Jim Brickman

Jim Brickman
Background information
Born (1961-11-20) November 20, 1961
Origin Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Songwriter, recording artist, radio host
Instruments Piano, vocals
Years active 1994–present
Labels BMG/Windham Hill, Savoy Label Group, Brickhouse, Mood Entertainment
Website jimbrickman.com

    Jim Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American songwriter and pianist of pop music, as well as a radio show host. Brickman has earned six Gold and Platinum albums. He is known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations with artists such as Lady Antebellum, Johnny Mathis, Michael W. Smith, Martina McBride, Megan Hilty, Donny Osmond, Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John, and many others.[1] He has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums Peace (2003) for Best Instrumental, and Faith (2009) for Best New Age Album;[2] an SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award; a Canadian Country Music Award for Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration; and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association.

    Since 1997, he has hosted his own radio show, "The Jim Brickman Show", which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States.[3] Brickman has also released five PBS specials, and hosts an annual fan cruise. He is founder of Brickhouse Direct, a company that provides strategic marketing and e-commerce solutions for clients in a variety of industries.

    History

    Early years

    Brickman was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio and attended Shaker Heights High School. He began playing piano at the age of five. Later he studied composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University.[4] In 1980, Brickman founded his own advertising music company called The Brickman Arrangement,[5] writing commercial jingles for many companies across the country such as McDonald's, Pontiac, City of Cleveland, Ohio Lottery, and Isuzu.[6]

    Musical career

    Brickman signed to Windham Hill Records in 1994 and released his first album, No Words featuring the song "Rocket to the Moon" which became his first solo instrumental to be ranked on the Billboard charts.[7] The songs "Angel Eyes" and "If You Believe" gained radio airplay from Brickman's second release, By Heart on the Windham Hill label in 1995. The following year, the CD's title track, "By Heart", became his first top 20 adult contemporary (AC) hit. In 1997, Brickman released the album Picture This,[8] adding a vocal performance, "Valentine", sung by Martina McBride.[9] This song charted on both country and AC stations, with the album selling platinum.[10] By the end of the year, Brickman issued the first of many Christmas CDs, The Gift, with the title song featuring Collin Raye and Susan Ashton, topping three different charts; for this album, Brickman received a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association.[11] He later produced several other Christmas-themed albums, Peace (2003), Christmas Romance (2006), Homecoming (2007), and The Hymns and Carols of Christmas (2008);[12] and his two albums Grace (2005) and Faith (2008) concentrated on arrangements of well-known Christian music.[13]

    During his career, Valentine went platinum, selling over one million records and four others have sold over 500,000 copies; By Heart (1995), Picture This (1997), The Gift (1997), and Destiny (1999), qualifying them as gold records in the United States.[14] In November 2005, three of Brickman's albums, The Disney Songbook (2005), Grace (2005) and Greatest Hits (2004), held the top three spots on Billboard's New Age chart.[15] He also received a Grammy nomination in 2003, an SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, and a Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration".[16] The 2008 album Faith was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.

    Brickman composes a variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also drafted arrangements of existing songs, and several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music. He has collaborated with artists from all genres with songs like "Love of My Life" with Michael W. Smith, "You" with Jane Krakowski, "Never Alone" with country group Lady Antebellum, "After All These Years" with Anne Cochran, and "Never Far Away" with Christian contemporary group Rush of Fools, among others.

    Brickman's music is sometimes classified in the new-age genre, although the diversity of his music makes Brickman himself skeptical of this classification.[17]

    In 2007, Brickman teamed up with Somerset Group Ltd., producing and distributing concept-based music to some of the country's biggest retailers including Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and Costco.

    Radio show

    Making its debut in January 1997, "Your Weekend with Jim Brickman" is a four-hour radio show that has been heard across the US featuring music blended with celebrity interviews, lifestyle features and entertainment reports.[18]

    Distributed by Cumulus Media Networks, "Your Weekend with Jim Brickman" airs in more than 80 markets on stations like Milwaukee's WLDB, Hartford's WRCH, Honolulu's KSSK, Cincinnati's WRRM, and Salt Lake City's KSFI. The show features experts including Showbiz Tonight's A.J. Hammer, HGTV's Sabrina Soto, Dr. Drew Ramsey, and money expert Jean Chatzky.

    TV specials

    A strong supporter of PBS, Brickman has filmed and released the PBS specials My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman (2000),[19] Love Songs & Lullabies (2002), The Disney Songbook (2005),[20] and Beautiful World (2009).

    In 2013, Brickman hosted 'Celebration of the '70s', a concert event featuring David Cassidy, Thelma Houston, Stephen Bishop, Rita Coolidge, David Pack (of Ambrosia), Yvonne Elliman, and Firefall, filmed live for XFinity on Demand for Comcast.

