers.

Little Bit of Everything (2007–2009)

On July 19, 2007, Currington announced that he would cancel 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 the release of his third studio 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. That song was the first single from his third studio album, which was entitled Little Bit of Everything . The album was released on October 14. Currington co-wrote five of the songs on it. [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 became his third number one hit in July 2009. The third single, "That's How Country Boys Roll", became his fourth number one hit in March 2010. The song was the first that Currington shared writing credit on to reach number one.

On August 1, 2009, 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 the singer's bass guitarist and killed a spectator. [8]

Enjoy Yourself (2010–2012)

In May 2010, Currington released his tenth single overall, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer". That song hit No.1 in September. Also written by Troy Jones, it was the first single from his fourth studio album Enjoy Yourself , which was released on September 21, 2010. The album's second single "Let Me Down Easy" was released on October 4, 2010, and reached No.1 in 2011. [9] The third single "Love Done Gone", released to country radio on April 18, 2011, and reached No.11 later that year. Its 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 on September 17, 2013. [10] The album's first single, "Hey Girl", was released in March 2013. It peaked at number one on the Country Airplay chart in October of that year. The album's second single, the title track, was released on November 18, 2013. It also peaked at No.1 on the Country Airplay chart, this time in August 2014.

Summer Forever (2014–2017)

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 on June 8, 2015. "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" was released on February 8, 2016, as the album's third single. It reached number one on Country Airplay in October 2016, remaining in that spot for two consecutive weeks. The album's fourth single, "Do I Make You Wanna", was released on November 21, 2016. The song reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in August 2017 and stayed there for three consecutive weeks, making it Currington's third number-one single from this album. "Wake Me Up", the album's fifth and final single, was released in September 2017. [13]

Intuition (2018–present)

"Bring It On Over" was released to country radio on September 24, 2018. [14] It debuted and peaked at No.29 on the Billboard Country Airplay charts. "Details" was released in 2019 and was also a minor top 40 hit on the same chart. The Stay Up 'Til the Sun Tour began on October 4, 2019, in Arizona and included nine concerts in total. He ended the tour in Florida.

Currington's seventh studio album, Intuition, was released on August 6, 2021. Currington co-wrote the album with producer Rob Persaud. [15] It was a surprise release, in that it was not announced with advance warning and no new singles were released prior to the album to promote it, nor did it include either of his previous standalone singles. [16] Intuition serves as a musical departure from his previous work as it was not marketed as a country album and instead drew inspirations from "synth pop, Eighties R&B, and tropical house". [15]

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 stemmed from an incident involving boat captain Charles Harvey Ferrelle on April 15, 2013. The indictment alleged that Currington had made terrorist threats to Ferrelle. Currington was later released from a Georgia jail after posting $27,700 bond. Had he been convicted, Currington would 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. [17] He entered a "not guilty" plea in August 2013. [18]

On September 25, 2013, Currington pleaded no contest to the abuse charge; the terroristic threats charge was dropped. Currington was sentenced to five years probation, a $1,000 fine, and anger management counseling; he was also required to have no contact with the boat captain. [19]

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryResult
2006 CMT Music Awards Hottest Video of the Year — "Must Be Doin' Something Right"Won
Academy of Country Music Awards Top New Male Vocalist Nominated
2010 Grammy Award Male Country Vocal Performance — "People Are Crazy"Nominated
Academy of Country Music AwardsSingle Record of the Year — "People Are Crazy"Nominated
Song of the Year — "People Are Crazy"Nominated

Discography

Studio albums

Tours

Headlining

Supporting

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Chesney</span> American country musician (born 1968)

Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded more than 20 albums that include more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 32 of which have reached number one. Many of these also have charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Aldean</span> American country singer (born 1977)

Jason Aldine Williams, known professionally as Jason Aldean, is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released eleven albums and 40 singles. His 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2012 album Night Train is certified double-platinum, while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless, 2009 album Wide Open, and 2014 album Old Boots, New Dirt are all certified platinum. Aldean has received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career, twice for Best Country Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Nichols</span> American country music artist

Joseph Edward Nichols is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, he held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-Universal Music.

<i>Doin Somethin Right</i> 2005 studio album by Billy Currington

Doin' Somethin' Right is the second studio album by American country music singer Billy Currington. It was released in October 2005 via Mercury Records Nashville. The album produced three singles with the songs "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Why, Why, Why", and "Good Directions", which peaked at numbers 1, 13, and 1, respectively, on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The album has also been certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Also included on this album is a cover of Kenny Rogers' hit single "Lucille".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Bryan</span> American country singer (born 1976)

Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is an American country singer, songwriter, and television personality. Bryan is a five-time "Entertainer of the Year", being awarded by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association. In 2019, Bryan's 2013 album Crash My Party received the first Album of the Decade award from the Academy of Country Music. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 75 million records sold. Since 2018, Bryan has been a judge on American Idol.

