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Bryan White, who has charted 17 singles on the country charts, including No. 1 hits 'Someone Else's Star,' and 'Rebecca Lynn,' was asleep on his tour bus in 1997 when he got a phone call that shocked him beyond his wildest imagination.

"I was asleep on the tour bus in Chicago, Ill. -- it was the era of no cell phones. We had this analog phone on our bus that we only used for emergencies. We got a call on it, and my tour manager came and woke me up, and said, 'You need to get up.' 'I said, 'What for?' He said, 'Just get up, you need to get up ... Mutt Lange and Shania Twain are on the phone.' I was clearing my throat and trying to wrap my mind around why I was talking to Shania Twain and Mutt Lange at 9 o'clock in the morning because, for me, back then, 9 o'clock in the morning was an ungodly early!

Shania was calling, of course, to ask Bryan to duet with her on 'From This Moment On' -- the love song that is now a country classic.

"They asked me just point blank, 'We have a song on our next project that we think you would be great on. (She said) How would you feel about being my duet partner?' I said, 'Absolutely.'

"Typically I'll make a joke when I'm in a scenario like that when I'm shocked. But I was just very business like, and I said, 'Absolutely, I'd love to do it. Tell me when to be there.'

"Of course, after I hung up, I was turning cartwheels. They were writing the song – I think they were in the process of finishing it. So they sang the chorus to me, and they wanted me to sing it back to them so they could make sure that they tracked the song in the right key so I ended up singing with them a little bit on the phone to figure out the right key. Then I hung up, said 'Thanks,' and a month or two later I was in Lake Placid, N.Y., singing a duet with her. It was a great experience. I had so much fun, and it's one of those surreal, storybook, fairytale kind of feeling that you kind of wish it would have lasted longer."

So why does Bryan think they picked him?

"I don't know," he confesses. "I've heard her ... I'm just quoting what she has said, so I'm not tooting my own horn, but I have heard her say that I am her favorite male singer in country music ... I guess through seeing me on CMT or hearing me on the radio or whatever, she just was drawn to what I do. She just said she loved my voice and thought I would be great for the song. I'm so proud of it. The thing about records is: once they're down, they're down. They're just etched in stone. It's like carving your name on a tree. It'll always be there. People will always be able to listen to that. My kids will always be able to listen to that, and go, 'Wow, that's my dad.' I'm so grateful for that opportunity."

Bryan says he'd love to work with Shania and has faith that she'll make a huge comeback.

"If I know her, she's a songwriter and a singer. I think at some point, you've got to start making music again. And, the thing I hate for her is that what she does, I don't see any way she won't feel an immense pressure because of all the phenomenal things she's done. But I hope she approaches it in a way where she can just be honest with herself and write songs that mean something to her fully not thinking about whether it's going to be a major success. I just hope she does something really honest and doesn't let the pressure of the world and the industry get in the way of that creativity."

Bryan's latest album is titled 'Dustbowl Dreams.' He is currently on a radio tour promoting the single from that album, 'The Little Things.'

Download 'From This Moment On'

Check out Froggy's Country Store!   Remember Jack and the Beanstalk - read by Bryan White - lots of fun! (Vince Gill, Pam Tillis and more)

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Bryan White and his wife, actress Erika Page, are doing an admirable job balancing two careers and two young sons, Justin and Jackson. Bryan is now on a long radio tour promoting his new album, 'Dustbowl Dreams,' while Erika has been focusing on her family since leaving the daytime soap 'One Life to Live' ... although she worked briefly on 'Days of Our Lives' last year and plans to film a drama entitled 'The Singing River' this year.

Given her line of work, which sometimes requires doing steamy love scenes, it wouldn't be surprising if Bryan received a visit from the green-eyed-monster from time to time, but the singer says that's not the case.

"No, I don't get jealous," Bryan tells The Boot. "I don't see any reason for me to watch [those love scenes] so I don't choose to watch it. When I get to a point like that, I kind of know it's coming, I'll flip to another channel. One time we were working on vocals, and we took a break and turned on TV, and there was my wife in a steamy love scene, and we all looked at each other and went, 'Wow!' and just turned it back off. We said, 'Maybe we should just get back to work.'"

Bryan and Erika, who will celebrate 10 years of marriage in October, make an effort to keep their love alive without taking each other for granted.

"We try to shake things up and keep surprising each other," Bryan explains. "Life can become mundane and just feeling like you're going through the motions sometimes. For one, with our kids, there's never a dull moment. But, we have to take time to go do fun things for us. So we make a strong point to get a babysitter."

For Bryan and Erika, a night out doesn't have to be glamorous. Sometimes simple fun is best. "We take time to do something fun together -- which is just going out and grabbing a bite to eat. We're nerds too. Sometimes we'll go to Borders with a cup of coffee, and we'll just grab a pile of magazines and sit in a corner. I think that's the important thing -- shaking it up and making sure you're spending quality time with each other. Because sometimes you can feel like you're just passing each other in the hallway doing all the stuff we've got to do. You've got to stop and look up."

Bryan's latest album, 'Dustbowl Dreams,' is in stores now.

Download Bryan White Songs

From The Boot

by Pat Gallagher

Bryan White, who has co-written hit songs for the likes of Diamond Rio ('Imagine That') and Sawyer Brown ('I Don't Believe in Goodbye'), has also charted 17 singles himself, including six No. 1's such as 'Someone Else's Star' and 'Rebecca Lynn.' The Boot caught up with Bryan at his home in Nashville to find out where he was when he heard his first record on the radio.

