Sammy Kershaw

Biography

Sammy Kershaw (born Samuel Paul Cashat; February 24, 1958), is an American country music singer. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including his only number one hit "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and 10 more Top 10 hits: "Cadillac Style", "Anywhere but Here", "Haunted Heart×Haunted Heart1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1A Memory That Just Won't Quit2:512Queen of My Double Wide Trailer3:313Still Lovin' You4:054She Don't Know She's Beautiful2:555I Can't Reach Her Anymore3:246Haunted Heart2:467Neon Leon3:118What Might Have Been3:359You've Got a Lock on My Love3:4210Cry, Cry Darlin'3:42", "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", "National Working Woman's Holiday", "Third Rate Romance", "Meant to Be", "Vidalia", and "Love of My Life×Love of My Life17 March 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Love of My Life (LP version)4:242Love of My Life4:23".
Kershaw tried to enter politics, running as a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Louisiana in 2007 and 2010. In 2007 he finished third in the jungle primary, but Democrat Mitch Landrieu won strongly in the general election. In 2010 he carried more parishes than any other candidate, but placed third. He endorsed Republican Jay Dardenne, Secretary of State, for the position, who won the general election. From 2001 to 2007, Kershaw was married to country singer Lorrie Morgan.

Early life and career

Samuel Paul Cashat was born in the Acadiana town of Kaplan, located in South Louisiana. He is the third cousin of singers Rusty and Doug Kershaw. When he was 11, his grandfather gave him his first guitar. But his father died that year, so Sammy started to work a variety of day jobs while playing roadhouses at night to support his family. He began performing in Acadiana with J.B. Pere. At the age of 12, Kershaw was playing in a variety of honky-tonks and beer joints, and when he was 14 he met George Jones, his lifelong idol. Subsequently, he opened shows for Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and George Jones while still in his teens.

Musical career

One of Kershaw's demonstration tapes made its way to Mercury Records, which released his debut album Don't Go Near the Water in 1991. This album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced four hit singles. The lead-off, "Cadillac Style", went to No. 3 in late 1991 and early 1992, followed by the title track at No. 12, "Yard Sale" at No. 17, and "Anywhere but Here" at No. 10. Kershaw was initially reluctant to release "Cadillac Style" because he felt that it was not suitable for his style; however, his co-producer, Buddy Cannon, convinced him to give the song a chance. Kershaw's often honky-tonk material and singing voice led to critical comparisons to George Jones, and he covered one of Jones's early singles, "What Am I Worth", on his debut as well.
In 1993, Kershaw received an initial nomination for the Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Vocalist of the Year. He was nominated alongside Billy Ray Cyrus, Tracy Lawrence, Chris LeDoux and Collin Raye; Cyrus, Lawrence and Raye would make the final three.
Kershaw's second album, Haunted Heart×Haunted Heart1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1A Memory That Just Won't Quit2:512Queen of My Double Wide Trailer3:313Still Lovin' You4:054She Don't Know She's Beautiful2:555I Can't Reach Her Anymore3:246Haunted Heart2:467Neon Leon3:118What Might Have Been3:359You've Got a Lock on My Love3:4210Cry, Cry Darlin'3:42, followed in 1993. Its lead-off single, "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", became his only Number One hit, in April of that year. Following it were the title track, the Dennis Linde–penned "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", and "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", all of which hit the Top 10 as well. Although Kershaw had been told by others that radio audiences might not identify with the subject matter on "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", Kershaw wanted to release the song because he had an experience similar to its story line. Like his debut, Haunted Heart was a platinum album. In mid-1994, Kershaw also covered the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "I Know a Little" on the tribute album Skynyrd Frynds, which included country music covers of Skynyrd songs. Also in 1994, Kershaw contributed the song "Fire and Rain" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country, produced by the Red Hot Organization.
Feelin' Good Train was Kershaw's third album, released later in 1994. This album also produced four hits, including two consecutive No. 2's in "National Working Woman's Holiday" and "Third Rate Romance" (the latter a cover of the Amazing Rhythm Aces hit from 1975), with the No. 27 "Southbound" and No. 18 "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" following in 1995. The album included a duet with George Jones on "Never Bit a Bullet Like This", which had previously been released on Jones's 1993 album High-Tech Redneck. Feelin' Good Train was certified gold. It was followed by a Christmas album, Christmas Time's A-Comin', and Kershaw's first greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, both in 1995. The latter produced a No. 47 single in "Your Tattoo" (written by Kostas and Jack Tempchin), the first single of Kershaw's career not to reach the Top 40.

