Sawyer Brown
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Biography
Sawyer Brown is a country music band formed in 1981 in a Pizza Hut in Apopka, FL. That is where lead singer Mark Miller asked keyboardist Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard to play piano for a couple songs he had written. The two left for Nashville, TN where they met up with Florida drummer Joe Smyth, Michigan bass player Jim Scholten and original lead guitarist Bobby Randall. They first called the band Savanah, but renamed themselves Sawyer Brown after the street they rehearsed on - Sawyer Brown Road. Miller likes to say "We thought it would be easier to get work if people thought we were one person." The band played up to 5 sets a night 6 days a week, until they auditioned for the TV show Star Search in 1983. They auditioned just to get the videotape to promote the band, and ended up winning the $100,000 grand prize and record contract.
The band signed with Curb Records and had a top 20 hit right off the bat with their first single, "Leona," in 1984. That success was quickly followed by their first number one hit, "Step That Step." The band had their ups and downs on the charts throughout the 1980s. But radio success was not really Sawyer Brown's strong suit. It never was. Sawyer Brown's live show has always been their bread-and-butter. Fans flock to the band's concerts year after year, whether they perform in a stadium, state fair or casino, and keep coming back for more. The live shows, more than anything, kept the band going until 1989's remake of the George Jones hit "The Race Is On" put them back near the top of the charts.
In 1991, after the release of the "Buick" album, guitarist Bobby Randall left the group to remain close to his family and host a short-lived TV talent show - You Can Be A Star. Duncan Cameron, formerly of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, was chosen as his replacement just as Sawyer Brown was about to become country music's "it" band. The releases of the albums "The Dirt Road," "Cafe On The Corner" and "Outskirts Of Town" saw hit after hit for the band in the early to mid-'90s. Sawyer Brown was all over country music radio and television for much of the decade.
After 1999's top ten hit "Drive Me Wild," however, the country music industry seemed to forget about Sawyer Brown in favor of newer acts like Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney. Sawyer Brown was having ups and downs in the charts again - mostly downs. In 2003 the band parted with Curb, their record label of 20 years, and signed with Lyric Street Records. They released one single - "I'll Be Around" - and then left Lyric Street as well. In 2004, they re-signed with Curb, but Duncan Cameron decided to leave the group to pursue a life-long dream of flying for Southwest Airlines. Guitarist Shayne Hill was added to the lineup as they prepared for the release of their 20th album, "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand." While Sawyer Brown is still looking to reclaim the top of the charts, their live shows continue to keep the band going strong.
Albums
| Album | Title | Year | Label | Country Album Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sawyer Brown | 1985 | Curb / Capitol | #2 |
| 2 | Shakin' | 1986 | Curb / Capitol | #3 |
| 3 | Out Goin' Cattin' | 1986 | Curb / Capitol | #8 |
| 4 | Somewhere In The Night | 1987 | Curb / Capitol | #16 |
| 5 | Wide Open | 1988 | Curb / Capitol | #33 |
| 6 | The Boys Are Back | 1989 | Curb / Capitol | #5 |
| 7 | Greatest Hits | 1990 | Curb / Capitol | #26 |
| 8 | Buick | 1991 | Curb / Capitol | #23 |
| 9 | The Dirt Road | 1992 | Curb / Capitol | #12 |
| 10 | Cafe On The Corner | 1992 | Curb | #23 |
| 11 | Outskirts Of Town | 1993 | Curb | #13 |
| 12 | Greatest Hits 1990-1995 | 1995 | Curb | #5 |
| 13 | This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All | 1995 | Curb | #10 |
| 14 | Six Days On The Road | 1997 | Curb | #8 |
| 15 | Hallelujah, He Is Born (Holiday Album) | 1997 | Curb | #42 |
| 16 | Drive Me Wild | 1999 | Curb | #10 |
| 17 | The Hits Live | 2000 | Curb | #35 |
| 18 | Can You Hear Me Now | 2002 | Curb | #39 |
| 19 | True Believer | 2003 | Curb | # |
| 20 | Mission Temple Fireworks Stand | 2005 | Curb | #47 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 2006 | "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" | # | Mission Temple Fireworks Stand |
