Billy Currington
Encyclopedia
William Matthew "Billy" Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington
Billy Currington (album)
-Personnel:*Eddie Bayers - drums*Stuart Duncan - fiddle*Paul Franklin - steel guitar*Brent Mason - electric guitar*Gordon Mote - keyboards on "Off My Rocker"*Gary Prim - keyboards*John Wesley Ryles - background vocals*W. David Smith - bass guitar...

, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right
Doin' Somethin' Right
Doin' Somethin' Right is the second solo album by country singer Billy Currington. Released in 2005 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three singles in "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Why, Why, Why", and "Good Directions", which peaked at No. 1, No. 13 and No. 1, respectively, on...

, 2008's Little Bit of Everything
Little Bit of Everything
-Album:-End of year charts:-Singles:-Certifications:- External links :*...

, and 2010's Enjoy Yourself
Enjoy Yourself (Billy Currington album)
Upon its release, Enjoy Yourself received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...

. These four albums have produced nine singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 charts, including six #1 hits "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right
Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right
"Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" is a single by American country music singer Billy Currington that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was the first single from Currington's 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right.-Chart performance:...

", "Good Directions
Good Directions
"Good Directions" is the title of a song written by Luke Bryan and Rachel Thibodeau, and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in September 2006 as the third and final single from Billy's 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right and his second Number One hit...

", "People Are Crazy
People Are Crazy
"People Are Crazy" is the title of a song written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones. It was recorded by American country artist Billy Currington, who released it in early 2009 as the second single from his third studio album, 2008's Little Bit of Everything. The song is Currington's ninth single on...

", "That's How Country Boys Roll
That's How Country Boys Roll
"That's How Country Boys Roll" is a song recorded by country music artist Billy Currington for his 2008 album Little Bit of Everything. It was released as the album's third single in September 2009...

", "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer
Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer
"Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer" is the title of a song written by Troy Jones and recorded by American country artist Billy Currington. It was released in May 2010 as the lead-off single to Currington's fourth studio album entitled Enjoy Yourself.-Content:...

", and "Let Me Down Easy
Let Me Down Easy
"Let Me Down Easy" is the title of a song written by Mark Nesler, Jennifer Hanson and Marty Dodson. It was recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington for his fourth studio album, 2010's Enjoy Yourself. The song is Currington's eleventh single release...

". He has also charted as a duet partner on Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...

's single "Party For Two
Party for Two
"Party for Two" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the first single from her 2004 Greatest Hits album. The song was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. Two versions of "Party for Two" were recorded: a pop mix with Mark McGrath and a country version with Billy Currington. The song was...

" and his own non-album single "Tangled Up", for a total of eleven Top 40 hits.

Early life and career

Billy Currington was born in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

, raised in Rincon, Georgia
Rincon, Georgia
Rincon is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,376 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

. He has four sisters (Lexie, Ann, Kim, and Kellie) and two brothers (Charles and Jason). When he was one and a half years old, his mother married Laurie (Larry) Currington. He also has a Chocolate Lab named Paco.

When he was a junior in Effingham County High School
Effingham County High School
Effingham County High School is one of two public high schools located in Effingham County, Georgia, northwest of Savannah. The school was created in 1956 and serves approximately 1900 students in grades 9-12 in the Effingham County School District...

 (Springfield, Georgia
Springfield, Georgia
Springfield is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,520 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Effingham County .Springfield is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

), Currington auditioned for a spot at Opryland
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...

, the renowned country music theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. Failing the audition, after high school he moved to Nashville to pursue his career in country music. His first stint did not last too long, and he later sang for a bar named Cavalier Country Club in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. In Nashville, Currington also worked for a concrete company, and also as a personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...

. One of the clients he worked with as a personal trainer led Currington to recording demo tapes, as well as writing songs. He eventually had cuts by George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

, Tracy Byrd, and Marty Raybon
Marty Raybon
Marty Raybon Marty Raybon Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959 is an Award Winning American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1996. He recorded his first solo album, Marty Raybon, in 1995 on Sparrow...

. After almost being offered to join RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

, he signed to Mercury Records in 2003.

Billy Currington

His self-titled debut album
Billy Currington (album)
-Personnel:*Eddie Bayers - drums*Stuart Duncan - fiddle*Paul Franklin - steel guitar*Brent Mason - electric guitar*Gordon Mote - keyboards on "Off My Rocker"*Gary Prim - keyboards*John Wesley Ryles - background vocals*W. David Smith - bass guitar...

 was released in 2003. The first single was "Walk a Little Straighter
Walk a Little Straighter
"Walk a Little Straighter" is the debut single of country music artist Billy Currington that reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks, peaking at #8.-Content:The song tells a story of a boy whose father has alcoholism...

" about his relationship with his alcoholic stepfather, including a chorus that Currington wrote when he was twelve years old. "Walk a Little Straighter" went on to peak at #8 that year on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and established Currington as a major Country performer in Nashville. He first hit the Top 5 on the country charts with his second single, "I Got a Feelin'
I Got a Feelin'
"I Got a Feelin'" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by American singer Billy Currington. It is the second and final single from his 2003 debut self-titled album. The song reached a peak of #5 on the U.S. country singles charts in mid-2004.-Critical reception:Jeffrey B...

", also from his debut album.

He scored a third consecutive top 10 hit with Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...

 in late 2004, on the song "Party for Two
Party for Two
"Party for Two" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the first single from her 2004 Greatest Hits album. The song was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. Two versions of "Party for Two" were recorded: a pop mix with Mark McGrath and a country version with Billy Currington. The song was...

