Travis Tritt was one of the leading new country singers of the early '90s,
holding his own against
Garth Brooks,
Clint Black, and
Alan Jackson. He was the only one not to wear a hat and the only one to dip
into bluesy Southern rock. Consequently, he developed a gutsy, outlaw image that
distinguished him from the pack. Throughout the early '90s, he had a string of
platinum albums and Top Ten singles, including three number one hits.
Travis Tritt fell in love with music as a child, teaching himself how to play
guitar when he was eight and beginning to write songs when he was 14.
Travis Tritt was determined to have a musical career, but his parents didn't
encourage him to follow his instincts. His mother didn't mind that he wanted to
perform, but she wanted him to sing gospel; his father was afraid there was no
money in singing. When he was 18, he tried to settle down, work, and have a
family but was unsuccessful -- he was married and divorced twice before he was
22. He continued to play music while working various jobs, including one at an
air-conditioning company. The company's vice president was a guitarist who gave
up hopes of a musical career and urged
Travis Tritt to follow his dreams.
Travis Tritt quit his job and began pursuing a career full-time.
In 1982,
Travis Tritt began his pursuit by recording a demo tape at a private studio which
was owned by Danny Davenport, who happened to be an executive at Warner
Brothers. Davenport heard the vocalist's songs and was impressed, deciding to
take
Travis Tritt under his wing. For the next several years, the pair recorded demo
tapes while
Travis Tritt played the honky tonk circuit. The singer was developing a distinctive
sound, adding elements of country-rock and Southern rock to his honky tonk.
Partway through in 1989, Warner Brothers' Nashville division signed
Travis Tritt, and his debut album, Country Club, appeared in the stores in the
spring 1990. It was preceded by the Top Ten hit, "Country Club." Upon the
release of his debut album,
Travis Tritt entered the first ranks of new country singers. His next two singles,
"Help Me Hold On" and "I'm Gonna Be Somebody," hit number one and two
respectively. "Put Some Drive in Your Country," which had a clear rock & roll
influence, stalled at number four, since radio programmers were reluctant to
feature such blatantly rock-derived music.
Despite his success, the Nashville music industry was hesitant to embrace
Travis Tritt. His music and stage show owed too much to rock & roll, and his image
didn't conform with the behatted legions of new male singers. Nevertheless,
Travis Tritt had a breakthrough success with his second album, 1991's It's All
About to Change. Prior to its release, he had hired manager Ken Kragen, who also
worked with
Lionel Richie,
Trisha Yearwood,
Kenny Rogers, and We Are the World. Kragen helped market
Travis Tritt in a way that appealed to both country fans and a mass audience,
sending It's All About to Change into multi-platinum territory.
T-r-o-u-b-l-e,
Travis Tritt's third album, was released in 1992. Although it didn't match the
success of It's All About to Change, it had the number one single, "Can I Trust
You With My Heart," and went gold.
Travis Tritt bounced back in 1994 with Ten Feet Tall & Bulletproof, which went
platinum, spawned the number one single "Foolish Pride," and marked his highest
position, number 20, on the pop charts. His 1995 compilation Greatest Hits: From
the Beginning went platinum within six months of its November release. Restless
Kind was released in 1996, followed two years later by No More Looking Over My
Shoulder; Down the Road I Go was issued in fall 2000. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Travis Tritt for your next corporate or private event.
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