"Good Directions" is a song written by Luke Bryan and Rachel Thibodeau and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in September 2006 as the third and final single from Currington’s 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right. The song became Currington’s second number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and spent three weeks at that position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right</span> 2005 single by Billy Currington

"Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" is a song written by Marty Dodson and Patrick Jason Matthews and recorded by American country music singer Billy Currington. It was released in May 2005 as the first single from Currington's 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right. The song became Currington’s first number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

"Why, Why, Why" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in February 2006 as the second single from his 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right. The song peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100. Currington co-wrote this song with Mark Nesler and Tony Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Nail</span> American country singer (born 1979)

David Brent Nail is an American country music artist and the frontman of David Nail & The Well Ravens. In 2002, he debuted the single "Memphis" from an unreleased album for Mercury Records Nashville. Five years later, he signed with MCA Nashville, for which he has released four studio albums: I'm About to Come Alive, The Sound of a Million Dreams, I'm a Fire, and Fighter plus two extended plays, 1979 and Uncovered. The albums have produced seven chart entries on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, including two that have reached No. 1: "Let It Rain" and "Whatever She's Got", plus the top 10 hit "Red Light".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easton Corbin</span> American country music singer

Dan Easton Corbin is an American country music singer. He signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his self-titled debut album in March 2010, featuring the two number-one hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll with It", as well as the number-14 hit "I Can't Love You Back". His second album, All Over the Road, was released in September 2012. Its first single, "Lovin' You Is Fun", was released in February 2012. The album's second single, "All Over the Road", was released in January 2013. As of 2021, he had sold over 500,000 albums and over 5 million singles. His song "Are You with Me" became an international hit in a remix version released by the Belgian DJ and record producer Lost Frequencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Haywood</span> American country musician and songwriter (born 1982)

David Wesley Haywood is an American country musician and songwriter. He is one-third of the American country music band Lady A, in which he plays guitar, piano and mandolin, and sings backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Currington discography</span>

American country music singer and songwriter Billy Currington has released seven studio albums and one compilation album, all via Mercury Nashville. He has also released twenty singles to country radio, eleven of which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts: "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". Three other singles have made the Top 10 on the charts as well. Mr. Currington has sold over 3 million albums and 23 million singles in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Eldredge</span> American musician and producer (born 1986)

Brett Ryan Eldredge is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer, signed to Warner Music Group Nashville. Eldredge has had five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, three of which came from his debut album, Bring You Back: "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music", and "Mean to Me".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Me Down Easy (Billy Currington song)</span> 2010 single by Billy Currington

"Let Me Down Easy" is a song written by Mark Nesler, Jennifer Hanson and Marty Dodson and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in October 2010 as the second single from Currington's 2010 album Enjoy Yourself and as the eleventh single of his career. The song became Currington's fourth consecutive and sixth number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of April 2, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kip Moore</span> American singer-songwriter

Kipling Christian Moore is an American country music singer and songwriter signed to MCA Nashville. He has released five studio albums for the label and has charted a total of twelve entries on Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay including the number-one "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" and four additional top-ten hits. He has also written songs for Frankie Ballard, Thompson Square, and James Wesley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Hunt</span> American singer and songwriter

Sam Lowry Hunt is an American singer and songwriter. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Hunt played football in his high school and college years and once attempted to pursue a professional sports career before signing with MCA Nashville in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't It</span> 2014 single by Billy Currington

"Don't It" is a song written by Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, and Jaren Johnston and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in October 2014 as the first single from Currington's 2015 album Summer Forever.

<i>Summer Forever</i> 2015 studio album by Billy Currington

Summer Forever is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Billy Currington. It was released on June 2, 2015 via Mercury Nashville. The album includes the number one singles "Don't It", "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To", and "Do I Make You Wanna". This is Currington's fifth consecutive album to contain at least two number one singles and his first album to have three singles at the top of the charts.

<i>Gypsy Road</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Dean Brody

Gypsy Road is the fifth studio album by Canadian country music artist Dean Brody. It was released on April 21, 2015, via Open Road Recordings. The first single, "Upside Down", was released on February 9. The album's second single, "Bring Down the House", was released to Canadian country radio on May 25, 2015. The album's third single, "Love Would Be Enough", was released to Canadian country radio on October 23, 2015. The album's fourth single, "Monterey", was released to Canadian country radio on March 18, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kane Brown</span> American singer (born 1993)

Kane Allen Brown is an American country singer. First garnering a mass following on social media, he released his debut extended play (EP) Closer in June 2015, and followed it up with the single, "Used to Love You Sober" in October of that year. After Brown signed with RCA Nashville in early 2016, the song was included on his second EP and major label debut, Chapter 1 in March 2016. He released his eponymous debut studio album later that year in December. The album spawned the single "What Ifs", and in October 2017, Brown became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main Billboard country charts. Brown released his second album, Experiment, in November 2018, which became his first number one album on the Billboard 200.

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Billboard . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 2018-03-01.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ "Billy Currington Walks a Little Straighter With Debut Hit". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  3. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. ↑ "Billy Currington Fights with Insomnia-Inducing Heartbreak in 'Wake Me Up'". Soundslikenashville.com. August 29, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations | New Music Artist Free Song". Allaccess.com.
  15. 1 2 Jon Freeman (August 6, 2021). "Billy Currington Leans into Dance and Prince Funk on Surprise New Album 'Intuition'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  16. ↑ Carena Liptak (August 10, 2021). "Billy Currington Surprises Fans with a New Album, 'Intuition'". Taste of Country. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Charlotte Motor Speedway replaces Billy Currington as All-Star race pre-race entertainment". Fox News. April 26, 2013.
  18. ↑ Testimony from Currington's trial for "making terroristic threats", tasteofcountry.com; accessed September 6, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Billy Currington pleads no contest in threats case". foxnews.com. September 27, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.