Sampson may refer to:

Animals[link]

• Sampson (horse), a shire horse that is the tallest horse on record

Astronomy[link]

• Sampson (crater), a small impact crater near the central part of the Mare Imbrium on the Moon

Literature[link]

• Samson, the figure in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible
• Sampson, a character in the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
• Dominie Sampson, fictional character from Guy Mannering
• Kid Sampson, a fictional character in Joseph Heller's classic novel Catch-22

Military and Naval[link]

• SAMPSON, a multi-function radar system for warships
• Sampson Medal, a military decoration of the United States Navy
• HMS Sampson, several Royal Navy ships with this name
• USS Sampson, several US Navy ships with this name
• FV106 Samson, British Army armoured recovery vehicle

People[link]

• Sampson the Hospitable (d. ca. 530), venerated as a saint in the Eastern Churches.
• Sampson (surname), people with the surname Sampson

Places[link]

United States

• Sampson, Missouri
• Sampson, Wisconsin, a town
• Sampson, Oconto County, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
• Sampson County, North Carolina, a county

See also[link]

• Samson (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

George William Sampson (born 29 June 1993) ^[1] is a street dancer and actor from Warrington, England.^[2] He won the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008 at the age of 14.^[3]

[edit] Britain's Got Talent

2007 series[link]

In 2007, a dance teacher called Dominic Chambers told Sampson that there were auditions in the area that would be right up his alley. He only discovered he'd be auditioning for the first series of Britain's Got Talent when he arrived.^[4] In his audition, he danced to "Drop" (Timbaland feat. Magoo & Fatman Scoop), receiving a yes vote from all three judges. However, despite Simon Cowell's enthusiasm, he was unable to convince the other two judges, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, to let Sampson proceed to the live semi-finals. This experience made Sampson determined to re-audition the following year and prove Holden and Morgan wrong. In the intervening time, he continued dancing on the streets of Manchester to improve his technique, and to raise money for his family.

2008 series[link]

In 2008, Sampson successfully got through the first round of Britain's Got Talent series 2 auditions by dancing to "Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now)". He then came top in the audience's vote in his semi-final with his arrangement of Mint Royale's big beat remix of "Singin' in the Rain", complete with an artificial rain machine on-stage, a formula that had previously been produced in a television advertisement for the Volkswagen Golf GTI.^[5] He subsequently won the audience's vote in the final, beating dance duo Signature (second place) and Andrew Johnston (third place). He broke into tears when his win was announced.^[6] Sampson was due to perform a different routine for the final, to a track by the Bee Gees,^[7] which he described as involving "a lot of movement without me actually doing anything".^[8] An hour before the final started he changed his mind and, after consulting Simon Cowell, opted to re-perform his winning act from the semi-final.^[7]

The Mint Royale version of "Singin' in the Rain" went to number 1 in the UK on download sales alone in the week following Sampson's performance^[9] and Cowell's label Syco was bombarded with requests from fans to make a video for the song. It is the first time Syco has signed up a non-singing act solely to make a video.^[10]

In an interview the day after the final, Sampson told of his return to normality the Monday after the event.^[11] .

[edit] After Britain's Got Talent

NatWest deal[link]

On 26 June 2008, it was announced that Sampson would become the face of a new 11-18 account for NatWest bank, in a deal reportedly worth £1million.^[12]

[edit] Into the Hoods

On 4 August 2008, Sampson made his stage debut in the West End hip-hop musical Into the Hoods. With some exceptions, he appeared in the show until it stopped on 30 August. Of his new role, he said: "This year is getting better and better - Into the Hoods show is funky and young and I love the music in it – I can't wait to get dancing on that stage!". Into the Hoods was shown at the Novello Theatre in London and features music from the likes of the Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Basement Jaxx and many more. Sampson appeared as one of the lost boys.^[13][14]

Bebo[link]

On 18 November 2008, it was announced that Cowell's record company and Bebo would work together to make an online television show called Follow My Lead which would include some dance move tutorials by Sampson, but also a behind the scenes look of events and rehearsals. They previously worked together to create a similar show on Leon Jackson.^[15]

Debut single and DVD[link]

