Matt King (singer)
Encyclopedia
Matt King is an American country
singer-songwriter
. King was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina
. His mother, a real estate
agent, played piano, and his father, who held jobs as an auctioneer, mason
, and barber
, played bluegrass
guitar. Early in his career he was offered a position at Opryland USA
after an audition. However, he was deep in debt
at the time and had to turn down the offer because he could not afford to move. Some time later, in 1994, he relocated to Nashville
, where he recorded demos and played locally. Producer Gary Morris
heard him perform and got him an audition with Atlantic Records
, who signed him and released his debut in 1997. Soon after he performed at the Grand Ole Opry
in a Johnny Russell
tribute, with Earl Scruggs
, Roy Clark
, Ricky Skaggs
, and Vince Gill
.
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...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. King was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. His mother, a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent, played piano, and his father, who held jobs as an auctioneer, mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, and barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
, played bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
guitar. Early in his career he was offered a position at Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
after an audition. However, he was deep in debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
at the time and had to turn down the offer because he could not afford to move. Some time later, in 1994, he relocated to Nashville
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...
, where he recorded demos and played locally. Producer Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
heard him perform and got him an audition with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, who signed him and released his debut in 1997. Soon after he performed at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in a Johnny Russell
Johnny Russell
John Bright "Johnny" Russell was an American country singer, songwriter, and comedian best-known for his song "Act Naturally", which was made famous by Buck Owens, who recorded it in 1963, and The Beatles in 1965...
tribute, with Earl Scruggs
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
, Roy Clark
Roy Clark
Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
, Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
, and Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
.
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Five O'Clock Hero |
|
| Hard Country |
|
| Rube |
Montage Music Group Montage Music Group was an American independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, specializing in country music. Acts signed to the label include Andy Griggs, Matt King, Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, Little Texas, Minnie Murphy, and The Road Hammers... |
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,... |
|||
| 1997 | "A Woman Like You" | 54 | 45 | Five O'Clock Hero |
| "I Wrote the Book" | 70 | — | ||
| 1998 | "A Woman's Tears" | 46 | 83 | |
| "Five O'Clock Hero" | — | — | ||
| 1999 | "From Your Knees" | 54 | — | Hard Country |
| "Rub It In Rub It In "Rub It In" is a song written and originally recorded by Layng Martine, Jr., and credited as Layng Martine. His version, released on the Barnaby Records label, was produced by Ray Stevens and was a chart single in 1971. Billy "Crash" Craddock covered the song in 1974, on the album Rub It In, taking... " |
54 | — | ||
| 2008 | "Cursing the Ohio" | — | — | Rube |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "A Woman Like You" | Jim Hershleder |
| 1998 | "A Woman's Tears" | Jim Gerik |
| "Five O'Clock Hero" | Steven Goldmann Steven Goldmann Steven Goldmann is a Canadian music video and film director. He has directed over 200 music videos. Goldmann also directed the movies Broken Bridges and Trailer Park of Terror, and has additionally directed several television programs.-1990-1999:... |
|
| 2008 | "Cursing the Ohio" | Traci Goudie |