Jim Brickman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
| Jim Brickman | |
|---|---|
 Jim Brickman posing with a fan after a concert in December, 2006
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | November 20, 1961 |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
| Genre(s) | Adult contemporary (soft), New Age |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, recording artist |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1994-present |
| Label(s) | Windham Hill |
| Website | www.JimBrickman.com |
Jim Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American composer and contemporary pianist. Brickman is known for his original solo piano compositions, which are classified as new age music. However, he is as well known for his original love songs and performing them with vocalists such as Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Michelle Wright and others.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Education
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was 19, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
[edit] Recording career
Brickman signed with Windham Hill Records to release his first album, No Words, in 1994. The song "Rocket To The Moon" from that album was the first solo instrumental song ever to be ranked on Billboard's charts. Four of his albums (By Heart, Picture This, The Gift, and Destiny) have all sold over 500,000 copies, qualifying them as gold records in the United States.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Since 1997, Brickman has also hosted his own radio show called Your Weekend with Jim Brickman, which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States.
Some of his songs include "Valentine" with Martina McBride; "The Gift" with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton; "I'm Amazed" with Lila McCann; "After All These Years," with Anne Cochran; "Love of My Life," with Michael W. Smith; "You," with Jane Krakowski; "Destiny," with Jordan Hill and Billy Porter; and an instrumental love song, "If You Believe." Other hits include "Rocket to the Moon" and "Angel Eyes". And now he is doing a Christmas tour with Richie McDonald.
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
In 2006, Brickman left Sony BMG for SLG Records, part of the Savoy group. This leaves only one artist with Windham Hill.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | US 200 | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | No Words | - | - |
| 1995 | By Heart | 187 | Gold |
| 1997 | Picture This | 30 | Gold |
| The Gift | 48 | Gold | |
| 1998 | Visions of Love | 170 | - |
| 1999 | Destiny | 42 | Gold |
| 2000 | My Romance | 75 | - |
| 2001 | Simple Things | 54 | - |
| 2002 | Love Songs and Lullabies | 73 | - |
| 2003 | Peace | 87 | - |
| 2004 | Greatest Hits | 134 | - |
| 2005 | Grace | 88 | - |
| The Disney Songbook | 142 | - | |
| 2006 | Escape | 105 | - |
| Christmas Romance | - | - | |
| 2007 | Homecoming | 96 | - |
| Hope | - | - |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | US AC | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "By Heart" | 16 | - | By Heart: Piano Solos |
| "Hero's Dream" | 24 | - | Picture This | |
| 1997 | "Valentine" (w/ Martina McBride) | 3 | 68 | |
| "Picture This" | 23 | - | ||
| "The Gift" (w/ Collin Raye and Susan Ashton) | 3 | 51 | The Gift / Visions of Love | |
| 1998 | "After All These Years" (w/ Anne Cochran) | 8 | - | Visions of Love |
| "Valentine" (w/ Martina McBride; re-release)A | - | 8 | Evolution (Martina McBride album) | |
| 1999 | "Love of My Life" (w/ Michael W. Smith) | 9 | - | Destiny |
| "Destiny" (w/ Jordan Hill and Billy Porter) | 10 | - | ||
| 2000 | "Your Love"(w/ Michelle Wright)B | 19 | 74 | Visions of Love |
| "The Love I Found in You" (w/ Dave Koz) | 15 | - | My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman | |
| 2001 | "Simple Things" (w/ Rebecca Lynn Howard) | 13 | - | Simple Things |
| 2002 | "A Mother's Day" | 18 | - | |
| "You" (w/ Jane Krakowski) | 4 | - | Love Songs and Lullabies | |
| 2003 | "Peace (Where the Heart Is)" (w/ Collin Raye and Susan Ashton) | 15 | - | Peace |
| "Sending You a Little Christmas" (w/ Kristy Starling)C | 1 | - | ||
| 2004 | "Til I See You Again" | 21 | - | Greatest Hits |
| "My Love Is Here" (w/ Roch Voisine) | 21 | - | ||
| 2005 | "I'm Amazed" (w/ Lila McCann) | - | 59 | unreleased Lila McCann album |
| "You" (w/ Tara MacLean) | 32 | - | Love Songs and Lullabies | |
| "Hear Me (Water into Wine)" (w/ Michael Bolton) | 20 | - | Grace | |
| "Beautiful" (w/ Wayne Brady) | 2 | - | The Disney Songbook | |
| 2006 | "Hideaway" (w/ Geoff Byrd) | 3 | - | Escape |
| "Escape" (w/ Marc Antoine)D | - | - | ||
| 2007 | "Never Alone" (w/ Lady Antebellum) | 14 | - | |
| "Coming Home for Christmas" (w/ Richie McDonald) | 4 | - | Homecoming |
- A "Valentine" was originally only released to Adult Contemporary, but charted on the country charts as an album cut. It was remixed and released to country radio the following year. It also peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- B "Your Love" also peaked at #16 on the Canadian country music charts.
- C "Sending You a Little Christmas" also peaked at #15 on Hot Christian Songs.
- D "Escape" peaked at #17 on Hot Contemporary Jazz Songs.
