T. Graham Brown

T. Graham Brown has been a Nashville enigma ever since he rolled into town. Something akin to a cross between Otis Redding and Lefty Frizell, he has scored dozens of country hits, yet his musical roots pay homage to both men.

When T. Graham Brown arrived in Nashville from his native Athens, Georgia in 1982, he quickly found work as a studio singer making demonstration tapes. Nobody ever sounded like him before, and in no time at all he was signed to Capitol Records. His first single release, "I Tell It Like It Used To Be" stymied country radio, but they played it anyway, and it became a hit. He followed it with "Hell And High Water," "Come As You Were," and "Darlene."All became huge country hits and T. Graham Brown and his incredible band, affectionately known as the Rack Of Spam, hit the road and haven't looked back since.

And the hits kept on coming. "Brilliant Conversationalist" not only scored on the country charts, but its accompanying video garnered airplay on VH-1. His version of Otis Redding's "Dock Of The Bay" became a hit in Germany while "Rock It, Billy" was a success in England. He was nominated for Country Music Association Awards in 1987, 1989 and 1990 and winning in 1992 for the Vocal Event of the Year with George Jones and others on "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair."

He also became a very in-demand jingle singer, and continues down that lucrative path today. He has sung on numerous national commercials for products including Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, McDonalds, Stroh's Beer, Budweiser, Ford Trucks and 7-Up, and has earned recognition in the Commercial Hall of Fame in Chicago as the face and voice of Taco Bell's "Run For The Border" campaign.

After parting company with Capitol Records in 1992, Brown spent two years signed to Warner Bros. Records and two years signed to Columbia Records, but neither label ever issued an album. Country music at the time was in the midst of the "hat act" craze, and Brown's brand of country music wasn't in vogue at the time.

"That was an extremely frustrating time for me," recalls T. Graham Brown. "We kept trying different things in the studio, but it never really jelled. We kept up with our road work, in many cases, working more shows than ever before, but we couldn't agree on the music with either label.

Then in 1998, Brown recorded and released Wine Into Water, the single and album of the same name that would reestablish him at country radio. The song was a personal statement for the singer, but even more important, it was the first time in many, many years that a single released on an independent label would not only crack the country and Christian charts, but climb all the way to No. 1.

As the record began generating airplay at large and small radio stations across the country, it seemed that the entire Nashville music industry was pulling for that record to succeed, not only to support Brown, but to be able to break the stranglehold that the major labels had on the charts. The song's positive message also had an effect on the industry as well as the public.

Unfortunately, the label that issued the project folded a year later and Brown found himself again without a record deal. In the fall of 2000, he signed with another independent label, Relentless/Nashville. Only this label comes with it's own distribution system, Madacy Entertainment Group, which has been named Billboard's No. 1 independent distributor in North America for the past five years.

His first project for Relentless/Nashville is titled T. Graham Brown LIVES. Shipping in June, the album is not only the follow up to Wine Into Water, it is a combination greatest hits package and live recording all rolled into one complete package.

"Most, if not all of my albums are no longer in print," says Brown. "All the Capitol albums, the greatest hits package, everything we've done over the years are no longer available. So we decided to record a live album and include most of the hits. There are no gimmicks on this album, what you are hearing is me and the band doin' it live, and we had a blast!"

And what an album it is; soulful country vocals with a kick-ass band. The set opens with "Happy Ever After," "I Tell It Like It Used To Be," "I Wish I Could Hurt That Way Again," and "Memphis Women And Chicken." Also included is "Wine Into Water," "Darlene," "Come As You Were," "Hide And Seek," "Good And Bad Days," "Accept My Love," "Hell And High Water," "Livin' On Love" and closes out with his incredible version of "Dock Of The Bay."

One of the most unique, distinctive and popular voices in country music LIVES! And next up, T. Graham Brown returns to the studio for a brand new album set for release later this year on Relentless/Nashville.