David Lee Murphy

David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy
Born	January 7, 1959 (age 67); Herrin, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Country music artist, songwriter
Years active	1994–present
Known for	"Dust on the Bottle", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"

David Lee Murphy (born January 7, 1959) is a prominent American country music artist and songwriter, recognized for chart-topping tracks such as "Dust on the Bottle" and the duet "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". His repertoire also includes notable singles like "Party Crowd", "Out with a Bang", "Every Time I Get Around You", "The Road You Leave Behind", and "Loco". Over his career, Murphy has produced five solo studio albums: Out with a Bang (1994), Gettin' Out the Good Stuff (1996), We Can't All Be Angels (1997), Tryin' to Get There (2004), and No Zip Code (2018). His songs "Just Once" and "We Can't All Be Angels" were featured in the soundtracks for the movies 8 Seconds (1994) and Black Dog (1998), respectively.

Following a break from recording beginning in 2004, Murphy concentrated on songwriting, co-authoring significant hits including "Living in Fast Forward" by Kenny Chesney, "Anywhere With You" performed by Jake Owen, "Big Green Tractor" recorded by Jason Aldean, and "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" by Thompson Square. On April 6, 2018, he teamed up with Kenny Chesney to release the album No Zip Code, which features their successful single "Everything's Gonna Be Alright".

Biography

Born in Herrin, Illinois, Murphy is the son of Jessie (West) and Dr. Jack Murphy. After the passing of his father in 1982, he relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 1983 to embark on a career in country music. In 1985, record producer Tony Brown discovered him performing at a Nashville venue but did not offer a recording contract until nearly ten years later. During this interval, Murphy contributed as a co-writer for album tracks by artists such as Reba McEntire and Doug Stone.

Musical career

Murphy’s initial recording under MCA Nashville was the track "Just Once," which appeared on the soundtrack of the 1994 film 8 Seconds. This song attained position No. 36 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Early in 1995, he issued his debut album Out with a Bang, spawning three successful singles including "Party Crowd," recognized as the most-played country song of that year, along with the No. 1 hit "Dust on the Bottle". The album distinguished itself as the highest-selling debut from a male country artist in 1995 and earned gold certification from the RIAA.

His sophomore release, Gettin' Out the Good Stuff (1996), produced consecutive Top 5 hits: "Every Time I Get Around You" and "The Road You Leave Behind". Notably, "Every Time I Get Around You" reached No. 2 on Canada's RPM Country Tracks chart and was honored as RPM’s top country song for 1996.

The third MCA album from Murphy, titled We Can't All Be Angels (1997), was conceived as an experimental effort to explore a new musical direction. It generated two singles: "All Lit up in Love" and "Just Don't Wait Around 'Til She's Leavin'," which peaked at No. 25 and No. 37 on country music charts respectively.

2000s

Throughout the 2000s, Murphy concentrated largely on crafting songs for other artists. Early in the decade, he achieved success with Aaron Tippin's Top 20 title track from People Like Us (2000) and Trick Pony's similarly charting title track from On a Mission (2002). His songwriting portfolio during this period also included contributions to works by Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, and Hank Williams, Jr..

In 2004, Murphy entered into a contract with Koch Entertainment, releasing his fourth studio album, Tryin' to Get There. The album's title song, co-written with the late Waylon Jennings, produced the Top Five single "Loco", which reached number 5 on the charts. Another track from the album, "Inspiration," a duet with Lee Roy Parnell, climbed to number 48.

Following the closure of Koch Nashville, Murphy maintained his focus on songwriting and celebrated his first Number One hit penned for another artist with Kenny Chesney's 2006 track "Living in Fast Forward". In 2007, he co-authored three singles that charted: Gary Allan's "A Feelin' Like That," Van Zant's "Goes Down Easy," and Blake Shelton's "The More I Drink". Later notable compositions include Keith Anderson's "Somebody Needs a Hug" (2008), Eli Young Band's "Always the Love Songs", Jason Aldean's chart-topping "Big Green Tractor" (2009), and Josh Thompson's "Way Out Here" (2010).

Murphy's extensive songwriting credits further encompass successful tracks for artists such as Thompson Square, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Blackberry Smoke, and The Road Hammers, solidifying his influence within country music composition.

In 2017, Murphy inked a deal with Reviver Records and revealed plans for No Zip Code, an album produced by both Kenny Chesney and long-time collaborator Buddy Cannon.

Charitable efforts

In 2000, Murphy spearheaded benefit concerts in Herrin, Illinois, which raised $25,000 for the Jack Murphy fund. This initiative was established by David Lee Murphy to honor his father, Dr. Jack Murphy, a respected local educator and community leader.

Discography

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Category	Recipient/Work	Result
1996	Academy of Country Music Awards	Top New Male Vocalist	N/A	Template:Nominated

Year	Ceremony	Category	Recipient/Work	Result
2012	Grammy Awards	Best Country Song	Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not (with Jim Collins)	Template:Nominated

Year	Ceremony	Category	Recipient/Work	Result
2018	Country Music Association Awards	Musical Event of the Year	"Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (with Kenny Chesney)	Template:Won

External links