Ryan Bingham
Encyclopedia
Ryan Bingham is an Americana (music)
singer-songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, California.
After garnering critical acclaim for his first two studio releases on Lost Highway Records, 2007's Mescalito
and 2009's Roadhouse Sun
, Ryan Bingham went on to collaborate with Grammy-winning producer T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack for the 2009 acclaimed film Crazy Heart
, including notably co-penning & performing the film’s award-winning theme song "The Weary Kind
". The title track earned Bingham an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award
, and Critics' Choice Award for “Best Song” in 2010, as well as a Grammy Award
for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" in 2011. As a result of his monumental year, the Americana Music Association
honored Bingham with the organization's top award in 2010: “Artist of the Year”.
Ryan Bingham joined back up with his band The Dead Horses to release their third studio album Junky Star
on August 31, 2010. The album debuted in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200
Chart & in the Top 10 on the Billboard Rock Album Chart, making Junky Star
Bingham’s highest charting & most successful release to date.
, Bingham was signed to Lost Highway Records, who issued his first major label debut with Mescalito on October 2, 2007, produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford
. Texas Music Magazine has opined that "Bingham talks and sings with a whiskey-and-cigarette throat that screams hard living. Hard in a way that can make a 29-year-old sound like a 50-year-old Tom Waits
."
Bingham spent several years on the rodeo circuit: He began bullriding in his late teens. His family moved several times, from Hobbs to Spring
and Stephenville, Texas
.
Bingham's bandmates, The Dead Horses, are Matthew Smith (drums), Corby Schaub (guitar and mandolin
) and Elijah Ford (bass
). The bass player on Mescalito was Jeb Stuart. They appeared with the Drive-by Truckers
on the PBS show Austin City Limits
in October 2007.
The first single from Mescalito, entitled "Southside of Heaven," was released on November 30, 2007. The next single was entitled "Bread and Water."
On June 2, 2009, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses released their second album titled Roadhouse Sun
via Lost Highway Records. It was once again produced by Marc Ford
.
Bingham performed two songs for the soundtrack of the movie Crazy Heart
, including "I Don't Know," and the theme song, "The Weary Kind
." In addition to these performances, Bingham wrote "The Weary Kind
" and was produced by T Bone Burnett. He also had a small role in the film as Tony. On January 17, 2010, Bingham was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Original Song
for "The Weary Kind" at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. The song won Best Original Song
at the 2010 82nd Academy Awards
, as well as Song of the Year at the 9th Annual Americana Music Association
awards.
Bingham's third major label release, Junky Star
, was released on Lost Highway Records on August 31, 2010.
's Country Show on the BBC's Radio 2
. Daryl Easlea, writing for the BBC's folk and country review, said "Bingham will be one of the names to drop in 2008, with an album that sounds as if it's been unearthed from 1972."
Rolling Stone
magazine gave Mescalito three out of five stars and wrote that Bingham "earns his sepia-toned album cover with a dusty wood-and-steel sound, and despite being twenty-five, sings like Steve Earle
's dad."
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
singer-songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, California.
After garnering critical acclaim for his first two studio releases on Lost Highway Records, 2007's Mescalito
Mescalito (album)
Mescalito is the first studio album by American country rock singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham, released in 2007 through Lost Highway Records and produced by Marc Ford.- Production :...
and 2009's Roadhouse Sun
Roadhouse Sun
-Personnel:*Anthony Arvizu - Percussion, Cymbals, Sound Effects, Tambourine, Producer, Engineer, Drums , Shaker, Mixing*Kevin Bartley - Mastering*Heather Bennett - Assistant Engineer...
, Ryan Bingham went on to collaborate with Grammy-winning producer T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack for the 2009 acclaimed film Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart is a 2009 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. Jeff Bridges plays a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young...
, including notably co-penning & performing the film’s award-winning theme song "The Weary Kind
The Weary Kind
"The Weary Kind" is a country song written by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett for the film Crazy Heart, a 2009 film directed by Scott Cooper starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Colin Farrell and Bridges perform renditions of the song in the film...
