Steve Wariner
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for
Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
, he also worked with
Bob Luman Robert Glynn Luman (April 15, 1937 – December 27, 1978) was an American country and rockabilly singer-songwriter. Early life and career Luman was born in Blackjack, Texas, United States, though was raised in Nacogdoches, Texas. His early ...
and
Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...
before beginning a solo career in the late 1970s. He has released eighteen studio albums and over fifty singles for several different record labels. Wariner experienced his greatest chart successes in the 1980s, recording first for
RCA Records Nashville RCA Nashville is an American country music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is distributed by Sony Music Nashville which is part of Sony Music. Current artists *Kane Brown *Andrew Jannakos * Miranda Lambert * Niko Moon (RCA/River H ...
and then
MCA Nashville Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashv ...
. While on these labels he sent a number of singles into the top ten of the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts and received favorable critical reception for the amount of creative control he held over his body of work. Upon moving to
Arista Nashville Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & ...
in 1991 he had his most commercially successful album '' I Am Ready'', his first to be certified
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
, but followups were less successful. After a period of commercial downfall, he experienced a second wave of success in the late 1990s which was spurred by co-writing the number-one singles "
Longneck Bottle "Longneck Bottle" is a song written by Steve Wariner and Rick Carnes, and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in November 1997 as the first single from his album '' Sevens''. Wariner also plays acoustic guitar ...
" by
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
and "
Nothin' but the Taillights ''Nothin' but the Taillights'' is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Clint Black. Black co-wrote many of the songs with others and played much of the guitar himself for this album. "Something That We Do", "Nothin' but the ...
" by
Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...
. These songs led to him signing with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
Nashville and achieving two more gold albums with ''
Burnin' the Roadhouse Down ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner, released on April 21, 1998. It was the first of three albums that he recorded for Capitol Nashville after having been dropped from Aris ...
'' and ''
Two Teardrops ''Two Teardrops'' is the fifteenth studio album by American country music singer Steve Wariner. Released in 1999, it was his second studio album for Capitol Nashville. The album, which was certified gold in the United States, produced two singles ...
'' by decade's end. While his commercial success once again dwindled after these albums, he has continued to record independently on his own SelecTone label. Ten of Wariner's singles have reached the number-one position on the Hot Country Songs charts: "
All Roads Lead to You "All Roads Lead to You" is a song written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in September 1981 as the third single from the album ''Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner ...
", "
Some Fools Never Learn "Some Fools Never Learn" is a song written by John Scott Sherrill and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially ...
", "
You Can Dream of Me "You Can Dream of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in November 1985 as the first single from the album '' Life's Highway''. The single stayed at number one for a single week and ...
", " Life's Highway", " Small Town Girl", " The Weekend", "
Lynda Lynda is a spelling variation of the feminine given name Linda. Notable people with the name include: People Arts and entertainment * Lynda Adams, later Hunt (1920–1997), Canadian diver * Lynda Baron (1939–2022), British television actress * Ly ...
", "
Where Did I Go Wrong "Where Did I Go Wrong" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for ...
", " I Got Dreams", and " What If I Said" (a duet with
Anita Cochran Anita Renee Cockerham (born February 6, 1967), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an Americans, American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She has released two albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville and one for Straybra ...
). Wariner holds several writing credits for both himself and other artists, and has collaborated with
Nicolette Larson Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's "Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contem ...
,
Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...
,
Diamond Rio Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was foun ...
,
Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...
,
Asleep at the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more t ...
, and
Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
among others. He has also won four
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s: one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and three for Best Country Instrumental. In addition to these he has won three
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...
awards and one
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
award, and is a member of the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
. Wariner's musical style is defined by his lead guitar work, lyrical content, and stylistic diversity.


Early life

Steven Noel Wariner was born on December 25, 1954, in
Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, a part of the north Indianapolis suburbs along the White River (Indiana), White River. The population was 51,969 at the 2010 Unite ...
, but grew up in
Russell Springs, Kentucky Russell Springs is a home rule-class city in Russell County, Kentucky, in the United States. The city is the gateway to Lake Cumberland, one of the largest man-made lakes in the region, created by Wolf Creek Dam. It is the largest city in the c ...
. As a teenager, Wariner taught himself how to play several instruments, including
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
,
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
,
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
, and
steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...
. Wariner performed locally in his father Roy Wariner's band, drawing influence from musical acts his father listened to such as
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
and
Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...
. When Wariner was 17, country singer
Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
heard him performing at the Nashville Country Club in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
and recruited him to play bass guitar in her road band. Wariner completed his education through a
correspondence course Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
with his local high school, and went on to play in West's band for three years; he also played on her 1973 single " Country Sunshine". Wariner also began writing songs at this point, and West attempted to secure him a record label contract by submitting
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming) ...
of his work, but was unsuccessful. He then left West's road band to put a greater focus on songwriting, and began touring with
Bob Luman Robert Glynn Luman (April 15, 1937 – December 27, 1978) was an American country and rockabilly singer-songwriter. Early life and career Luman was born in Blackjack, Texas, United States, though was raised in Nacogdoches, Texas. His early ...
after he cut some of Wariner's songs. While in recording sessions with Luman, Wariner encountered guitarist
Paul Yandell Paul Yandell (September 6, 1935 – November 21, 2011) was an American guitar player from Mayfield, Kentucky. Yandell played fingerstyle, a style he learned to play from his neighbors, influenced by Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. In 1955 he was hir ...
, who was also working for Atkins at the time. Yandell submitted some of Wariner's demos to Atkins, who was also vice-president of
RCA Records Nashville RCA Nashville is an American country music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is distributed by Sony Music Nashville which is part of Sony Music. Current artists *Kane Brown *Andrew Jannakos * Miranda Lambert * Niko Moon (RCA/River H ...
at the time and was thus able to sign Wariner to a contract in 1976.


