4 Runner
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | January 1, 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Founder | Craig Morris, Billy Crittenden, Lee Hilliard, Jim Chapman |
| Headquarters | Nashville , United States |
| Products | Country music albums and singles |
| Website | www |
4 Runner (occasionally presented as 4Runner) is a vocal ensemble specializing in American country music, established in 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee. The founding members consisted of Craig Morris (lead vocals, piano), Billy Crittenden (baritone vocals), Lee Hilliard (tenor vocals), and Jim Chapman (bass vocals). They secured a contract with Polydor Records Nashville and launched their eponymous debut album in 1995. This release included four singles that charted on Hot Country Songs, notably the top 30 entry "Cain's Blood". After Billy Simon replaced Crittenden, the group signed with A&M Records for a second album, which yielded a charting single but was ultimately unreleased due to label reorganization. Subsequently, the band disbanded. Later, Morris, Chapman, and Hilliard reunited alongside Michael Lusk to produce Getaway Car on Fresh Records before entering another period of inactivity. In 2023, the band reassembled with Morris, Chapman, Hilliard, and Morris’s son Sam; shortly after, Hilliard departed and was succeeded by Herbie Chapman.
Background
Formed in Nashville in 1993 by Jim Chapman (bass vocals), Billy Crittenden (baritone), Lee Hilliard (tenor), and Craig Morris (lead vocals, piano), 4 Runner benefited from industry ties—Crittenden had collaborated with Tanya Tucker, while Chapman is related to Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman. In 1994, Crittenden co-authored Diamond Rio’s Top 5 country hit "Love a Little Stronger," and Morris contributed as a co-writer for a song performed by Reba McEntire. Their demo tape attracted attention resulting in a contract with Polydor Nashville during the label’s expansion into country music. Prior to their debut album release, they provided backing vocals on labelmate Amie Comeaux’s 1994 album Moving Out.
The debut album’s lead single, "Cain's Blood", penned by Michael Johnson and Jack Sundrud, peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard country charts and reached No. 14 on Canada’s RPM country charts. Its music video received moderate rotation on CMT. The recording sessions took place from late 1994 through early 1995 under producers Buddy Cannon and Larry Shell, who focused on maintaining the group’s signature four-part harmony—a defining characteristic that influenced song choices but remained central to their identity. Polydor promoted the album through showcases aimed at radio programmers and distribution executives. Other singles released included "A Heart with 4 Wheel Drive," "Home Alone," and "Ripples"; although none broke into the U.S. Top 40, "A Heart with 4 Wheel Drive" achieved a peak of No. 18 on Canadian charts.
In October 1995, Crittenden departed to concentrate on his recording studio and publishing ventures; Billy Simon then joined as his replacement. After Polydor Nashville underwent restructuring, 4 Runner transitioned to A&M Records Nashville for a planned sophomore album entitled One for the Ages. Its lead single, "That Was Him (This Is Now)," written by Keith Urban and Vernon Rust, attained modest chart success. Nevertheless, the album was shelved following the closure of Polydor/A&M’s Nashville branch, leading to the band’s breakup. During this period of inactivity, Chapman contributed backing vocals to Chad Brock’s self-titled debut album released in 1998.
Reunion, second disbandment, and subsequent reunion
In 2003, Chapman, Hilliard, and Morris regrouped as 4 Runner, bringing Michael Lusk on board as their third baritone vocalist. Toward the end of that year, they issued an a cappella rendition of the Christmas classic "What Child Is This?". Their sophomore album, Getaway Car, also debuted in 2003 and included the track "Forrest County Line," which attained position No. 59 on the country music charts. The album's title song was later covered by The Jenkins and Hall & Oates. Additionally, 4 Runner lent their background vocals to Craig Morgan's 2003 single "God, Family, and Country," a track that was also featured on Getaway Car alongside their interpretation of "Love a Little Stronger." Shortly after the album's release, they issued the single "We Will Hope With You," which did not appear on any album.
Following the release of Getaway Car, 4 Runner disbanded once more, with all four members joining Loretta Lynn's touring ensemble. Meanwhile, Crittenden married songwriter Pam "Sunny" Russ and pursued a career in real estate in Missoula, Montana.
In 2023, 4 Runner reunited for a second time with Morris, Hilliard, Chapman, and Morris' son Sam forming the lineup. On March 31, they released the album Back Runnin' through BFD/Audium Nashville. This record features newly recorded versions of "Cain's Blood" and "The House at the End of the Road" from their first album. Soon after this release, Hilliard departed from the group and was succeeded by Herbie Chapman, Jim Chapman's brother-in-law.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | US Heat | CAN Country | ||
| 4 Runner |
|
27 | 144 | 3 | 7 |
| Getaway Car |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Back Runnin' |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | |||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Bubbling | CAN Country | |||
| 1995 | "Cain's Blood" | 26 | 18 | 14 | 4 Runner |
| "A Heart with 4 Wheel Drive" | 51 | — | 18 | ||
| "Home Alone" | 65 | — | 83 | ||
| 1996 | "Ripples" | 57 | — | 82 | |
| "That Was Him (This Is Now)" | 54 | — | — | One for the Ages (unreleased) | |
| 2002 | "What Child Is This?" | — | — | × | Non-album single |
| 2003 | "Getaway Car" | — | — | × | Getaway Car |
| "Forrest County Line" | 59 | — | × | ||
| 2004 | "Ragged Angel" | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | "We Will Hope with You" | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" signifies singles that did not chart "×" denotes absence of applicable chart or archived data | |||||
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Cain's Blood" | |
| "A Heart with 4 Wheel Drive" | ||
| "Home Alone" | ||
| 1996 | "Ripples" | |
| 2002 | "What Child Is This?" | Glenn Sweitzer |
| 2003 | "Getaway Car" | |
| "Forrest County Line" | Glenn Sweitzer | |
| 2004 | "One Ragged Angel" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Nominee/Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Vocal Group or Duet | 4 Runner | Template:Nom |
External links
- 1993 establishments in Tennessee
- A&M Records artists
- Country music groups from Tennessee
- Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups reestablished in 2003
- Musical groups disestablished in 2005
- Musical groups reestablished in 2023
- Polydor Records artists
- Vocal quartets