". The title track earned Bingham an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
, and Critics' Choice Award for “Best Song” in 2010, as well as a 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...
for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" in 2011. As a result of his monumental year, the Americana Music Association
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a trade organization developed to provide professional support and to promote awareness of Americana music. Toward these ends the organization works with artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others to create networking opportunities and to...
honored Bingham with the organization's top award in 2010: “Artist of the Year”.
Ryan Bingham joined back up with his band The Dead Horses to release their third studio album Junky Star
Junky Star
Junky Star is the third studio album by Ryan Bingham released in 2010 through Lost Highway Records.-Track listing:#"The Poet" – 4:56#"The Wandering" – 3:08#"Strange Feelin' In The Air" - 4:46#"Junky Star" – 4:49#"Depression" – 4:53...
on August 31, 2010. The album debuted in the Top 20 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...
Chart & in the Top 10 on the Billboard Rock Album Chart, making Junky Star
Junky Star
Junky Star is the third studio album by Ryan Bingham released in 2010 through Lost Highway Records.-Track listing:#"The Poet" – 4:56#"The Wandering" – 3:08#"Strange Feelin' In The Air" - 4:46#"Junky Star" – 4:49#"Depression" – 4:53...
Bingham’s highest charting & most successful release to date.
Personal life
Ryan Bingham was born in Hobbs, NM and grew up in Texas. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA.Career
After issuing self released "Wishbone Saloon" and "Dead Horses", the latter distributed by Lone Star MusicLone Star Music
Lone Star Music, also called LSM, is a New Braunfels, Texas-based music company which operates a website drawing half a million visitors a month, as well as a retail outlet in Gruene.-Founding:...
, Bingham was signed to Lost Highway Records, who issued his first major label debut with Mescalito on October 2, 2007, produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford
Marc Ford
Marc Ford , is an American blues-rock guitarist. He's a former lead guitarist of the rock and roll jam band The Black Crowes and the leader of his own bands .-Burning Tree:Ford began his career with the blues-rock outfit Burning...
. Texas Music Magazine has opined that "Bingham talks and sings with a whiskey-and-cigarette throat that screams hard living. Hard in a way that can make a 29-year-old sound like a 50-year-old Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
."
Bingham spent several years on the rodeo circuit: He began bullriding in his late teens. His family moved several times, from Hobbs to Spring
Spring, Texas
Spring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
and Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
.
Bingham's bandmates, The Dead Horses, are Matthew Smith (drums), Corby Schaub (guitar and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
) and Elijah Ford (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
). The bass player on Mescalito was Jeb Stuart. They appeared with the Drive-by Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
on the PBS show Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
in October 2007.
The first single from Mescalito, entitled "Southside of Heaven," was released on November 30, 2007. The next single was entitled "Bread and Water."
On June 2, 2009, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses released their second album titled Roadhouse Sun
Roadhouse Sun
-Personnel:*Anthony Arvizu - Percussion, Cymbals, Sound Effects, Tambourine, Producer, Engineer, Drums , Shaker, Mixing*Kevin Bartley - Mastering*Heather Bennett - Assistant Engineer...
via Lost Highway Records. It was once again produced by Marc Ford
Marc Ford
Marc Ford , is an American blues-rock guitarist. He's a former lead guitarist of the rock and roll jam band The Black Crowes and the leader of his own bands .-Burning Tree:Ford began his career with the blues-rock outfit Burning...
.
Bingham performed two songs for the soundtrack of the movie Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart is a 2009 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. Jeff Bridges plays a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young...
, including "I Don't Know," and the theme song, "The Weary Kind
The Weary Kind
"The Weary Kind" is a country song written by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett for the film Crazy Heart, a 2009 film directed by Scott Cooper starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Colin Farrell and Bridges perform renditions of the song in the film...