Simon Cowell initially planned to only release dance videos, but he wanted to do more. He asked the agent of Take That if he could get Sampson to sing, but it turned out he already liked to sing from a young age.^[4] His debut double a-side single titled Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up was released on 24 November 2008, with the proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital.^[16] After an early fault that meant the single couldn't be downloaded from iTunes for two days,^[17][18] the single finally debuted at number 30 in the UK Singles Chart^[19] and remained listed for 4 weeks. The single's position in the charts gradually lowered during that time.^[20]

On 1 December 2008, his dance DVD Access 2 All Areas was released.^[16] The one-hour^{[citation needed]} DVD contains a documentary about his rise to stardom, four music videos in which Sampson sings as well as dances and a behind the scenes look of those videos, dance tutorials and a set of photographs.^[21][22][23]

2009[link]

On 23 January 2009, Sampson helped to promote the new Nokia 5800 phone in London's Regent Street. He handed over the first Nokia 5800 sold^[24] and performed a live dance routine to "Pump Up the Volume" remixed by VV Brown^[25] which he choreographed to go with a touch-sensitive dancefloor.^[26]

On 29 January, he launched the game Battle Strikers at Toy Fair 09.^[27] He also designed a plate for Blue Peter's Mission Nutrition appeal.^[28]

On 7 March and 14 March, he hosted a 'Street Dance Weekend' at the Alton Towers Resort as part of their new family themed weekends along side street crew Flava in which fans could attend workshops to learn one of his routines and dance alongside him.

On 28 May, Sampson was the guest star at the third Britain's Got Talent semi-final and performed before the results were announced. He also was a guest star in Britain's Got Talent the Live Tour 2009 and he said that Nottingham was his favorite on 20 June 2009.

On 26 June 2009, Sampson became a Patron of Dance Aid^[29] organised by the UK Registered Charity, Hope and Homes for Children.^[30][31]

He danced before the Rugby League match between Crusaders and Salford City Reds at Brewery Field on Saturday 11 July from around 5pm. The kick-off for the match was at 6pm. He also danced at half-time. He was also scheduled to make an appearance in Legoland Windsor on 18 July as part of "Legoland Live."^[32]

In September 2009 Simon Cowell dumped Sampson after his career failed to take off.^[33][34][35] In the same month, Sampson was also evicted from his London flat following repeated acts of rowdy behaviour, such as playing music at unacceptably high volumes.^[36][37]

Also in September he starred in the first all British 3D feature film StreetDance 3D (alongside dance groups Diversity and Flawless) in which he plays a character called Eddie, released May 2010.

On 16 November, Sampson featured in the CBBC Newsround special: Whose Side Are You On? as part of the BBC's anti-bullying campaign which saw him speak out about how he was bullied when he was younger. Other stars that appeared in the programme were Joe Calzaghe, Aston Merrygold, Patsy Palmer and Gemma Hunt.

2010[link]

On 5 June 2010, he appeared on "Star King", a South Korean television show which features a variety of talented performers.^{[citation needed]}

2011[link]

On 18 February 2010, it was announced that Sampson would be joining the cast of BBC drama series, Waterloo Road. His character, a 17 year old student named Kyle Stack, first appeared in the second half of the sixth series in February 2011.^[38]

2012[link]

Sampson is to join the cast of Mount Pleasant for its second season in August 2012. He also starred in the feature film StreetDance 2 as Eddie,which was released in 2012.He has also appeared in Friday download series 3 episode 1

Works[link]

Singles[link]

Party With Me Candy Girl Body Language feat. Tha Vill Take you away

Television[link]

DVDs[link]

Filmography[link]

Health[link]

Sampson suffers from a condition called Scheuermann's disease, which affects developing bones in children and teenagers and can cause a curvature of the spine. "There's no way I'd ever give up dancing. Nothing would stop me," he told the paper. However, since the revelation Sampson said "It's not that bad." and claims that his doctor has said he's allowed to dance. The papers claim George will be dancing for years to come.^[40]

Awards and prizes[link]