This would have been, I'm guessing, '95 ... and I was maybe all of 20 [years old] at the time. I was on an independent label, and we were on a real extensive radio tour on the west coast. We were on our way to Tucson to visit a radio station. On the way, I heard my single, which was a song called 'Eugene, You Genius.' It was an uptempo, fun kind of thing -- a tongue-in-cheek kind of song.

I heard it on the radio, and I freaked out so much so that I made the label rep find a convenience store to pull over because we didn't have cell phones then. We pulled over, and I got the number from my rep and went in and called the station from the pay phone, and they put me on the air. I was so jazzed, because that was literally the first time I had heard my voice on the airwaves. I thanked them and just told them how much I appreciated that. I made sure that they knew that was the literally the first time I heard myself just driving down the road! I wish I still had a copy of that audio of me calling in. That would be so special to have. I can visually see it. I can still see where I'm at, what the gas station looked like, and the rep who was with me was smiling.

Honestly, still today, it never gets old. I don't care how many hit records you have, when you hear your song on the radio or in the mall or in the grocery store, part of you is so excited, you want to go tap everybody on the shoulder [and say]: 'Do you know who that is?' [laughs]

2009 offered up a treasure trove of high quality country music, and we’ve compiled a list of the year’s 50 best country songs.

In order to a be considered for this list, a song must have appeared on an album released during the 2009 calendar year. Radio singles that appeared on 2008 albums but which were primarily promoted to radio in 2009 remained eligible so long as they did not appear on the previous year’s list.

The 9513’s 50 Best Country Songs of 2009

50. “Devil’s Best Dress” – Corb Lund
49. “These Cowboys Born Out of Their Time” – Gretchen Peters and Tom Russell
48. “Midnight At The Movies” – Justin Townes Earle
47. “Circles Around Me” – Sam Bush
46. “Cattleman’s Gun” – Dean Brody
45. “A Long Time Ago” – Chuck Mead
44. “Give Me Jesus” – Sara Watkins
43. “Warm Kentucky Sunshine” – Adam Steffey and Allison Krauss
42. “Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number 10)” – Todd Snider
41. “Angels Like Her” – Trent Tomlinson
40. “Taste Of The Truth” – Gene Watson
39. “Anything Like Me” – Brad Paisley
38. “Without Jesus Here With Me” – Holly Williams
37. “Only Prettier” – Miranda Lambert
36. “Someday When I Stop Loving You” – Carrie Underwood
35. “American Saturday Night” – Brad Paisley
34. “Long After I’m Gone” – Big Kenny
33. “Fifteen” – Taylor Swift
32. “Rose in Paradise” – Chris Young and Willie Nelson
31. “The Guitar” – Guy Clark
30. “Tell My Mother I Miss Her So” – Ryan Bingham
29. “Seeing Stars” – Jack Ingram with Patty Griffin
28. “Dustbowl Dreams” – Bryan White
27. “I’ll Have What She’s Having” – Reba McEntire
26. “Sissy’s Song” – Alan Jackson
25. “Closer To The Bone” – Kris Kristofferson
24. “Promises in Pieces” – Jason Eady
23. “Mama” – Holly Williams
22. “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
21. “A Little Revival” – Radney Foster and The Confession
20. “Has Anybody Ever Told You” – Ashley Monroe
19. “Three Minutes At A Time” – Gene Watson
18. “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” – Chris Young

17. “Busted” – Patty Loveless

16. “Maggie Creek Road” – Reba McEntire
15. “Ellis County” – Buddy and Julie Miller
14. “Staying Together” – Gene Watson with Rhonda Vincent
13. “On The Other Side” – Dailey and Vincent
12. “Gasoline and Matches” – Buddy and Julie Miller
11. “White Liar” – Miranda Lambert
10. “Hemingway’s Whiskey” – Guy Clark
9. “Cry Pretty” – Jason Eady
8. “Arkansas Dave” – George Strait
7. “Pretty Flowers” – Steve Martin, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton
6. “My Way To you” – Jamey Johnson
5. “Mama’s Eyes” – Justin Townes Earle
4. “An Old Friend Of Mine” – Joe Nichols
3. “Reconsider” – Charlie Robison
2. “Hesitation Blues” – Asleep at the Wheel and Willie Nelson
1. “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert

The Boot

By Pat Gallagher

"Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go ..."

What could be better for a child than spending Christmas at grandma's house and the North Pole at the same time? Impossible you say? Not if your name is Bryan White.

"Hopefully you won't think I'm weird when I tell you this," Brian explains to The Boot, recalling a favorite childhood Christmas memory. "My grandparents had this huge house shaped like a horseshoe. There was this snow white carpet that my grandmother had in the living room where the Christmas tree was. She had one of those old trees that had the fake snow on it, and the tree was white. You remember those ... (and under it) it's like this stain glass plastic circle thing with different color shades. It was like a little gel in front of a light, and it went in circles, and it projected a colorful image onto your tree. It made this squeaky sound from this wheel turning.

"I remember one Christmas night I just felt this real warm, cozy feeling by the tree with that thing going. When everybody went to sleep, I would get up out of bed and go get under the tree with that little thing going, and I would just sleep under the tree. I know that's weird. But as a kid, I felt like I was at the North Pole. There was something neat about it.

"You might want to Google what that little thing is called – the little light crank."

