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John Rich

Born January 7, 1974, in Amarillo, Texas, John Rich first found mainstream success in the country band Lonestar as its bassist and occasional lead singer. But after recording two albums, the band parted ways in 1998.

After becoming somewhat disillusioned with the music industry, Rich co-founded a collective of musical outsiders known as the MuzikMafia, which began playing in a small Nashville bar called Pub of Love. His like-minded companions included Big Kenny Alphin, Gretchen Wilson, James Otto and Jon Nicholson.

When Rich teamed with Big Kenny to form Big & Rich, they caught everybody by surprise with a double-platinum debut, driven by the hit Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy). Rich also co-wrote and produced Wilson's award-winning anthem, Redneck Woman, as well as Here for the Party, and When I Think About Cheatin'. His writing career continued to explode with cuts by Jason Aldean, Faith Hill, and Taylor Swift, along with many others.

Rich released his Warner Bros. Records solo debut in March of 2009, Son of a Preacher Man, which spawned Shuttin' Detroit Down, becoming the first solo Top 15 single of his career on the country singles charts and the fastest-rising single of his career.

Its premiere airing on Detroit country radio stations galvanized the working class in the beleaguered blue-collar city, and the universality of its sentiment lit up phone lines across the country and made it the fastest-rising single of Rich's storied career.

The song is a fitting kickoff to Son of a Preacher Man, an album that finds country music's renaissance everyman giving full rein to his own creative voice in a project as personal as it is musically arresting. With its release, one of modern music's most prolific and creative spirits opens yet another chapter, stepping into the front ranks of solo performers amid a career in musical partnerships as someone whose songwriting and producing skills have helped shape the talents of others.

The record is a wide-ranging work, with songs ranging from the upbeat, riff-laden Trucker Man to The Good Lord and the Man and Preacher Man, poignant and personal looks at his grandfather and father, respectively; from the aching Another You and I Don't Want to Lose Your Love to Everybody Wants to Be Me, a honky-tonk rocker fans will recognize as vintage Rich. Capping it all off is Drive Myself to Drink, a big band extravaganza that rates as pure musical adventure, and which was recorded live.

Overall, the CD is a window into the creative approach of a unique musical stylist, a country music original whose high-profile celebrity status belies his humble origins and reflects his desire to pack everything into the life he lives and the art he creates.

Rich has garnered multiple Grammy, ACM, CMA and CMT Music Award nominations. He was also awarded the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award in 2005, 2006 and 2007; has written 14 Top 10 singles; and is the only artist in country music history to have a Top 15 release as a group, duo and solo artist.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2011.

John Rich Facts

OccupationMusician
BirthdayJanuary 7, 1974 (50)
SignCapricorn
BirthplaceAmarillo, Texas, USA

Selected Filmography

15-May-16
Rich Bride, Poor Bride
A Most Unusual Camera
Kiss That Girl Goodbye
7 1/4" 
Ep 2
The Lucky Texan
Father Knows Best
Rich And Famous
Richie Rich
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