Musical career


19781984: RCA Records

His first single release for RCA was " I'm Already Taken", a song that Wariner co-wrote. It peaked at number 63 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts in 1978. This was followed by five more chart singles, none of which appeared on an album at the time due to their limited success. These singles were primarily covers of songs by other artists, including
Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Reco ...
's "The Easy Part's Over". ''
Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' magazine published a positive review of this cover, which stated that it was a "slow, sad ballad" in which "Wariner continues to show a whole lotta vocal talent." Atkins also hired Wariner to be a bassist in his road band, which led to a nomination by the
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
for Bassist of the Year in 1979. Also, Atkins served as his
record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
on his first single releases, but later encouraged him to find a different one. As a result, "The Easy Part's Over" was instead produced by
Tom Collins The Tom Collins is a Collins cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. First memorialized in writing in 1876 by Jerry Thomas, "the father of American mixology", this "gin and sparkling lemonade" drink is typically serv ...
, known for also producing
Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, ...
and Sylvia. His first major chart hit came in 1980 when " Your Memory" ascended to the number seven position on the country charts. Due to the song's success, Atkins fired Wariner from his band. "Your Memory" was the first of six singles from his self-titled debut album, which was also produced by Collins. After it came his first number-one single, 1981's "
All Roads Lead to You "All Roads Lead to You" is a song written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in September 1981 as the third single from the album ''Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner ...
", followed by the top 15 hit " Kansas City Lights". Both of these songs were written by
Kye Fleming Rhonda Kye Fleming (born October 9, 1951) is an American singer/songwriter and music publisher working in Nashville, Tennessee. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and has won more than 42 BMI Awards, including B ...
and
Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner, December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one obi ...
. The album's last two singles, "Don't It Break Your Heart" and "Don't Plan on Sleeping Tonight", fared less successfully on the charts. Al Campbell of AllMusic stated that Wariner's "sophisticated country-pop sound was already perfected, and it showed by the quality of the material." In 1980, the Academy of Country Music nominated Wariner for Top New Male Vocalist. RCA released his second studio album '' Midnight Fire'' in 1983. Tony Brown and
Norro Wilson Norris Denton "Norro" Wilson (April 4, 1938 – June 8, 2017) was an American country music singer-songwriter, producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Wilson wrote or co-wrote numerous hit songs during more than 40 yea ...
co-produced the album except for the last two tracks, for which Collins stayed on as producer. Contributing songwriters included
Felice and Boudleaux Bryant Felice Bryant (born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto; August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003) and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant (; February 13, 1920 – June 25, 1987) were an American husband-and-wife country music and pop songwriting team. They were best ...
,
Jerry Fuller Jerry Fuller (born November 19, 1938) is an American songwriter, singer and record producer. Biography Jerry Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, to a musical family. He and his brother Bill performed as a duo in their home state ...
, and Richard Leigh. The closing track was a duet with
Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful music artist ...
on a cover of
Mickey Gilley Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936 – May 7, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1 ...
's 1975 hit "
Overnight Sensation ''Overnight Sensation'' is the thirteenth studio album by British rock band Motörhead. It was released on 15 October 1996 via Steamhammer, their second on the label. It is their first studio album to not feature guitarist Würzel, and returni ...
", which also appeared on Mandrell's 1983 album '' Spun Gold''. Wariner said that he chose to switch producers as a means of introducing more uptempo material, and both Wilson and Brown were working for RCA at the time. The lead single "Don't Your Memory Ever Sleep at Night" faltered on the country charts, but the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...
was more successful, reaching a peak of number five. Following this was a cover of Luman's 1972 hit " Lonely Women Make Good Lovers", which in early 1984 matched the original version's Hot Country Songs peak of number four. The album's next two singles, " Why Goodbye" and "Don't You Give Up on Love", were less successful. Joy Lynn Stewart of the ''
Red Deer Advocate The ''Red Deer Advocate'' is a daily newspaper in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Published by Black Press, the newspaper was first established in 1901 as the ''Red Deer Echo'', changing its name to ''Alberta Advocate'' in 1903 and ''Red Deer Advoca ...
'' praised Wariner's "fine, textured vocals" along with the combination of upbeat songs and ballads.