Mid-late 1990s

Kershaw's fourth studio album, the gold-certified Politics, Religion and Her×Politics, Religion and Her7 May 1996 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Vidalia3:222Meant to Be3:463Fit to Be Tied Down3:134Politics, Religion and Her3:205Chevy Van3:426Same Place2:397Little Bitty Crack in Her Heart2:508These Flowers3:209I Saw You Today3:2910Memphis, Tennessee2:5711For Years3:2212Here She Comes2:43, was issued in 1996. It produced Top 10 hits in "Meant to Be" and "Vidalia", the latter of which Kershaw also considered a risky song, saying, "If radio will play this one more than twice—so people can get the story and learn what a Vidalia onion is—it'll be a smash." These songs were followed by "Fit to Be Tied Down" and the title track, both of which hit the Top 30. Also included on Politics, Religion and Her were covers of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee" and Sammy Johns' "Chevy Van". The same year, Kershaw briefly took ownership of a NASCAR Busch series team (now Xfinity Series).
Labor of Love was issued later in 1997 as his fifth album. Unlike his previous albums, this one was predominantly composed of ballads. It produced a No. 2 (and final US Top 10 hit) in "Love of My Life×Love of My Life17 March 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Love of My Life (LP version)4:242Love of My Life4:23", and although none of the other three singles ("Matches", "Honky Tonk America" and "One Day Left to Live") reached higher than No. 22, the album was nonetheless certified platinum. His next album, Maybe Not Tonight×Maybe Not Tonight13 April 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Maybe Not Tonight4:082Me and Maxine3:463Without Strings3:564More Than I Can Say4:245Love Me, Loving You3:356I've Never Gone This Far Before3:287When You Love Someone4:148Ouch3:339How Can I Say No3:3810Look What I Did to Us4:3711Louisiana Hot Sauce4:0512How Much Does the World Weigh4:00, brought a Top 20 duet with Lorrie Morgan.
Kershaw stated that he enjoyed working with Morgan on the song, telling Country Weekly magazine, "I knew our vocals would match up… Plus, we have fun together. We're friends and we have been friends for a long time." "Maybe Not Tonight" was commercially less successful than its predecessors, however, and it became the first album of Kershaw's career not to achieve an RIAA certification. Following "Maybe Not Tonight" were the singles "When You Love Someone" and "Me and Maxine", both of which peaked in the thirties. "Louisiana Hot Sauce", the final release from Maybe Not Tonight, was also the first single of his career not to enter the charts.
In 2000, Kershaw released an album of cover songs, Covers the Hits×Covers the Hits20 June 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Third Rate Romance3:242More Than I Can Say4:283If I Fell2:584Chevy Van3:455Fire and Rain4:496Memphis, Tennessee2:597Angie4:478I Got a Name3:359I Know a Little3:3510Little Bit More3:41. This album consisted of ten cover songs that Kershaw had recorded in his career. Some of the songs, such as the single "Third Rate Romance", were previously found on Kershaw's studio albums, while others came from various tribute albums (such as Skynyrd Frynds) to which he had contributed. Covers the Hits also included a rendition of Dr. Hook's "A Little Bit More", a previously unreleased cover which Kershaw had recorded during the sessions for Labor of Love.

