Blackberry Smoke

Biography

Blackberry Smoke is an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2001. The lineup consists of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Charlie Starr, lead/rhythm guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner and keyboardist Brandon Still. Richard's brother Brit Turner was the band's co-founder and drummer before his death in March 2024. Drumming duties have been covered during the band's tours since late 2023 by Atlanta drummer Kent Aberle. In 2018, they added touring members guitarist Benji Shanks and percussionist Preston Holcomb, with Holcomb retiring from touring in the spring of 2024. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums and five extended plays.

History

Blackberry Smoke was formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2001. They are the first independently released artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album charts in modern history. Their debut album Bad Luck Ain't No Crime was released in 2003. Their second album Little Piece of Dixie×Little Piece of Dixie29 September 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Good One Comin' On3:412Like I Am4:343Bottom of This3:414Up in Smoke3:305Sanctified Woman3:316Who Invented the Wheel3:427I'd Be Lyin'3:478Prayer for the Little Man4:179Restless3:3010Shake Your Magnolia3:5811Freedom Song5:24, released in 2009, was featured by Paste magazine and other publications.
In 2015, Blackberry Smoke became the first small independent outfit to have an album, Holding All The Roses×Holding All the Roses6 February 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Let Me Help You (Find the Door)3:042Holding All the Roses3:173Living in the Song3:244Rock and Roll Again2:505Woman in the Moon4:396Too High3:127Wish in One Hand3:108Randolph County Farewell1:179Payback's a Bitch4:2010Lay It All on Me3:1011No Way Back to Eden4:3512Fire in the Hole3:4713Pearls4:2114Ain't Got The Blues (Live Acoustic)4:01, go to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Blackberry Smoke's 2016 album Like An Arrow×Like an Arrow6 September 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Waiting for the Thunder4:072Let it Burn2:573The Good Life3:594What Comes Naturally4:215Running Through Time4:456Like an Arrow4:257Ought to Know4:178Smoke Sunrise in Texas4:369Ain't Gonna Wait3:3910Workin' for a Workin Man3:0011Believe You Me3:00 did the same. They have performed throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America. They have performed alongside artists such as Tedeschi Trucks Band, Guns N' Roses, Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Eric Church and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The band had their first chart success with their third album The Whippoorwill×The Whippoorwill14 August 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Six Ways to Sunday3:272Pretty Little Lie3:353Everybody Knows She's Mine3:504One Horse Town4:165Ain't Much Left of Me4:596The Whippoorwill5:327Lucky Seven4:178Leave a Scar3:359Crimson Moon4:0110Ain't Got the Blues4:0411Sleeping Dogs3:2312Shakin' Hands With the Holy Ghost3:4613Up the Road5:53, released under the Southern Ground record label in August 2012. It reached Top 40 on Billboard 200. On August 26, 2012, they performed at a charity benefit called the Boot Ride with the cast of Sons of Anarchy, partnered with The Boot Campaign at the Happy Ending Bar and Grill in Hollywood, California.
On November 12, 2014, they appeared with many others, including Jamey Johnson, Trace Adkins, Warren Haynes, Peter Frampton, Gregg Allman, in a show in tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
They moved to Rounder Records in 2014, and released Holding All the Roses, produced by Brendan O'Brien, in early 2015. The album reached No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. The band spent much of the summer of 2016 on tour with Gov't Mule.
Blackberry Smoke released their fifth studio album Like an Arrow, featuring Gregg Allman, on October 14, 2016, on their own record label, 3 Legged Records. The album landed at No. 1 on the US Billboard Country and Americana/Folk charts as well as the UK Rock and Independent Albums charts during release week. The band released its sixth studio album Find A Light×Find a Light6 April 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Flesh and Bone4:322Run Away From It All4:283The Crooked Kind3:404Medicate My Mind4:415I've Got This Song4:516Best Seat in the House4:257I'll Keep Ramblin'5:368Seems So Far4:009Lord Strike Me Dead3:4310Let Me Down Easy2:5611Nobody Gives a Damn3:2212Till the Wheels Fall Off3:4613Mother Mountain3:38 on December 19, 2018.
In 2019, the band released via Earache Records a live album and a film, Homecoming: Live in Atlanta, recorded at their annual Brothers And Sisters Holiday Homecoming event at the Tabernacle in Atlanta in November 2018.
The band released its seventh studio album You Hear Georgia×You Hear Georgia28 May 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Live It Down4:062You Hear Georgia4:053Hey Delilah3:534Ain’t the Same4:205Lonesome for a Livin’4:286All Rise Again4:137Old Enough to Know3:288Morningside4:249All Over the Road3:4810Old Scarecrow3:36 on May 28, 2021. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Chart. It sold over 33,000 copies in the first week, 12,239 copies in pure album sales. This was good enough to put it at No. 1 in album sales in both country and rock, and No. 3 in all music. The album also racked up another nearly 1 million streams in its debut week. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and featured appearances by Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes.
The band's drummer Brit Turner was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022 and died from it in March 2024, at the age of 57. On April 5, 2024, Preston Holcomb announced via Facebook his last show would be on April 27 and he would no longer be touring with the band.

Band members

Current members

Charlie "Starr" Gray – lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitar (2000–present)
Paul Jackson – rhythm & lead guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)
Richard Turner – bass, backing vocals (2000–present)
Brandon Still – keyboards (2009–present)
Benji Shanks – third guitar, mandolin, dobro (2018–present)
Touring members

Kent Aberle – drums, percussion (2022–present)
Former members

Brit Turner – drums (2000–2024; his death)
Preston Holcomb – percussion (2018–2024)