19841987: MCA Nashville

When Wariner's contract ended in 1984, he chose to follow Brown to
MCA Nashville Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashv ...
. His first album for the label was 1985's ''
One Good Night Deserves Another ''One Good Night Deserves Another'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in 1985 by MCA Records. The album produced three singles, "What I Didn't Do", "Heart Trouble", and "Some Fools Never Lea ...
'', which Brown co-produced with
Jimmy Bowen James Albert Bowen (born November 30, 1937) is an American record producer and former rockabilly singer. Bowen brought Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood together, and introduced Sinatra to Mel Tillis for their album, ''Mel & Nancy.'' Early life ...
. The album included three singles: the top-ten hits " What I Didn't Do" and " Heart Trouble", and his second number-one hit "
Some Fools Never Learn "Some Fools Never Learn" is a song written by John Scott Sherrill and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially ...
". The Academy of Country Music nominated "Some Fools Never Learn" for Song of the Year in 1985, and Wariner later remarked that he considered it his favorite single. In the process of making the album, Wariner said that Brown and Bowen allowed him more control in the creative process than previous producers, by asking him to find his own material and then explain to them why he liked each song that he had chosen. The song selection process also allowed for a number of songwriters not typically found on albums of the era. These writers included Dave Gibson,
Ronnie Rogers Randall "Ronnie" Rogers (born in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rogers charted eight singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, including the top 40 hits "Gonna Take M ...
,
Wood Newton Wood Newton (born September 16, 1946 in Hampton, Arkansas, United States) is an American songwriter and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Newton was born in Hampton, Arkansas, and graduated from Hampton High School in Hampton, Arkansas ...
,
Paul Overstreet Paul Lester Overstreet (born March 17, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He recorded 10 studio albums between 1982 and 2005, and charted 16 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' country charts, including two ...
, and
Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...
. Stewart wrote that "Wariner takes a fresh approach to traditional country and melds a unique, winning style", highlighting the ballad "You Can't Cut Me Any Deeper" and the "grand pace" of "Your Love Has Got a Hold on Me" in particular. His next album, '' Life's Highway'' (1986), produced two consecutive number-one Hot Country Songs peaks: "
You Can Dream of Me "You Can Dream of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in November 1985 as the first single from the album '' Life's Highway''. The single stayed at number one for a single week and ...
" and the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...
. This was followed by the number four " Starting Over Again". Wariner co-wrote five songs on the album including "You Can Dream of Me", which he wrote with
John Hall John Hall may refer to: Academics * John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic * John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal * John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...
, then of the band Orleans. As with the previous album, Bowen and Brown requested that he have input on song selection and production processes; one such decision made by Wariner was not to have a string section on the album because he would not be able to include one in a live setting. Al Campbell of AllMusic reviewed the album favorably, stating that it "showed him moving into a more mature musical direction. The best moments here outshine anything Wariner had recorded up to that point". In between the releases of "Life's Highway" and "Starting Over Again", he was also a duet vocalist on
Nicolette Larson Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's "Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contem ...
's " That's How You Know When Love's Right", which was nominated for that year's Vocal Event of the Year from the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...
. Wariner gained further exposure in this timespan for singing the theme to the television sitcom '' Who's the Boss?'', which used his rendition from 1986 to 1990. Overlapping with his first two MCA albums, RCA promoted two compilations of material. The first of these was a ''Greatest Hits'' album, issued in 1985. The following year, RCA compiled eight previously-unreleased songs into an album titled ''Down in Tennessee''. RCA also issued promotional singles from each compilation: "When We're Together" from ''Greatest Hits'', and "You Make It Feel So Right", a duet with Carol Chase, from ''Down in Tennessee''. Also featured on ''Down in Tennessee'' was an instrumental track called "Sano Scat". Ron Chalmers of the ''
Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...
'' gave ''Down in Tennessee'' a mixed review, finding Wariner's vocals stronger on the ballads than on the uptempo material. His next MCA release was 1987's ''
It's a Crazy World It's a Crazy World is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in 1987 by MCA Records. Three singles were released from it, and all three reached number-one. This album peaked at #30 on Top Country Al ...
'', which was his first to be issued on
compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
. The title track was written by
Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. ...
, who originally had a pop hit with it in 1977. All three of its singles topped the Hot Country Songs charts: " Small Town Girl", " The Weekend", and "
Lynda Lynda is a spelling variation of the feminine given name Linda. Notable people with the name include: People Arts and entertainment * Lynda Adams, later Hunt (1920–1997), Canadian diver * Lynda Baron (1939–2022), British television actress * Ly ...
". In between "The Weekend" and "Lynda", Wariner was also a guest vocalist on
Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...
's top-ten hit " The Hand That Rocks the Cradle". This song accounted for Wariner's first
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination in 1987, in the then-new category of
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...
. Also in 1987 he was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Top Male Vocalist. Tom Roland of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewed ''It's a Crazy World'' positively, stating that "Wariner's in charge vocally, and seems to glide through the album effortlessly. He's received more responsibility for his own direction, and—with one or two exceptions— has upgraded every aspect of his record, particularly in song selection and musicianship." Wariner supported ''It's a Crazy World'' through a headlining tour that also featured
Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...


