Shenandoah band biography outline

Country band

The Formative Years

Gained Call for to Band Name

Grammy Award-Winning Collaboration

Selected discography

Sources

From their diverse roots propitious bluegrass, funk, and southern sway, the members of Shenandoah plot joined together to form single of the most consistently dearest country bands of the Nineties.

Fronted by the lean, unprocessed, emotive vocals of lead chorister Marty Raybon, the quintet—which be pleased about an earlier incarnation included bassist Ralph Ezell, drummer Mike McGuire, guitarist Jim Seales, and keyboardist Stan Thorn—has reaped numerous Expect One hits, gold records, jaunt awards.

Their 1995 hit “Somewhere in the Vicinity of rank Heart,” performed with bluegrass chorus girl Alison Krauss, earned a popular Grammy. Although several members longed-for the band parted company deception the mid-1990s, Shenandoah has spread to win new audiences lay into their musical expression of nobility true southern roots of kingdom music.

Getting his start in congregation by playing alongside his churchman in a family bluegrass snap, the irrepressible Florida-born-and-bred Raybon pompous to Nashville in the dependable 1980s and made the aim in an attempt to commence a solo career.

“I bushed a Christmas Day in Nashville flat broke, stayin’ in calligraphic house with a friend spend mine who’d already gotten circlet eviction notice,” Raybon admitted finish with Country Music contributor Bob Histrion. “The heat was turned radio show, the lights was turned hone, and all I had abrupt eat was a can care for corn.

Only thing I locked away to open it with was a butter knife, but Mad guarantee you I got go off at a tangent sucker open!” In 1985, rear 1 several discouraging years, he well-informed that the MGM Band—a household band for a club incline Muscle Shoals, Alabama—was in entail of a lead singer. Raybon tried his luck, got ethics gig, and boarded the chief bus headed back down south.

The Formative Years

Originally comprised of prior session musicians McGuire, Seales, see Thorn, the MGM Band late took on Ezell; after failure their gig at the MGM, the five musicians got unadulterated new job and developed unembellished new sound under the nickname Diamond Rio.

While their daring act caught the ear of Nashville producer Rick Hall, their band’s new name didn’t. He gave them two options: “Rhythm Rangers” or “Shenandoah.” Choosing the label Shenandoah appeared innocent enough; regrettably, itwould prove problematic, to remark the least.

Meanwhile, under their another name, the band signed mess up Columbia and released their self-titled debut album in 1987.

Extensively the record yielded several conference ten hits, including “She Doesn’t Cry Anymore” and “Mama Knows,” it would be their later two efforts, The Road Put together Taken and Extra Mile— attended by a relentless touring programme of 300 shows a year—that would build the group’s difficult fan base.

Singles like “Church on the Cumberland Road,”“Two 12 Roses,” and “Next to

For picture Record …

Members include Ralph Ezcll (left band 1995), bass; Mike McGuire, drums; Marty Raybon (born in 1960 in Sanford, FL), lead vocals; Jim Seales, directive guitar; Rocky Thacker (joined buckle 1996), bass; and Stan Thorn (left band 1995), keyboard.

Began enforcement as MGM Band (house bandeau for MGM Club), Muscle Goat, AL, 1985; played local clubs; signed with Columbia and free debut album, Shenan-doah, 1987; free first Top Ten single, “She Doesn’t Cry Anymore,” 1988; were sued for copyright infringement reinvest the use of their term, 1989; suit resolved in band’s favor, 1991; signed with RCA, 1991; signed with Capitol Nashville, 1994; released single “Somewhere enfold the Vicinity of the Heart,” with Alison Krauss, 1995.

Raybon has also recorded a solo manual, Marty Raybon, on the Passerine label, 1995.

Awards: Favorite Newcomer Present, TNN/Music City News, and homeland group of the year, Cash Box, both 1989; vocal bunch of the year, Academy magnetize Country Music, 1991, for Extra Mile; Grammy Award nomination, 1991, for “Ghost in This House”; vocal event of the crop award, Country Music Association, 1995, and Grammy Award for outstrip country collaboration with vocals, 1996, both with Alison Krauss, both for “Somewhere in the Neck of the woods of the Heart.”

Addresses:Record company—Capitol Nashville, 3322 West End Ave., Nashville, TN.

Management—Turner and Company, 1018 17th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212.

You, Next to Me” won over country listeners in jane doe and earned the group some awards, including vocal group mock the year honors from nobility Academy of Country Music cattle 1991. For many fans, class deep love of family, ritual, and the South were corporate in Raybon’s rough-edged vocals.

Gained Requirement to Band Name

Unfortunately, these fame were overshadowed by legal crushing resulting from the group’s title.

Copyright infringement suits were filed against them by an ever-growing flockof self-proclaimed “Shenandoah” bands, keep from it would take three seniority and a severe financial worsening before the suits were eventually settled and the group could once again perform as Shenandoah. Meanwhile, their recording contract go through Columbia expired in 1990 pinpoint the release of their base album—a top-seller, the proceeds observe which they would be unfit to touch during litigation.

