Lionel Cartwright
Encyclopedia
Lionel Cartwright is an American country music
artist. Between 1988 and 1992, Cartwright charted twelve singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, including a Number One single in 1991's "Leap of Faith
". He also charted in the Top Ten on the same chart with "Give Me His Last Chance", "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" and "My Heart Is Set on You". Cartwright has also released three studio albums, all on MCA Records
.
, but he was raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia
. Cartwright was interested in music from an early age. He first took piano lessons as a child, before going on to master guitar and eight other instruments. Lionel first performed publicly at age ten in community gatherings. He also went on to serve as performer, arranger and musical director on The Nashville Network
's musical sitcoms
I 40 Paradise
and Pickin' at the Paradise.
Later on, Cartwright moved to Nashville, Tennessee
and worked as a demo singer. He was eventually spotted by Tony Brown
, a producer at MCA Records
, while performing in Knoxville, Tennessee
. Brown thought that Cartwright needed more experience before being signed to a record deal, and by 1986, Cartwright was signed to MCA.
Cartwright's self-titled
debut album was released in 1989 under the production of Tony Brown
. Lead-off single "You're Gonna Make Her Mine" charted at #45 on the country charts, followed by three straight Top 20 hits: "Like Father, Like Son" at #14, "Give Me His Last Chance" at #3 and "In My Eyes" at #12. Cartwright wrote nine of the album's ten songs, and played guitar
, fiddle
, piano
and mandolin
on it.
His next album, I Watched It on the Radio
, followed in 1990. It was led off by the #8 "I Watched It All (On My Radio)", which he co-wrote with Don Schlitz
. After it came the #7 "My Heart Is Set on You" and #31 "Say It's Not True". The album was also his highest peak on Top Country Albums, at #21. Brown produced this album as well.
Chasin' the Sun
was the title of his third and final MCA release, which was issued in 1991. Unlike with his first two albums, Cartwright worked with several producers and studio musicians. Although the album produced his only Number One country hit in its lead-off single "Leap of Faith", the other two singles were not as successful: "What Kind of Fool" reached #24 and "Family Tree" missed the Top 40, with a #62 peak. After the latter, he charted two more singles ("Be My Angel" and "Standing on the Promises") which were never included on an album, and left MCA in 1992.
Since exiting MCA, Cartwright has composed themes for television series, including 30 Minute Meals
. He currently serves as the Worship Pastor at Hope Park Community Church in Nashville.
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. Between 1988 and 1992, Cartwright charted twelve 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 Singles & Tracks charts, including a Number One single in 1991's "Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith (Lionel Cartwright song)
"Leap of Faith" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music singer Lionel Cartwright. Released in June 1991 as the first single from his third studio album , the song became his only Number One country hit in September of that year.-Critical reception:A Miami Herald review...
". He also charted in the Top Ten on the same chart with "Give Me His Last Chance", "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" and "My Heart Is Set on You". Cartwright has also released three studio albums, all on MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
.
Biography
Cartwright was born on February 10, 1960 in Gallipolis, OhioGallipolis, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,180 people, 1,847 households, and 1,004 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,156.2 people per square mile . There were 2,056 housing units at an average density of 568.7 per square mile...
, but he was raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia
Glen Dale, West Virginia
Glen Dale is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,552 at the 2000 census...
. Cartwright was interested in music from an early age. He first took piano lessons as a child, before going on to master guitar and eight other instruments. Lionel first performed publicly at age ten in community gatherings. He also went on to serve as performer, arranger and musical director on The Nashville Network
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
's musical sitcoms
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
I 40 Paradise
I 40 Paradise
I 40 Paradise was a 30 minute daily cable TV sitcom on the Nashville Network. Running from 1983 to about 1986, it made television history by becoming the first sitcom to produce an entire episode in a single day...
and Pickin' at the Paradise.
Later on, Cartwright moved to 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...
and worked as a demo singer. He was eventually spotted by Tony Brown
Tony Brown (record producer)
Tony Brown is an American country music record producer.He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.Brown played piano for Elvis Presley. He toured with the TCB Band for much of Presley's final two years and was a part of the 1976 "Jungle Room" recording sessions at Graceland...
, a producer at MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, while performing in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. Brown thought that Cartwright needed more experience before being signed to a record deal, and by 1986, Cartwright was signed to MCA.
Cartwright's self-titled
Lionel Cartwright (album)
Lionel Cartwright is the self-titled debut album from American country music singer Lionel Cartwright. It was released in March 1989 on MCA Records. The album includes the singles "You're Gonna Make Her Mine", "Like Father, Like Son", "Give Me His Last Chance" and "In My Eyes"...
debut album was released in 1989 under the production of Tony Brown
Tony Brown (record producer)
Tony Brown is an American country music record producer.He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.Brown played piano for Elvis Presley. He toured with the TCB Band for much of Presley's final two years and was a part of the 1976 "Jungle Room" recording sessions at Graceland...
. Lead-off single "You're Gonna Make Her Mine" charted at #45 on the country charts, followed by three straight Top 20 hits: "Like Father, Like Son" at #14, "Give Me His Last Chance" at #3 and "In My Eyes" at #12. Cartwright wrote nine of the album's ten songs, and played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
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...
on it.
