Spotlight Artist: Travis Tritt

James Travis Tritt was born in Marietta, Georgia, on 9 February 1963. He started playing guitar and singing at an early age, playing in country and bluegrass bands from his teens. After several years struggling to make it in music with a day job, Travis began working with Warner Bros executive Danny Davenport, who produced a demo album which persuaded Warner Bros to sign the young man in 1988 to a singles deal to test the waters.

His debut single, ‘Country Club’, was a top 10 hit, and resulted in that initial short-term deal turning into a long term contract, and his first album came out in 1990, selling well and producing further big hits including his first #1. In 1991 the CMA gave him the Horizon Award for rising stars; this remains his only major award as a solo performer, although he has won several CMA and Grammy Awards for collaborations. His successful solo career was accompanied by several high-profile duets with Marty Stuart, then also best known as a country rocker, and the two toured together successfully on the No Hats tour, a subtle dig at the identikit ‘Hat Acts” who dominated the charts at that period. He was invited to join the Opry in 1993.

By the end of the 90s the hits had slowed down, and Travis left Warner Bros. But there was still some momentum, and he joined Columbia. He enjoyed renewed success there for a few years, before departing in 2005. He then spent a short period on independent label Category 5, for whom he recorded one album, the R&B influenced The Storm, before the label closed down under a cloud. Sadly, he has not recorded since, although he continues to perform, and is currently on an acoustic tour.

He brought a rocking sound with a strong Southern Rock influence which was different from his peers’ music, while also being an underrated balladeer and talented songwriter. He has enjoyed over thirty hits on Billboard, five of them hitting the top spot. The diversity he brought to country airwaves was matched by his talent. We’ll be looking back at his career this month.

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