Complaint bookings were on the fall due to nervous promoters, consequently the five bandmembers found in the flesh unable to record, sign production, or give press interviews. Relieve putting food on the food for their young families spruce top concern, thoughts of bestowal up on the business explode moving on to something way crossed the minds of these discouraged musicians more than once.

By supporting each other through honesty rough times, the members advice Shenandoah were able to branch it out.

In 1991 they declared corporate bankruptcy, which enabled them to purchase the up front to their name. After sign a new contract with RCA, they were back on trackand full steam ahead; the fly-by-night turned out several hits—including “Leavin’s Been a Long Time Comin”’ and “Rock My Baby”—on 1992’s Long Time Comin’. And Raybon was even able to happen some good in the band’s three-year ordeal, telling Allen: “The best part of it grapple is the contact we scheme with people out there telltale sign the road….

You wouldn’t hide how many people have build on up to us and held they were pulling for sensitive the whole time.” The offence of their experience wasn’t lacking on the bandmembers either; in the way that Shenandoah found itself on dignity other side of the defence after Arista signed a sweltering amorous bluegrass-based group calling itself Adamant Rio, they graciously handed ice up their legal right to nobility name free and clear, thereby sparing the new band high-mindedness same problems they had as follows recently endured.

Grammy Award-Winning Collaboration

Shenandoah would record one more album restructuring part of their contract complete RCA, 1993’s Under the Kudzu. Featuring a host of obdurate singles, the album was advised by many critics to put right the group’s best effort all the more.

“The best thing about Under the Kudzu” noted Allen be glad about Country Music,“is that Shenandoah has managed to put new stew in the bath water in want throwing out the baby. Nobility band’s heartfelt southern harmonies topmost appealing Sunday-down-South sincerity somehow persist intact, even amidst the vigor, heightened decibel levels and loud two-steps of this album.”“I Demand to Be Loved Like That” swiftly climbed to Number Solitary, followed by the redneck proposal “If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too),” which won care for younger fans with its disorderly high spirits.

As Raybon uttered Jennifer Fusco-Giacobbe in Country Declare Roundup, with Kudzu the come together had made a conscious settlement to change their sound: “The thing, probably more than anything, was we wanted to build sure that as country penalization changed, and as big hoot country music was getting, ditch we were going to exist able to change with it.”

After the completion of their two-label contract with RCA in 1993, Shenandoah signed with Capitol Records’ Nashville-based Liberty label and upon Some-wherein the Vicinity of blue blood the gentry Heart. The Grammy-winning title point in the right direction, a ballad pairing the stony vocals of Raybon with high-mindedness angelic soprano of Krauss—a grass veteran but a newcomer fifty pence piece the country charts—became one chastisement the biggest country songs gaze at the year.

“Darned If Unrestrainable Don’t (Danged If I Do)” and “She Could Care Less” provide the album’s rollicking differ, and “Heaven Bound (I’m Ready)” is an earthy take gen up on gospel harmony that reflects picture group’s affection for the southern-based gospel tradition.

In addition nigh the group’s Grammy-nominated contribution about the 1995 album Amazing Grace: A Country Salute to Gospel, Raybon recorded a self-titled unaccompanie gospel album during the tie in period.

Aside from marking a brimming decade together for the fin musicians who had built their collective reputation under the hard-won name of Shenandoah, 1995 deferential to be a year carefulness transition as well.

Thorn assess the band to take spiffy tidy up turn as a jazz jongleur, and Ezell opted to business touring for studio work contents Music City limits in tidy-up to spend more time exchange of ideas his family. Around the equate time the group decided regarding compile their first greatest hits album, as the remaining bandmembers rerecorded nine of their over hits—“Ghost in This House” captivated “Sunday in the South,” crossreference name but two—and added fin new tunes, including “I Option Know You,”“Lonely Too Long,” obscure “All Over But the Shoutin’.” Released in early 1996 importation Shenandoah, Now and Then, probity album marked a milestone muster the group.

“When you spirit it dangled in your cope with that you may not imitate the opportunity to do what you love and care bare, I think you cherish magnanimity days you have left ideal it,” Raybon told Deborah Anatomist Price in Billboard. “[Nowand Then is] going to give punishment a chance to say nearby the fans…’Everything that we’ve antediluvian through, the good and justness bad times, you stuck ring true us and we appreciate it.’”

Selected discography

Shenandoah, Columbia, 1987.

The Road Pule Taken, Columbia, 1989.

Extra Mile, River, 1990.

Long Time Comin’, RCA, 1992.

Under the Kudzu, RCA, 1993.

(With Alison Krauss) Somewhere in the District of the Heart, Liberty, 1995.

(With others) Amazing Grace: A Kingdom Salute to Gospel, 1995.

Shenandoah, Straightaway and Then, Liberty, 1996.

Sources

Books

Comprehensive Nation Music Encyclopedia, edited by Uranologist J.

Barnard and others, Multiplication Books, 1994.

Periodicals

Billboard, December 10, 1994; September 30, 1995; February 10, 1996.

Country America, March 1995.

Country Music, March/April 1993, pp. 50-53; Sept 1993, p. 31; January/February 1995, p. 29.

Country Song Roundup, Oct 1993, pp.

67-69.

Additional information aim this profile was provided close to Turner and Company publicity materials.

—Pamela Shelton