Sampson won the under-16 category in the United Dance Organisation's 2007 World Street Dance championships. Following his win of Britain's Got Talent, he returned to the 2008 championships at the Blackpool Winter Gardens to give a performance together with his dance group A2AA (Access 2 All Areas) and to accept an award for his contributions to raising the profile of street dance from UDO chairman Simon Dibley.^[41][42]

In the summer of 2008 he was one of 11 celebrities to receive an honourary scout badge to celebrate the 101st birthday of the Scouting Movement.^[43][44]

He also received an award in the category "Favourite Winner" at the 2008 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards^[45] and he performed his signature dance "Singing in the Rain" during the ceremony.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• George Sampson on Twitter
• George Sampson's Official Bebo Page
• Official A2AA Website (Sampson's dance troupe)
• ITV's official Britain's Got Talent website

v t e Britain's Got Talent Got Talent Series 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Presenters Ant & Dec · Stephen Mulhern Judges Current Simon Cowell · Amanda Holden · Alesha Dixon · David Walliams Former Kelly Brook · Piers Morgan · Michael McIntyre · David Hasselhoff Guest Louis Walsh · Carmen Electra Winners Paul Potts · George Sampson · Diversity · Spelbound · Jai McDowall · Ashleigh and Pudsey Other notable contestants Series 1 Bessie Cursons · Connie Talbot · Damon Scott · Bar Wizards · Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature · Andrew Johnston · Escala · Faryl Smith · Kate and Gin · Charlie Green · Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle · Julian Smith · Aidan Davis · Hollie Steel · Shaheen Jafargholi · Callum Francis · DJ Talent · Flawless · John Farnworth Series 4 Twist and Pulse · Paul Burling · ReConnected · Myles and Connor · Kev Orkian · Stevie Starr · The Cheeky Girls · Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke · Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte · Only Boys Aloud · The Loveable Rogues · Ryan O'Shaughnessy  · Molly Rainford · The Zimmers Related articles List of episodes · Discography · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia · talkbackTHAMES · Thames · ITV Category

Daz Sampson
Sampson in 2005
Background information
Also known as	Daz, DJ Jaz
Born	1974 (age 37–38) Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
Genres	Pop, hip hop, dance, europop
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	1998–present
Labels	SPORTING RIFF RAFF
Associated acts	Bus Stop, Rikki & Daz, Barndance Boys, Uniting Nations
Website	www.dazsampson.co.uk

Darren "Daz" Sampson (born 1974) is a British dance music producer, musician and singer-songwriter.from an irish showmen decent Whos music career has seen him sell over 1.5 million singles todate under several alias.

Up until 2006, when he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, Sampson was best known for his commercial dance music, often reworkings of older songs as a solo act (Daz Sampson, DJ Daz) and as a member of various formations, Bus Stop, Rikki & Daz, Barndance Boys, Uniting Nations.

Career Before Eurovision[link]

Sampson has been in various groups, he started his career as a front man with the top 20 rave act control in the early 90's before moving on to forming the BASS BOYS a rap duo alonside best friend lee bowers , this act was on the brink of success after being managed for a brief time by nigel martyn smith (take that) and later tom watkins the man behind east 17, bros, pet shop boys.

The Duo were very close to becoming a pop sensation and even had landed a deal to make a pilot kids tv show, watkins described the duo in the sun newspaper as "the musical vic & bob" however sampson had his first chart success with the group Bus Stop (with Graham Turner, Mark Hall,). Bus Stop had four UK hits, the most successful being "Kung Fu Fighting" featuring Carl Douglas that sold 250,000 copies in the uk and over 1 milion world wide

Chris Moyles, broadcaster with BBC Radio 1 responded to a letter from Sampson by championing his records on the station inviting him for comedy moments on his radio show. During this period sampson was almost a daily guest on the flagship radio 1 show and from this came a major label deal with BMG for his then act Blown Out.^{[clarification needed]}

In this period, Sampson formed Rikki & Daz with John Matthews (aka Ricardo Autobahn, hence "Rikki") of the Cuban Boys. Their 2002 single "Rhinestone Cowboy (Giddy Up Giddy Up)" featuring a new vocal from country music legend Glen Campbell reached No.12 in the UK. The pair continued to work together under various names, including The Barndance Boys (for the minor hit single "Yippie I Oh") and DJ Daz ("The Woah Song", a remake of Baltimora's Tarzan Boy). Matthews also co-wrote Sampson's Eurovision song "Teenage Life".