    Other ventures

    Since 2006, Brickman has hosted an annual fan cruise, being joined at sea with his fans for a week of activities and concerts.

    In 2013, the first annual "Brickman Bash" kicked off in Nashville on July 18–21. Fans would spend a weekend with Brickman touring Franklin and Nashville, TN.

    Partners

    Since 2008, Brickman has partnered with American Greetings, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, Whole Foods, Roland, Celestial Seasonings, Audio-Technica, and Horatio Alger.

    Media appearances

    Brickman appeared on the September/October 2013 cover of Making Music Magazine to discuss his life and career.[21]

    Brickhouse Direct

    Brickman founded Brickhouse Direct (BHD) in 2003, a company that provides strategic marketing and e-commerce solutions for clients in a variety of industries. Brickhouse Direct has done work for a wide range of clients over the years including Universal Music, Concord Music Group, Carly Simon, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Casey Kasem, Dave Koz, Chris Sligh, Lenz Entertainment, Anita Renfroe and many others.[22]

    Discography

    Albums

    Year Album Chart position RIAA Record Label
    US CAN Country
    1994 No Words — — — Windham Hill
    1995 By Heart 187 — Gold
    1997 Picture This 30 — Gold
    The Gift 48 19 Gold
    1998 Visions of Love 170 — —
    1999 Destiny 42 — Gold
    2000 My Romance 75 — —
    2001 Simple Things 54 — —
    2002 Love Songs and Lullabies 73 — —
    Valentine — — —
    2003 Peace 87 — —
    2004 Greatest Hits 134 — —
    2005 Grace 88 — —
    The Disney Songbook 142 — — Walt Disney Records
    2006 Escape 105 — — Savoy Label Group
    Christmas Romance — — — Compass Records
    2007 Homecoming 96 — — SLG
    Hope — — — Compass Records
    2008 Valentine Reissue — — — Savoy Label Group
    Unspoken — — —
    Ultimate Love Songs — — — Time Life
    The Hymns and Carols of Christmas — — — Green Hill
    Faith — — — Compass Productions
    2009 Beautiful World 89 — — Somerset Entertainment
    Joy 185 — — Compass Productions (Target), Somerset
    2010 Home — — — Somerset Entertainment
    Love 141 — —
    2011 Yesterday Once More: A Tribute to the Music of the Carpenters — — — Green Hill
    All Is Calm: Peaceful Christmas Hymns 84 — — Somerset Entertainment
    Romanza — — —
    2012 Believe — — — Mood Entertainment
    Piano Lullabies — — —
    2013 The Magic of Christmas 58 — — Somerset Entertainment
    Love 2 — — —
    2014 Blessed: Songs of Inspiration — — — Mood Entertainment
    Pure Worship — — — Green Hill
    On a Winter's Night: The Songs and Spirit of Christmas — — —
    2015 Pure Romance — — —
    Soothe Vol. 1: Music to Quiet Your Mind and Soothe Your World 1 — —
    2016 Pure Cinema — — —
    Freedom Rings: Solo Piano — — — Brickman Music
    Soothe Vol. 2: Sleep Music for Tranquil Slumber
    2017 Wedding Songs 6 — —
    Soothe Vol. 3: Music for Peaceful Relaxation
    A Joyful Christmas BMG
    "—" denotes releases that failed to chart, not released, or not certified

