Career Rodney Crowell

1 career

1.1 1972–1986: career
1.2 1986–1995: columbia records , mainstream success
1.3 2001–2010: songwriting success, critical acclaim
1.4 2011–present

career
1972–1986: career

in august 1972 moved nashville, tennessee, in search of musical career , got job songwriter after being discovered jerry reed. later met , befriended fellow songwriter guy clark, became major influence on songwriting , vice versa. while there, said, got real cold splash in face of real songwriting about. started filling mind many symbols , images could. started reading. got real hungry have contribute . emmylou harris had recorded 1 of crowell s songs, bluebird wine , on pieces of sky album , made request meet him. after sat in emmylou @ gig @ armadillo world headquarters in january 1975, asked him play rhythm guitar in backing band, hot band. accepted , left following day join emmylou in los angeles.

crowell @ grammy awards in february 1990

in 1977 side project, formed musical group, cherry bombs, vince gill, tony brown , others. 1 year later, signed solo deal warner bros. records , in late 1978, released debut album, ain t living long this.

his debut album, following 2 albums, neighbors think , rodney crowell, not commercially successful despite garnering huge cult following. crowell himself criticized debut album not translating onto vinyl same clarity , energy felt in studio. single ashes neighbors think reached no. 37 on billboard hot 100 in 1981.

though had several country hits artists covering songs (including ain t living long waylon jennings, leaving louisiana... oak ridge boys, , several covers johnny cash, rosanne cash, emmylou harris, jerry reed , others), crowell got first big taste of pop songwriting success shame on moon . shame on moon recorded on 1982 album distance bob seger & silver bullet band. glenn frey joined seger on background harmony on song. appealing broad cross-section of listeners, song spent 4 weeks @ number 2 on billboard hot 100 pop singles chart, topped adult contemporary chart, , placed in top 15 of country chart in 1983. song s dark, poetic , hypnotic style helped boost crowell s cult status.

the album rodney crowell released in 1981 (see 1981 in country music) warner bros. records , last album on label before switching columbia. first album crowell produced himself, reached no. 47 on top country albums chart , no. 105 on billboard 200 albums chart. songs stars on water , victim or fool released singles. stars on water reached no. 30 on hot country songs chart, crowell s highest charting song point. peaked @ no. 21 on canadian country charts. victim or fool reached no. 34 in u.s.

in 1981, rodney left warner bros. roster, putting career on hold produce several of wife rosanne cash s albums.

in 1983 crystal gayle had number 1 country single song til gain control again first elektra album, true love . song first recorded in 1975 emmylou harris.

1986–1995: columbia records , mainstream success

after producing rosanne cash s rhythm & romance, crowell signed columbia records in 1986. first album label, street language, co-produced booker t. jones , featured blend of soul , country music. album did not chart.

although best known songwriter , alternative country artist, crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during late 1980s , 1990s. critically acclaimed album 1988 s diamonds & dirt produced 5 consecutive no. 1 singles during 17-month span in 1988 , 1989: s such small world (a duet cash), couldn t leave if tried, s crazy leavin , after time , above , beyond (a cover of buck owens 1962 hit). crowell s after time won 1990 grammy award best country song. follow-up album, 1989 s keys highway, produced 2 top 5 hits in 1990, many long , lonesome highway , if looks kill.

after 1992 s life messy, left columbia records , signed mca records released 2 more albums — let picture paint , jewel of south.

2001–2010: songwriting success, critical acclaim

crowell continued enjoy success songwriter in 1990s , 2000s. crowell s songs reached top ten in country charts in decade included song life alan jackson, making memories of keith urban, ashes lee ann womack, , please remember me tim mcgraw.

in 2001, after brief hiatus recording, crowell released houston kid on sugar hill records, first studio album since 1995 s jewel of south. many songs on album semi-autobiographical, , album included duet crowell had recorded , released single in 1998 ex father-in-law johnny cash, walk line (revisited) . crowell followed effort fate s right hand in 2003 , outsider in 2005, both of appeared on columbia nashville, division of sony music. leading critics , crowell consider these 3 albums finest work solo artist.

rodney crowell inducted nashville songwriters hall of fame in 2003 fellow inductees hal blair, paul overstreet , john prine.

2004 saw release of notorious cherry bombs, reunion of crowell s 1970s road band, including vince gill , tony brown. future keith urban hit making memories of included on disc. in 2005, crowell served producer established irish singer/songwriter kieran goss on album blue sky sunrise .

in 2007, rodney crowell inducted music city walk of fame.

crowell released next album, sex , gasoline, on yep roc records in 2008, ending relationship sony music. album received grammy nomination best contemporary folk/americana album. crowell figures prominently in musician-neuroscientist daniel levitin s book world in 6 songs interviewed, , 3 crowell songs, shame on moon, know love need , walk line (revisited) featured in book.

in 2009, crowell wrote wynonna judd s title track album sing: chapter 1, released in 2009. song given several electronic dance music remixes, , sent dance radio judd s second release album. in august 2009, single reached no. 4 on u.s. billboard hot dance club songs chart.

crowell produced chely wright s 2009 album, lifted off ground. wright made cameo appearance in crowell s 2008 music video single sex , gasoline .

2011–present

vintage books published crowell s memoir, chinaberry sidewalks, in 2011. “chinaberry sidewalks” focuses on crowell s relationship parents’ marriage , own years growing in houston, texas.

in 2012, vanguard records released kin: songs rodney crowell , mary karr. karr wrote lyrics , crowell set them music. kin karr s first foray songwriting. crowell performed 4 tracks on album; 1 duet kris kristofferson. variety of other artists recorded other songs on album, including norah jones, vince gill, lucinda williams, lee ann womack, rosanne cash, kris kristofferson , emmylou harris.

on february 26, 2013, crowell , emmylou harris released old yellow moon on harris longtime label nonesuch records. album reached number 4 on billboard s country albums chart , number 29 on billboard hot 200 charts. in 2013, album won americana music awards album of year award , crowell , harris named group/duo of year. on january 26, 2014, crowell won second grammy award when old yellow moon won grammy best americana album. on 11 may 2015, crowell , emmylou harris released travelling kind on nonesuch records.

crowell released first album on new west records, tarpaper sky, on april 15, 2014. crowell co-produced record long-time collaborator, steuart smith. in fall of 2014, crowell hired music director hank williams biopic saw light.

in 2015, crowell provided background vocals on doesn t hurt right , song co-wrote jewel album picking pieces on holy war , track appears on rain, 2016 album chely wright. on december 20, 2016, crowell released music video song ain t on yet , features guest vocals rosanne cash , john paul white harmonia mickey raphael. song appears on forthcoming album close ties, released in 2017. has been confirmed album features duet sheryl crow titled m tied ya .