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AboutJeff Carson was one of the new country singers who was able to
parlay the mass success of country music in the early '90s to a
massive hit with his eponymous first album.
Carson was born Dec. 16, 1964, in Tulsa, Okla., but raised in the
small Arkansas town of Gravette. As a child, he sang in church
and played harmonica and guitar. While he was in high school,
he and his friends formed a band to play their school's talent
show, performing the Eagles' "Seven Bridges Road." After they
won second place, Carson was convinced to pursue a musical
career. Following his high-school graduation, he entered a talent
contest at an entertainment complex called Ozark Mountain Music
in Rogers, Ark. Although he didn't come in first, the winner asked
Carson to play in his house band. For the next four years, he
played with the outfit, until they finally disbanded.
Carson moved to Branson, Mo, where he played bass in local
bands and started writing his own songs. In Branson, he met
and married his wife, Kim Cooper, who encouraged him to
move to Nashville. Kim had a friend who played at the Opryland
Hotel and his group Texana needed a bassist -- hence, Carson
moved to Music City in 1989. After some persuasion, he
convinced the hotel to book him as a solo act. Around the same
time, he signed a songwriting deal with Little Big Town Music
and began singing on demo tapes for a variety of companies.
Eventually, publisher-producer Chuck Howard heard Carson's
original material and signed a publishing and development
deal with him.
By 1994, Carson had signed with Curb Records. His self-titled
debut album was released in early 1995; the first single, "Yeah
Buddy," went nowhere, but the second single, "Not on Your Love,"
rocketed to No. 1. It was followed by the Top 10 hits "The Car"
and "Holdin' On to Somethin'." Future singles were unsuccessful
until "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)" revived his
career, peaking at No. 14 in 2001. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
parlay the mass success of country music in the early '90s to a
massive hit with his eponymous first album.
Carson was born Dec. 16, 1964, in Tulsa, Okla., but raised in the
small Arkansas town of Gravette. As a child, he sang in church
and played harmonica and guitar. While he was in high school,
he and his friends formed a band to play their school's talent
show, performing the Eagles' "Seven Bridges Road." After they
won second place, Carson was convinced to pursue a musical
career. Following his high-school graduation, he entered a talent
contest at an entertainment complex called Ozark Mountain Music
in Rogers, Ark. Although he didn't come in first, the winner asked
Carson to play in his house band. For the next four years, he
played with the outfit, until they finally disbanded.
Carson moved to Branson, Mo, where he played bass in local
bands and started writing his own songs. In Branson, he met
and married his wife, Kim Cooper, who encouraged him to
move to Nashville. Kim had a friend who played at the Opryland
Hotel and his group Texana needed a bassist -- hence, Carson
moved to Music City in 1989. After some persuasion, he
convinced the hotel to book him as a solo act. Around the same
time, he signed a songwriting deal with Little Big Town Music
and began singing on demo tapes for a variety of companies.
Eventually, publisher-producer Chuck Howard heard Carson's
original material and signed a publishing and development
deal with him.
By 1994, Carson had signed with Curb Records. His self-titled
debut album was released in early 1995; the first single, "Yeah
Buddy," went nowhere, but the second single, "Not on Your Love,"
rocketed to No. 1. It was followed by the Top 10 hits "The Car"
and "Holdin' On to Somethin'." Future singles were unsuccessful
until "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)" revived his
career, peaking at No. 14 in 2001. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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