More Info on Rodney AtkinsSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Rodney Atkins| image = RodneyAtkins.jpg| caption = Rodney Atkins performing on December 1, 2007 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio .| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Rodney Allan Atkins| Born = birth date and age|1969|03|28 Knoxville, Tennessee , U.S.cite web |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p224673/biography|pure_url=yes |title=Rodney Atkins biography |accessdate=2008-02-28 |last=Brown |first=Marisa |work= Allmusic | origin = Cumberland Gap, Tennessee , U.S.| instrument = Vocals, guitar | genre = Country music|Country | occupation = Singer-songwriter | years_active = 1997present| label = Curb Records|Curb | associated_acts = Ted Hewitt| website = http://www.rodneyatkins.com/ Rodney Allan Atkins (born March 28, 1969) is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the Billboard country chart that year, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty (Rodney Atkins album)|Honesty , which included the number 4 hit " Honesty (Write Me a List) ".
'' If You're Going Through Hell '', his second album, was released in 2006. Its first two singles, " If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows) " and " Watching You (Rodney Atkins song)|Watching You ", each spent four weeks at the top of the country music chart. "Going Through Hell" was the number-one country song of 2006; likewise, "Watching You" was the number-one song of 2007. The album, which has since been certified platinum in the United States, produced two more #1 singles in " These Are My People " and " Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy) " as well as "Invisibly Shaken" which peaked at number 41. A twelfth single, " It's America (song)|It's America ", was released in November 2008 as the first release from his third album '' It's America and it became his fifth number-one single. In the summer of 2010, he released Farmers Daughter, a number 5 hit included in a reissue of It's America . His fourth studio album, Take a Back Road , was released in October 2011, which includes the number one single " Take a Back Road (song)|Take a Back Road ".
Biography
Rodney Atkins was born in Knoxville, Tennessee , and put up for adoption not long after his birth as an infant at the Holston United Methodist Home for Children in Greeneville, Tennessee , he was so sick that two couples who had taken him home returned him a few days later.cite web|url= http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,GAC_26071_4751562,00.html |title=Artists : Rodney Atkins : Rodney Atkins Biography |publisher=Great American Country |date= |accessdate=2010-05-19 A third couple, Margaret and Allan Atkins cite web|url= http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/01/15/rodney-atkins-bringings-regular-guy-songs-demeanor-tonight-to-durant-show/ |title=Rodney Atkins bringings "regular guy" songs, demeanor tonight to Durant show & #124; BAM's Blog |publisher=Blog.newsok.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-19 from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee , adopted him and, even though his ailments worsened, refused to give him up. His adoptive mother had been raised in a coal mining family near a tannery camp, and his dad survived an upbringing marked by poverty and episodes of abuse.
He attended high school at Powell Valley High in Speedwell, Tennessee . During high school, Atkins played guitar in his spare time at events and festivals. He went to college at Tennessee Technological University|Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee , where he worked various jobs and played baseball. He also went into Nashville to play gigs and write songs.
Musical career
Rodney Atkins
He was signed to Curb Records in 1996. He charted for the first time with the single "In a Heartbeat", which peaked at number 74 on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs ) chart. He had also planned to release a self-titled debut album that year on September 17;Allmusic|class=album|id=r312761|pure_url=yes Allmusic page for "Rodney Atkins" however, after deciding that he was not satisfied with the album's contents, he asked Mike Curb , the label's president, to allow him more time. For two more years, he continued to work on the album but it was never released.
Honesty
In 2002, Rodney Atkins released his second single, "Sing Along". Both it and its followup, "My Old Man", peaked in the lower regions of the Top 40 on the country chart. He entered the Top 10 for the first time in late 2003-early 2004 with " Honesty (Write Me a List) ", which went on to peak at number 4. The song was the title track to his album Honesty (Rodney Atkins album)|Honesty , which was released by the end of 2003. "Someone to Share It With" and "Monkey in the Middle" were also issued as singles; the former peaked at number 41 and the latter failed to chart.
''If You're Going Through Hell
Having been absent from the country music charts for most of 2004 and 2005, he returned in 2006 with a single entitled "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)", which served as the lead-off to his second released album, ''If You're Going Through Hell . The song went on to become not only his first number-one hit, but also the top country song of 2006, according to Billboard magazine. The followup in 2007, "Watching You", earned him a second consecutive number-one; it too was declared the top country song of the year.
The album went on to achieve RIAA platinum album|platinum certification in the US, in addition to producing two more number-one hits: "These Are My People" and "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)", for a total of four consecutive Number Ones. "Invisibly Shaken", previously recorded by Lee Greenwood , was the fifth and final single; it peaked at number 41.