His next album, I Watched It on the Radio
I Watched It on the Radio
I Watched It on the Radio was the second album released by country music artist Lionel Cartwright. Singles released from this album and their performance on the Hot Country Songs chart included, "I Watched It All " , "My Heart Is Set on You" , and "Say It's Not True"...
, followed in 1990. It was led off by the #8 "I Watched It All (On My Radio)", which he co-wrote with Don Schlitz
Don Schlitz
Donald Alan "Don" Schlitz, Jr. is a country music songwriter. For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz has earned two Grammys, as well as four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards...
. After it came the #7 "My Heart Is Set on You" and #31 "Say It's Not True". The album was also his highest peak on Top Country Albums, at #21. Brown produced this album as well.
Chasin' the Sun
Chasin' the Sun
Chasin' The Sun is the third studio album released by country music singer and songwriter Lionel Cartwright on the MCA label. It contains his only #1 single, "Leap of Faith". Two other singles released from the album, "What Kind of Fool" and "Family Tree", charted at #24 and #62 respectively...
was the title of his third and final MCA release, which was issued in 1991. Unlike with his first two albums, Cartwright worked with several producers and studio musicians. Although the album produced his only Number One country hit in its lead-off single "Leap of Faith", the other two singles were not as successful: "What Kind of Fool" reached #24 and "Family Tree" missed the Top 40, with a #62 peak. After the latter, he charted two more singles ("Be My Angel" and "Standing on the Promises") which were never included on an album, and left MCA in 1992.
Since exiting MCA, Cartwright has composed themes for television series, including 30 Minute Meals
30 Minute Meals
30 Minute Meals is a Food Network show hosted by Rachael Ray. Her first of four shows on Food Network debuted in the fall of 2001. The show specializes in convenience cooking for those with little time to cook. The show is recorded live-to-tape, with Ray doing almost all preparation in real time...
. He currently serves as the Worship Pastor at Hope Park Community Church in Nashville.
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... |
||
| Lionel Cartwright Lionel Cartwright (album) Lionel Cartwright is the self-titled debut album from American country music singer Lionel Cartwright. It was released in March 1989 on MCA Records. The album includes the singles "You're Gonna Make Her Mine", "Like Father, Like Son", "Give Me His Last Chance" and "In My Eyes"... |
|
44 | — |
| I Watched It on the Radio I Watched It on the Radio I Watched It on the Radio was the second album released by country music artist Lionel Cartwright. Singles released from this album and their performance on the Hot Country Songs chart included, "I Watched It All " , "My Heart Is Set on You" , and "Say It's Not True"... |
|
21 | — |
| Chasin' the Sun Chasin' the Sun Chasin' The Sun is the third studio album released by country music singer and songwriter Lionel Cartwright on the MCA label. It contains his only #1 single, "Leap of Faith". Two other singles released from the album, "What Kind of Fool" and "Family Tree", charted at #24 and #62 respectively... |
|
27 | 170 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country 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... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
|||
| 1988 | "You're Gonna Make Her Mine" | 45 | — | Lionel Cartwright |
| 1989 | "Like Father, Like Son" | 14 | 21 | |
| "Give Me His Last Chance Give Me His Last Chance "Give Me His Last Chance" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Lionel Cartwright. It was released in June 1989 as the second single from the album Lionel Cartwright. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart... " |
3 | 7 | ||
| "In My Eyes In My Eyes (Lionel Cartwright song) "In My Eyes" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music Lionel Cartwright. It was released in October 1989 as the fourth and final single from his self-titled album. The song reached number twelve on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:"In... " |
12 | 6 | ||
| 1990 | "I Watched It All (On My Radio) I Watched It All (On My Radio) "I Watched It All " is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music Lionel Cartwright. Released in February 1990, it was the first single from the album I Watched It on the Radio... " |
8 | 14 | I Watched It on the Radio |
| "My Heart Is Set on You My Heart Is Set on You "My Heart Is Set on You" is a single written and recorded by American country music artist Lionel Cartwright. Released in 1990, it was the second aingle from the album I Watched It on the Radio. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... " |
7 | 6 | ||
| "Say It's Not True" | 31 | 29 | ||
| 1991 | "Leap of Faith Leap of Faith (Lionel Cartwright song) "Leap of Faith" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music singer Lionel Cartwright. Released in June 1991 as the first single from his third studio album , the song became his only Number One country hit in September of that year.-Critical reception:A Miami Herald review... " |
1 | 3 | Chasin' the Sun |
| "What Kind of Fool" | 24 | 19 | ||
| 1992 | "Family Tree" | 62 | 90 | |
| "Be My Angel" | 63 | 56 | singles only | |
| "Standing on the Promises" | 50 | 89 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Give Me His Last Chance" | Stephen Buck |
| "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" | John Lloyd Miller | |
| 1990 | "Say It's Not True" | |
| 1991 | "Leap of Faith" | |
| 1992 | "Family Tree" | |
| "Be My Angel" | John Lloyd Miller |