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Show Dog-Universal Music is an American independent^{[according to whom?]} record label specializing in country music artists. It was formed from the merger of Show Dog Nashville and Universal South Records in 2009. Show Dog Nashville was founded in 2005 by singer Toby Keith, originally as a joint venture with former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta, while Universal South was founded in 2001. The two labels merged in December 2009.

History[link]

Universal South Records was started in 2001 under Universal Music Group by record producers Tony Brown and Tim DuBois.^[1] The label specialized in country music artists, including Joe Nichols, Randy Houser, Phil Vassar and Marty Stuart, as well as alternative country acts Shooter Jennings and Cross Canadian Ragweed. In 2005, it partnered with the talent show Nashville Star, offering a recording contract to Season 3 winner Erika Jo.^[2] George Canyon, another Nashville Star contestant, also recorded for the label.

Show Dog Nashville was founded in 2005 by Toby Keith shortly after the dissolution of DreamWorks Records, the label to which he was signed at the time. DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta was its chief executive officer, and his own Big Machine Records label originally shared much of its staff.^[3] By March 2006, Show Dog and Big Machine split into separately-staffed labels, although Keith retained his financial stake in Big Machine.^[4] Acts who released works for Show Dog included Carter's Chord, Trailer Choir, Mica Roberts, Lindsey Haun and Mac McAnally.

In December 2009, Show Dog Records and Universal South merged to form Show Dog-Universal Music.^[5] One month later, Trace Adkins left Capitol Records Nashville to become the first post-merger signee to the label, and the label's roster was announced.^[6]

Acts on Show Dog-Universal Music[link]

• Trace Adkins
• Carter's Chord
• Joel Crouse
• Rose Falcon
• JT Hodges
• Jessie James
• Toby Keith

Acts formerly signed to Universal South[link]

• Alvarado Road Show
• Baylie Brown
• Bering Strait
• George Canyon
• Kevin Costner and Modern West
• Cross Canadian Ragweed
• Katrina Elam
• Eli Young Band
• The Elms
• Andy Gibson
• Regie Hamm
• Jennifer Hanson
• Randy Houser
• Matt Jenkins
• Shooter Jennings
• Erika Jo
• Holly Lamar
• Rockie Lynne
• McHayes
• Dean Miller
• Allison Moorer
• Joe Nichols
• The Notorious Cherry Bombs
• Lee Roy Parnell
• Ashley Ray
• Sons of Sylvia
• Judson Spence
• Marty Stuart
• 10 City Run
• Phil Vassar
• Matthew West
• Amanda Wilkinson
• Holly Williams
• Angela Wolff

Acts formerly signed to Show Dog Nashville[link]

• Scotty Emerick
• Flynnville Train
• Sarah Johns
• Lindsey Haun
• Rebecca Lynn Howard
• Rushlow Harris
• Mac McAnally
• Mica Roberts
• Trailer Choir

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official site

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. (February 2010)

Jennifer Kathleen Hanson (born August 10, 1973^[1]) is an American country music artist, as well as a former Miss California. Married to songwriter Mark Nesler since 1997,^[1] Hanson began her own musical career in 2002 with a self-titled debut album being issued on Capitol Records. The album produced three hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including the Top 20 hit "Beautiful Goodbye". She switched to Universal South Records in 2007, releasing her second studio album (entitled Thankful) in early 2008.^[1]

Hanson has also written singles for other artists, including "Leave the Pieces" for The Wreckers, and "A Different World" for Bucky Covington,^[1] a co-write with Nesler, and "Let Me Down Easy" for Billy Currington. She also co-wrote "Country Strong" for Gwyneth Paltrow for the movie of the same name.

She was ranked #93 on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women of 2005.^[2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

Music videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Joe Nichols
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Edward Nichols
Born	(1976-11-26) November 26, 1976 (age 35)
Origin	Rogers, Arkansas, U.S.[1]
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Intersound, Giant, Show Dog-Universal (formerly of Universal South)
Associated acts	Brent Rowan

Joseph Edward "Joe" Nichols (born November 26, 1976) is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, Nichols held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-Universal Music.