Good news, Bryan. We did indeed look up the "stain glass plastic circle thing with different color shades" and here you go. It's called a Penetray Rotating Lighted Christmas Color Wheel. Sweet memories are made of this.

Bryan White just finished writing a Christmas song -- 'Finding Christmas' -- inspired by his sons Justin, 6 and Jackson, 4.

"The song is about becoming jaded as we get older and when we become adults, there's really no mystery any more," Bryan tells The Boot. "The element of surprise and mystery is gone and ... I'm finding it all again through their eyes. I feel like I am seeing it all again the second time around through them, and it's awesome. They've been really anticipating Christmas since October. As soon as Halloween was over, their Christmas questions were just being fired at me right after that."

Bryan's own childhood recollections of Christmas serve as a blueprint for the memories he wants his children to have.

"I remember when I was a kid [my parents] knew we were just bursting at the seams, so most of the time we got to open one gift on Christmas Eve just to kind of tide us over until the morning. We'll probably do that. We've had our tree up since Thanksgiving. That was a fun process, just getting the tree down and them helping us. They're old enough now that they want to have a purpose with everything, they want to be a part of it."

And before the kids go off to bed on Christmas Eve, they'll have one more task to complete.

"We'll write a note to Santa, and we get the cookies and milk and set that out," Bryan says. "Then the next morning, I'm up before them with the video camera. I got them last year really good coming down the stairs. They were still kind of half asleep, kind of wiping their eyes, but you could tell as soon as they walked in the living room and saw the gifts, they were just so excited. It was just awesome!"

Bryan and his wife, actress Erika Page ('One Life to Live'), also feel it's important to bring the 'real' meaning of Christmas to the forefront.

"I would say we probably spend more time devoted to Christ being born ... why we're celebrating, more than the Santa Claus. We sort of make sure they know -- we try to just let them know that Santa is just one of God's helpers."

Bryan's been busy chasing Donner and Blitzen on his radio tour for the last few months, promoting his latest studio album 'Dustbowl Dreams.' He plans to record his new Christmas song in 2010.

It’s that time of year in which we reflect on the year behind us and count our blessings that we live in a part of the world with a plethora of music that moves the soul. Our favorite 2007 album was the Alison Krauss & Robert Plant album Raising Sand and last year’s top spot on our 2008 list went to Lee Ann Womack’s Call Me Crazy. But 2009 had some terrific albums that will go down as some of my big music collection’s favorites. The ten albums are a wide variety of country genres from more contemporary country to traditional country- and even some inspirational and alt-country stuff thrown in as well. But without any further delay… here’s That Nashville Sound’s Top Ten Albums for 2009…

10. Bryan White- Dustbowl Dreams- The title track, “Dustbowl Dreams” could be the most eloquent autobiographical song of 2009. As the “son of a son of an auctioneer,” White talks about things like pressing on and perseverance, losing his way, being bruised and cut and carrying on the dustbowl dreams of his family. In three minutes, White has beautifully told his ten year story. It’s truly a treasure of a song. The song even ends on a personal note- an old clip of his grandfather being introduced as an auctioneer and then auctioning off some piece of farm life.

9. Willie Nelson- Naked Willie- Willie Nelson is a national treasure. We don’t have a more prolific recorder in country music even as he approaches his 75th birthday. Naked Willie is compilation of some of his best work, but not at the same time. Its old recordings, but not ever done this way before. Stripped of all of the “Nashville Sound” of strings and background filler, the first thing you notice on Naked Willie is how much clearer and cleaner these new versions sound. Willie's voice takes on a much deeper timbre, and the guitar and piano are also that much crisper sounding. His distinct voice has never been argued to be the fullest and widest range, but it has been the point of distinction between he and other artists that have come and gone.

8. Tracy Lawrence- The Rock- A promise kept. That’s really the crux of this entire project. When Lawrence first kicked off his career back in 1991 with Sticks and Stones, he made a promise to his parents that he would one day record an inspirational country album.Each song has been carefully selected to match both his vocals and preferred instrumentalization. Each album cut speaks of character, faith, truth, hope, forgiveness and belief. The messages don’t hit your over the head. They’re not preachy. They’re delivered with the same warmth and tenderness that Lawrence has approached nearly every song over his storied career- filled with steel guitar, fiddles, guitars and even a bit of piano.

7. Brad Paisley- American Saturday Night- Paisley has an incredible touch for pointing out the Sienfeldian nuances in life on fun stuff like "Ticks," "I'm Gonna Miss Her," or "Online." His ability to riff on the ironies of life in his funnier songs are a gift. He also has an innate ability to write a song that touch on a true emotional level- songs like "We Danced," "He Didn't Have to Be," or "She's Everything" come to mind. On both sides of that coin, Brad has country music fans loving every word. American Saturday Night is another wonderful combination of this same pen and paper gumbo that country music has come to like about him. Fatherhood may be the reason for a slightly (only slightly) more serious and mature musical theme on this album.

6. Wade Hayes- Place To Turn Around- With an emotive voice and meaningful storytelling lyrics, this is country music that is getting very little representation on the radio dial. What might have not been that unique in the 80’s and early 90’s is fresh and new. Hayes’ emotive baritone voice is a bit throaty and breathless when he sings higher notes or with power. But that so-called-fault in his voice only gives the songs more emotion and feeling. On songs like “Every Time I Give The Devil A Ride” and “Good Day To Go Crazy,” we’re reminded what a great guitarist and underrated instrumentalist that Hayes has always been. This was the most underrated album of 2009 for sure.