    Singles

    Year Single Peak chart position Album
    US AC US Country CAN AC CAN Country CAN
    1996 "By Heart" (with Laura Creamer) 16 — — — — By Heart: Piano Solos
    "Hero's Dream" 24 — — — — Picture This
    1997 "Valentine" (with Martina McBride)A 3 53 16 — —
    "Picture This" 23 — — — —
    "Your Love" (with Michelle Wright) — — 16 15 42 Visions of Love
    "The Gift" (with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton) 3 51 — 52 — The Gift / Visions of Love
    1998 "After All These Years" (with Anne Cochran) 8 — 18 — — Visions of Love
    "Valentine" (with Martina McBride; re-release)A — 9 — 14 — Evolution (Martina McBride album)
    1999 "Love of My Life" (with Michael W. Smith) 9 — — — — Destiny
    "Destiny" (with Jordan Hill and Billy Porter) 10 — 10 — —
    "Your Love" (with Michelle Wright; re-release) 19 74 — — — Visions of Love
    2000 "The Love I Found in You" (with Dave Koz) 15 — 84 — — My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman
    2001 "Simple Things" (with Rebecca Lynn Howard) 1 — — — — Simple Things
    2002 "A Mother's Day" 18 — — — —
    "You" (with Jane Krakowski) 4 — — — — Love Songs and Lullabies
    2003 "Peace (Where the Heart Is)" (with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton) 15 — — — — Peace
    "Sending You a Little Christmas" (with Kristy Starling)B 1 — — — —
    2004 "Til I See You Again" (with Mark Schultz) 21 — — — — Greatest Hits
    "My Love Is Here" (with Roch Voisine) 21 — 9 — —
    2005 "I'm Amazed" (with Lila McCann) — 59 — — — The Disney Songbook
    "You" (with Tara MacLean) 32 — — — — Love Songs and Lullabies
    "Hear Me (Water into Wine)" (with Michael Bolton) 20 — — — — Grace
    "Beautiful" (with Wayne Brady) 2 — — — — The Disney Songbook
    2006 "Hideaway (When It Snows)" (with Geoff Byrd) 3 — — — — Escape
    2007 "Escape" (with Marc Antoine)C — — — — —
    "Never Alone" (with Lady Antebellum) 14 — — — — Escape and Never Alone (single)
    "Coming Home for Christmas" (with Richie McDonald) 4 — — — — Homecoming
    2009 "Never Far Away" (with Rush of Fools) 11 — — — — Wonder of the World (Rush of Fools album)
    "Beautiful World (We're All Here)" (with Adam Crossley) 4 — 7 — 95 Beautiful World
    2011 "Fa La La" (with Olivia Jade Archbold) 2 — — — —
    2012 "Good Morning Beautiful" (with Luke McMaster)D 3 — — — —
    2017 "Christmas Where You Are" (with Five For Fighting) 2 — — — — A Joyful Christmas
    "—" denotes releases that failed to chart or not released
    • A "Valentine" was originally only released to Adult Contemporary and charted on Hot Country Songs as an album cut. It was remixed and released to country radio the following year. It also peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
    • B "Sending You a Little Christmas" also peaked at No. 15 on Hot Christian Songs.
    • C "Escape" peaked at No. 17 on Hot Contemporary Jazz Songs.
    • D Peak position from Christmas version titled "Merry Christmas Beautiful."

    Music videos

    Year Video Director
    1997 "Valentine" (with Martina McBride)[23] Alan Glazen, Ron Goldfarb, Ted Zbozion
    "Your Love" (with Michelle Wright)[24] David Safian
    "The Gift" (with Susan Ashton and Collin Raye)[25] Norry Niven
    2007 "Never Alone" (with Lady Antebellum) Glenn Sweitzer
    "Coming Home for Christmas" (with Richie McDonald)
    2012 "Good Morning Beautiful" (with Luke McMaster) George Tsioutsioulas

    References

    1. ↑ Wallace, Aaron. "Ultimate Disney Interview with Jim Brickman". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    2. ↑ The 52nd annual Grammy Awards nominees list Archived December 3, 2009, at WebCite
    3. ↑ Lehano, Kim. "Around Hawaii". Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    4. ↑ "Cleveland Woman". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    5. ↑ "Company profile at Manta.com". www.manta.com. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    6. ↑ CNN Transcript of Tony Harris, CNN Anchor. "CNN Saturday Morning News". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    7. ↑ (Available from HighBeam with free subscription). "The Tennessee Tribune". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    8. ↑ Paul Verna (January 25, 1997). Reviews & Previews. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 59. ISSN 0006-2510.
    9. ↑ Herndon, Holly. "North County Times". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    10. ↑ "Jim Brickman CDs". cleveland.about.com. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    11. ↑ "Jim Brickman's "The Hymns And Carols of Christmas"". philstar.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    12. ↑ Aaron Latham (on Barnes & Noble website). "All Music Guide (Review)". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    13. ↑ Rob Theakston (on MSN's shopping website). "All Music Guide - Review". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    14. ↑ Jason Victor Serinus (scroll down to 19th review). "A Secrets Music Review". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    15. ↑ Alan, Ryan. "Foster's Daily Democrat". Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    16. ↑ "Jim Brickman". bsoinc.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    17. ↑ Glenn R. Swift. "PBG Lifestyle Magazine". Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    18. ↑ "Jim Brickman Radio Show". jimbrickman.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    19. ↑ Chris Hansen Orf. "East Valley Tribune". Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    20. ↑ Wallace, Aaron. "The Disney Songbook DVD Review". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
    21. ↑ "What Makes Jim Brickman a Successful Songwriter". September 1, 2013. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
    22. ↑ "Brickhouse Direct". brickhouseweb.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
    23. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Martina McBride : Valentine". Country Music Television. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
    24. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Michelle Wright : Your Love". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
    25. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Collin Raye : The Gift". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
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