Billy Dean | |
|---|---|
 Dean performing at the Country For Kids concert in 1998 inStafford, Virginia | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Harold Dean Jr.[1] |
| Born | (1962-04-02)April 2, 1962 (age 62) Quincy, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar,fiddle,banjo[2][3] |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | SBK/Liberty,Capitol Nashville, Dreamcatcher, View 2,Curb |
| Website | billydean |
William Harold Dean Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an Americancountry music singer and songwriter.
He first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competitionStar Search. Active as a recording artist since 1990, he has recorded a total of eight studio albums (of which the first three have been certified gold by theRIAA) and a greatest hits package which is also certified gold. His studio albums have accounted for more than 20 hit singles on theBillboard country charts, including 11 Top Ten hits.
In 2000, he had a Billboard Number one as a guest artist along withAlison Krauss onKenny Rogers' "Buy Me a Rose", and had two Number Ones on theRPM country charts in Canada.
Dean was born inQuincy, Florida, on April 2, 1962.[1] His father, also known as Billy Dean, maintained a band called The Country Rocks in his spare time. By the age of 8, Dean began playing in his father's band.[2] Throughout high school, atRobert F. Munroe Day School, he continued to play music, both in his father's band and with other local musicians. He soon began touring in local clubs, and sangFrank Sinatra's "My Way" at his high school graduation.[4]
Dean was also a basketball player in high school, and was offered a scholarship toEast Central Community College inDecatur, Mississippi.[1] He attended college for one year before dropping out in order to pursue his desired career in music.[2] By the time he was 20, Dean made the finals on theWrangler Country Star Search, followed by a Male Vocalist win on the television competitionStar Search six years later.[1] He also worked as a demo singer and took acting lessons, appearing in television commercials forMcDonald's,Chevrolet andValvoline.[2] By the end of the decade, he had signed to a publishing contract withEMI Music, as well as a recording contract withSBK Records, a subsidiary ofLiberty Records.
Dean's first single was "Lowdown Lonely", which did not enter the charts.[5] It was followed by "Only Here for a Little While", the second release from his debut albumYoung Man. This song and its follow-up, "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" (previously recorded byRandy Travis on his 1989 albumNo Holdin' Back[4]) were both No. 3 hits on theBillboard country charts. The latter was also a minor hit on theHot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.Young Man was certified gold by theRIAA.
Dean's self-titledsecond album followed in 1991, and soon earned a gold certification as well. Four singles were released from it: "You Don't Count the Cost", "Only the Wind" and "Billy the Kid" each peaked at No. 4 on the country charts, while "If There Hadn't Been You" was a No. 3 onBillboard, and a No. 1 on both the formerRadio & Records (nowMediabase) country charts in the U.S.[2] and theRPM Country Tracks charts in Canada.
Dean toured withThe Judds on their farewell tour in 1991, he also toured withWynonna Judd andClint Black.[2] He wrote and recorded the theme song to theABC animated television seriesWild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, and hosted a Top 21 countdown onVH1.[2] In 1992, he earned the Top New Male Vocalist award and the Song of the Year award for "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" from theAcademy of Country Music.[2]
Fire in the Dark was the title of Dean's third album. Issued in 1993, it was his third straight gold-certified album, earning that certification from both the RIAA andCRIA.His lead-off single "Tryin' to Hide a Fire in the Dark" peaked at No. 6 in the United States and became his second No. 1 in Canada. Following it were "I Wanna Take Care of You", "I'm Not Built That Way", and a cover ofDave Mason's 1977 pop hit "We Just Disagree". Also in 1993, Dean had an opening slot onAlan Jackson's tour.[2][4]
Following his first three studio albums was agreatest hits album in 1994. This album reprised his first nine singles, as well as a new song, "Once in a While", which Dean wrote and recorded for thesoundtrack to the 1994 film8 Seconds.[2] This song peaked at No. 53 based on unsolicited airplay.
Men'll Be Boys, his final release for SBK/Liberty, came later in 1994. This album was not as successful in sales or chart performance, producing the No. 24 "Cowboy Band" and No. 60 title track. After this album, Dean placed his career on hiatus to raise his children.
Dean returned to the recording studio in 1996 for his fifth album,It's What I Do, onCapitol Records Nashville. This album returned him to the Top Ten with itstitle track and "That Girl's Been Spyin' on Me", which reached numbers 5 and 4, respectively.[4] The final single, a cover ofDon Williams' 1988 single "I Wouldn't Be a Man", fell short of Top 40. He also worked with actress and singerCrystal Bernard on her 1996 debut albumGirl Next Door, in addition to co-writing its debut single "Have We Forgotten What Love Is."[2] Later that year, Dean released a non-charting single, "In the Name of Love", which never appeared on an album. In 1998,Victoria Shaw and several other artists, including Dean, collaborated on the charity single "One Heart at a Time".
Real Man, his sixth album, was issued in mid-1998. This album produced only one Top 40 hit in its title track, followed by "Innocent Bystander" which reached number 68. After this album, Dean exited Capitol's roster. He also took up acting once more, appearing in the minor TV specialsA Face to Kill For andBlue Valley Songbird.[4] In 2000, he andAlison Krauss made guest appearances onKenny Rogers' single "Buy Me a Rose", which reached the top of theBillboard country charts in May of that year. This song was also a Top 40 hit on theBillboard Hot 100, and Rogers' first number 1 single in thirteen years.
A year later, Dean joinedSuzy Bogguss and 12-year-old singerJillian on "Please Keep Mom and Dad in Love," which was issued on Rogers's Dreamcatcher Records, and never included on an album.[4] Although he continued touring, he did not chart again until 2003 with "I'm in Love With You", released on the independent View 2 label. His next release for View 2 was a cover ofJohn Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy".Curb Records took over promotion of this single shortly after its release,[6] and by mid-2004 it reached number 27 on the country charts. Following it was the single "Let Them Be Little", co-written byRichie McDonald ofLonestar and recorded by the band on its 2004 albumLet's Be Us Again. Dean's seventh studio album, also titledLet Them Be Little, was finally issued in late 2004 on Curb.[4] Although "Let Them Be Little" reached a peak of number 8 on the country charts in early 2005, the album's other singles all failed to reach Top 40. AChristmas music album,The Christ (A Song for Joseph), followed in late 2005. Included on the album was a duet with his daughter.
In addition to recording and touring, Dean is branching into using music for corporate marketing. One of his ventures,Song Sessions, combines songwriting and corporate team building exercises.
Billy has taken over the lead role (formerly played by Kenny Rogers), playing Hank Longley, in "The Toy Shoppe" (a musical written by Kenny Rogers and Kelly Junkerman) at the Starlite Theater in Branson, Missouri, through the end of 2013.[7]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" | Best Male Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Billy Dean | Favorite Country New Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Billy Dean | Star of Tomorrow | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Billy Dean | Top New Male Vocalist | Won |
| "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" | Song of the Year | Won | |
| 1993 | Billy Dean | Top Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2001 | "Buy Me a Rose"[A] | Top Vocal Event of the Year | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Billy Dean | Horizon Award | Nominated |
| 1994 | Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles | Album of the Year | Won |
^[A]Nominated alongsideAlison Krauss andKenny Rogers
In January 2024, Dean released "Never Back Down," a single "inspired" byRon DeSantis. The song's name is the same as one of DeSantis's super PAC.[8]
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