19881990: End of MCA years

In 1988, Wariner issued '' I Should Be with You'', his fourth release for MCA. It accounted for the top-ten singles " Baby I'm Yours", " I Should Be with You", and "
Hold On (A Little Longer) "Hold On (A Little Longer)" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musici ...
". Wariner noted that the album contained a more
country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...
influence than its predecessors, particularly in the selection of session musicians such as
Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequ ...
and
Russ Kunkel Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...
, as well as
Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles. George disbanded the group because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979. Surviving ...
cofounder
Bill Payne William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...
. The album continued Wariner's trend of writing his own material, as he wrote or co-wrote all three singles and three other songs on the album; he also co-produced for the first time, doing so with Bowen. ''I Should Be with You'' received a positive review from ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' magazine which stated that it was "a tightly crafted package, showcasing both contemporary and traditional country tunes." Wariner supported the album in 1988 by touring with
Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 single ...
. '' I Got Dreams'', also co-produced by Wariner and Bowen, followed in 1989. Wariner wrote nine out of ten songs on the album, with collaborators such as McAnally,
Roger Murrah Roger Alan Murrah (born November 20, 1946) is a songwriter and independent music publisher who has written hits for artists including Waylon Jennings, Alan Jackson, Al Jarreau, and Alabama.Mike Reid, and husband-and-wife duo
Bill LaBounty Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb/Warner Bros. Records. His first charting single, " This Night Won't ...
and Beckie Foster. McAnally and LaBounty both sang backing vocals on the album, with the former also contributing on acoustic guitar and percussion. At the time of the album's release, Wariner noted that the chart success and positive fan reception of "I Should Be with You" inspired a continual growth in his songwriting. He also observed that, while he had not received strong record sales or industry awards, radio performance of his singles inspired him to "make the best records". ''I Got Dreams'' charted three singles on Hot Country Songs in 1989: "
Where Did I Go Wrong "Where Did I Go Wrong" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for ...
" and the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...
both went to number one, followed by "
When I Could Come Home to You "When I Could Come Home to You" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in October 1989 as the third single from the album ''I Got Dreams''. The song reached #5 on the ''Billboard (magazin ...
" at number five. The ''
Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...
'' writer Susan Beyer reviewed the album with favor, stating that "the more control Wariner gets over his recordings, the better they get...the sounds run the gamut, but elegantly, from acoustic country to rock-edged to adult contemporary." Wariner released two albums in 1990, the first of which was '' Laredo''. It accounted for three charted singles: " The Domino Theory", " Precious Thing", and " There for Awhile". LaBounty and Foster wrote "The Domino Theory", while Wariner co-wrote "Precious Thing" with McAnally. Production duties on the album were split, with
Garth Fundis Garth Fundis is an American country music record producer. Active since the 1970s, Fundis has produced albums for several country artists, including Alabama, Don Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, and Keith Whitley. He has also served as a ju ...
and
Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...
producing three tracks each, and Tony Brown returning to produce the other four. Marc Rice of the ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'' called ''Laredo'' a "safe, likeable album", praising the clarity of the production along with the "clever" lyrics of "The Domino Theory". Kay Knight of ''Cash Box'' magazine stated that "Wariner shows us a very basic and intimate look at his music and his life...this project should definitely bring Wariner into the spotlight of country radio." His second release in 1990, and final for MCA, was the Christmas album ''Christmas Memories''. In the process of recording the album, Wariner said that he wanted it to have a "timeless" feel. It included traditional Christmas songs such as "
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as simply "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945 in Hollywood, California, during a heat wave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions ...
", "
Do You Hear What I Hear? "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a song written in October 1962, with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne. The pair, married at the time, wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney had been invited by a record p ...
", three original songs written by Wariner, and collaborations with
The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...
on renditions of "
Past Three O'Clock "Past Three O'Clock" (or "Past Three a Clock") is an English Christmas carol, loosely based on the call of the traditional London waits, musicians and watchmen who patrolled during the night, using a musical instrument to show they were on duty and ...
" and "
I Saw Three Ships "I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)" is an English Christmas carol, listed as number 700 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire, and was also published by ...
". Wariner promoted the album through a radio special titled ''Steve Wariner's Acoustic Christmas'', which also featured
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...
and Mike Reid. A year later, he performed in a television special on
The Nashville Network The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September ...
also titled ''Christmas Memories'' which featured selections from the album. While his tenure with MCA was ending, Wariner contributed to two cuts on
Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
's 1991 album '' The New Nashville Cats''. The first was a cover of
Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...
' " Restless". It featured O'Connor on
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
, with Wariner,
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist b ...
, and
Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...
alternating on lead vocals and guitar. A number 25 entry on Hot Country Songs, it won all four artists that year's Vocal Event of the Year award from the Country Music Association, along with
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do ...
. Wariner also co-wrote, sang, and played guitar on "Now It Belongs to You", another cut from the album which also made the country charts.Whitburn, p. 262