| 2005 | "They Don't Understand" | #37 | Mission Temple Fireworks Stand |
| 2004 | "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand" feat. Robert Randolph | #55 | Mission Temple Fireworks Stand |
| 2003 | "I'll Be Around" | #55 | *This was the only song released on Lyric Street Records |
| 2002 | "I Need A Girlfriend" | # | Can You Hear Me Now |
| 2002 | "Circles" | #45 | Can You Hear Me Now |
| 2002 | "Can You Hear Me Now" | #57 | Can You Hear Me Now |
| 2000 | "Lookin' For Love" | #44 | The Hits Live |
| 2000 | "Perfect World" | #50 | The Hits Live |
| 1999 | "I'm In Love With Her" | #47 | Drive Me Wild |
| 1999 | "800 Pound Jesus" | #40 | Drive Me Wild |
| 1999 | "Drive Me Wild" | #6 | Drive Me Wild |
| 1998 | "Small Talk" | #60 | Six Days On The Road |
| 1998 | "Another Side" | #55 | Six Days On The Road |
| 1997 | "This Night Won't Last Forever" | #6 | Six Days On The Road |
| 1997 | "Six Days On The Road" | #13 | Six Days On The Road |
| 1996 | "She's Gettin' There" | #46 | This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All |
| 1996 | "Treat Her Right" | #3 | This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All |
| 1996 | "'Round Here" | #19 | This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All |
| 1995 | "(This Thing Called) Wantin' And Havin' It All" | #11 | This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All |
| 1995 | "I Don't Believe In Goodbye" | #4 | Greatest Hits 1990-1995 |
| 1995 | "This Time" | #2 | Greatest Hits 1990-1995 |
| 1994 | "Hard To Say" | #5 | Outskirts Of Town |
| 1994 | "The Boys And Me" | #4 | Outskirts Of Town |
| 1993 | "Outskirts Of Town" | #40 | Outskirts Of Town |
| 1993 | "Thank God For You" | #1 | Outskirts Of Town |
| 1993 | "Trouble On The Line" | #5 | Cafe On The Corner |
| 1992 | "All These Years" | #3 | Cafe On The Corner |
| 1992 | "Cafe On The Corner" | #5 | Cafe On The Corner |
| 1992 | "The Dirt Road" | #3 | The Dirt Road |
| 1992 | "Some Girls Do" | #1 | The Dirt Road |
| 1991 | "The Walk" | #2 | Buick |
| 1991 | "Mama's Little Baby Loves Me" | #68 | Buick |
| 1991 | "One Less Pony" | #70 | Buick |
| 1990 | "When Love Comes Callin'" | #40 | Greatest Hits |
| 1989 | "Puttin' The Dark Back Into The Night" | #33 | The Boys Are Back |
| 1989 | "Did It For Love" | #33 | The Boys Are Back |
| 1989 | "The Race Is On" | #5 | The Boys Are Back |
| 1989 | "Old Pair Of Shoes" | #50 | Wide Open |
| 1988 | "It Wasn't His Child" | #51 | Wide Open |
| 1988 | "My Baby's Gone" | #11 | Wide Open |
| 1988 | "Old Photographs" | #27 | Somewhere In The Night |
| 1987 | "This Missing You Heart Of Mine" | #2 | Somewhere In The Night |
| 1987 | "Somewhere In The Night" | #29 | Somewhere In The Night |
| 1987 | "Savin' The Honey For The Honeymoon" | #58 | Out Goin' Cattin'' |
| 1986 | "Gypsies On Parade" | #25 | Out Goin' Cattin'' |
| 1986 | "Out Goin' Cattin'" feat. Joe Bonsall | #11 | Out Goin' Cattin'' |
| 1986 | "Shakin'" | #15 | Shakin' |
| 1986 | "Heart Don't Fall Now" | #14 | Shakin' |
| 1986 | "Betty's Bein' Bad" | #5 | Shakin' |
| 1985 | "Used To Blue" | #3 | Sawyer Brown |
| 1985 | "Step That Step" | #1 | Sawyer Brown |
| 1984 | "Leona" | #16 | Sawyer Brown |
Music Videos
- Step That Step
- Betty's Bein' Bad
- Shakin'
- Heart Don't Fall Now
- Out Goin' Cattin'
- Somewhere In The Night
- My Baby's Gone
- The Race Is On
- Did It For Love
- When Love Comes Callin'
- One Less Pony
- Superman's Daughter
- The Walk
- The Dirt Road
- Some Girls Do
- Cafe On The Corner
- All These Years
- Thank God For You
- Outskirts Of Town
- The Boys And Me
- Hard To Say
- This Time
- I Don't Believe In Goodbye
- (This Thing Called) Wantin' And Havin' It All
- 'Round Here
- Treat Her Right
- Six Days On The Road
- This Night Won't Last Forever
- Another Side
- Drive Me Wild
- 800 Pound Jesus
- Lookin' For Love
- I Need A Girlfriend
- Mission Temple Fireworks Stand
- They Don't Understand
Awards
Country Music Association Awards
- 1985 CMA Horizon Award
- 1997 ACM Vocal Group Of The Year
- 1993 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1994 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1995 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1996 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1997 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1998 Vocal Band Of The Year
- 1993 Video Group Of The Year
- 1994 Video Group Of The Year
- 1995 Video Group Of The Year
External links
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