Paul Brandt

Biography

Paul Rennée Belobersycky (born July 21, 1972), known professionally as Paul Brandt, is a Canadian country music artist. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric nurse at the time of his big break. In 1996, he made his mark on the country music charts with the single "My Heart Has a History", propelling him to international success and making him the first male Canadian country singer to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the United States since Hank Snow in 1974. His second single "I Do" reached number one on the Mediabase Country chart in the United States. Brandt achieved later success in Canada with singles such as "Canadian Man", "Alberta Bound", "Didn't Even See the Dust", and "I'm an Open Road".

Early life

Brandt was born in Calgary, Alberta and grew up in nearby Airdrie. The first time Brandt sang in front of an audience was when he sang "Amazing Grace" at his high school. He attended Crescent Heights High School from 1987-1990. He also graduated from Mount Royal University with a major in nursing during 1992.

Career

Brandt's demo was one of many sent by A&Rs at the Warner Canada office to their colleagues at Warner Nashville with a purpose of finding a new project that the two branches could work on together. Nashville A&R Paige Levy singled out Brandt's recordings, later mentioning to HitQuarters about his great potential as a songwriter. As a result, the artist started travelling down to Nashville to undergo development. He was matched up with various experienced songwriters whom he could relate to, work well with and who would help him to refine his writing skills. This collaborations resulted in a large part of the material for Brandt's debut album Calm Before the Storm×Calm Before the Storm31 May 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1My Heart Has a History3:222Take It From Me3:273I Do3:39412 Step Recovery3:225I Meant to Do That3:296One and Only One3:217All Over Me3:058Calm Before the Storm3:329On the Inside3:2710Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through)3:05.
Brandt's first single, "My Heart Has a History," was a number 1 hit in Canada, as was his debut album, "Calm Before The Storm". He followed up with the three hits "I Do" (which he wrote for his friend's wedding), "I Meant to Do That" and "Take It from Me." Calm Before the Storm was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1997.
Brandt's second album, Outside the Frame×Outside the Frame1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Chain Reaction2:402A Little in Love3:383What's Come Over You3:244One3:365I Believe You3:306Yeah4:147We Are the One2:518Start Forever Over Again3:439Dry Eye3:5610Outside the Frame7:55, did not repeat the same success as Calm Before the Storm did. The album did have some hit singles, most notably "A Little in Love" and "What's Come Over You." Determined to put his stamp in Nashville, Brandt recorded his third album, That's the Truth×That's the Truth13 July 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1That’s the Truth4:402It’s a Beautiful Thing4:273That Hurts3:524There’s a World Out There3:435The Sycamore Tree5:196A Love That Strong3:417Add ’Em All Up2:478Scrap Piece of Paper4:019Really and Truly3:3310Let’s Live it Up3:23, in 1999. It was not received as warmly as the previous two, but the songs "That's the Truth" and "The Sycamore Tree" became popular. After three albums, he released the Canada only greatest hits compilation, What I Want to Be Remembered For×What I Want to Be Remembered For2000 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1My Heart Has a History3:222It's a Beautiful Thing4:273I Do3:404That's the Truth4:385I Meant to Do That3:296Take It From Me3:277Yeah4:158A Little in Love3:389The Sycamore Tree5:1810Outside the Frame3:4911There's Nothing I Wouldn't Do3:3512What I Want to Be Remembered For3:57, in 2000.
After the greatest hits album, Brandt left Warner / Reprise Records and started his own label, Brand-T Records. To date, every album that Brandt has released on Brand-T Records has garnered an Album of the Year award (Small Towns & Big Dreams×Small Towns & Big Dreams1 November 2001 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Small Towns and Big Dreams5:202I'm Gonna Fly3:123Take It Off3:284Warm Sunny Beaches4:215Cry If You Want To3:196If This Isn't Love3:007When You Call My Name4:028It's All Good2:279Virgil and the Holy Ghost3:5210The Longest Way4:2111Canadian Man (Bonus Track)3:1912Canadian Man (Hockey Version)2:46 (2002 CCMA's), This Time Around×This Time Around2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Convoy4:302Leavin'5:053Home4:094Alberta Bound3:455Run To Me4:376The King3:537Live Now4:018Rich Man3:329I Still Do4:3010This Time Around3:3411That's What I Love About Jesus5:51 (2005 CCMA's), Risk (2008 Juno), and A Gift (GMA - Seasonal Recording of the Year).
As an unsigned artist, his live acoustic album Small Towns and Big Dreams went on to win the CCMA Album of the Year. His label's success has continued as the follow-up album This Time Around went on to win CCMA Album of the Year and a GMA Canada Covenant Award for the song "That's What I Love About Jesus" (2005). This Time Around went platinum in Canada and also produced the hit songs "Leavin'", featuring Keith Urban, and his remake of the trucker classic song "Convoy." His last single/video from the album was "Alberta Bound," a tribute to the people and places of that province. Despite the song's name, it is not a remake of the Gordon Lightfoot track.
In September 2007 Brandt released his album, Risk. On April 6, 2008, he won a Juno Award for "Risk" as Country Recording of the Year in his home town . The first single for this project, "Didn't Even See the Dust," was released to country radio in May 2007. The video was filmed in Barcelona, Spain. "Dust" was one of the 20 most played country music songs of 2007 in Canada.
Brandt released the album Give It Away×Give It Away2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Give It Away4:572Now4:453Together Again3:364Worth4:035You4:586Start With Love4:337I Do (Revisited)4:598Last First Kiss4:219My Heart Has A History (Revisited)4:3910The Highway Patrol4:30 on September 13, 2011. He released his first gospel project called Just As I Am on October 16, 2012. It features songs which Brandt grew up on and based his life upon.
In 2015, Brandt released the single "I'm an Open Road" featuring Jess Moskaluke, which became his first single to be certified Gold by Music Canada. In 2018, he announced a two-part extended play series, with The Journey YYC, Vol. 1 being released in April 2018, and The Journey BNA, Vol. 2 following in November 2018.

Personal life

Brandt and his wife, Elizabeth Peterson, were married on February 22, 1997, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Centre Street Church, and had their first child, a son in 2008. In November 2010, they had a daughter.
Brandt received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge on Saturday, October 17, 2009. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Briercrest College and Seminary on April 24, 2010.
Brandt graduated in 1992 from Mount Royal University with a degree in Nursing and currently serves as the storyteller-in-residence for the institution.
In 2019 while on tour in Lethbridge, Alberta, he requested for some shelter dogs be brought to his green room before his show. The Lethbridge and District Humane Society provided a group of puppies, one of which he adopted and named “Chief”.