5. David Nail- I’m About To Come Alive- From the opening bluesy piano opening, it’s obvious that some of the Mississippi delta blues have seeped into David Nail’s version of country music. And that’s a very good thing. With an album that is as autobiographical as it is soulful, Nail is one of the few artists that have taken a theme and chosen/written songs to fit that or any theme from near start to finish.

4. Holly Williams- Here With Me- It’s almost impossible to disconnect the Williams legacy from this new young artist. What she brings to the table is much of her grandfather’s touch with a song. Her voice, while beautiful, has a unique ability to convey the nuances of feeling including sadness, genuine hurt, joy and disappointment. It’s a very emotional sound- most notable through her slower and quieter songs. This emotive songstress channels the very best of her musical legacy on nearly every song- drawing the listener in with some of the best melancholy textured ballads released this year. Each song has roots to her soul.

3. Miranda Lambert- Revolution- On Revolution we have witnessed the birth of a real artist and one of the true treasures of Nashville. Miranda's spunky Texas tongue-in-cheek sarcasm is alive and well on "Only Prettier," “White Liar” and "That's the Way the World Goes Round." She is and can still be a badass at times- “Time To Get A Gun” and "Sin For A Sin." But this album marks the first time we really get a feeling of the softer side of Lambert. Her incredibly emotive voice, from the wistful whispers to the highest belted notes, shine an emotion previously unseen on tracks like “Virginia Bluebell,” “Dead Flowers,” and “Maintain The Pain.”

2. Jason Eady- When The Money’s All Gone- It’s the songwriting and song selection that gets the highest marks on this incredible album. Each song is as socially relevant with a theme drawn out from the tough times we're living in. One of our favorite tracks of the year is the outstanding, classic story-song "Promises In Pieces." Filled with fiddle and steel guitar, the song tells the confessional and somberly haunting tale of someone who shoots a teller during a bank robbery and whose friend, the only friend that continues to give him second chances, takes the fall for the crime and is hanged. Positively haunting songwriting on nearly every song.

And the top album of the year goes to…

1 . Eric Church- Carolina- A little more edgy and bordering on the Gary Allan Bakersfield sound (a compliment), it’s a full layered sound that compliments his everyman’s voice. It leans rock without ever leaving a true country sound. The album features one of our favorite songs of 2009- “Lotta Boot Left To Fill.” Channeling his inner outlaw, Church slams boy bands, challenges Nashville’s music soul, tells us “I don’t think Waylon done it that way” and “You sing about Johnny Cash, the Man in Black would’ve whipped your ass.” There’s legitimacy to every song on the album- evident as each was written or co-written by his pen. Five great rockers, five ballads, and two somewhere in between- each of them feel like they’re legitimately “owned” by Church.

Bryan White - Dustbowl Dreams

By: Matt Bjorke

Last Updated: November 30, 2009 1:11 PM

After releasing five albums in the 1990s, Bryan White took a break from music to be with his family.  In that time the singer became a much stronger songwriter and the proof of his growth is present on this album, the first release from Bryan since his Greatest Hits album from the year 2000.  Dustbowl Dreams features a more thoughtful artist than when we last heard from him and this is evident on the album's lead single “The Little Things,” a song that finds Bryan ruminating on all the simple pleasures that get him through the day, singing: “It’s the little things that mean the world to me.”  Melodically the song is firmly contemporary but the mandolin and fiddle are clearly in the mix as is the steel guitar.  These production flourishes remind folks that Bryan White has been and always will be a country artist; in fact he may be more ‘traditional’ than quite a few artists who are making music these days.

“Get It Together” recalls the tempo-filled hits of songs like “So Much For Pretending” yet somehow this Derek George & Darryl Burgess-penned track feels extremely joyful and just plain fun.  “When You Come Around” is a painful song to listen to and this song, perhaps more than any other track on Dustbowl Dreams showcases Bryan White’s songwriting more than anything.  The song, with gentile piano, fiddle and mandolin notes guiding the melody, finds Bryan bearing his soul about the relationship he wishes he had with his alcoholic father.  The pain in the lyric is evident while Bryan retains the same hopeful outlook that all children have for their parents.  This is country music folks, bearing your soul for the entire world to hear in the hopes that this ‘cheap therapy’ can help heal a wound or two.  It also shows that ‘stars’ aren’t immune to the same thoughts and feelings as the ‘every day person’ is.

The title track of the record is a sweet reminder of the power of home and where we grow up and how it has affects our life, even when we don’t know it.  The song touches on Bryan’s fast success as a recording artist while also showcasing the strength that he gets from his home state and family.  Bryan admired Steve Wariner for a long time and while they became fast friends in the 1990s, they haven’t recorded together before now, on the track “Hands of Time,” a song Steve first recorded a decade ago.  The song not only is a duet but it also features Wariner on lead guitar.   The song is a fun track that would sound great on the radio, if given the chance.  “Beautiful Place” feels like something you might hear on a Kenny Chesney record with the conga drums and the general summery melody but the lyrics find Bryan singing about how he doesn’t need those islands and to ‘escape’ as the woman in his life is that for him.