19911996: Arista Nashville

Wariner left MCA amicably in 1991 and signed with
Arista Nashville Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & ...
later that same year. His debut for the label was 1991's '' I Am Ready'', which was produced by
Tim DuBois James Timothy DuBois (born May 4, 1948 is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Nashville-based songwriter and recording industry executive who has headed both Arista Records (Nashville Division) and Universal South Records. As a songwrit ...
and
Scott Hendricks Scott Hendricks (born July 26, 1956) is an American record producer who has produced over 30 country music artists. His productions have garnered 121 Top 10s, and 78 Number One hits. Between 1995 and 1997, he was President and Chief Executive Off ...
. The album's title came from a song that he had selected but ultimately chose not to include on the album, calling it "left field". The lead-off single, " Leave Him Out of This", achieved a top-ten peak on Hot Country Songs list in early 1992. It was followed by a cover of " The Tips of My Fingers", which was written and originally recorded by Bill Anderson in 1960 and was also a hit for
Roy Clark Roy Linwood Clark (April 15, 1933 – November 15, 2018) was an American singer and musician. He is best known for having hosted ''Hee Haw'', a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997. Clark was an important and influen ...
in 1963. Wariner's version, featuring a backing vocal from Vince Gill, was the album's most successful single. It achieved a Hot Country Songs peak of number three in 1992, and the number-one position of the country music charts published by ''
Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
''. The next single " A Woman Loves" also went into the top ten, but followups "Crash Course in the Blues" (featuring O'Connor on fiddle) and "Like a River to the Sea" were less successful. ''I Am Ready'' was met with largely positive critical reception.
Brian Mansfield Brian Mansfield (born September 24, 1963) is an American writer and journalist. Early life and education Mansfield grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School. In 1984, Mansfield received a bachelor's degre ...
reviewed the album favorably on AllMusic, stating that "Wariner, a master of the subtle touch, builds this album's impact quietly and methodically", highlighting the vocal and instrumental performances on the singles in particular.
Alanna Nash Alanna Nash is an American journalist and biographer. Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1950, Nash holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is the author of several acclaimed books. She is a 1972 graduat ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' rated the album "B−", concluding her review with "if Wariner lacks a zippy repertoire, he nearly makes up for it with believable readings and deft vocal shadings". Jay Brakfield of the ''
Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...
'' thought that the album had "contemporary lyrics" and "shows a more aggressive Wariner. He's doing the same thing, but now he's doing it better and doing more of it." ''I Am Ready'' became Wariner's first album to receive a gold certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. The corresponding tours for ''I Am Ready'' were the most commercially successful of his career to this point. In late 1991, the Takamine guitar corporation issued a limited-edition acoustic guitar model named after Wariner. His second album for Arista Nashville was 1993's ''
Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...
''. Its lead single was the top-ten " If I Didn't Love You". After it came the Top 30 hits "
Drivin' and Cryin' "Drivin' and Cryin'" is a song recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in November 1993 as the second single from the album '' Drive''. The song reached #24 on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks ch ...
" and " It Won't Be Over You", while the album's title track stopped at No. 63. Wariner told ''Cash Box'' magazine that he intended for the album to be representative of the energy present in his live shows. He also wanted it to be more upbeat than ''I Am Ready'', which he felt contained too many ballads. Once again, Jarvis, Gill, and McAnally were among the musicians contributing; bluegrass singer
Carl Jackson Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...
co-wrote and sang harmony on "The Same Mistake Again", while electric guitarist
Brent Mason Brent Mason (born July 13, 1959) is an American, Nashville, Tennessee-based recording studio guitarist and songwriter, performing primarily country music. Guitar World Magazine listed him as one of the "Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time". ...
and steel guitarist Paul Franklin played on "It Won't Be Over You". He promoted the album throughout 1993 with a tour comprising the United States and Canada, sponsored by
General Motors Canada General Motors of Canada Company (french: La Compagnie General Motors du Canada), commonly known as GM Canada, is the Canadian subsidiary of US-based company General Motors. It is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. In the aftermath of the ...
. Also featured on the tour were
Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's ''Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 1996' ...
, Larry Stewart, and Canadian country singer
Cassandra Vasik Cassandra Vasik is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter from Blenheim, Ontario. Signed to Epic Records, she released two albums and 11 singles for the label between 1991 and 1994. In 1992, she won the Rising Star award at the Canadian Count ...
. Despite the success of the lead single, DuBois (who was then the president of Arista Nashville) observed that the album sold poorly due to negative reception of the following singles by radio programmers. Patrick Davitt of ''The Leader-Post'' rated the album 3 out of 5 stars, praising the lyrics and arrangements of "It Won't Be Over You" and "Drivin' and Cryin'" as well as the "simpler country tunes" "(You Could Always) Come Back" and "The Same Mistake Again", but criticizing "If I Didn't Love You" as "repetitive" and several other album cuts for their "unbearably thick and heavy" sound. Although he did not release any albums in 1994 and 1995, he appeared on collaborative works in the timespan. The first was '' Mama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard'', on which he joined then-labelmates
Diamond Rio Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was foun ...
and
Lee Roy Parnell Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an American country music and blues artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot C ...
on a cover of
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...
's "
Workin' Man Blues "Workin' Man Blues" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in May 1969 as the second single from the album '' A Portrait of Merle Haggard''. The song was released during ...
". Credited to "Jed Zeppelin", this rendition was also made into a music video, and charted at number 48 on Hot Country Songs. A year later, he contributed a cover of
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' "
Get Back "Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...
" to the compilation '' Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles''. An instrumental album, '' No More Mr. Nice Guy'', followed in 1996. Wariner told ''
Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...
'' magazine that he had wanted to record an instrumental album for much of his career, but had considerable difficulty in getting permission from his labels: MCA executives would only allow him to do one instrumental song on an album, while he had to "beg and plead" Arista to allow him a full album. ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'' included various country and bluegrass musicians such as Atkins, O'Connor, McAnally, Gill,
Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...
,
Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...
, and Diamond Rio lead guitarist Jimmy Olander; it also included folk guitarist
Leo Kottke Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including parti ...
and
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
lead guitarist
Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwri ...
, and a spoken-word intro by
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player
Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
. While the project produced no singles, the track "Brickyard Boogie" (featuring
Jeffrey Steele Jeffrey LeVasseur (born August 27, 1961), known as Jeffrey Steele, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with recording his own material, Steele has become a prolific Nashville songwriter, having co-written more than 60 hit ...
,
Bryan White Bryan Shelton White (born February 17, 1974) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Asylum Records in 1994 at age 20, White released his self-titled debut album that year. Both it and its follow-up, 1996's '' Between Now ...
,
Bryan Austin Bryan Cuevas (born September 12, 1967 in Pass Christian, Mississippi) is an American country music artist, known professionally as Bryan Austin. Signed to Liberty Records' sister label Patriot Records in 1994, he released an album and two sing ...
, and
Derek George Derek George (born in Philadelphia, Mississippi) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist currently signed to Spirit Music Group. He is known for his work in Pearl River and Williams Riley, and his frequent collaborations ...
) was nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1970 to 2011. Between 1986 and 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist). In 2012 the award ...
in 1997. Chuck Hamilton of ''
Country Standard Time ''Country Standard Time'' is a website dedicated to country music and related genres including Americana, bluegrass and rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1993 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a p ...
'' noted the variety of musical styles present on the album, concluding that "if you appreciate good guitar playing by some of the best in the business, this one's a good pick." Also in 1996, Wariner was made a member of the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
.


