South 65
| Company type | Boy band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Nashville , United States |
| Products | Country music albums and singles |
Number of employees | 5 (members) |
| Parent | Atlantic Records |
South 65 (also known as South Sixty-Five) was a country music boy band originating from Nashville, Tennessee. The ensemble featured vocalists Lance Leslie, Brent Parker, Stephen Parker, Jerimy Koeltzow, and Doug Urie. Active between 1997 and 2001, South 65 produced two albums under Atlantic Records and achieved five charting singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs listings. In 2006, former member Lance Leslie went on to establish the band Rio Grand.
Biography
The creation of a country boy band was spearheaded by Delious Kennedy from the R&B group All-4-One. He initially recruited brothers Brenton and Stephen Parker and then carried out a nationwide audition process to finalize the group by 1997. South 65’s self-titled debut album, released in 1998 and produced by Kennedy alongside Anthony L. Smith, climbed to No. 70 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Their singles "A Random Act of Senseless Kindness," "No Easy Goodbye," and "Baby's Got My Number" reached positions No. 55, 56, and 60 respectively on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In 2000, they issued "Love Bug (Bite Me)," which peaked at No. 72.
Their sophomore album, Dream Large (2001), attained No. 63 on the country albums chart. Production duties were split between Bobby Huff (three tracks) and the duo Buddy Cannon with Norro Wilson (seven tracks). Included was a rendition of Charlie Rich's 1973 chart-topping song "The Most Beautiful Girl," which reached No. 54 on the country charts. After Atlantic Records shuttered its Nashville branch, South 65 disbanded. Doug Urie embarked on a solo path while Lance Leslie later became part of Rio Grand, before eventually departing.
Critical reception
Charlotte Dillon from Allmusic awarded both albums four stars out of five. She observed that while the debut lacked a pronounced country style, the group brought a refreshing quality with harmonies likely to appeal to young female listeners. The follow-up album demonstrated a more evident country influence blended with some R&B nuances. Conversely, an anonymous Billboard critique described the band’s vocals as "anonymous, pretty voices" with material that was "not very convincing country." Jennifer Webb of About.com commended Dream Large, emphasizing South 65’s vocal harmonization and talent.
Track listing
- "Baby's Got My Number" (Roger Cook, Anthony L. Smith) – 3:00
- "Climbing Up Mt. Everest" (Tommy Lee James, Robin Lerner) – 3:03
- "I'm There" (Kelly Shiver, Jon Vezner) – 4:12
- "Uncle Hickory's General Store" (Stephanie C. Brown, Larry Wayne Clark) – 3:16
- "One of the Precious Few" (Walt Aldridge, Bob DiPiero) – 3:40
- "All of This and More" (Jim Photoglo, Smith) – 3:54
- "No Easy Goodbye" (Jerry Holland) – 4:07
- "Love Will Last" (Michael Dulaney, Tim Norton) – 3:13
- "To Me" (James, Roberta Schiller) – 4:07
- "A Random Act of Senseless Kindness" (Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers, Jerry Williams) – 3:57
Musicians
Credits adapted from Allmusic.
- Bruce Bouton – steel guitar
- Mike Brignardello – bass guitar
- Dennis Burnside – piano
- Mike Chapman – bass guitar
- Tabitha Fair – background vocals
- Owen Hale – drums
- Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
- Greg Morrow – drums
- Steve Nathan – synthesizer
- Danny Parks – acoustic guitar
- Barry Walsh – piano
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
- John Willis – acoustic guitar
- Curtis Young – background vocals
Track listing
- "The Most Beautiful Girl (2001 version)" (Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, Rory Michael Bourke) – 3:29
- "Like an Angel" (David Leone, Pat Buchanan) – 3:34
- "I Swear to You" (Bobby Huff) – 3:26
- "Only Perfect" (Mark McGuinn, Trey Matthews) – 3:13
- "All I Ever Did" (Neal Coty, Randy VanWarmer) – 3:39
- "The Great Love of 1998" (Bob DiPiero, Craig Wiseman, Tim Nichols) – 3:30
- "One Moment" (Chris Waters, Wes Hightower) – 3:37
- "Gettin' the Feelin'" (Bobby Huff) – 3:33
- "Even If" (Liz Hengber, Tommy Lee James) – 3:07
- "Dream Large" (Danny Mayo) – 3:32
Musicians
Credits as per the album liner notes.
- David Angel – string instruments
- Eddie Bayers – drums
- Larry Beaird – acoustic guitar
- David Briggs – piano
- Arbry Burcon – banjo
- David Davidson – strings
- Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
- Larry Franklin – fiddle
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle
- John Hobbs – Hammond B-3 organ
- Bobby Huff – acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion
- John Jorgenson – electric guitar
- Paul Leim – drums
- B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar
- Randy McCormick – piano, keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ
- Terry McMillan – harmonica
- Dale Oliver – electric guitar
- Danny Parks – acoustic guitar
- Larry Paxton – bass guitar
- Buck Reid – steel guitar
- Randy Threet – bass guitar
- Jason West – bass guitar
- John Willis – electric guitar
- Bob Wray – bass guitar
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country Albums Chart | ||
| South Sixty-Five |
|
70 |
| Dream Large |
|
63 |
Singles
| Year | Single title | Peak chart positions | Associated album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Songs Chart | |||
| 1998 | "A Random Act of Senseless Kindness" | 55 | South Sixty-Five |
| 1999 | "No Easy Goodbye" | 56 | |
| "Baby's Got My Number" | 60 | ||
| 2000 | "Love Bug (Bite Me)" | 72 | Non-album single |
| 2001 | "The Most Beautiful Girl (2001 version)" | 54 | Dream Large |
Music videos
| Year | Video title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "A Random Act of Senseless Kindness" | Bob Gabrielsen |
| 1999 | "No Easy Goodbye" | |
| 2001 | "The Most Beautiful Girl" |