DARRYL WORLEY
Darryl came into my office not long after my permanent relocation to Nashville. He needed a music attorney to negotiate his new deal with EMI Music Publishing. After listening to his incredible song demos I remember thinking "Hell! Why didn't I move here sooner! Things are going to be great in Nashille!" And indeed they have been, thanks to wonderful clients like Darryl.
There is no question over what Darryl Worley is - namely, a country music phenomenon, a preacher's son and the grandson of a moonshiner from Pyburn, Tennessee, who won academic honors in high school and at the University of North Alabama even while blowing off steam singing and partying hard on the honky-tonk circuit. His songwriting skills earned him a deal with Fame Publishing in Muscle Shoals, Alabama; a number of artists, including George Jones, cut some of his early tunes.
In 1994, Darryl moved to Nashville. Shortly after his arrival he met Frank Rogers, whose production career was just taking off. In years to come Rogers would work with Brad Paisley, Phil Vassar, and other headliners, but from the moment he agreed to help Worley cut his first demo, they formed a creative partnership that's flourished through four releases on a four-year major-label run.
Success came quickly. The Academy of Country Music nominated Worley for Top New Male Vocalist in 2002. He also earned nominations from the Country Music Association for its Horizon Award in 2002 and '03 and Single of the Year and Song of the Year in 2003 for "Have You Forgotten?." The Tennessee House of Representatives cited him that same year for his contributions to country music. His fan base kept growing and his concerts regularly sold out.
Perhaps the high point of this period, though, involved Worley's visit in 2002 to meet and entertain our troops stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan. Transformed by the experience, he wrote and recorded "Have You Forgotten?," one of the most controversial and inspirational records of our time. Worley hasn't wavered in his support for those who put their lives on the line for democracy; over the past few years he's repeated his trip and expanded it to include performances in Iraq. On the home front, he played a key role in organizing the annual American Freedom Festival to raise funds for our veterans.
"These are tough times," he sums up, "so when people pay to see a show, they want above all to have fun. And whether they're seeing me onstage or listening to HERE AND NOW.
At long last, the real Darryl Worley has arrived. You can't miss him - he's the one with the quick laugh and the voice that comes up from somewhere deep in the tradition of soulful country singing.
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