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Big & Rich
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| Big & Rich | |
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 Big Kenny (left) and John Rich
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
| Genres | Country |
| Years active | 1998–2007 (hiatus), 2009— |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Nashville |
| Associated acts | Lonestar, MuzikMafia, Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy, Jason Aldean |
| Website | http://www.bigandrich.com |
| Members | |
| Big Kenny John Rich |
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Big & Rich is an American country music duo comprising singer-songwriters Big Kenny and John Rich, the latter of whom is a former member of Lonestar. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar. They first performed together in 1998, and after writing several songs for other country artists, the duo signed to a record deal with Warner Bros. Records in 2003.
Big & Rich's first studio album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in 2004. This album produced four straight Top 40 country hits, including the #11 "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)", as well as collaborations with Cowboy Troy, Gretchen Wilson and Martina McBride.
Comin' to Your City, released in November 2005, added another top-20 single, the Vietnam War-inspired "8th of November", as well as two other songs that reached the top 40. Joining the duo on this album were Cowboy Troy, Wilson, and Kris Kristofferson. Big & Rich's third studio album, Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, produced the duo's first Number One single, the wedding ballad "Lost in This Moment". The duo also branched out beyond country music, collaborating with John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Lil Jon, and Bon Jovi. After this album, both members went on hiatus: Rich released the album Son of a Preacher Man which included the hit "Shuttin' Detroit Down," and Kenny released his first solo single, "Long After I'm Gone."
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History
Solo career and songwriting
Although the duo has performed together since 1998, Big Kenny and John Rich had both recorded solo albums in 1999 (Kenny's Live a Little and Rich's Underneath the Same Moon), though neither album was released until 2005. Both albums featured a song the two had written together, called "I Pray For You", which Rich released as a single in 2000. Rich also charted with "Forever Loving You" which was never placed on an album. In addition, Big Kenny had previously recorded in a band called luvj0i.1
Songs that the pair co-wrote also started being recorded by other country artists. One of the first notable songs was "Amarillo Sky", which McBride & the Ride made the title track of their 2002 album. Their version was released as a single, but did not chart. Jason Aldean later recorded the song for his 2005 debut album, and took his version to #4 in early 2007. Alphin and Rich also wrote "She's a Butterfly", which was cut by Martina McBride (with background vocals from the duo) in 2003 on her Martina album.
MuzikMafia
Big Kenny, John Rich, Jon Nicholson and Cory Gierman founded the MuzikMafia in 2001, which is an informal collection of singer-songwriters, musicians, and artists who would perform together weekly in Nashville, Tennessee. Among the many members included Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy, and James Otto.
Alphin and Rich began performing songs together that they had co-written, although at the time still maintaining their solo status. However, their unique dual-melody vocalization caught the attention of other members of the mafia and some fans, who would come to the weekly concerts to see "Big and Rich" perform. They began to officially consider themselves a duo, and the "Big & Rich" moniker stuck.2 In 2003, they believed that they were going to pitch songs. However, the music executive wanted to audition them after his daughter saw them perform with the MuzikMafia at the Pub of Love. They struck a record deal with Warner Bros.
Horse of a Different Color
In February 2004, the duo released its first single, "Wild West Show". The song, with markedly Native American imagery and tone achieved moderate chart success, peaking at #21.1 Their first album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in May 2004, and reached number one in both the Billboard national chart as well as the Billboard country music chart. The most successful song from the album was the second single, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)", which reached #11 on the country charts. This song received wider exposure when ESPN featured the song in commercials for its coverage of the 2005 World Series of Poker. Big & Rich also showcased this song in a country-rap music blowout to conclude a CMT awards show.
They released two further singles from the album: a song dedicated to survivors of domestic abuse (especially Alphin's sister), "Holy Water", which reached #15, and "Big Time", which peaked at #20.
In 2004, Big & Rich shared a nationwide sell-out stadium tour with Martina McBride and Tim McGraw. Later that year, the duo embarked on the American Revolution Tour which they coheadlined with Gretchen Wilson and other members of the MuzikMafia. A live version of the band covering Madonna's "Like a Virgin" also was released on Yahoo's LaunchCast service.
Comin' to Your City
Their second album, Comin' to Your City, was released on November 15, 2005.1 The first single, "Comin' to Your City" received a similar reaction as "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" had a year earlier, although rather than poker, ESPN utilized an altered version of the song as the opening theme for their popular Saturday program College GameDay. However, the song only peaked at #21, their third single to barely miss the top 20.
Their next single, "Never Mind Me", achieved even less success on the charts, only peaking at #34. However, the third single from Comin' to Your City, "8th of November", while only peaking at #18, garnered the duo nominations for the CMA Awards, Grammy Awards, and the ACM Awards. The song was inspired by the story of Niles Harris. A subsequent documentary titled "November 8: a true American story of honor" was released also, debuting on Great American Country television network over the July 4 weekend. The documentary tells the story of Niles Harris and shows the making of the music video for the single.