While Bryan’s commercial (mainstream) career with Asylum/Warner Brothers Records was ending in 2000, his personal life was getting stronger and better.  That personal life centered around his wife Erika Page, an actress.  Their relationship has continued to grow has given the artist the confidence to return with this album.  Bryan serenades his wife on “Erika’s Song.”    The album ends with a co-write with one of my personal favorite songwriters, Marcus Hummon.  The song is “On My Own (Hymn of the Road)”  and it tells the story of a musician who leaves home to find stardom only to realize that you can go home again (before setting off again).  It’s a fitting end for Dustbowl Dreams and a wonderful reminder that even after all these years, Bryan White has come back to country music and sounds recharged, refreshed and, if this record is any indication, ready to bring more great music to fans for years to come.

Bryan White co-wrote 8 of the 10 tracks on this album.

The Tennessean

By:  Cindy Watts

 

When the White family gets back, Bryan will once again get busy telling people about Dustbowl Dreams. The CD is Bryan's first of new material in about 10 years.

 

"In the last few years I've taken time off, and this is a result of all this time off," said the singer. "I think anyone who is a fan is going to hear something familiar on this CD, but it's a lot heavier subject matter. The struggles and the joys of life, that's what I wrote about and that's what this record is about."

 

The CD is available at www.bryanwhite.com and wherever digital music is sold.

 

The singer has two Nashville shows coming up. He'll play a handful of acoustic songs on Dec. 2 at Mercy Lounge as part of Compassion's Benefit For The Global Food Crisis (alongside Blaine Larsen, Julie Roberts and others; $10 tickets are available through TicketWeb.com), and he'll stop on Dec. 8 at Bluebird Cafe for a 9 p.m. benefit show with Micheal Peterson, Rick Barron and Jonathan Cain for the Mary Parrish Center.

 

 

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Bryan and Erika White were dazzling as they walked the red carpet this past week at the 43rd annual CMA Awards show.   Look for a complete "diary" and photo gallery for Bryan and Erika coming next week!

BRYAN WHITE/The Little Things

Writer: Bryan White/Erik Bledsoe/James Dean Hicks; Producer: Bryan White & Derek George; Publisher: Dustbowl Dreamer Music/Pedal Down/Sally  Pretzel  Music/On the Mantel Music, ASCAP/BMI; Just a Pup (CDX) (www.bryanwhite.com)

—Where has this guy been? His return to disc is a sweet, romantic outing with swirling breezes of steel, organ, fiddle, acoustic guitar and piano. His tenor vocal wafts right along.

 

-Music Row Disclaimer 10/28 2009

From The Boot

by Stephen L. Betts

Bryan White is giving away autographed copies of his new album, 'Dustbowl Dreams' as a way to say thank-you to people who share their personal stories about how breast cancer has affected their lives. The free album will be offered to those whose submitted stories are chosen at GivMusic.com. Stories will be selected until the end of Oct. 2009.

Because 'Dustbowl Dreams' was an album inspired by Bryan's ancestors, he says it was important for him to use this music for the greater good, and collaborating with Givmusic was the perfect fit.

"Creating awareness and inspiring fans with stories of hope through music is what it's all about to me," says the singer. "I'm proud to give back and share my music with those whom have braved breast cancer. It is an honor and I'm thankful to work with Givmusic to show my support."

To share your story of breast cancer, visit www.givmusic.com. You will be entered to win a free copy of Bryan White's 'Dustbowl Dreams.' Stories will be posted on the site until the end of October.

GivMusic links music lovers, music makers and causes by first giving music lovers a gift and asking that they share it with friends. The organiztion encourages fans to be inspired by the stories and to support a cause and an artist of their choice. Artists and labels are asked to share free music and to pick a cause about which they are passionate, with their music being used to benefit the cause.

THAT NASHVILLE SOUND - REVIEW by Ken Morton, Jr.

The Background:
Best known for a battery of soft country-pop and ballad hits in the late 1990’s, Bryan White’s brand new album, Dustbowl Dreams, comes exactly ten years after his previous solo release. White has charted seventeen singles on the Billboard country charts, of which four reached Number One: "Someone Else's Star" in 1995; "Rebecca Lynn" and "So Much for Pretending," both in 1996; and "Sittin' on Go" in 1997. He was also a duet partner on the album version of Shania Twain's 1998 single "From This Moment On", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The new album is infused with stories about real life, coupled with pocket-grooves, rootsy acoustic parts and soaring pop-country melodies. But the underlying theme is never forgetting your roots; which, for White, is his Oklahoma pride. “The song 'Dustbowl Dreams' was inspired by my pride as an Oklahoman, my fascination with my lineage and history, and identifying with the grit, soul, and spirit of Oklahomans, especially during the Great American Dustbowl. I love to think of myself as a product of their perseverance. Dustbowl Dreams is, in essence, the American dream.”