19972001: Capitol Records

Wariner began writing songs for other artists in the late 1990s per the suggestion of his wife, Caryn, who also ran his publishing company and fan club. She had suggested doing so following the diminishing success of his previous albums. He wrote two songs that topped the Hot Country Songs charts between late 1997 and early 1998: "
Longneck Bottle "Longneck Bottle" is a song written by Steve Wariner and Rick Carnes, and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in November 1997 as the first single from his album '' Sevens''. Wariner also plays acoustic guitar ...
" by
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
(which also featured Wariner on background vocals and lead guitar at Brooks's request) and "
Nothin' but the Taillights ''Nothin' but the Taillights'' is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Clint Black. Black co-wrote many of the songs with others and played much of the guitar himself for this album. "Something That We Do", "Nothin' but the ...
" by
Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...
; Bryan White also had a top-20 hit in this timespan with "One Small Miracle", which Wariner wrote with Bill Anderson. In addition to these, Wariner sang duet vocals on
Anita Cochran Anita Renee Cockerham (born February 6, 1967), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an Americans, American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She has released two albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville and one for Straybra ...
's single " What If I Said". In early 1998, this song became not only Wariner's tenth number-one single on Hot Country Songs chart, but also his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100, reaching number 59. According to Wariner, some radio stations played these four songs consecutively, a move which he felt helped draw greater attention to his body of work. Based on the success of these songs, Wariner expressed interest in issuing another album, but said that Arista Nashville executives were reluctant to do so after the commercial failure of ''Drive'' and ''No More Mr. Nice Guy''. In response, Brooks suggested that Wariner terminate his contract and sign with another label. In January 1998, Wariner underwent negotiations with multiple labels including Giant Records (Warner), Giant Records and Asylum Records before choosing
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
Nashville, to which Brooks was also signed at the time. His first Capitol album, ''
Burnin' the Roadhouse Down ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner, released on April 21, 1998. It was the first of three albums that he recorded for Capitol Nashville after having been dropped from Aris ...
'', came out in April 1998. Leading off the album was the single "Holes in the Floor of Heaven", which spent two weeks at the number two position on Hot Country Songs. The album's other singles were its Burnin' the Roadhouse Down (song), title track (a duet with Brooks), "Road Trippin'", and "Every Little Whisper". Wariner wrote or co-wrote and produced every song on the album except for "What If I Said", which was included as a bonus track due to its earlier success. ''Country Standard Time'' published a mixed review of the album, praising most of Wariner's lyrics while criticizing the title track as "predictably sappy". Thom Owens of AllMusic wrote of the album that "His music may not be as fresh as it was in the early '80s, when he was at the beginning of his career, but he's become a masterful craftsman, and that's why the album shines." By year's end, ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' had become Wariner's second gold album. "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" won the 1998 Song of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music (where he also received Song of the Year and Video of the Year nominations for the same song), and Vocal Event of the Year nominations for both "What If I Said" and "Burnin' the Roadhouse Down". In addition, "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" received the 1998 Country Music Association awards for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year, and was nominated in the 1998 Grammy Awards for both Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Grammy Award for Best Country Song, Best Country Song. Wariner's second album for Capitol was ''
Two Teardrops ''Two Teardrops'' is the fifteenth studio album by American country music singer Steve Wariner. Released in 1999, it was his second studio album for Capitol Nashville. The album, which was certified gold in the United States, produced two singles ...
''. Released in 1999, it was certified gold as well. It produced only two singles: its Two Teardrops (song), title track, which Wariner co-wrote with Bill Anderson, and a re-recording of his debut single "I'm Already Taken". Respectively, these reached numbers two and three on the Hot Country Songs charts that year; they were also successful on the Hot 100, where they respectively reached numbers 30 and 42. Once again, Wariner produced the album himself. His brother Terry provided background vocals on "I'm Already Taken", and son Ryan played guitar on "So Much". The album also included a duet with Bryan White on "Talk to Her Heart" and an instrumental called "The Harry Shuffle". Nash rated the album "B", stating that "he continues to shape his persona as the hopeful but dashed romantic, and veers from country lopers to affecting philosophical ruminations. But in serving as his own producer, he fails to get his stronger emotions off the page." Owens said of the album that "It may not be the stunner ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' was, but ''Two Teardrops'' proves that Wariner can continue to make winners." In addition to this, Wariner was one of several musicians contributing to "Bob's Breakdown", a song from
Asleep at the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more t ...
's 1999 album ''Ride with Bob''. The same year, he received a second Grammy Award out of three nominations: both "The Harry Shuffle" and "Bob's Breakdown" were nominated for Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance, Best Country Instrumental Performance, with the latter winning that award, while "Two Teardrops" was nominated for Best Country Song. By the end of the 1990s, Wariner had also played lead guitar on albums by Bryan White, Lila McCann, and Collin Raye. His last Capitol Nashville album was 2000's ''Faith in You'', which charted its title track (also co-written by Anderson) and "Katie Wants a Fast One", another duet with Brooks. ''Faith in You'' once again featured Ryan, this time as a lead guitarist on the closing instrumental "Bloodlines", and his other son Ross on "High Time". In addition to his usual guitar work, Wariner also contributed on lap steel guitar, mandolin, and the papoose (a higher-strung guitar manufactured by Tacoma Guitars). "Bloodlines" accounted for another Best Country Instrumental Performance nomination at the 2000 Grammy Awards. William Ruhlmann reviewed the album favorably in AllMusic, stating that it was "another consistent, craftsman-like effort from an artist who has made the most of his second chance in country music." Also in 2000, Wariner co-wrote, played lead guitar, and sang duet vocals on Clint Black's 2000 single "Been There" from his album ''D'lectrified''; one year later, Keith Urban had a top-five hit with "Where the Blacktop Ends", which Wariner wrote with Allen Shamblin. Wariner's contract with Capitol ended when the label's president Pat Quigley exited.


