7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 1/8

Little Big Town

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Little Big Town

Little Big Town performing live on February 28, 2008. (L-

R: Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet,

Kimberly Schlapman)

Background information

Origin Homewood, Alabama, USA

Genres Country

Years active 1998 –present

Labels MercuryNashville, Monument,Equity, Capitol

Records Nashville 

Associated

acts

Clint Black, Jake Owen,Sugarland, Carrie

Underwood,Keith Urban 

Website http://www.littlebigtown.com 

Members Karen FairchildKimberly Schlapman

Phillip Sweet

Jimi Westbrook

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has

comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman,

Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal

harmonies, with all four members alternating as lead singers.[1]

 Westbrook and Sweet also

play rhythm guitar. 

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 2/8

After a recording deal with the Mercury Nashville Records label which produced no singles or

albums, Little Big Town released their self-titled debuton Monument Records in 2002. It

produced two minor country chart singles before the group left the label. By 2005, the group

had been signed toEquity Music Group, an independent record label owned by Clint Black. 

Their second album, The Road to Here, was released that year. Certifiedplatinum in the US, it

produced consecutive Top Ten singles on the country charts in "Boondocks" and "Bring It On

Home".  A Place to Land  is the title of their third album, released in 2007. This album's first

single, "I'm with the Band", was a Top 40 hit on the country charts. Shortly after its release, the

group was transferred to Capitol Records Nashville, which acquired the rights to A Place to

Land  and released "Fine Line" and "Good Lord Willing" as its second and third singles,

respectively. The latter song is new to the re-release. 2010's The Reason Why , their first

release exclusively for Capitol, produced the Top 10 hit "Little White Church", while

2012's Tornado produced their first number 1 hit in "Pontoon".

Little Big Town have charted 14 songs on the Billboard  Hot Country Songs charts. This figure

includes a Christmas single which was made available only as a download, and a live cover of

"Life in a Northern Town" (along with Sugarland and Jake Owen) which charted in 2008 based

on unsolicited airplay.

Contents

[hide] 

  1 Musical career 

o  1.1 Early years 

o  1.2 2000-2002: Little Big Town 

o  1.3 2005-2009: The Road to Here and A Place to Land  

o  1.4 2010-present: The Reason Why , Commercial Success and Tornado 

  2 Tours 

  3 Personal lives 

 4 Musical stylings 

  5 Discography 

  6 Awards and nominations 

o  6.1 CMA Awards 

o  6.2 ACM Awards 

o  6.3 CMT Music Awards 

o  6.4 GRAMMY Awards 

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 3/8

o  6.5 American Country Awards (ACA) 

o  6.6 Teen Choice Awards 

o  6.7 Daytime Emmy Awards 

  7 References 

  8 External links 

Musical career[edit] 

Early years[edit] 

In the mid-90s, Karen sang with the Christian vocal group Truth and was featured as a lead

singer in a few of their songs. She also formed a duo called KarenLeigh with Leigh Cappillino

(from the group Point of Grace). KarenLeigh produced the singles, "Save it For a Rainy Day"

and "This Love Has". In 1987, while attending Samford University in the state of  Alabama, 

singers Kimberly Roads and Karen Fairchild met. Eventually, the two moved to Nashville,

Tennessee, where they reunited and began singing together.[2]

 Jimi Westbrook, a friend of

Fairchild's husband, joined Roads and Fairchild in 1998.[3]

 The three singers began performing

as a trio, eventually rehearsing with Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, both of whom would

eventually become members of the country pop group Rascal Flatts.[2]

 By 1999, Phillip Sweet

was added as the fourth member of the group, which by then had chosen the name Little Big

Town.

2000-2002: Little Big Town[edit] 

Little Big Town's first record deal was with Mercury Nashville Records. The quartet did not

release any singles or albums on the label.[2][3]

 In 2001, they sang backing vocals on Collin

Raye's album Can't Back Down.[4]

 Also, Sweet and Roads co-wrote the song "Back Where I

Belong" on Sherrié Austin's 2001 album Followin' a Feelin' .[5]

 

A second contract, this time with Monument Records Nashville, began in 2002. The band's first

album, Little Big Town, was released that year. It produced the singles "Don't Waste My Time"

and "Everything Changes", which respectively peaked at number 33 and number 42 on the

US Billboard  country charts. Westbrook's father died in 2002, just after the group's first album

was released. Fairchild and Sweet both divorced their respective spouses shortly afterward,and the group exited Monument when the label's Nashville branch was dissolved. The four

members all took up day jobs to earn additional money, although they continued to tour as

well.[2]

