Ricky Van Shelton |
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Mon. June 05.2000 8:48 AM EDT |
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Ricky Van Shelton Returns With New MusicAcclaimed country singer finds a haven with new label, Audium. by Country Editor Chet Flippo |
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Shelton's Fried Green Tomatoes is Audium's first country CD. ( ) |
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NASHVILLE — Following a career that cooled
off several years ago, award-winning singer Ricky Van Shelton is
back, with an album on Audium, a company giving "second
chances" to worthy but
Shelton is happy to be there and to have a newfound creative freedom. His new album, Fried Green Tomatoes, includes uncompromising material such as his topical "The Decision" (RealAudio excerpt), about the choice to have an abortion, but also includes the traditional "All I Have to Offer You Is Me" (RealAudio excerpt). "I've always said the people at record labels should stay in their offices and leave the artists alone to make the music," Shelton said. "Why stifle the creativity?" If the artist-label fit is good from Shelton's perspective, it's also fine by Nashville's Audium Entertainment, the brainchild of the Dixie Chicks' British manager, Simon Renshaw, and industry veteran Nick Hunter. Audium opened its doors earlier this year with the intention to sign known and talented performers who for whatever reason did not have a home at a record label. Form Over Function? In an industry that champions youth and good looks, talent alone seems unable to carry a country-music career. In addition, any artist who gets a reputation for being independent is branded a troublemaker and considered undesirable. So Audium had a wide field of artists from which to pick. Among their choices were certified pop and rockabilly artist Billy Swan, country legend Loretta Lynn, country-rock wildmen the Kentucky Headhunters, traditional country singer Daryle Singletary, eccentric Oklahoma country-rockers the Tractors and Shelton. "We're proud to have Ricky on Audium," said Hunter, the label's president. "Who wouldn't be? He's one of the best singers country music has had." Shelton came out of Grit, Va., in the mid-'80s with a rich baritone voice and good looks, and it seemed like the sky was truly the limit for him. He signed with Columbia, and his third single to chart, "Somebody Lied," went to #1 on Billboard in 1987. His next five singles also were #1 hits, including his signature song, "I'll Leave This World Loving You." At one point, Shelton was as hot as you can get in country, winning the Country Music Association's Horizon Award (for Most Promising New Artist) in 1988 and Male Vocalist of the Year in 1989. He was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1988. Overall he had 10 #1 Billboard country hit singles and four other top-5 hits from 1987 to 1991 while on Columbia Records — including a duet with Dolly Parton on the #1 "Rockin' Years" in 1991. To that, add three Billboard #1 albums, including Living Proof, which held the top spot for 10 weeks in 1988. Career No-Nos 101: Takin' On The PTBs Things then began to slow down for the country star, especially after his backstage argument with Irving Waugh, the executive who ran the Country Music Association Awards show in 1993. The bone of contention was over cutting the length of Shelton's performance on the show's live telecast, which the singer ultimately refused to do. Waugh summarily dropped him from the show and ordered him, his band and his tour bus to leave the rehearsal immediately. Shelton also had unkind words to say in interviews about country radio consultants. Columbia Records dropped him in 1995. Shelton began a sometime acting career, including a guest spot on "Baywatch," and started writing children's books, most notably the successful "Quacker" series, about, what else, a duck. He also recorded one album himself, on his own Wal-Mart&3150;distributed label. Now Shelton, sporting a shaved head, is on Audium. He said he'd not been looking for a new label before Audium came along. "As a rule of thumb," Shelton said, "radio stations won't play an independent record, no matter how good. They play nothing but what the majors give them. I think it will be different at Audium because of Nick [Hunter] and the people he has working there. Nick has been around and knows the business in and out." Shelton said Hunter convinced him the association would be a good fit. "Nick said, 'You make the record; I'll get it played. You're in the music business. I'm in the record business.' That was real refreshing to me. I've already had a successful run, but I hope this works, regardless of me. Music needs fresh approaches." |
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