2003present: SelecTone

In 2003, Wariner founded his own record label called SelecTone Records. His first album for the label was ''Steal Another Day''. It accounted for the charting singles in "I'm Your Man" and "Snowfall on the Sand". Wariner recorded the album at a studio he had built behind his own house. In addition to its two singles, the album featured re-recordings of "Some Fools Never Learn", "You Can Dream of Me", "The Weekend", "Where Did I Go Wrong", and "Small Town Girl", along with "There Will Come a Day", a song that he wrote about his stepdaughter, Holly. Wariner promoted the album with a concert at the 2003 Indiana State Fair; he also made appearances at Walmart stores around Indianapolis to promote the chain's childhood literacy program Words Are Your Wheels. Wariner made an appearance at an 80th-anniversary celebration of the Grand Ole Opry in 2005, which included him and various other Opry members as part of a two-day concert. He also performed with The Grascals at the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. In 2008, Wariner played guitar on two tracks from
Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...
's instrumental album ''Play: The Guitar Album'': the multi-artist collaboration "Cluster Pluck", which won that year's Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental, and "More Than Just This Song", which Wariner and Paisley co-wrote. One year later, Wariner released the instrumental album ''My Tribute to Chet Atkins''. The album's track "Producer's Medley" won him another Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Jeff Tamarkin of AllMusic reviewed the album positively, stating that "Throughout the album, Wariner's guitar work is crisp, sharp and smarthe never attempts to imitate Atkins but he manages to embody him nonetheless." For this album, Wariner referred to himself as "Steve Wariner, c.g.p.", indicating the title "certified guitar player" which Atkins had bestowed to guitarists whom he respected. Other guitarists to receive this title from Atkins include Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles (guitarist), John Knowles, Marcel Dadi, and Jerry Reed. Wariner promoted the album through special concerts in Nashville, whose proceeds were donated to the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund. Another instrumental album, ''Guitar Laboratory'', followed in 2011. Contributors on the album included David Hungate, Aubrey Haynie, and Paul Yandell, along with Wariner's touring drummer Ron Gannaway and son Ross. JP Tausig of ''Country Standard Time'' noted the variety of musical styles on the album, particularly a jazz influence on some tracks. 2013's ''It Ain't All Bad'' returned Wariner to a vocal album after several instrumental ones. Chuck Yarborough of ''The Plain Dealer'' rated the album "A", noting rockabilly and bluegrass music influences on the album's sound, also highlighting the lyrics of "Arrows at Airplanes" and "Bluebonnet Memories". Following in 2016 was ''All Over the Map'', on which Wariner played guitar, drums, upright bass, and steel guitar. The album included a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, among which was "When I Still Mattered to You", a track that he wrote with
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...
in 1996. It also included a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs on "Down Sawmill Road". In 2019, Wariner was one of many artists inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.


