LHS grad shares award with Carrie Underwood
Longview High School graduate Mark Bright shared an award Tuesday night with Carrie Underwood when the song he produced, "Jesus, Take the Wheel," won Single Record of the Year at the American Country Music Awards.
Bright, who also was nominated for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year, recognized his family and his hometown.
"I just want to thank my mom and dad back in Longview, Texas, my beautiful wife, my kids," Bright said onstage at the awards.
Bright's parents, Jean and Delbert Bright, moved to Longview in 1964. He attended Bramlette Elementary School and Judson Middle School.
In a phone interview, Bright said he has always loved music. He plays the drums, guitar and the piano.
"I was in several rock bands as a kid, probably to my parents' chagrin," he said.
After graduating from high school, Bright briefly attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. He moved to Nashville in 1981 to attend Belmont University.
"Like thousands of others, I dreamed of becoming a record producer," he said.
A record producer's many roles include coaching performers, supervising recording sessions and overseeing the mixing and mastering of albums.
Bright worked for a while in music publishing and as a sound engineer, doing what he described as "getting to know the business."
He got his "break" in producing with the country band BlackHawk. From BlackHawk, Bright began producing Rascal Flatts.
He produced the first three albums with Rascal Flatts. Even though he is no longer their producer, Bright noted they are probably the "biggest name" in today's country music.
His success led Arista New York to contact him about producing for Carrie Underwood, the first country singer to win American Idol. He said he produced seven songs on her debut CD "Some Hearts." They plan to begin work on a new album late this fall.
Bright also produces for Sara Evans, who won the Top Female Vocalist award last night.
Bright said he and his wife, Anna, try to come to Longview with their children, Onaly and David, as often as they can. He said that his entire family lives here.
"I love Longview," he said in a telephone interview. "It always comes down to the basics, like where you are from."
His parents watched the award show as it aired. "We were thrilled to death when they called the winner," Delbert Bright said.
Bright, who also was nominated for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year, recognized his family and his hometown.
"I just want to thank my mom and dad back in Longview, Texas, my beautiful wife, my kids," Bright said onstage at the awards.
Bright's parents, Jean and Delbert Bright, moved to Longview in 1964. He attended Bramlette Elementary School and Judson Middle School.
In a phone interview, Bright said he has always loved music. He plays the drums, guitar and the piano.
"I was in several rock bands as a kid, probably to my parents' chagrin," he said.
After graduating from high school, Bright briefly attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. He moved to Nashville in 1981 to attend Belmont University.
"Like thousands of others, I dreamed of becoming a record producer," he said.
A record producer's many roles include coaching performers, supervising recording sessions and overseeing the mixing and mastering of albums.
Bright worked for a while in music publishing and as a sound engineer, doing what he described as "getting to know the business."
He got his "break" in producing with the country band BlackHawk. From BlackHawk, Bright began producing Rascal Flatts.
He produced the first three albums with Rascal Flatts. Even though he is no longer their producer, Bright noted they are probably the "biggest name" in today's country music.
His success led Arista New York to contact him about producing for Carrie Underwood, the first country singer to win American Idol. He said he produced seven songs on her debut CD "Some Hearts." They plan to begin work on a new album late this fall.
Bright also produces for Sara Evans, who won the Top Female Vocalist award last night.
Bright said he and his wife, Anna, try to come to Longview with their children, Onaly and David, as often as they can. He said that his entire family lives here.
"I love Longview," he said in a telephone interview. "It always comes down to the basics, like where you are from."
His parents watched the award show as it aired. "We were thrilled to death when they called the winner," Delbert Bright said.
Carrie Underwood fan @ 6:27 AM
0 Comments about Carrie Underwood:
Post a Comment
<< Home