The Review:
With ten years passing since a last album, you would wonder what might happen to an artist’s style and sound during that window of time. For Bryan White, he has stayed to his strengths on Dustbowl Dreams and not gone away from the country music that made him a success the first go-around. In a genre that is stereotyped by rough and tumble cowboys, White has been the poster boy for pretty pop-tinged ballads and tender lyrics. Even today, he’s as far from the Jamey Johnson outlaw movement as one could be. The album opens up on a very strong note. The title track, “Dustbowl Dreams” could be the most eloquent autobiographical song of 2009. As the “son of a son of an auctioneer,” White talks about things like pressing on and perseverance, losing his way, being bruised and cut and carrying on the dustbowl dreams of his family. In three minutes, White has beautifully told his ten year story. It’s truly a treasure of a song. The song even ends on a personal note- an old clip of his grandfather being introduced as an auctioneer and then auctioning off some piece of farm life. “The Little Things” is the first song being released to radio. It reminds of “Rebecca Lynn”- a beautiful ballad a dedication to his wife with thanks for all the blessings in his life from post-it notes left from his wife to little babies. “When You Come Around” is another piano/acoustic guitar ballad with beautiful instrumentalization, this one more melancholy song about a son’s plea for his father to leave the bottle behind in favor of his family. “Erika’s Song,” named for his actress wife, is an orchestrated song with lots of strings and has just the right amount of syrup and sappiness without gushing too sweetly. The result is a beautiful gift of love in a song. Where the album slips a bit is in the up-tempos like “Say When” and “Get It Together.” That is, all the up-tempos with one big outstanding exception- “Hands of Time.” It is a FANTASTIC duet with his mentor, Steve Wariner, about getting slapped around by the hands of time. With call-outs to car pool moms, traffic jam victims, cell phone talking drivers and girls putting on make-up in the car, it’s a fun raucous good time with outstanding guitar work by Wariner and White. Overall, it’s a terrific return to form by an artist we now know why we missed.

Sounds Like:
Steve Wariner & Chuck Wicks

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Dustbowl Dreams
The Little Things
When You Come Around
Hands Of Time
Erika’s Song

The Verdict:
Four Stars Out Of Five

CountryMusicIsLove.com

Bryan White (”Rebecca Lynn,” “Someone Else’s Star”) is back on the country music scene, and according to his fans, he’s better than ever!

After taking some time off to start a family, Bryan has been back to work writing and recording new music. He has a new album coming out and is out on the road playing his music live for the fans.  His new single, “The Little Things,” (which officially launches Bryan’s comeback) was just released to country radio.

“The Little Things” co-written by White, James Dean Hicks and Erik Bledsoe was inspired by a post-it note and a guitar lick. White explains, “Since back before we were married, sneaking post-it notes to each other has been a big thing with Erika and I. Since day one it’s still a surprise to find one in my bag, my wallet, or even on my steering wheel. During the week it took to write this song, my wife and I went out on a date one night where she handed me a post-it note that read, ‘It’s looking like you’re going to be a Daddy…’ After that, the song finished itself.”

The video for the single is below, and you can even click the link and download the song for FREE! 

His 8th studio album, Dustbowl Dreams, is available now on all digital outlets and BryanWhite.com

You can find Bryan all over the web – his website is currently under construction but while you’re waiting for that to be back up and running, you can become his fan on Facebook, be his friend on MySpace, and follow him on Twitter.

I was a big Bryan White fan a few years back and I love the sound of his new music – who else was a big fan and is glad to see him back?

Thanks so much to Tera for filling us in on Bryan’s new music – we can’t wait to hear more!

TIME LIFE TO RELEASE SONGS FOR COUNTRY WORSHIP

 

That Spotlights An Array Of Country Stars Performing The Greatest Worship Songs; Album Features Live Performances At The Ryman Auditorium With Guest Artists; Including Ricky Skaggs, Richie McDonald, Collin Raye and Bryan White

Time Life will release the highly anticipated project, Songs 4 Worship Country Live, October 27, 2009. Recorded live at the famed Ryman Auditorium, this unique album showcases Country music stars performing the best-loved and most well-known  Praise and Worship songs.  Each tune was personally selected by the artists and the power and passion each one brings to “their” song is guaranteed to move the listener.

Songs 4 Worship Country Live follows Time Life’s highly successful studio album, Songs 4 Worship Country, which debuted in 2007 and has remained on Billboard’s Top Country album chart since its release. The Songs 4 Worship series has sold more than ten-million units since its launch in 2000.

Songs 4 Worship Country Live spotlights remarkable appearances that were recorded last summer on the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.  The location for the concert was a perfect choice since the Ryman originally was a church before it was transformed into the “mother church” of Country music.  The pairing of the two genres of music is a natural given Country gospel roots.  Such popular Country artists as Ricky Skaggs, Richie McDonald, Collin Raye, Bryan White, Susan Ashton and Rebecca Lynn Howard showed their strong Christian backgrounds by delivering powerful, uplifting performances of favorite Praise and Worship songs including; Above All, Holy Is The Lord, Heart Of Worship and the #1 Christian hit, Revelation Song, which has stayed at the top of the Christian radio charts for an incredible thirteen weeks. The live show is enhanced with additional performances from Alabama, Diamond Rio, Alison Krauss & Union Station and a previously recorded live performance by Randy Travis of the Praise and Worship classic, “Open The Eyes Of My Heart.”  

“Praise and Worship music at its very essence is about community,” says Mike Jason, Time Life Senior Vice President.  “This intimate and powerful album gave each artist the opportunity to record in what was originally a place of worship, the Ryman Auditorium.  The place, the artists and music combine to create a very special experience.”

Songs 4 Worship Country Live will be distributed to retail and digital online outlets by WEA, Inc.  The CD will also be available through upcoming Time Life television ads and through the company’s website, www.timelife.com.