". The song was from Twain's Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Shania Twain album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by Shania Twain, released in 2004 . The album contains 21 tracks from her three Diamond albums The Woman in Me, Come on Over and Up!. Also included are three new songs: "Party for Two" which hit the top ten at country in the U.S...

album and was released in two formats: a pop version with Mark McGrath
Mark McGrath
Mark Sayers McGrath is an American singer of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in 2010...

 as Twain's duet partner, and the country version, which featured Currington.

Doin' Somethin' Right

In 2005, Currington released a second album entitled Doin' Somethin' Right
Doin' Somethin' Right
Doin' Somethin' Right is the second solo album by country singer Billy Currington. Released in 2005 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three singles in "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Why, Why, Why", and "Good Directions", which peaked at No. 1, No. 13 and No. 1, respectively, on...

, which peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums chart and #11 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

. Doin' Somethin' Right produced his first Number One in "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right
Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right
"Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" is a single by American country music singer Billy Currington that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was the first single from Currington's 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right.-Chart performance:...

", followed by "Why, Why, Why" at #13 and another Number One in "Good Directions
Good Directions
"Good Directions" is the title of a song written by Luke Bryan and Rachel Thibodeau, and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in September 2006 as the third and final single from Billy's 2005 album Doin' Somethin' Right and his second Number One hit...

". Co-written by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 artist Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is an American country singer who debuted in 2007 with the single "All My Friends Say", a Top 5 single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His debut album, I'll Stay Me, was released on Capitol Records in 2007. This album also produced chart singles in "We Rode in...

, the latter was the #2 country song of 2007 according to the Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...

 charts. Doin' Somethin' Right is certified platinum by the RIAA. Doin' Somethin' Right also featured "Lucille
Lucille
Lucille may refer to:* Lucille * Lucille, a 1954 song by Clyde McPhatter with The Drifters* "Lucille" , 1957* "Lucille" , 1977* "Lucille" , 1985...

" which was a song Currington covered from original artist Kenny Rogers.

Little Bit of Everything

On July 19, 2007, Currington announced he had cancelled the rest of his tour dates for the year because of laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....

. His 2007 single, "Tangled Up", peaked at #30 in late 2007, and his third album was delayed. He also had to undergo therapy due to trauma induced by the abuse that he suffered as a child.

He was absent from the charts for nearly a year before the release of his next single, "Don't
Don't (Billy Currington song)
"Don't" is the title of a song written by Jim Beavers and Jonathan Singleton, and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It is the first single from his third studio album, 2008's Little Bit of Everything...

", in mid-2008. It was the first single from his third studio album, Little Bit of Everything
Little Bit of Everything
-Album:-End of year charts:-Singles:-Certifications:- External links :*...

, which was released on October 14. Currington co-wrote five of the songs on this album. "Don't" peaked at #2 on the country charts in early 2009. "People Are Crazy
People Are Crazy
"People Are Crazy" is the title of a song written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones. It was recorded by American country artist Billy Currington, who released it in early 2009 as the second single from his third studio album, 2008's Little Bit of Everything. The song is Currington's ninth single on...

", co-written by Bobby Braddock
Bobby Braddock
Robert Valentine Braddock is an American country music songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit songs during more than 40 years in the industry, including 13 number-one hit...

 and Troy Jones, was released as the second single from the album in March 2009 and this became his third Number One hit in July 2009. The third single to be issued, "That's How Country Boys Roll
That's How Country Boys Roll
"That's How Country Boys Roll" is a song recorded by country music artist Billy Currington for his 2008 album Little Bit of Everything. It was released as the album's third single in September 2009...

" became his fourth Number One hit in March 2010. The song was the first that Billy shared writing credit on to reach Number One.

On August 1, 2009, Billy Currington suffered a concussion at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta
Camrose, Alberta
Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...

 after the stage on which he was performing collapsed during a massive wind storm that also injured Currington's bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

ist and killed a spectator.

Enjoy Yourself

In May 2010, he released his tenth solo single overall, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer
Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer
"Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer" is the title of a song written by Troy Jones and recorded by American country artist Billy Currington. It was released in May 2010 as the lead-off single to Currington's fourth studio album entitled Enjoy Yourself.-Content:...

", which hit #1 in September. Also written by Troy Jones, it was the first single from his fourth studio album, entitled Enjoy Yourself
Enjoy Yourself (Billy Currington album)
Upon its release, Enjoy Yourself received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...

---which was released on September 21, 2010. The album's second single "Let Me Down Easy
Let Me Down Easy
"Let Me Down Easy" is the title of a song written by Mark Nesler, Jennifer Hanson and Marty Dodson. It was recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington for his fourth studio album, 2010's Enjoy Yourself. The song is Currington's eleventh single release...

" went to radio on October 4, 2010 and reached #1 in 2011. The album's third single "Love Done Gone
Love Done Gone
"Love Done Gone" is the title of a song co-written by Shawn Camp and Marv Green, and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in April 2011 as the third single from his 2010 album Enjoy Yourself and his twelfth single overall.-Background and writing:Camp told...

" released to country radio on April 18, 2011. The album's fourth single "Like My Dog" released to country radio on October 10, 2011.

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Result
2006 CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...

Hottest Video of the Year — "Must Be Doin' Something Right"
2010 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

Male Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance was awarded between 1965 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...

 — "People Are Crazy"
Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...

Single Record of the Year — "People Are Crazy"
Song of the Year — "People Are Crazy"

External links

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