Musical styles

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote that "in the beginning, the low-tuned guitars and wide range of his singles brought frequent comparisons to the early
Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...
hits." Richard Carlin of ''Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary'' similarly compared the RCA catalog to that of Glen Campbell, calling such songs "a pop-country backup that really wasn't suited to him". Carlin found the MCA albums more "progressive" and comparable to pop rock. Thomas Goldsmith of ''The Tennessean'' noted that many of Wariner's mid-1980s hit singles were "personal, down-to-earth songs of daily life." He also wrote that by the release of ''Life's Highway'', Wariner had developed a "leaner country style" compared to the "pop-oriented tunes" of his earlier days. In a review of ''Faith in You'' also for AllMusic, Ruhlmann described Wariner's style by saying, "his abilities as a guitarist, understated but always apparent in the style of his mentor,
Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...
, provide a basic level of enjoyment no matter what else is going on." Brian Wahlert of ''Country Standard Time'' stated that "most of the time he releases pleasant music that is neither offensive nor exciting." Writing for the ''Dallas Morning News'', Jay Brakefield contrasted Wariner's style with that of Vince Gill, saying that "like Gill, Wariner has a reputation as a superb guitar player and a teriffic vocalist." Wariner noted that Atkins was influential in his early days as a recording artist, as Atkins encouraged Wariner to play his own lead guitar parts, and to emphasize the quality of a song over who wrote it. Despite this, Wariner also said that he only chose to include his own guitar solos on songs where he felt that they were necessary. Some of Wariner's songs employ scat singing over his solos, most notably "I Got Dreams". Wariner's guitar playing style includes fingerstyle guitar and classical guitar, both of which he claims were inspirations from the work of Jerry Reed. In his early days when performing with Atkins, he recalls that Atkins would lend him a Gretsch guitar on which he was allowed to play solos. Nash wrote of Wariner's vocal and lyrical style that "the majority of Wariner’s sweet-sad songs about lost opportunity forego front-page passion for little nuggets of long-term longing" and "his creamy tenor audibly caresses a lyric." An article in ''The Los Angeles Times'' noted of Wariner's musical image in the 1990s that, unlike his peers, he did not wear a cowboy hat; the same article described him as "just plain good...Wariner has an angelic voice, some solid songs and a staggering facility on the guitar." Many of his projects have been recorded in only one take, including ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'', the track "I Just Do" from ''Faith in You'', and the Atkins tribute album.


Personal life

Wariner fathered his first son, Ryan, with Caryn Severs in 1984, although the two were not married at the time. After marrying in 1987, they had a second son, Ross. He also has one stepdaughter, Holly, who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He has one sister, Barbara, and three brothers: Kenny, Dave, and Terry, the last of whom was a longtime member of his road band. His mother Geneva Ilene Wariner died on June 19, 2012, followed by his father, Roy Monroe Wariner, on July 7, 2017. For much of the 1980s, Wariner developed an interest in magic (illusion), stage magic, and would often include magic acts as part of his concerts. He also took up watercolor painting, and named his song "Like a River to the Sea" after one such painting.


Discography

;Studio albums *''Steve Wariner (album), Steve Wariner'' (1982) *'' Midnight Fire'' (1983) *''
One Good Night Deserves Another ''One Good Night Deserves Another'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in 1985 by MCA Records. The album produced three singles, "What I Didn't Do", "Heart Trouble", and "Some Fools Never Lea ...
'' (1985) *'' Life's Highway'' (1985) *''
It's a Crazy World It's a Crazy World is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in 1987 by MCA Records. Three singles were released from it, and all three reached number-one. This album peaked at #30 on Top Country Al ...
'' (1987) *'' I Should Be with You'' (1988) *'' I Got Dreams'' (1989) *'' Laredo'' (1990) *'' I Am Ready'' (1991) *''
Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...
'' (1993) *'' No More Mr. Nice Guy'' (1996) *''
Burnin' the Roadhouse Down ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner, released on April 21, 1998. It was the first of three albums that he recorded for Capitol Nashville after having been dropped from Aris ...
'' (1998) *''
Two Teardrops ''Two Teardrops'' is the fifteenth studio album by American country music singer Steve Wariner. Released in 1999, it was his second studio album for Capitol Nashville. The album, which was certified gold in the United States, produced two singles ...
'' (1999) *''Faith in You'' (2000) *''Steal Another Day'' (2003) *''This Real Life'' (2005) *''My Tribute to Chet Atkins'' (2009) *''Guitar Laboratory'' (2011) *''It Ain't All Bad'' (2013) *''All Over the Map'' (2016) *''Feels Like Christmas Time'' (2021)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wariner, Steve 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 1954 births American country bass guitarists American country guitarists American country record producers American country singer-songwriters American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters Arista Nashville artists Capitol Records artists Country musicians from Indiana Grammy Award winners Grand Ole Opry members Guitarists from Indiana Living people MCA Records artists People from Noblesville, Indiana RCA Records artists Singer-songwriters from Indiana