Sawyer Brown belong to a rarified class: they parlayed their initial fame as the winners of a televised talent competition into a career that has run successfully for decades. The country band -- as influenced by the Eagles as they were by Merle Haggard -- something of a rarity back in the mid-'80s -- had a burst of hits that coincided with their triumphant appearance on Star Search in 1984. Instead of fading after "Step That Step" reached number one in 1985, the group stuck around in the Billboard Country Top Ten until the dawn of the 21st century, racking up such hits as "This Missin' You Heart of Mine," "The Walk," "Some Girls Do," and "Thank God for You." When the hits stopped in the 2000s, Sawyer Brown stayed on the road, making the occasional lineup change and resurfacing every so often with a new record, such as Desperado Troubadours, a 2024 album produced by their acolyte Blake Shelton. The group originally grew out of country-pop singer Don King's touring band, with guitarist Bobby Randall and drummer Joe Smyth signing on in 1979, and bassist Jim Scholten, keyboardist Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard, and guitarist/future lead singer Mark Miller all arriving in 1980. King stopped touring in 1981, and the group decided to stay together, naming themselves after the Nashville street where they rehearsed. They spent the next two years on the road, and their agent landed them an audition for the popular syndicated talent show Star Search. Sawyer Brown won the grand prize of 100,000 dollars, and it wasn't long before Liberty/Capitol signed them in 1984. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1985, and their debut single, "Leona," climbed into the Top 20; its follow-up, "Step That Step," went all the way to number one, and the album fell one spot short of that same position. Their sophomore album, Shakin', was another hit, producing the Top Five single "Betty's Bein' Bad." The band endured a singles-chart slump over 1986-1987, likely a result of their increasingly slick country-pop production, but they rebounded when "This Missin' You Heart of Mine" went to number two at the end of 1987. Another commercially disappointing period followed, lasting into 1991, but it was interrupted by the Top Five single "The Race Is On," which helped its accompanying album, The Boys Are Back, climb into the Top Five. Following 1991's Buick album, Sawyer Brown parted ways with Liberty and signed with Curb; around the same time, guitarist Randall departed and was replaced by Duncan Cameron. Through it all, they never stopped touring, which helped them maintain a following, and it paid off when "The Walk" went to number two in late 1991. Their first Curb album, The Dirt Road, produced two big hits in the Top Five title track and the band's second number one hit, "Some Girls Do." Their follow-up, 1992's Cafe on the Corner, was acclaimed by many critics as their most consistent, fully realized album, and it gave them three Top Five hits in the title track, "All These Years," and "Trouble on the Line." 1993's Outskirts of Town continued their hot streak, producing two more Top Fives in "The Boys & Me" and "Hard to Say," plus their third number one in "Thank God for You." The band capped off their commercial resurgence with Greatest Hits 1990-1995, a Top Five-selling compilation whose two new tracks, "I Don't Believe in Goodbye" and "This Time," both made the Top Five themselves. Released later in 1995, the Top Ten This Thing Called Wantin' and Havin' It All produced another Top Five smash in "Treat Her Right" and was followed by two albums in 1997: the live Six Days on the Road (another Top Ten seller) and the gospel/CCM record Hallelujah He Is Born. The Top Ten Drive Me Wild arrived in 1999, and its title cut was also a Top Ten hit. Following 2002's poppy Can You Hear Me Now, the group parted ways with Curb and signed a new deal with Disney's country subsidiary Lyric Street. Their allegiance with Lyric Street didn't last a year: by 2005, they were back on Curb, releasing the album Mission Temple Fireworks Stand. Sawyer Brown made a Christian music record with 2008's Rejoice, then took an extended hiatus from the studio after 2011's Travelin' Band. They remained on the road, occasionally weathering a lineup change -- they lost bassist Jim Scholten in 2021 -- but retaining the core band of Mark Miller, Gregg Hubbard, Joe Smyth, and guitarist Shayne Hill, who joined the band in 2004. Producer Blake Shelton steered them back into the studio for Desperado Troubadours, a 2024 album that marked their first album in 13 years. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Kipawa Countryfest 2017

Tanya Tucker

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