 

2005-2009: The Road to Here and A Place to Land [edit] 

In 2005, Little Big Town was signed to Equity Music Group, a label started and partially owned

by country music singer Clint Black.[2]

 Their third single, "Boondocks", was released in May,

peaking at number nine in January 2006. "Boondocks" served as the first of four singles from

the group's second album, The Road to Here, which was released on October 4, 2005. "Bring ItOn Home," the second single from the album, became Little Big Town's first Top 5 hit on the

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 4/8

Hot Country Songs chart. It was followed by "Good as Gone" and "A Little More You", both of

which were Top 20 hits. By the end of 2006, The Road to Here had been certified Platinum in

the United States. Unlike their first album, the group's members co-wrote the majority of the

songs on The Road to Here along with producer Wayne Kirkpatrick. In 2007, the group sang

backing vocals on John Mellencamp's Freedom's Road  album.[6]

 

Little Big Town released  A Place to Land , their third studio album and second with Equity, on

November 6, 2007. Its lead-off single, "I'm with the Band," peaked at number 32 on the

country charts. On April 23, 2008, Little Big Town announced it was leaving Equity for  Capitol

Nashville.[7]

 Shortly afterward, they charted along with Sugarland and Jake Owen on a live

cover of  The Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town". This live recording, taken from

Sugarland's 2007 tour, reached number 28 on the country charts based on unsolicited airplay.

In October 2008, Capitol re-released A Place to Land , which added four new songs, and the

label promoted two further singles from the album in "Fine Line" and "Good Lord Willing."

In the fall of 2008, Little Big Town opened up for  Carrie Underwood on her Carnival RideTour to support the album, before starting their first headlining tour in 2009. Their tour began

in January in Jacksonville, Florida and continued through April.[8]

 

Fairchild recorded a duet with Mellencamp on his 2008 album, Life, Death, Love and Freedom. 

The song, "A Ride Back Home," was released as the album's third single and is accompanied by

a music video. Fairchild also duets with Mellencamp on "My Sweet Love" and appears in its

music video, from the same album.

Little Big Town was nominated for Vocal Group Of The Year for the fourth year in a row on the

2009 CMA Awards. 

2010-present: The Reason Why , Commercial Success and Tornado[edit] 

In March 2010, the group released a new single titled "Little White Church", as the lead-off

single to their fourth studio album and first completely new album on Capitol Nashville, The

Reason Why , which was released on August 24, 2010. "Little White Church" peaked at number

6 on the country charts. The album produced two additional singles in "Kiss Goodbye" and the

title track, but both failed to reach the Top 40 and peaked at number 42 on the Hot Country

Songs chart.

The album's title track was released as a digital single on July 27, 2010, to begin an iTunescountdown to the album release on August 24, 2010. Three further digital singles — "Kiss

Goodbye", "Why, Oh Why", and "All the Way Down" — were released weekly leading up until

the album release. Also, in promotion of The Reason Why , Little Big Town went on tour as an

opening act forSugarland on The Incredible Machine Tour, as well their own The Reason Why

Tour.

Little Big Town's fifth studio album, Tornado, was released on September 11, 2012. It was

produced by Jay Joyce, who is known for producing Eric Church. "Pontoon" was released as the

album's lead single on April 30, 2012, and became their first Number One hit on the Hot

Country Songs chart in September 2012. It also was Little Big Town's highest showing on the

Hot 100, and their first single to receive a Platinum certification. The title track was released as

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 5/8

the album's second single on October 1, 2012. The song debuted at number 47 on Billboard' s

Hot Country Songs chart one week before impact and reached number 2 on the Country

Airplay chart in 2013. At the 55th Grammy Awards, "Pontoon" won the Grammy

Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.[9]

 The album was certified gold by

the RIAA in December 2012.[10]

 

The band joined Rascal Flatts on their Changed Tour, along with Eli Young Band and Edens

Edge, for dates spanning summer 2012. They played at the C2C: Country to Country festival in

London on March 16, 2013.[11]

 

The album's third single, "Your Side of the Bed", was sent to country radio on April 8, 2013.

The band sings background vocals on Ashley Monroe's 2013 single, "You Got Me", featured on

her 2013 release, Like a Rose. Group member Karen Fairchild co-wrote the song with

Monroe.[12]

 The song failed to chart.

The album's fourth single, "Sober", was released September 30, 2013. The band providesharmony vocals on David Nail's 2014 album, I'm a Fire, on the song "When They're Gone (Lyle

County)", co-written by Brett Eldredge. 