In 2004, Sampson returned to the Liverpool dance music and he formed a partnership with producer Paul Keenan under the name Uniting Nations and released "Out of Touch" a remake from Hall & Oates hit and selling 150,000 copies of the single in the United Kingdom becoming a European top 10 massive hit. Other big hits included "You And Me" (reached No.15 in the UK) proving yet another hit in Europe and "Ai No Corrida" that reached No.18 also in the UK. Smash Hits readers and T4 viewers voted Uniting Nations "Best Dance Act" at the last ever Pollwinners Party in 2005. Sampson also enjoyed 3 number 1 singles in poland with Uniting nations.

In 2006 sampson together with his long time manager and friend joe taylor set up there Sporting raff raff record label which was under the imprint of ministry of sound. the name sporting riff raff was somthing sampson had come up with dating back to his school days where he believed in the moto of everyone together hence all monies earned were shared equally amongst the team. during this period the label enjoyed some minor hits. until 2008 when sampson and taylor parted company. sampson continued on with the name sporting riff raff, and in 2009 landed a 6 figure licencing deal for his new act BANDITO via ministry of sound again. after much buzz and hype the debut single rockin at the disco failed to hit.

Sampson has also enjoyed movie soundtrack success on hollywood blockbusters such as "bowfinger" & "amercian Pie"

Eurovision Song Contest 2006[link]

On 4 March 2006, Sampson won the BBC show Making Your Mind Up^[1] with the song "Teenage Life", written and produced with his long-time collaborator John Matthews. The song entered the UK Singles Chart on 14 May 2006.

The accompanying dance routine involved 4 young women dressed as schoolgirls, dubbed The Sampsonites, which led to criticism from some sections of the media due to the apparently inappropriate sexuality of his performance of his Eurovision entry. In his defence, he was quoted as saying "the teenage girl dancers were fully clothed ... there was no sexual innuendo".^[2]

As a result of winning Making Your Mind Up, he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest on 20 May 2006 in Athens, but only 10 of the 39 eligible countries voted for Sampson and his total score was 25 points, placing him 19th out of the 24 acts (winning act Lordi, from Finland, amassed 292 points). When asked before the event whether Finland could win, he replied "No way. They're way too scary."^[3] Sampson professed to have great confidence that he would win the Eurovision, dismissing previous contestants for not having enough respect for the competition and having poor quality songs.^[4]

Despite saying that previous contestants' songs failed simply because they were not good enough, and not because of political voting, following the contest he claimed to have been "the victim of a touch of neighbourly voting".

Although he finished low down the rankings in the Eurovision Song Contest, he enjoyed success in the British charts. "Teenage Life" entered at number 13 in the UK Top 40. In the week following the contest, the publicity he had gained from this exposure helped his single to climb to number 8 in the UK chart, reaching the highest chart position of any Eurovision song since Precious peaked at number 6 with "Say It Again" in 1999. Sampson claims that his performance may have raised the popularity of Eurovision in the UK, while others say "The peak audience would appear to be mainly due to audience switchover from the Prince's Trust charity concert broadcast on ITV1" – in any case the 2006 contest claimed to have attracted half the UK TV audience,^[5] and led to the highest viewing figures in the UK in Eurovision history. In 2009 it was rumoured that the bbc had asked sampson to submit songs for the uk entries reports show that samposn declined the offer. in 2011 the management team behind jedward asked sampson and matthews to write a song for jedwards 2012 eurovison entry^[6]

Career following Eurovision[link]

After performing at the Eurovision Song Contest, Sampson revealed plans to become a TV presenter, and claimed that "I have already been approached to appear on a celebrity reality show but I can't really say much about it – other than the fact it is set in Australia."^[6] This could be seen as an allusion to the popular ITV show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!.