." In addition to these performances, Bingham wrote "The Weary Kind
The Weary Kind
"The Weary Kind" is a country song written by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett for the film Crazy Heart, a 2009 film directed by Scott Cooper starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Colin Farrell and Bridges perform renditions of the song in the film...
" and was produced by T Bone Burnett. He also had a small role in the film as Tony. On January 17, 2010, Bingham was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
for "The Weary Kind" at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. The song won Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 2010 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
, as well as Song of the Year at the 9th Annual Americana Music Association
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a trade organization developed to provide professional support and to promote awareness of Americana music. Toward these ends the organization works with artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others to create networking opportunities and to...
awards.
Bingham's third major label release, Junky Star
Junky Star
Junky Star is the third studio album by Ryan Bingham released in 2010 through Lost Highway Records.-Track listing:#"The Poet" – 4:56#"The Wandering" – 3:08#"Strange Feelin' In The Air" - 4:46#"Junky Star" – 4:49#"Depression" – 4:53...
, was released on Lost Highway Records on August 31, 2010.
Reception
Bingham has appeared as a guest on Bob HarrisBob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
's Country Show on the BBC's Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. Daryl Easlea, writing for the BBC's folk and country review, said "Bingham will be one of the names to drop in 2008, with an album that sounds as if it's been unearthed from 1972."
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine gave Mescalito three out of five stars and wrote that Bingham "earns his sepia-toned album cover with a dusty wood-and-steel sound, and despite being twenty-five, sings like Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
's dad."
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country |
US 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... |
US Rock |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| Mescalito Mescalito (album) Mescalito is the first studio album by American country rock singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham, released in 2007 through Lost Highway Records and produced by Marc Ford.- Production :... |
|
— | — | — | 37 |
| Roadhouse Sun Roadhouse Sun -Personnel:*Anthony Arvizu - Percussion, Cymbals, Sound Effects, Tambourine, Producer, Engineer, Drums , Shaker, Mixing*Kevin Bartley - Mastering*Heather Bennett - Assistant Engineer... |
|
17 | 65 | — | — |
| Junky Star Junky Star Junky Star is the third studio album by Ryan Bingham released in 2010 through Lost Highway Records.-Track listing:#"The Poet" – 4:56#"The Wandering" – 3:08#"Strange Feelin' In The Air" - 4:46#"Junky Star" – 4:49#"Depression" – 4:53... |
|
2 | 19 | 8 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country |
||
| iTunes Live: SXSW |
|
64 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 2010 | "The Weary Kind The Weary Kind "The Weary Kind" is a country song written by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett for the film Crazy Heart, a 2009 film directed by Scott Cooper starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Colin Farrell and Bridges perform renditions of the song in the film... " |
116 | Crazy Heart Crazy Heart (soundtrack) -Limited Deluxe Edition:#"Hold On You"#"Hello Trouble"#"My Baby's Gone"#"Somebody Else "#*Performed by Stephen Bruton#"Somebody Else"#"I Don't Know"#"Wesley's Piano"#*Performed by Thomas Canning#"Fallin' & Flyin'"... (soundtrack) |
| "Depression" | — | Junky Star | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Southside of Heaven" | Anna Axster |
| 2008 | "Bread and Water" | |
| 2009 | "Country Roads" | |
| 2010 | "The Weary Kind" | Danny Clinch |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Crazy Heart Crazy Heart Crazy Heart is a 2009 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. Jeff Bridges plays a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young... |
Tony | Academy Award for Best Original Song Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film... Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:... Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Song World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film The World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film is one of the three main prizes given by the World Soundtrack Academy to honour the best movie soundtracks... |
External links
- Bingham's official website
- Review of Roadhouse Sun from CountryMusicPride.com
- Los Angeles Times article on Bingham
- Interview with AmericanaRoots.com
- Interview with LoneStarMusic.com
- http://www.theeuropean-magazine.com/110-bingham-ryan/112-crazy-heart-soundtrack