Marcus Hummon | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marcus Spencer Hummon |
| Born | (1960-12-28)December 28, 1960 (age 64)[1] |
| Origin | Washington, DC, U.S.[1] |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, harmonica,mandolin, piano |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Velvet Armadillo |
| Website | www |
Marcus Spencer Hummon (born December 28, 1960)[1] is an Americancountry music singer-songwriter. Notable songs written or co-written by Hummon include "Ready to Run" and "Cowboy Take Me Away", recorded byThe Chicks; "Born to Fly", recorded bySara Evans; "Only Love", recorded byWynonna Judd; "The Cheap Seats", recorded byAlabama; "Pilgrims on the Way", recorded byMichael Martin Murphey; "One of These Days", recorded byTim McGraw; "Cornfields or Cadillacs", recorded byFarmer's Daughter; "Love Is the Right Place", recorded byBryan White; and "Bless the Broken Road", recorded byNitty Gritty Dirt Band as well asRascal Flatts. Three of these songs reached number one on the countryrecord charts: "Cowboy Take Me Away", "Born to Fly", and the Rascal Flatts version of "Bless the Broken Road". Hummon has also scored films and written operas and musicals.
Hummon was born in Washington, D.C.[1] His father worked for theUnited States Department of State and theUnited States Agency for International Development and he spent much of his childhood in Africa, Italy,[1] Tanzania, Nigeria, thePhilippines, and Saudi Arabia.[2] He sang in church as a child and his first performance as a musician was playing African drums on Nigerian TV.[2] He moved back to theWashington metropolitan area as a junior in high school, living inPotomac, Maryland andBethesda, Maryland.[2][3] His parents were musicians and theatre buffs and exposed him to the arts, regularly attending performances.[3] As a teen, he played in a group with his three sisters.[4] He attendedBullis School, where he played running back and graduated in 1980.[2] He graduated fromWilliams College in 1984.[5]
Following college, in 1984, he moved to Los Angeles to seek arecording contract but was unsuccessful.[4] In 1986, Hummon moved toNashville.[3] He played at theBluebird Café and other clubs.[4][6] He was eventually signed to a songwriting contract and then arecording contract withColumbia Records. Hummon metJoe Henry, who collaborated withJohn Denver, and offered to help him write songs.[7] The first notable song that he wrote was "Pilgrims on the Way", recorded byMichael Martin Murphey in 1988.[6]
His debut albumAll in Good Time (1995) included the song "God's Country", which reached number 73 on theHot Country Songsrecord charts.[8] It also included "Bless the Broken Road", with backing vocals by co-writerJeff Hanna andMatraca Berg and "One of These Days". The songs and title of the album reference his Christian faith.[9] From 1999 to 2001, Hummon was a member of thealternative country bandThe Raphaels along with formerBig Country lyricist and guitaristStuart Adamson.The Raphaels' only release was Supernatural in 1998 onTrack Records.[10] In 1997, Hummon formed his own label, Velvet Armadillo, on which he released several studio albums.[11]
In 1998, "Bless the Broken Road" was recorded byMelodie Crittenden; this version charted on theHot Country Songsrecord chart. In 2006, "Bless the Broken Road" was recorded byRascal Flatts; this version won aGrammy Award for Best Country Song. Also in 2006,Selah recorded the song and it charted on theHot Christian Songs chart.
In 2009, Hummon's first book,Anytime, Anywhere: A Little Boy’s Prayer, a children's book, was published bySimon & Schuster.[12][11]
Hummon wroteSurrender Road, an opera staged by The Nashville Opera Company in 2005. Another opera,Favorite Son, produced with the Nashville Opera in February 2022, featuring Darrel Scott andJohn Riesen was nominated for a Regional Emmy for musical composition.[13][14]
Hummon also wrote six musicals, three of which were featured as part of theNew York Musical Theatre Festival in 2005, 2006 and 2011.[1] His musicalAmerican Prophet, about the life ofFrederick Douglass, co-written withCharles Randolph-Wright, premiered at theArena Stage in Washington, D.C. in August 2022 and won the Edgerton Award that year.[13][15]
In 2012 and 2014, Hummon performed at theGreenbelt Festival.[12]
In August 2014, he signed a publishing deal with CTM Writers INK.[16]
Hummon has scored two films: Lost Boy Home and The Last Songwriter, a documentary that he co-produced featuringGarth Brooks andJason Isbell, which won the Audience Award at theNashville Film Festival in 2017.[1][13]
In 2019, Hummon was inducted to theNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1]
In March 2020, he signed a publishing deal with LBK Entertainment.[17][18]
Hummon is married to Reverend Becca Stevens, anEpiscopal priest and chaplain, speaker, and author of eight books. They have 3 children, including country singerLevi Hummon and live in Nashville.[19][12]
Songs written by Hummon that were recorded by other notable artists include:[13]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| All in Good Time |
|
| The Sound of One Fan Clapping |
|
| Looking for the Child |
|
| Francis of Guernica |
|
| Warrior |
|
| American Duet |
|
| Revolution EP |
|
| Atlanta |
|
| Nowhere to Go but Up |
|
| Surrender Road |
|
| Rosanna |
|
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 1996 | "God's Country" | 73 | All in Good Time |
| "Honky Tonk Mona Lisa" | — | ||
| 2005 | "Revolution" | — | single only |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Honky Tonk Mona Lisa" | R. Brad Murano |