He also claimed that he would be performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, and although he had said earlier that he would not try to represent the United Kingdom again, and saying that he had been asked to perform for another country.^[7] However, later he announced that the BBC decided it was too soon for him to enter again, but he would be welcome in a few years time.^[8] Still he presented the song entitled "Do A Little Dance" but it did not make British Eurovision: Your Decision shortlist of songs for consideration.^[9][10]

On 22 April 2007, Sampson released a new download only single release in support of his football team Stockport County. The song by Daz Sampson and the Cheadle Enders is titled 'The County Song' (Jim Gannon's Army Goes Marching On). (UK#182) The song pays tribute to Stockport County's football league record of nine consecutive wins without conceding a goal. The song namechecks several Stockport County players including Anthony Elding, Adam Griffin and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey not to mention former player and current manager Jim Gannon. On the occasion, with Sampson donating part of the proceeds from the single to the Stockport County Supporters Trust, the trust made him its first-ever life member in recognition of his efforts.^[11] In 2011 Sampson started to concentrate on the management side of his sporting riff raff empire and signed female solo artist NONA, whilst also continuing to make records under various names. alongside his writing partner john matthews the pair where asked by Jedward to write a song for the duo's 2012 irish eurovision entry.

Singles[link]

See also[link]

• Ricardo Autobahn
• Rikki & Daz
• Barndance Boys
• Uniting Nations

References[link]

External links[link]

• Daz Sampson's official website
• Daz Sampson MySpace site
• DJ Daz UK MySpace site
• Behind-the-scenes pictures from the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with Daz

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2010)

Don Was (born Don Fagenson; September 13, 1952) is an American musician, bassist and record producer.

Life and career[link]

Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School (Michigan) in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year. A journeyman musician, he grew up listening to the Detroit blues sound and the jazz music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

Using the stage name "Don Was", he formed the group Was (Not Was) with school friend David Weiss (David Was). The group found commercial success in the 1980s - releasing four albums and logging several hit records. A jazz/R&B album of Hank Williams covers, "Forever's A Long, Long Time" was released in 1996, under the name Orquestra Was. In 2008, Was (Not Was) reunited for an acclaimed new album and tour.

Don Was has earned his recognition as a record producer and has recorded with an array of artists from The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Ziggy Marley, Bob Seger, Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Garth Brooks, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Cocker, Hootie and The Blowfish, Amos Lee and Willie Nelson to Elton John, Stevie Nicks, George Clinton, Randy Newman, The Black Crowes, Carly Simon, Travis Tritt, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, The Barenaked Ladies, Old Crow Medicine Show, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Richie Sambora, The Presidents of the United States of America, B.B. King, Paul Westerberg, Kurt Elling, Poison, Cheb Khaled, The B-52's, Zucchero, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, Jill Sobule and Solomon Burke. He has received multiple Grammy Awards including Producer of the Year in 1995. He produced several albums for Bonnie Raitt including her Nick of Time album that won the 1990 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

He served as music director and/or consultant for several motion pictures such as Thelma and Louise, The Rainmaker, Hope Floats, Phenomenon, Tin Cup, Honeymoon in Vegas, 8 Seconds, Switch, The Freshman, Days of Thunder, Michael, Prêt-à-Porter, Boys on the Side, Toy Story and The Paper.

In 1995, Don Was earned a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.^[1] In 1997, he directed and produced a documentary, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, about former-Beach Boy Brian Wilson. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and won the San Francisco Film Festival's Golden Gate Award. He also received the British Academy Award (BAFTA) for Best Original Score in recognition of his compositions for the film Backbeat.

Was, who is a fan of the Rolling Stones and saw them in concert when he was age 12 in 1964, produced their albums Voodoo Lounge, Stripped, Bridges to Babylon, Forty Licks, Live Licks and A Bigger Bang. He also worked on the Rolling Stones's reissues Exile on Main Street, released in May 2010 and "Some Girls" released in October 2011. Was scoured old master recordings of the albums for lost gems, remixing some songs while producing entirely new vocals and tracks on others.^[2]

In 2009, he began hosting a weekly radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio's Outlaw Country channel called The Motor City Hayride. During the 2011 season of American Idol, Was appeared in several episodes producing contestants Haley Reinhart, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Lauren Alaina and Casey Abrams.

