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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Billy Currington| image = BillyCurringtonApr10.jpg| caption = Currington in April 2010| background = solo_singer| birth_name = William Matthew CurringtonFull name per ASCAP | Born = birth date and age|1973|11|19 Savannah, Georgia , USA | origin = Rincon, Georgia , USA | instrument = Singing|Vocals , guitar | genre = Country music|Country | occupation = Singer-songwriter | years_active = 2003–present| label = Universal Music Group Nashville|Mercury Nashville | associated_acts = Luke Bryan , Carson Chamberlain, Shania Twain | website = http://www.billycurrington.com BillyCurrington.com William Matthew "Billy" Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an United States|American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington (album)|Billy Currington , 2005's '' Doin' Somethin' Right '', 2008's Little Bit of Everything , and 2010's Enjoy Yourself (Billy Currington album)|Enjoy Yourself . These four albums have produced nine singles on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including six #1 hits " Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right ", " Good Directions ", " People Are Crazy ", " That's How Country Boys Roll ", " Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer ", and " Let Me Down Easy ". 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 eleven Top 40 hits.
Early life and career
Billy Currington was born in Savannah, Georgia , raised in Rincon, Georgia , and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee . 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 married Laurie (Larry) Currington. He also has a Chocolate Lab named Paco.
When he was a junior in Effingham County High School ( Springfield, Georgia ), Currington auditioned for a spot at Opryland USA|Opryland , the renowned country music theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. Failing the audition, after high school he moved to Nashville to pursue his career in country music. His first stint did not last too long, and he later sang for a bar named Cavalier Country Club in Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia . In Nashville, Currington also worked for a concrete company, and also as a personal trainer . 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 .cite web|url= http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1479717/billy-currington-walks-a-little-straighter-with-debut-hit.jhtml|title=Billy Currington Walks a Little Straighter With Debut Hit|last=Morris|first=Edward|date=2003-10-13|work= CMT |accessdate=2009-05-21 After almost being offered to join RCA Records , he signed to Mercury Records in 2003.
Musical career
Billy Currington
His Billy Currington (album)|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.cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p561063/biography|pure_url=yes|title=Billy Currington biography|last=Leggett|first=Steve|work= Allmusic |accessdate=2009-04-21 "Walk a Little Straighter" went on to peak at #8 that year on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks 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 (Shania Twain album)|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
In 2005, Currington released a second album entitled '' Doin' Somethin' Right , which peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums chart and #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 #13 and another Number One in " Good Directions ". Co-written by Capitol Records artist Luke Bryan , the latter was the #2 country song of 2007 according to the Billboard Year-End charts. ''Doin' Somethin' Right is certified platinum album|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
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 #30 in late 2007, and his third album was delayed. He also had to undergo therapy due to trauma induced by the abuse that he suffered as a child.cite web|url= http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1597135/billy-currington-takes-it-easy-with-new-album.jhtml|title=Billy Currington Takes It Easy With New Album|last=Shelburne|first=Craig|date=2008-10-15|work=CMT|accessdate=2009-05-21
He was absent from the charts for nearly a year before the release of his next single, " Don't (Billy Currington song)|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.cite web|url= http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1593643/billy-curringtons-new-album-arrives-oct-14.jhtml|title=Billy Currington's New Album Arrives Oct. 14|date=2008-08-27|work=CMT|accessdate=2009-05-21 "Don't" peaked at #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 guitar ist and killed a spectator.cite web|url= http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1617493/billy-currington-and-band-back-in-nashville-following-tragedy-at-canadian-festival.jhtml|title=Billy Currington and Band Back in Nashville Following Tragedy at Canadian Festival|date=2009-08-03|work=CMT|accessdate=2009-08-03
Enjoy Yourself
In May 2010, he released his tenth solo single overall, " Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer ", which hit #1 in September. Also written by Troy Jones, it was the first single from his fourth studio album, entitled Enjoy Yourself (Billy Currington album)|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 #1 in 2011. http://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs#/charts/country-songs The album's third single " Love Done Gone " released to country radio on April 18, 2011. The album's fourth single "Like My Dog" released to country radio on October 10, 2011.
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"
nom
Academy of Country Music
Single Record of the Year — "People Are Crazy"
nom
Song of the Year — "People Are Crazy"
nom
Discography
Main|Billy Currington discography
References
reflist
External links
http://www.billycurrington.com/ Official Site
http://www.umgnashville.com/artist.aspx? ob=ros& src=lb& aid=26 Official Billy Currington UMG Nashville Artist Page
Billy Currington Persondata | NAME = Currington, Billy | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1973-11-19 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Currington, Billy Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:People from Savannah, Georgia Category:People from Effingham County, Georgia Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Mercury Records artists