''It's America
Atkins' thirteenth single, " It's America (song)|It's America ", was released in November 2008. It was the first single from his third album, '' It's America '', released in March 2009. On the chart dated May 2, 2009, it became his fifth number-one hit. The second single, "15 Minutes", was released in May 2009 and peaked at number 20 in September. "Chasin' Girls" was sent to radio in October as the third single but failed to make top 40. Then "Farmer's Daughter" was released in March 2010 and reaching number 5. The song was added to later pressings of ''It's America .
In 2010, he also released "Get Together", a promotional single for Kraft Velveeta Shells and Cheese, which sponsored his "Get Together" tour.
Take a Back Road
" Take a Back Road (song)|Take a Back Road ", the lead-off single to his fourth album, also titled Take a Back Road , was released in April 2011 and in the fall became his sixth number-one hit. The album has produced a second single in "He's Mine".
Charitable efforts
Madeleine Rose Trudel (August 26, 1999-November 26, 2006), a young girl from St. Clair, Michigan , was dying of cancer when on October 25, 2006 Atkins gave Maddie a private concert in her hospital room. Atkins learned about Maddie when somebody sent him a link to the Free Press series about Maddie and her illness. He sang "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)", his signature song as well as Maddie's favorite song. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20070618/FEATURES01/611230361 www.freep.com
Family and personal life
He was married to Tammy Jo (who is in his video " Farmer's Daughter (Rodney Atkins song)|Farmer's Daughter ") and has a son named Elijah, who appears in the video for " Watching You (Rodney Atkins song)|Watching You ". He also has two stepdaughters, Lindsey and Morgan.
He was arrested in November 2011 for allegedly trying to smother his wife with a pillow, while his ten year old son watched. This altercation was disputed by Atkins' lawyer stating that it was purely verbal. http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1676103/rodney-atkins-marriage-dissolved-quickly-after-wife-charged-assault.jhtml In February 2012, Atkins was cleared of the domestic assault charge. http://www.countryweekly.com/news/rodney-atkins-cleared-domestic-assault-charge
Awards and nominations
Year
Association
Award
Result
2006
Academy of Country Music
Top New Male Vocalist
won
Song of the Year ("If You're Going Through Hell")
nom
2007
Top Male Vocalist
nom
Album of the Year (''If You're Going Through Hell )
nom
Song of the Year ("Watching You")
nom
Video of the Year ("Watching You")
nom
Country Music Association
Horizon Award
nom
2008
New Artist of the Year
nom
Discography
Studio albums
Title
Details
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
US Country cite web
US cite web
US Heat cite web
Honesty
Release date: October 14, 2003
Label: Curb Records
Formats: Compact disc|CD
'' If You're Going Through Hell
Release date: July 18, 2006
Label: Curb Records
Formats: CD, music download
Recording Industry Association of America|US : PlatinumCertification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=albums|title=If You're Going Through Hell|artist=Rodney Atkins
'' It's America
Release date: March 31, 2009
Label: Curb Records
Formats: CD, music download
Take a Back Road
Release date: October 4, 2011
Label: Curb Records
Formats: CD, music download
"" denotes releases that did not chart
Compilation albums
Title
Details
Peak chart positions
US Country
US
Rodney Atkins
Release date: September 7, 2010
Label: Cracker Barrel
Formats: CD
Singles
1990s
Year
Single
Peak positions
Album
US Country cite web
1997
74
Rodney Atkins (unreleased)
"God Only Knows"
"" denotes releases that did not chart
2000s
Year
Single
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
Album
US Country
US cite web
US Pop cite web
CAN cite web
2002
37
Honesty
"My Old Man"
2003
4
57
2004
41
"Monkey in the Middle"
2006
1
33
57
align="left"
US: GoldCertification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=singles|title=If You're Going Through Hell|artist=Rodney Atkins
US: GoldCertification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=singles|title=Cleaning This Gun|artist=Rodney Atkins
2008
41
It's America "
2009
20
115
"Chasin' Girls"
"" denotes releases that did not chart
2010s
Year
Single
Peak chart positions
Album
US Country
US
CAN
2010
5
47
''It's America (re-release)
2011
1
23
48
Take a Back Road
A
"" denotes releases that did not chart
;Notes
A #ref A| ^ Current single.
Music videos
Year
Video
Director
1997
"In a Heartbeat"
Jeffery C. Phillips
2002
"Sing Along"
2003
"Honesty (Write Me a List)"
2006
"If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)"
Eric Welch
"Watching You"
2007
"These Are My People"
"Cleaning This Gun (Come on in Boy)"
Ryan Chase
2008
"Invisibly Shaken"
Eric Welch
2009
"It's America"
2010
"Farmer's Daughter"
Chris Hicky
2011
"Take a Back Road"
Andy Tennant
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.rodneyatkins.com/ Official Website
Rodney Atkins Persondata | NAME =Atkins, Rodney | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =March 28, 1969 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Rodney Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:Curb Records artists Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Greeneville, Tennessee Category:American adoptees