In January, 2012, he was appointed President of the legendary jazz record label, Blue Note Records.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Don is the father of Eve 6 drummer Tony Fagenson and also Henry and Solomon Fagenson. He is married to former Virgin Records A&R executive and video director, Gemma Corfield. He is the brother of public official Dr. Nancy Fagenson Potok, former Principal Associate Director and Chief Financial Officer of the US Census Bureau and currently Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs at the US Department of Commerce.

Selected discography[link]

• 1981: "Was (Not Was)" - Was (Not Was) (Bass, Synthesizer, Vocals, Producer)
• 1983: "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes" - Was (Not Was) (Producer, Bass. Keyboards, Engineer)
• 1984: Into the Hot, Floy Joy (producer)
• 1985: Spoiled Girl - Carly Simon (producer)
• 1986 Weak in the Presence of Beauty, Floy Joy (producer)
• 1988: "What up, Dog?" - Was (Not Was) (Producer, Engineer, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards)
• 1989: Nick of Time - Bonnie Raitt (keyboards, producer)
• 1989: Cosmic Thing - The B-52s (producer)
• 1990: Take it to Heart - Michael McDonald (programming, producer, synthesizer, sequencing, synthesizer programming)
• 1990: Brick by Brick - Iggy Pop (producer)
• 1990: Under the Red Sky - Bob Dylan (bass, producer)
• 1990: "To Be Continued... - Elton John (Producer)
• 1991: "Didi" - Khaled (Producer, Bass, Keyboards)
• 1991: "Are You Okay? - Was (Not Was) (Producer, Bass, Engineer, Guitar, Vocals)
• 1991: Luck of the Draw - Bonnie Raitt (producer)
• 1991: The Fire Inside - Bob Seger (bass, producer)
• 1992: Arkansas Traveler - Michelle Shocked (producer)
• 1992: Time Takes Time - Ringo Starr (producer)
• 1992: Good Stuff - The B-52s (producer)
• 1992: Strange Weather - Glenn Frey (producer)
• 1992: King of Hearts - Roy Orbison (producer, Hammond organ, background vocals)
• 1992: "Never Been Rocked Enough" - Delbert McClinton (Producer)
• 1993: Across the Borderline - Willie Nelson (producer)
• 1993: Thousand Roads - David Crosby (producer)
• 1993: I'm Alive - Jackson Browne (producer)
• 1994: Longing in Their Hearts - Bonnie Raitt (bass, producer)
• 1994: Voodoo Lounge - The Rolling Stones (producer)
• 1994: "Waymore's Blues" - Waylon Jennings (Producer and Bass)
• 1995: The Road Goes on Forever - The Highwaymen (producer)
• 1995: MTV Unplugged - Bob Dylan (mixing)
• 1995: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times - Brian Wilson (producer)
• 1995: Road Tested - Bonnie Raitt (producer)
• 1995: Stripped - The Rolling Stones (producer)
• 1996: The Restless Kind - Travis Tritt (producer)
• 1996: "Organic" - Joe Cocker (Producer)
• 1996: "Equilibrio de Los Jaguares" - Jaguares (Producer)
• 1997: Bridges to Babylon - The Rolling Stones (bass, keyboards, executive producer, producer, Wurlitzer)
• 1997: Undiscovered Soul - Richie Sambora (producer)
• 1999: Suicaine Gratifaction - Paul Westerberg (producer)
• 1999: Spirit of Music - Ziggy Marley (producer)
• 1999: Avenue B - Iggy Pop (producer)
• 1999: In the Life of Chris Gaines - Garth Brooks (producer)
• 2000: Maroon - Barenaked Ladies (producer)
• 2001: Lions - The Black Crowes (bass, producer, mixing)
• 2002: "Wide World Over" - The Chieftains (Producer, Bass)
• 2003: Hootie & the Blowfish - Hootie & the Blowfish (producer)
• 2004: Live Licks - The Rolling Stones (producer)
• 2005: Countryman - Willie Nelson (producer)
• 2005: "Make Do With What You've Got" - Solomon Burke (Producer)
• 2005: A Bigger Bang - The Rolling Stones (producer, piano)
• 2006: This Old Road - Kris Kristofferson (producer, piano, acoustic and upright bass)
• 2006: "Out of the Ashes" - Jessi Colter (Producer, Bass)
• 2008: Last Days at the Lodge - Amos Lee (producer)
• 2008: Tennessee Pusher - Old Crow Medicine Show (producer)
• 2008: "Boo!" - Was (Not Was) (Producer, Engineer, Bass, Keyboards, Drums, Vocals)
• 2009: The Excitement Plan - Todd Snider (producer)
• 2009: "Shimmer" - Pieta Brown (Producer, Bass)
• 2009: "Acquired Taste" - Delbert McClinton (Producer)
• 2009: Closer to the Bone - Kris Kristofferson (producer)
• 2009: "The California Years - Jill Sobule (Producer, Bass)
• 2010: Y Not - Ringo Starr (bass)
• 2010: Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots (producer)
• 2010: "Welder" - Elizabeth Cook (Producer)
• 2010: The Union - Elton John/Leon Russell (bass)
• 2011: "Wild and Free" - Ziggy Marley (producer)
• 2011: "The Gate - Kurt Elling (producer)
• 2011: Blessed - Lucinda Williams (producer)
• 2012: Born and Raised - John Mayer (producer)