Track Listing:

1. How Can I Keep From Singing – Lenny LeBlanc


2. Trading My Sorrows – Palmetto State Quartet


3. Heart Of Worship – Rebecca Lynn Howard and Rachel Robinson


4. Get Up In Jesus’ Name – Collin Raye


5. Indescribable – Collin Raye


6. God Of Wonders – Bryan White


7. Holy Is The Lord – Don Poythress


8. Medley: Lord I Lift Your Name On High/I Love You Lord – Marty Raybon


9. Revelation Song – Susan Ashton


10. Above All – Richie McDonald


11. We All Bow Down – Ricky Skaggs


12. Open The Eyes Of My Heart – Randy Travis


13. There Is A Reason – Alison Krauss & Union Station


14. I Believe – Diamond Rio


15. Amazing Grace - Alabama

From 9513 by Ken Morton, Jr.

 

Native Oklahoman Bryan White knows just enough about Dust Bowls to be an expert. After seventeen singles on Billboard’s Country Charts, a mantle full of country music awards, two platinum records and six number one singles including “Someone Else’s Star” (1995), “Rebecca Lynn” (1996), “So Much for Pretending” (1996) and “Sittin’ on Go” (1997), his music career came up dry.

For the last decade, White has toured intermittently, worked on several small projects and continued songwriting. But most of all, he’s taken some time to take stock of his life and delved headfirst into a family with his wife, actress Erika Page of One Life To Live.

“After a decade of building my career and being on the road so much, I was spent, mentally and physically,” he says. “I knew, I needed to get away and take some time to breathe and do some of the other things I had always dreamed of. I found my true identity, not only as an artist and a songwriter, but as a human being. I realize now that life is an incredible gift and it’s meant to be lived on purpose. Music is a gift and a great vehicle but it’s really about what happens beyond the music for me.”

But the music siren called again and White has answered her by completing and releasing his eighth studio album entitled Dustbowl Dreams last month. The title track could be one of the most autobiographical songs of 2009. As the “son of a son of an auctioneer,” White talks about things like pressing on and perseverance, losing his way, being bruised and cut and carrying on the dustbowl dreams of his family. In three minutes, White tells his ten year story. The song ends with an old clip of his grandfather being introduced as an auctioneer and then auctioning off some piece of farm life.

The 9513 had a chance to sit down with the singer/songwriter and talk about his new project and its inspiration.

KEN MORTON JR.: Why 2009 for Dustbowl Dreams?

BRYAN WHITE: That’s a really good question. For fear of going into way too long of a story, there’s just a lot of things that have gone on in my life in the last few years. 2000 was the last full-on record that I released–it was the Greatest Hits. And during that time, I was pretty spent. I was really worn out. I really dealt with the road well and handled it well, but I needed some time to grow up a little bit. I knew it was time for me to take a break. My label at the time went under. Asylum Records went under. The powers that be at Warner pulled the plug. And we all got flipped over to Warner, so I had all of that going on at the same time. I sort of dealt with some confidence things at the same time as well. The airplay went down. It’s a combination of things. All of those things happened, and I had wanted to get away anyways. So this just kind of prodded it a little more. I always dreamed of having a family and all of that. Several different elements came into pulling me in off of the road and it was an opportunity to say, “Hey, I need a break.” And this might have been God’s way of making me take a break. I spent some time away from it all, all the while maintaining some creativity. I’ve always been a writer. So I continued to write.

I was fortunate enough to have a couple cuts a year for other artists. And I did a small collection of dates each year. I wasn’t in a big hurry to do a new record. I felt like it was okay to just write and stay creative. I would know when the time was right to put another record together. There wasn’t a light bulb that went off in my head to start another record. I just started writing about what was going on in my life. I was just jotting down everything going on in my life and it wasn’t too long before I was writing some heavy subject matter. When I looked up from the paper, I realized that I had written some really good songs here. So I wanted to jump in and do this. I didn’t know where it was going to go, but I didn’t want to focus on looking too far ahead. I wanted to just do a real solid project that was representative of who I am now. Let’s just have fun. I took my time and dealt with the struggles in my life and learned a lot about myself. The reason it took so long was I was sorting out who I wanted to be in my life and doing a lot of soul-searching. Amidst that, I was writing about it. And soon I discovered that writing was a great collection for a record. That’s how it got started.

KMJ: I’ve had the pleasure of listening to it extensively and it’s far more introspective and autobiographical than anything you’ve done previously. Why the decision to do something so much more personal?

BW: Because it’s healing to me. These songs are very therapeutic to me. Now I realize more than ever the importance of writing songs from your own perspective. They’re real. They can help a lot of people but there’s nothing like singing something of your own that you’ve really gone through and continue to struggle with. There’s something powerful about that. There’s something powerful about releasing a record that you didn’t hold back with. You didn’t just cut stuff because it was a hit. You were writing stuff because it meant something to you.

To put that in perspective, I remember how I used to go about making a record. There wasn’t usually any thought about any depth to me. So I would just go around, listen to all the publishers and wait until I heard a melody that I really loved to sing. And oh-by-the-way, it might have some pretty cool lyrics that went along with it. There wasn’t a whole lot to me back then. I was a knucklehead kid that sang good and found songs that were fun to sing. I wasn’t thinking as much about what I was singing about. I wasn’t as nearly as an experienced songwriter back then as I am now, either. It’s really powerful to sing about things that mean something to you. When you can do that, then you’re really reaching people for the first time.

KMJ: Let’s talk about a couple of the specific tracks off of the album. The first song and title track is “Dustbowl Dreams.” That could be the deepest one of the bunch. Tell me about that song.

