Tracy Lynn Byrd (born December 17, 1966) is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1992, Byrd broke through on the country music scene that year with his 1993 single "Holdin' Heaven", which reached Number One on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. Although he did not land a second Number One until 2002's "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo", Byrd has charted more than thirty hit singles in his career, including eleven additional Top Ten hits. He has also released ten studio albums and two greatest-hits albums, with four gold certifications and one double-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. He was the on-air spokesman for the TNN Outdoors block from 1998 to 2000.
Biography
Tracy Lynn Byrd was born December 17, 1966. He is the eldest child of Jerry Lynn and Brenda Vaughn Byrd. Tracy Byrd graduated from Vidor High School in May 1985. His first college experience was at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. He began studying business at Texas State University (then called Southwest Texas State). While studying he sang with a local band in Beaumont called Rimfire led by Jeffrey Adams and Dave Adams, a band that also featured acts such as Mark Chesnutt.
One of his friends coaxed him into singing a cover of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" at a local mall recording studio. The owner of the studio was so impressed with his version that he entered Byrd into a local talent contest. Byrd signed with MCA Records in 1992.
Music career
1992–1999: MCA Records
Tracy Byrd
Byrd released his first single, "That's the Thing About a Memory", in 1992. Although it and follow-up "Someone to Give My Love To" (previously a single in 1971 for Johnny Paycheck) both missed Top 40, he broke through in 1993 with the Number One hit "Holdin' Heaven". MCA had not originally planned to issue this song as a single, until Byrd commented that it had been receiving favorable reactions when he sang it in concert.
Love Lessons
His third album, 1995's Love Lessons, showed a decline in both chart performance and physical sales, became the first single. This song was added to the album, which was originally to be titled Walkin' the Line, after the rest of the album had already been completed. It also became his ninth Top 10 hit by reaching No. 3 in early 1998 and his first No. 1 on the RPM Country Tracks charts in Canada. Only one other single, the No. 9 hit "I Wanna Feel That Way Again", was released from the album.
In 1999, Byrd then released a greatest-hits package entitled Keepers: Greatest Hits, which is certified gold. This album was led off by the No. 31 single "When Mama Ain't Happy" before he left the label.
1999–2004: RCA Records
It's About Time
In 1999, Byrd signed to RCA Records Nashville. Working with producer Billy Joe Walker Jr., he released his sixth studio album, It's About Time, that year. This album featured a more country pop sound than its predecessors,
In 2003 Byrd published Eat Like a Byrd: The Tracy Byrd Cookbook. He also launched a line of spices, rubs, and marinades to go along with it, called "Tracy Byrd's Tiny Town Products"; a portion of these sales were donated to the Children's Miracle Network.
On December 28, 2012, he performed "Amazing Grace" at the memorial service for KFDM news anchor Bill Leger.
Discography
Studio albums
- Tracy Byrd (1993)
- No Ordinary Man (1994)
- Love Lessons (1995)
- Big Love (1996)
- I'm from the Country (1998)
- It's About Time (1999)
- Ten Rounds (2001)
- The Truth About Men (2003)
- Different Things (2006)
- All American Texan (2016)
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
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|1994
|Tracy Byrd
|Favorite Country New Artist
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TNN/Music City News Country Awards
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|1995
|Tracy Byrd
|Male Star of Tomorrow
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|1996
|"The Keeper of the Stars"
|Single of the Year
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Academy of Country Music Awards
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|1996
|"The Keeper of the Stars"
|Song of the Year
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|2004
|"The Truth About Men"
|Vocal Event of the Year
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|}
Country Music Association Awards
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|1995
|"The Keeper of the Stars"
|Single of the Year
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|-
|2003
|"The Truth About Men"
|Vocal Event of the Year
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