Nichols has released seven studio albums: Joe Nichols (1996), Man with a Memory (2002), Revelation, A Traditional Christmas (both 2004), III (2005), Real Things (2007) and Old Things New (2009). His albums have produced fourteen Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Number One singles "Brokenheartsville," "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" and "Gimmie That Girl" as well as five other Top Ten entries.

Biography[link]

Joe Nichols was born and raised in Rogers, Arkansas.^[2] He was the second son born to Michael Curtis Nichols (May 29, 1956 - July 16, 2002) and Robin Larson Nichols. Joe has an older brother Michael Curtis Jr. and a younger sister Kelli Francis. His father, who worked as a trucker, also played bass guitar in local country bands; eventually, Nichols himself found work in a local rock band, before taking a job as a country disc jockey.^[1] Nichols is part Cherokee.^[3]

Musical career[link]

Nichols in April 2010

Through a meeting with record producer Randy Edwards, Nichols began to work on his singing and songwriting skills. At age 19, he was signed to his first record deal, with an independent label known as Intersound Records. There, Nichols released his first album, 1996's Joe Nichols. Despite the minor success of its lead-off single "Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other" (which reached #74 on the RPM country charts in Canada), the album sold poorly and he was dropped from Intersound's roster. A second record deal, this time with Giant Records, was short-lived and did not produce any singles or albums.^[1] After his short-lived record deals, he took many jobs in Nashville, including moving furniture, installing cable TV systems, and selling steaks door to door.^[4]

[edit] Man with a Memory

In 1999, Nichols met Brent Rowan, a Nashville session guitarist who helped him land a recording contract with Universal South Records (which became Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009). July 2002 was the release of his second album, entitled Man with a Memory. Its lead-off single, "The Impossible", went on to become a #3 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, and was declared by Billboard as the tenth most-played country song of 2003.^[1] The same year, his debut album was re-issued under the title Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other.^[1]

Man with a Memory earned Nichols a Top New Male Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music, as well as three Grammy Award nominations and platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[1] Its second single, "Brokenheartsville", became his first #1 hit on the Billboard country charts in 2003, while "She Only Smokes When She Drinks" and "Cool to Be a Fool" both reached Top 20.^[1] Also in 2003, Nichols received the Country Music Association's Horizon Award.^[2]

[edit] Revelation and A Traditional Christmas

Nichols spent most of 2004 on tour with Alan Jackson. In June of that year, he issued his second album for Universal South. Entitled Revelation, it produced the Top Ten hits "If Nobody Believed in You" and "What's a Guy Gotta Do", at #10 and #4 respectively. Later that same year, he also issued an album of Christmas music, entitled A Traditional Christmas. Four of the tracks from this album received enough airplay to enter the country charts.

[edit] III

III was the title of Nichols's third album for Universal South and was released in October 2005.^[1] Its lead-off single, "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off", became his second Billboard Number One hit, with both the single and the album receiving gold certifications from the RIAA. The album also produced the Top Ten hits "Size Matters (Someday)" and "I'll Wait for You", at #9 and #7. In 2005, Anna Nicole Smith met Nichols at the Grand Ole Opry and she became a fan.^[5] After Smith's death, he performed two songs ("Wings of a Dove" and "I'll Wait for You") at her funeral service. Nichols joined Toby Keith on tours in both 2005 and 2006.

[edit] Real Things

Real Things is the title of Nichols's fourth Universal South album, released in August 2007.^[1] Its lead-off single, "Another Side of You," reached Top 20 on the country music charts, as did the follow-up, "It Ain't No Crime." Also included on this album was the song "Let's Get Drunk and Fight," which Canadian singer Aaron Lines released as a single in 2008.

[edit] Old Things New

Nichols released a new single, "Believers", to radio on March 27, 2009.^[6] Written by Ashley Gorley, Wade Kirby and Bill Luther, it is the first single from his sixth album entitled Old Things New. The song reached the Top 30 on the country singles chart. The album's second single is "Gimmie That Girl," which reached Number One on the country charts in May 2010.