2000s

By 2001, Kershaw and Morgan had married. The two recorded a vocal duet album in 2001 entitled I Finally Found Someone (the title track being a cover of the Barbra Streisand/Bryan Adams duet). This album was less successful commercially, with its only Top 40 hit being the No. 39 "He Drinks Tequila". Shortly afterward, a second 'greatest hits' package was released, and Kershaw left Mercury's roster.
In 2003, Kershaw signed to Audium Entertainment to release the album I Want My Money Back×I Want My Money Back25 March 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Want My Money Back3:152Miss What's Her Name3:183Metropolis3:314Monday Morning on Bourbon Street3:565Stitches3:446Beer, Bait and Ammo3:57728/83 (She Ain't in It for the Love)2:518Gone for Good Goodbye3:499I've Never Been Anywhere3:4010The Paper Heart3:0811Are You Having Fun Yet?3:56. This album produced a No. 33-peaking in its title track, but the second single "I've Never Been Anywhere" fell short of the Top 40. The third and final single, "Beer, Bait & Ammo" (which failed to chart), was previously recorded and written by Kevin Fowler on his 2000 debut album of the same name, and would later be recorded by Mark Chesnutt on his 2004 album Savin' the Honky Tonk.
After Audium closed its Nashville division, Kershaw signed to Category 5 Records, then a newly established independent label, in 2006. His first release for the label and first chart single in three years, "Tennessee Girl", fell three spaces short of the Top 40 that year. It was the first release from his 2006 album Honky Tonk Boots×Honky Tonk Boots27 June 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Tennessee Girl3:362Honky Tonk Boots2:473One Step at a Time3:414Evangeline3:355Leavin' Made Easy3:276Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On3:107High Society3:138The Battle2:509Mama's Got a Tattoo3:0410Cantaloupes on Mars3:04. The album's only other single, a cover of Mel McDaniel's Number One hit "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", failed to chart, and financial difficulties caused the label to close in 2007.
In 2008, Sammy Kershaw was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in honor of his career achievements and was also inducted into the Louisiana Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame in 2010.
Kershaw's first single in two years, "Real People", was released in late 2008 in the Boomerville/Big Hit label. However, the single failed to chart. His tenth studio album, Better Than I Used to Be×Better Than I Used to Be31 August 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1That Train2:402Better Than I Used to Be3:203Saltwater Cowboy3:514Everybody Wants My Girl3:215Through the Eyes of a Woman2:456The Snow White Rows of Arlington4:177I Ain’t Fallin’ for That3:018Like I Wasn’t Even There3:189The Cover of the Rolling Stone3:0610I See Red3:2311Takin’ the Long Way Home4:07, was released on August 31, 2010.

Political activity

Kershaw had become increasingly interested in politics. On June 13, 2007, he announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Louisiana in the October 20 jungle primary. The position was held by the incumbent Democrat, Mitch Landrieu. Kershaw also faced a second Republican candidate, State Representative Gary Beard of Baton Rouge, an engineer first elected to the State House in a 2001 special election. Kershaw finished second with 30 percent of the vote, but Landrieu won re-election with a majority on the first ballot.
Watching his state embroiled in the Gulf Oil Spill in April 2010, Kershaw, a Lafayette resident, became the official spokesperson for Protect Our Coastline, a non-profit dedicated to providing relief to the fishermen and shrimpers affected most by the spill.
On August 28, 2010, Kershaw announced his second bid for lieutenant governor in the October 2 special election to replace Mitch Landrieu, who left office in May after being elected mayor of New Orleans. Kershaw's intraparty rivals included state Republican chair Roger F. Villere Jr. of Metairie, St. Tammany Parish president Kevin Davis of Slidell, and Secretary of State Jay Dardenne of Baton Rouge. Kershaw polled 19 percent and carried 31 of the 64 parishes (more than any other candidate). But he finished third in overall votes behind Dardenne and Democrat Caroline Fayard. Kershaw endorsed fellow Republican Dardenne in the runoff election, joining him at campaign events, and giving Dardenne a "bear hug" at his victory celebration.

In the 2011 race for lieutenant governor, Kershaw endorsed Dardenne's opponent, fellow Republican Billy Nungesser. Dardenne ultimately defeated Nungesser 53%-47%.

2010s and Beyond

Kershaw continues touring throughout the year with his band, as well as performances with his often sold-out acoustic "Roots and Boots" tour, which has featured himself onstage with other artists including Aaron Tippin, Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Darryl Worley and Collin Raye.