During a benefit concert held on October 9, 2006 in Atlanta, GA to raise money for the construction of the 173d Airborne Memorial, Big & Rich were awarded the status of Honorary Members of the 503d Regiment of the 173d Airborne Brigade. The concert was the subject of a documentary on Great American Country in November 2006.
Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace
In early 2007, the duo released "Lost In This Moment", which was the lead-off single to their third album, Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace.1 "Lost in This Moment" became the duo's fastest-rising single, becoming their first top-10 single in June 2007 and their first Number One in July 2007. The song also began receiving airplay on adult contemporary radio and became their first chart entry for that format, reaching #12. They released their second single, "Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace" to country radio in August 2007, although it failed to make an impact on the charts, becoming (at the time) their lowest-peaking single behind "Never Mind Me". In November 2007, they released "Loud" after premiering it on the CMA Awards, which failed to reach the Top 40 on the country charts.
Collaboration and special appearances
Since their first collaboration with Martina McBride in 2003, the duo has appeared on several other albums, and has have many guests for their own albums. Horse of a Different Color featured MuzikMafia members Cowboy Troy ("Rollin' (The Ballad of Big & Rich) written about the life & times of Ritchie Gerdes " and "Kick My Ass") and Gretchen Wilson ("Saved"), as well as McBride herself on "Live This Life". Wilson and Cowboy Troy then appeared on Comin' to Your City on the track "Our America". Their third album featured John Legend on "Eternity" and Wyclef Jean on "Please Man", as well as Lil Jon on a remix of "Loud" featured on the album's iTunes release. Legend played the piano and sang a verse during the duo's performance of "Lost in This Moment" at the 2007 ACM Awards.
Big & Rich co-wrote several songs and provided background vocals on several cuts from Cowboy Troy's two Warner Bros. releases: 2005's Loco Motive and 2007's Black in the Saddle. The duo have also written several cuts on all three of Wilson's albums, as well as Jason Aldean's singles "Hicktown" and "Amarillo Sky", the latter of which was originally cut by McBride & the Ride. Rich has also co-written for Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill, and Keith Anderson, while Big Kenny wrote Tim McGraw's 2007 Number One hit "Last Dollar (Fly Away)". Rich has also produced albums for several MuzikMafia members, including Wilson, Cowboy Troy, and James Otto, as well as Jewel's 2008 country album Perfectly Clear.
In 2006, Big & Rich joined Wilson and Van Zant on Hank Williams, Jr.'s "That's How They Do It in Dixie". The duo also contributed to Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur with a cover of John Lennon's "Nobody Told Me". Then, in June 2007, the duo was featured in a duet with rock band Bon Jovi on their Lost Highway album. The song, titled "We Got It Going On", was selected as a promotional song for the Arena Football League's 2007 season.
The 2008 compilation Imus Ranch Record included a Big & Rich cover of the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right To Party".
Hiatus
Rich stated in an interview that Big Kenny is recovering from a preexisting injury, which led to the decision for the duo to take a hiatus until 2009. Rich released the album Son of a Preacher Man for Warner Bros. in March 2009.3 It includes the singles "Another You" and "Shuttin' Detroit Down," the latter of which reached #12 on the country charts. Big Kenny, meanwhile, released the solo single "Long After I'm Gone," which has also become a Top 40 country hit.
Return
Big & Rich began talking of returning and are playing a concert at New Jersey's Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden for local radio station 92.5 WXTU's Anniversary show.4
Big & Rich are performing at this year's Great Mississippi Valley Fair, in Davenport, Iowa, on August 7, 2009, WeFest in Detroit Lakes, MN on August 8, 2009, The State Fair in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 11, 2009, and the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on August 16th. 5 Other appearances on the 2009 reunion tour include an appearance at the "Jam in the Valley" in Varysburg, New York and at the Jamboree in the Hills in Ohio.
Big & Rich released their first Greatest Hits on September 29, 2009.
Reaction
The duo's blend of country music, rock, and hip-hop has been very divisive among some country fans. Many different artists have also recorded songs written by Big & Rich, such as Rich's "Mississippi Girl", which Faith Hill took to #1 in 2005, and Alphin's "Last Dollar (Fly Away)", which became a #1 hit for Tim McGraw in 2007.
The reaction from fellow musicians has been varied, with some (especially "alt-country" and neotraditional country artists) being critical of the duo's musical style, while others applaud the group, and some even cite them as an influence.citation needed
Discography
Studio albums
- Horse of a Different Color (2004)
- Comin' to Your City (2005)
- Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace (2007)
Filmography
- Las Vegas (TV series) - Season 2, Episode 24: Centennial (2005)
- The 8th of November: A True American Story of Honor (2006) (Documentary)
- NASCAR 08 - Soundtrack (2007) (Videogame)
References
- ^ a b c d Loftus, Johnny. "Big & Rich biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wzfexqyaldde~T1. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ Wal-Mart Soundcheck DVD, released 5 June 2007
- ^ http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1580269/big-richs-john-rich-releasing-solo-cd.jhtml CMT News
- ^ http://www.wxtu.com/index.php?page=451
- ^ http://www.mvfair.com/events.html
External links
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