The follow-up single to his previous number one is "The Shape I'm In." It was shipped to radio July 2010.

[edit] It's All Good

It's All Good was released on November 8, 2011. The album's lead-off single "Take It Off" peaked at number 25 on the country charts. Nichols left Show Dog-Universal in May 2012.^[7]

Personal life[link]

On January 8, 2005, Nichols returned to Nashville to see a therapist after causing a scene in Steamboat Springs, Colorado while intoxicated on amphetamines and alcohol. He had been battling an addiction since 2002 after the death of his father.^[8] On October 13, 2007, Nichols was checked into a substance abuse rehabilitation program.^[9]

Nichols married Heather Singleton on September 9, 2007, in Savannah, Georgia. He had known Singleton since they were both 19 years old. In February 2012, it was announced that Singleton was expecting the couple's first child. On April 17, 2012, the couple welcome a daughter, Dylan River Nichols.^[10] Nichols has another daughter, Ashelyn (born 1998), from a previous relationship.^[11]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 1996: Joe Nichols
• 2002: Man with a Memory
• 2004: Revelation
• 2004: A Traditional Christmas
• 2005: III
• 2007: Real Things
• 2009: Old Things New
• 2011: Greatest Hits
• 2011: It's All Good^[12]

Number-one singles[link]

• "Brokenheartsville" (2003)
• "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" (2005)
• "Gimmie That Girl" (2010)

References[link]

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. (February 2010)

Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar performing at the 2008 Durham Fair in Durham, Connecticut
Background information
Born	(1964-05-28) May 28, 1964 (age 48)
Origin	Lynchburg, Virginia, USA[1]
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Arista Nashville, Show Dog-Universal, Rodeowave Entertainment
Associated acts	Engelbert Humperdinck, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Tim McGraw, Craig Wiseman
Website	http://www.philvassar.com/

Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw ("For a Little While", "My Next Thirty Years"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), and Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"). In 1999, he was named by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) as Country Songwriter of the Year.

Later that same year, Vassar was signed to Arista Nashville as a recording artist. His debut album, Phil Vassar, was released in early 2000; it produced five hit singles on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts and was certified gold in the United States. He followed it in 2002 with American Child, Shaken Not Stirred in 2004, and finally Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 in 2006 before Vassar left the label for Universal South Records. His first album for that label, Prayer of a Common Man, was released in early 2008. He has charted nineteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including two Number Ones: 2000's "Just Another Day in Paradise" and 2004's "In a Real Love".

Biography[link]

Phil Vassar was born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia.^[1]

While in college at James Madison University in nearby Harrisonburg, VA, Vassar had taken up playing the piano, and eventually found work as a singer in clubs.^[1] He was also a member of the Eta Kappa Chapter of [Theta Chi] fraternity. He had decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee in order to pursue a career in music. Eventually, he was signed to a small publishing contract, but was unable to land any hits on this contract.

Musical career[link]

As a songwriter[link]

Starting in the late 1990s, Vassar began writing songs that were recorded by several country music artists. Among the artists who recorded his material were Blackhawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright"), Tim McGraw ("For a Little While"), Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), and Neal McCoy ("I Was").^[1] Of these, "Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright", and "Right on the Money" all reached Number One on the country charts. "Bye, Bye" earned Vassar his first American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award for Song of the Year, and in 1999 he was named ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year.^[1]

As a singer[link]

In late 1999, Vassar was signed to his first recording contract, with the Arista Nashville label. His debut single, "Carlene", was issued that year, and by mid-2000 the song had gone on to peak at #5 on the Billboard country charts.

The lead-off single to Vassar's self-titled debut album, "Carlene" was followed by "Just Another Day in Paradise", which became his first Number One hit as a singer. Shortly after that song peaked, another song written by Vassar reached the top of the country charts — Tim McGraw's "My Next Thirty Years". This, along with Marshall Dyllon's "Live It Up", would be among Vassar's last contributions for another artist. Overall, Phil Vassar produced three more singles: the #16 "Rose Bouquet", "Six-Pack Summer" at #9, and finally "That's When I Love You" at #3. In addition, the album itself earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping 500,000 copies.^[1] Its success led to tours with Kenny Chesney.

