Sawyer Brown

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Sawyer Brown

Years active	1981—
Genres	Country
Labels	Curb Records
Members	Mark Miller Gregg (Hobie) Hubbard Shayne Hill Jim Scholten Joe Smyth
Past members	Duncan Cameron Bobby Randall

Sawyer Brown is a country music band formed in 1981 at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Apopka, Florida. Lead singer Mark Miller asked keyboardist Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard to play piano for a couple of songs he had written. The two left for Nashville, Tennessee, where they met up with Florida drummer Joe Smyth, Michigan bass player Jim Scholten and original lead guitarist Bobby Randall. They first called the band "Savanah", but renamed themselves "Sawyer Brown" after Sawyer Brown Road, the street where they rehearsed. Miller likes to say "We thought it would be easier to get work if people thought we were one person." The band played up to five sets a night, six days a week, until they auditioned for the TV show Star Search in 1983. They auditioned just to get the videotape to promote the band, yet ended up winning the $100,000 grand prize and record contract.

1 Albums
2 Singles
3 Music videos
4 Awards
5 External links

The band signed with Capitol Records and scored a Top 20 hit with their first single, "Leona," in 1984. That success was quickly followed by their first #1 hit, "Step That Step". The band had their ups and downs on the charts throughout the 1980s. But radio success was not really Sawyer Brown's strong suit. It never was. Rather, they have been successful due to their live performances. Fans flock to the band's concerts year after year, whether the band performs in a stadium, state fair, or casino. The live shows, more than anything, sustained the band until 1989's remake of the George Jones hit "The Race Is On" put them back near the top of the charts.

In 1991, after the release of their album Buick, guitarist Bobby Randall left the group to remain close to his family and host a short-lived TV talent show, You Can Be A Star. Duncan Cameron, formerly of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, was chosen as his replacement just as Sawyer Brown was about to become country music's "it" band. The band then switched labels, moving to Curb Records and releasing the albums The Dirt Road, Cafe On The Corner, and Outskirts Of Town, which saw hit after hit for the band in the early to mid-'90s.

Sawyer Brown was all over country music radio and television for much of the decade. After 1999's Top 10 hit "Drive Me Wild," however, the country music industry seemed to forget about Sawyer Brown in favor of newer acts like Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban. The band was having ups and downs in the charts again – mostly downs. In 2003, they parted with Curb, their record label of eleven years, and signed with Lyric Street Records. They released one single, "I'll Be Around", and then left Lyric Street as well. In 2004, they re-signed with Curb, but Duncan Cameron decided to leave the group to pursue a life-long dream of flying for Southwest Airlines. Guitarist Shayne Hill was added to the lineup as they prepared for the release of their 20th album, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand. While Sawyer Brown is still looking to reclaim the top of the charts, their live shows continue to keep the band going strong.

[edit] Albums

Album	Title	Year	Label	Country Album Chart
1	Sawyer Brown	1985	Curb / Capitol	#2
2	Shakin'	1986	Curb / Capitol	#3
3	Out Goin' Cattin'	1986	Curb / Capitol	#8
4	Somewhere In The Night	1987	Curb / Capitol	#16
5	Wide Open	1988	Curb / Capitol	#33
6	The Boys Are Back	1989	Curb / Capitol	#5
7	Greatest Hits	1990	Curb / Capitol	#26
8	Buick	1991	Curb / Capitol	#23
9	The Dirt Road	1992	Curb / Capitol	#12
10	Cafe On The Corner	1992	Curb	#23
11	Outskirts Of Town	1993	Curb	#13
12	Greatest Hits 1990-1995	1995	Curb	#5
13	This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All	1995	Curb	#10
14	Six Days On The Road	1997	Curb	#8
15	Hallelujah, He Is Born (Holiday Album)	1997	Curb	#42
16	Drive Me Wild	1999	Curb	#10
17	The Hits Live	2000	Curb	#35
18	Can You Hear Me Now	2002	Curb	#39
19	True Believer	2003	Curb	#
20	Mission Temple Fireworks Stand	2005	Curb	#47

[edit] Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions	Album
Year	Title	US Country	Album
2006	"Keep Your Hands To Yourself"	#	Mission Temple Fireworks Stand
2005	"They Don't Understand"	#37	Mission Temple Fireworks Stand
2004	"Mission Temple Fireworks Stand" feat. Robert Randolph	#55	Mission Temple Fireworks Stand
2003	"I'll Be Around"	#55	*This was the only song released on Lyric Street Records
2002	"I Need A Girlfriend"	#	Can You Hear Me Now
2002	"Circles"	#45	Can You Hear Me Now
2002	"Can You Hear Me Now"	#57	Can You Hear Me Now
2000	"Lookin' For Love"	#44	The Hits Live
2000	"Perfect World"	#50	The Hits Live
1999	"I'm In Love With Her"	#47	Drive Me Wild
1999	"800 Pound Jesus"	#40	Drive Me Wild
1999	"Drive Me Wild"	#6	Drive Me Wild
1998	"Small Talk"	#60	Six Days On The Road
1998	"Another Side"	#55	Six Days On The Road
1997	"This Night Won't Last Forever"	#6	Six Days On The Road
1997	"Six Days On The Road" (Dave Dudley cover)	#13	Six Days On The Road
1996	"She's Gettin' There"	#46	This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All
1996	"Treat Her Right"	#3	This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All
1996	"'Round Here"	#19	This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All
1995	"(This Thing Called) Wantin' And Havin' It All"	#11	This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All
1995	"I Don't Believe In Goodbye"	#4	Greatest Hits 1990-1995
1995	"This Time"	#2	Greatest Hits 1990-1995
1994	"Hard To Say"	#5	Outskirts Of Town
1994	"The Boys And Me"	#4	Outskirts Of Town
1993	"Outskirts Of Town"	#40	Outskirts Of Town
1993	"Thank God For You"	#1	Outskirts Of Town
1993	"Trouble On The Line"	#5	Cafe On The Corner
1992	"All These Years"	#3	Cafe On The Corner
1992	"Cafe On The Corner"	#5	Cafe On The Corner
1992	"The Dirt Road"	#3	The Dirt Road
1992	"Some Girls Do"	#1	The Dirt Road
1991	"The Walk"	#2	Buick
1991	"Mama's Little Baby Loves Me"	#68	Buick
1991	"One Less Pony"	#70	Buick
1990	"When Love Comes Callin'"	#40	Greatest Hits
1989	"Puttin' The Dark Back Into The Night"	#33	The Boys Are Back
1989	"Did It For Love"	#33	The Boys Are Back
1989	"The Race Is On"	#5	The Boys Are Back
1989	"Old Pair Of Shoes"	#50	Wide Open
1988	"It Wasn't His Child"	#51	Wide Open
1988	"My Baby's Gone"	#11	Wide Open
1988	"Old Photographs"	#27	Somewhere In The Night
1987	"This Missing You Heart Of Mine"	#2	Somewhere In The Night
1987	"Somewhere In The Night"	#29	Somewhere In The Night
1987	"Savin' The Honey For The Honeymoon"	#58	Out Goin' Cattin''
1986	"Gypsies On Parade"	#25	Out Goin' Cattin''
1986	"Out Goin' Cattin'" feat. Joe Bonsall	#11	Out Goin' Cattin''
1986	"Shakin'"	#15	Shakin'
1986	"Heart Don't Fall Now"	#14	Shakin'
1986	"Betty's Bein' Bad"	#5	Shakin'
1985	"Used To Blue"	#3	Sawyer Brown
1985	"Step That Step"	#1	Sawyer Brown
1984	"Leona"	#16	Sawyer Brown