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

Gordie Sampson (born July 30, 1971) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia.

He has written songs for Carrie Underwood ("Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Just A Dream", "Get Out Of This Town"), Martina McBride ("If I Had Your Name", "You're Not Leavin Me"), LeAnn Rimes ("Long Night", "Save Myself"), and George Canyon ("My Name") and produced and sound engineered for Damhnait Doyle, Natalie MacMaster, The Cottars, Bruce Guthro, and Buddy MacMaster.

He worked on Celtic Electric (CBC TV), the Rankin Family's Christmas special and the Cape Breton Summertime Revue.

Music career[link]

Sampson attended Riverview Rural High School in the late 1980s. He joined Realworld in the early 1990s with brothers Jamie Foulds and Matthew Foulds. The group released one self-titled CD that featured local radio hits "Angels", "Throwin' It All Away" and "We All Need". He was also a member of the house band on Rita MacNeil's weekly CBC show Rita and Friends. He has produced and co-written Damhnait Doyle's Davnet, and Natalie MacMaster's In My Hands albums.

Sampson has written songs which have been recorded by Faith Hill ("Paris"), Trace Adkins ("Words Get in the Way"), Carolyn Dawn Johnson ("Crybaby"), Aaron Lines ("Seeing Things"), Great Big Sea ("Lucky Me", "Let it Go") and George Canyon ("My Name", "Happy Man").^{[1][page needed]} His song "Jesus, Take the Wheel", co-written with Brett James and Hillary Lindsey, was recorded by former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and released in 2005. Sampson has commented that the song was inspired by a story told to him by an aunt regarding the death of an acquaintance in a car accident in Nova Scotia.^{[2][page needed]}

Since "Jesus, Take the Wheel", Sampson has co-written songs with other Nashville performers including LeAnn Rimes ("Long Night", "Save Myself"), and Bon Jovi ("Any Other Day") for that band's 2007 album Lost Highway. He also spent time writing with Keith Urban.^{[3][page needed]} Urban has recorded his song, "You (Or Somebody Like You)" on his European release of the album, "Days Go By."

Sampson has released three CDs as a solo artist. His debut solo album, Stones (1998), was nominated for a Juno Award.^{[citation needed]} He also received an East Coast Music Award for the single "Sorry", and is a former John Lennon Songwriting Contest finalist.^{[citation needed]} His second CD, Sunburn (2004), was largely written in partnership with Troy Verges and Blair Daly. Sampson produced the CD and played the majority of the instruments on Sunburn including guitars, bass, drums and piano. The album was recorded at Lakewind Sound Studios in Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, which he co-owns with Fred Lavery, as well as in studios in Toronto and Nashville. For The Few And Far Between was released in 2008, and was nominated for a 2009 Juno Award and was the recipient of two East Coast Music Awards.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Gordie Sampson is the son of Frank and Flo (Ley) Sampson. His sister, Amy Sampson, is a former member of the Cape Breton band Ashego.