Tours[edit] 

  Still Alive in 06 with Keith Urban 

  CMT On Tour: Change for Change Tour 2007 with Sugarland & Jake Owen 

  George Strait 2008 Arena Tour: with George Strait 

  The Waking Up Laughing Tour 2007-2008 with Martina McBride (Leg 1 &3)

  Carnival Ride Tour with Carrie Underwood (Fall Leg)

  A Place To Land Tour with Zac Brown Band and Ashton Shepherd 

  The Incredible Machine Tour 2010 with Sugarland & Randy Montana (Fall Leg)

  The Incredible Machine Tour 2011 with Sugarland, Matt Nathanson & Casey

James (Spring Leg)

  Revolution Continues Tour 2011 with Miranda Lambert (Few Dates)

  The Reason Why Tour 2011

  Changed Tour 2012 with Rascal Flatts, Eli Young Band & Edens Edge 

  Tornado Tour 2013 with David Nail & Kacey Musgraves 

  Light the Fuse Tour 2013 with Keith Urban & Dustin Lynch 

Personal lives[edit] 

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 6/8

Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook married on May 31, 2006, although their marriage was not

disclosed until two months later. The couple welcomed their first child, a son (Elijah Dylan

Westbrook), on March 5, 2010, in Nashville.

Kimberly Roads was married to Stephen Schlapman on November 28, 2006,[13]

 and gave birth

to a daughter (Daisy Pearl Schlapman) on July 27, 2007.[14] She now goes by her husband's lastname, Schlapman.

[15] Kimberly was previously married to Steven Roads, who died from a heart

attack in 2005. He was also the band's lawyer.[16]

 

Phillip Sweet married Rebecca Arthur, a business owner and wardrobe stylist, on March 30,

2007. Arthur gave birth to a daughter (Penelopi Jane Sweet) at 5:47 p.m. CT on December 27,

2007, at the Baptist Hospital in Nashville.[17]

 

Musical stylings[edit] 

Little Big Town's musical stylings are defined by four-part vocal harmonies. Unlike most vocal

groups, Little Big Town does not feature a set lead singer.[3] Instead, their songs are either led

by any one of the four members, or by all four in varying combinations (such as on

"Boondocks" and "Life in a Northern Town").

Discography[edit] 

Main article: Little Big Town discography  

Albums

  2002: Little Big Town 

  2005: The Road to Here 

  2007:  A Place to Land  

  2010: The Reason Why  

  2012: Tornado 

Awards and nominations[edit] 

CMA Awards[edit] 

Year Nominated Work Category Result

2006

Themselves

Horizon Award Nominated

Vocal Group of the

YearNominated

2007 Horizon Award Nominated

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 7/8

Vocal Group of the

Year

Nominated

2008 "Life in a Northern Town"(with Sugarland & Jake

Owen) 

Musical Event of the

YearNominated

2009

ThemselvesVocal Group of the

Year

Nominated

2010 Nominated

2011 Nominated

2012

Won

"Pontoon" 

Single of the Year Won

Music Video of the

YearNominated

2013

Song of the Year Nominated

"Tornado"  Album of the Year Nominated

"Tornado" 

Music Video of the

Year Nominated

ThemselvesVocal Group of the

YearWon

ACM Awards[edit] 

Year Nominated Work Category Result

2006

Themselves

Top New Vocal

Duo/Group Nominated

Top Vocal Group Nominated

2007

Top New Vocal

Duo/GroupWon

Top Vocal Group

Nominated

2008 Nominated

7/27/2019 Little Big Town.docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/little-big-towndocx 8/8

"Life in a Northern Town"(with Sugarland & Jake

Owen)Vocal Event of the Year

Nominated

2009

Nominated

Themselves Top Vocal Group

Nominated

2010 Nominated

2011 Nominated

2013

Won

"Pontoon" Single of the Year Nominated

Tornado Album of the Year Nominated

"Tornado"  Music Video of the Year Won

CMT Music Awards[edit] 

Year Nominated Work Category Result

2006 "Boondocks" Duo/Group Video of the

YearNominated

2007 "Good as Gone"  Group Video of the Year Nominated

2009"Life in a Northern Town"(with Sugarland &

Jake Owen)

Collaborative Video of the

YearNominated

CMT Performance of the

YearNominated

2011 "Little White Church"  Group Video of the Year Nominated

2012 "Fix You" CMT Performance of the

YearNominated

2013

"Pontoon"  Group Video of the Year Nominated

"Tornado"  Video of the Year Nominated