BW: I dealt with a mild depression with that time off because I was used to having hits and a certain level of success. When I moved to Nashville, I really didn’t have a long sob story. I was very fortunate. When all of that was pulled out from under me, it caused me to implode in a lot of ways. I found myself because of that. When all of that gets taken away from you, you have to really look at who you are and really pick that apart and start finding who you’re really made of. That’s when the character building really starts. Through some of that hiatus, I started identifying better with people–especially my home. Without sounding like a cliché, I really did go back to my roots and got into reading about where I came from. I was looking back through my lineage. I read a book about those that survived the dustbowl. I sort of did a big study for several years about where I’m from and the kind of people I’ve come from. I lost my granddad along the way who was really my father-figure. He was an auctioneer at the stockyard for thirty-something years. He was the only guy I ever saw who really got it done. He was a really hard worker and really loved his kids. He was this jovial man with boots and cowboy hat. He was the perfect image of what a man was when I was growing up.

That sort of put me in a melancholy funk back in 2004 when he started ailing. Those kind of things will put you on a course. I was having struggles and then I lost him, it made me look at myself. A lot of refinement came as a result of losing him and those struggles. But it also inspired me to write about some of those things. That’s really where “Dustbowl Dreams” came out of. It was God just reminding me who I was. I went back and found some confidence in just being an Oklahoman. When people say “Okie” they don’t realize it is a badge of honor for these people. It started out as a derogatory comment, but it ended up being a badge of honor. That’s what it is for me too. I can really identify with the whole dustbowl thing.

KMJ: Although lighter in weight, but just as personal, there’s a duet with your mentor, Steve Wariner on the album. It sounds like a blast was had in the studio. Was it as much fun making the record as it sounds like it did?

BW: It was. Steve is about as good as they come as a person. He’s really been there for me through thick and thin. He was my first major influence as a kid. I heard him sing and that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to emulate that tone and sing like that. For whatever reason, I was fortunate to have our paths cross and become good friends. He’s just a fun guy to be around. He’s very encouraging and is a great writer. You always learn from Steve when you are in a writing scenario. And he’s also an amazing player. He puts on a guitar clinic every time we’re around each other. I’m always asking him questions. We’ve done other duets but I’d never ever done anything for any of my records. We basically just hung out for an entire day tracking this song. It was an absolute blast. When you own a studio and are past all the record exec stuff and don’t have a bunch of suits sitting around you, you can make a record like you always wanted to make it. No clock. No finances. No budget. That was the greatest thing about making music this time–it could be done at our own pace. And that made it fun. Steve was very gracious to take time over to do it. I’m glad it comes across sounding that way to people because it really was that way in the studio. Just fun.

KMJ: If there’s been any criticism to your music over your past, it is that some might say that it has been more lightweight ballad fare. Is that a fair perception or stereotype? How do you see that inside looking out?

BW: As weird as it might sound, I still go back and listen to the old records. A lot of times, if we’re working in a new musician or player to come out with us, I have to go back and listen to that stuff and refresh my memory and listen to the parts so I can be as helpful as possible. And each time, I think to myself, these are still really good songs. Believe it or not, they continue to inspire me. When I get away from them for a while, it makes me come back and think that we did a really good job with these songs. So I am constantly reminding myself that the element of those records need to be in everything I do. Some of it might be a little on default. It’s part of the way that I go about making records. It’s the way I play. The way I sing. But I also think I’ve grown a lot as a singer and as a player. I think I sing a lot smarter. I used to sing for myself, if that makes sense. It was about trying to impress everyone by what I did. It was to impress. Now I really try to be smart when I sing a vocal to be dynamic in the right spots but not on 12 all the way through just so people are wowed. Really, I’m kind of a less is more kind of guy these days. It’s a balance of keeping what people liked about what I do and working it into back into what I do these days.

KMJ: Any aspirations of jumping in front of the camera like your wife?

BW: (Laughing) I don’t aspire to do it per say. But if someone called me and threw a role at me that I thought I could do with the right coaching, yeah, I might try it. But I don’t feel that in my soul there’s an actor screaming to get out.

KMJ: What’s the old saying? “What I really wanted to do is direct.”

BW: Yeah, that’s better. I’d like to sit back and drink coffee and tell somebody else what to do.

KMJ: What is country music to Bryan White?

BW: That’s tough. There’s so many ways to answer it. There’s so many things you think you have a grasp of when you’re younger. We keep going back over this theme with me today. It’s not until you get to certain places in your life when you start appreciating things and understand things and start to figure out what life is about. And by no means do I mean that I’ve figured that out yet. But I think I understand a little more about it after becoming a dad and being hit by some of life’s curve balls and dealing with them. I appreciate country music more in my life than I ever have. I understand the real power behind an honest song. When I’m writing now, I’ll leave something alone when I feel it’s finally something somebody would actually say or something I would say. I don’t try to over-think things.

The best thing about country music is that it is simple and it’s pure. And honest. It’s music of the heartland. It’s middle America. Those are all of things I get much more now. I appreciate country music and the history of it and where it came from. And I appreciate, more than ever, great songwriters. That is a gift. There are those that are extremely gifted with songwriting. And for others it’s hard work. For me, I’m just one of those guys that has something to say but it’s going to take awhile for me to figure out how to say it. Sometimes it’s being around somebody else to help you get there. But I’m grateful. Country music has saved my life in a lot of ways. I don’t mean to be cheesy but it has. To have music in my life is amazing. I really don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t doing these. I’m grateful for all of the things I’ve had a chance to do because of country music. I’m just grateful to be in it.