Sampson now resides primarily in Nashville but returns to Cape Breton regularly. Sampson married Helen Musial, and the couple have a daughter.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Stones (1998)
• Sunburn (2004)
• For the Few and Far Between (2008)
• Almost Beautiful (2011)

Singles[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

• Grammys
  • 2006 - Song of the Year, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Nomination)
  • 2006 - Best Country Song, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (WON)
• Juno Awards
  • 2009 - Songwriter Of The Year, "Davey Jones" (For The Few and Far Between),"When I Said I Would - Duncan Whitney (Nomination)
  • 2007 - Songwriter Of The Year, "Jesus Take The Wheel" (WON)
  • 2005 - Songwriter Of The Year, "Sunburn", "Paris" and "You (Or Somebody Like You)" (Nomination)
  • 2000 - Best Instrumental Album, In My Hands - Natalie MacMaster, (WON)
  • 1999 - Best Roots & Traditional Album - Solo, Stones (Nomination)
• CMA
  • 2006 Song of the Year for "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (WON)
• Nashville Songwriters Association
  • 2006 - International Songwriter Achievement Award "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
• ASCAP Award
  • 2007 - Christian Award - Top 25 Song "Jesus Take The Wheel"
• Canadian Country Music Award
  • 2006 - Songwriter of the Year, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Carrie Underwood) (WON)
  • 2006 - Songwriter of the Year, " Crybaby" (Carolyn Dawn Johnson) (Nomination)
• Academy of Country Music Award
  • 2006 - Single of the Year - Carrie Underwood - "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (WON)
  • 2006 - Song of The Year, "Jesus Take The Wheel" (Carrie Underwood) (Nomination)
• Great American Song Contest
  • 2005 Pop/Contemporary, "Paris" (WON)
  • 2005 Pop/Contemporary, "Sunburn" (WON)
• CCMA Award
  • 2005 - Single of the Year - George Canyon - "My Name"
  • 2005 - Song of the Year - George Canyon - "My Name"
  • 2000 - Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration
• ECMA Awards
  • 2009, 2005, 2004, 2000 - Songwriter of the Year
  • 2009, 2005, 2000 - Single of the Year
  • 2009 - FACTOR Recording of the Year (Nomination)
  • 2009 - Male Solo Recording of the Year (Nomination)
  • 2009 - Pop Recording of the Year (Nomination)
  • 2005 - Album of the Year (Sunburn)
  • 2005 - Male Artist of the Year (Sunburn)
  • 2005 - Pop Recording of the Year (Sunburn)
  • 2002. 2001 - SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
  • 2000 - Video of the Year
  • 1999 - New Artist of the Year
• International Songwriting Competition
  • 2008 - Folk Category, "Davey Jones" (WON)
  • 2005 - Performance Category, "Paris" (WON)
• MIANS Awards
  • 2004 - Album of the Year
  • 2004, 2000 - Male Artist of the Year
  • 2004 - Pop/ Rock Artist of the Year
  • 2004 - SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
  • 2003 - Producer of the Year
  • 2000 - Songwriter of the Year
  • 1999 - Producer of the Year
• SOCAN Awards
  • 2006 - Most Country Airplay, "My Name"
  • 2006 - Outstanding Success Airplay, "Jesus Take The Wheel"
  • 2002 - Most Country Airplay
• Canadian Radio Music Awards
  • 2000 - Pop Adult Best Solo Artist (Nomination)
• John Lennon Songwriting Contest
  • 2000 - Pop Category Finalist

Singles written by Sampson[link]

These are singles that Sampson wrote for other artists.

• "That Kind of Beautiful" - Emerson Drive
• "When I Said I Would" - Whitney Duncan
• "Jesus, Take the Wheel" - Carrie Underwood
• "Just a Dream" - Carrie Underwood
• "Measure of a Man" – Jack Ingram
• "Get Me Through December" - Natalie MacMaster with Alison Krauss
• "Cry Baby" – Carolyn Dawn Johnson
• "Seeing Things" - Aaron Lines
• "My Name" - George Canyon
• "Followed Her Around" - Jimmy Rankin
• "Maybe You're Right" - The Rankin Family
• "My Heart Beats for Love" - Miley Cyrus
• "Better in the Long Run" - Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Maple Music
• Management company