[edit] American Child

American Child was the title of Vassar's second album, co-produced by Byron Gallimore. It was released in 2002, the same year in which he married Julie Wood, with whom he co-wrote "That's When I Love You". The album's autobiographical title track served as its lead-off single, reaching a peak of #5 on the country charts, and the album itself peaked at #4 on the Top Country Albums charts. In mid-2002, he also co-wrote and performed a charity single called "Words Are Your Wheels" to promote literacy. Released exclusively through Wal-Mart stores, this song featured guest vocals from Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride and Sara Evans.^[2]

While "American Child" was climbing the charts, Arista tested another song written by Vassar, "This Is God". This song was so well-received by test audiences that American Child was recalled and re-released in early 2003. (The re-issue featured "This Is God" along with a cover of Huey Lewis and the News's "Workin' for a Livin'".) "This Is God" was subsequently issued as the album's second single, becoming a Top 20 country hit. After it came "Ultimate Love," which peaked at #41.

[edit] Shaken Not Stirred and Greatest Hits

In 2004, Vassar released his third studio album, Shaken Not Stirred. The album produced Vassar's second number one hit in the song "In a Real Love". Also released from this album were the #17 "I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)" and the #22 "Good Ole Days". Unlike with his first two albums, Vassar recorded Shaken Not Stirred with his road band. Vassar produced the album with Nick Brophy and Frank Rogers.

Vassar's first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, was issued in 2006. This album comprised the biggest hits from his studio albums to that point, as well as his renditions of "Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright", "My Next Thirty Years" and "Little Red Rodeo". The album's also included three new songs. Two of these were released as singles, starting with the #2 "Last Day of My Life", which Vassar was inspired to write after attending the funeral of his friend Robert Byrne, with whom he co-wrote his 2001 single "Rose Bouquet".^[3] The second and final single from Greatest Hits, "The Woman in My Life" (another song co-written by Vassar and his wife), reached #20 on the country charts, shortly before Vassar parted ways with Arista Nashville.

[edit] Prayer of a Common Man

In March 2007, Vassar signed to the independent Universal South Records,^[4] which became part of Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009. His first single for the label, "This Is My Life", was released in mid-2007, peaking at #35 on the country music charts. Succeeding it was "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" This song was co-written by Jeffrey Steele and Craig Wiseman, and was previously recorded in 1999 by Canadian singer Paul Brandt under the title "It's a Beautiful Thing". By April 2008, "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" had reached #2 on the country charts, and Vassar's first album for Universal South (Prayer of a Common Man) was released. A third single from this album, "I Would", was issued in July 2008 and peaked at #26. It was followed in early 2009 by the album's title track, which became the lowest-peaking single of his career at #53.

[edit] Traveling Circus

One week after "Prayer of a Common Man" fell from the charts, Vassar charted his eighteenth single, "Bobbi with an I". Released in April 2009, this was the first single for Vassar's fifth studio album, Traveling Circus, released in December 2009. It peaked at #46 after eight weeks on the charts, and was followed by "Everywhere I Go".

Sixth album[link]

Vassar signed with Rodeowave Entertainment in 2011,^[5] releasing the single "Let's Get Together". This song made the top 40 late in the year, followed by "Don't Miss Your Life" in early 2012.

Personal life[link]

On March 26, 2002, Vassar married Julie Wood, with whom he co-wrote his singles "That's When I Love You" and "The Woman in My Life".^[6] Wood's brother, Jeff Wood, is also a country music artist, who recorded one studio album on Imprint Records in 1997 and charted three singles, in addition to co-writing album tracks for Vassar and other artists. Vassar has two daughters: Presley Jade (born December 4, 2003 with Wood-Vassar) and Haley (born August 27, 1998), from a previous marriage.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2000 Phil Vassar
• 2002 American Child
• 2004 Shaken Not Stirred
• 2006 Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
• 2008 Prayer of a Common Man
• 2009 Traveling Circus
• 2011 Noel

Songs written by Phil Vassar[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Phil Vassar on Myspace