T. G. Sheppard

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T.G. Sheppard
Background information
Birth name Billy Neal Browder
Born July 20, 1942 (1942-07-20) (age 65)
Origin Humboldt, Tennessee,
United States
Genre(s) Country, Countrypolitan
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter
Years active 1975 – Present
Label(s) Warner Bros. Records
Curb Records
Columbia Records
Associated acts Mac Davis, Kenny Rogers, Larry Gatlin, Eddie Rabbitt
Website TG Sheppard Official Site

T. G. Sheppard (born Billy Neal Browder (after his father, Billy Browder), 20 July 1942, Humboldt, Tennessee) is an American country music singer. He never graduated from high school, but was one credit away from doing so. He ran away from his home at the age of 17 to become involved in the music industry in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially he worked in the record business and tried recording pop music under the name, Brian Stacy.

In 1974, Sheppard signed with Melodyland (later Hitsville) Records, which was a short-lived country label that was owned by Motown Records, and recorded the song "Devil in the Bottle," which became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and also became a Top 60 Pop hit in 1975. The follow-up, "Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home," also went to No. 1 and cracked the Top 100 during the summer of 1975. Several subsequent releases during 1975-1977 also made the Top 10 like "Motels and Memories" and "Show Me A Man".

In 1977, Sheppard signed with Warner Bros. Records, where he enjoyed his greatest success. Starting with that summer's "When Can We Do This Again," he had a series of fifteen consecutive Top 10 releases, including 10 No. 1 songs. The biggest included "Last Cheater's Waltz" (1979); "I'll Be Coming Back For More" and "Do You Want to Go to Heaven" (1980); "I Loved 'Em Everyone" and "Party Time" (1981); "Only One You," "Finally" and "War is Hell (On the Homefront Too)" (1982). Another major hit came in 1984: "Slow Burn." "I Loved 'Em, Everyone" also reached the top-forty on the U.S. pop singles charts.

In 1985, he moved from Warner Bros. to Columbia Records, where he continued to enjoy success. After just missing the top 20 with "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (a remake of the Elvin Bishop hit), he returned to the top 10, with his biggest success during this time frame coming with 1986's "Strong Heart" (the last of his 14 No. 1 hits, as it turned out). Three more songs peaked at No. 2 in 1987: "Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue in the Heart)," "You're My First Lady" and "One for the Money."

Sheppard's success continued until about 1988, when rootsy neo-traditionalist artists began to eclipse more polished pop-country artists like Sheppard on the country charts. He continued to tour and play throughout the 1990s, but did not sign a new record contract, and did not release any new material until his 2002 live release, T.G. Sheppard: Live at Billy Bob's, which found Sheppard performing his classic hits for an enthusiastic crowd at the famed honky tonk in Fort Worth, Texas.

He has a new CD out called "Timeless" which has him singing songs from the big band era. In the late 1980's T.G. Sheppard was an associate sponsor on the #25 Foilders Chevrolet driven on the Nascar Winston Cup circut by Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader. In 1990 the Foilders sponsorship moved to Roush racin and driver Mark Martin.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Charted Singles

Year Single US Pop Singles US Country Singles US A.C. Singles Album
1975 "Devil in the Bottle" 54 1 - T.G. Sheppard
1975 "Tryin' To Beat The Morning Home" 95 1 - T.G. Sheppard
1975 "Another Woman" - 14 - T.G. Sheppard
1976 "Motels and Memories" - 7 - Motels and Memories
1976 "Show Me A Man" - 8 - Solitary Man
1976 "Solitary Man" 100 14 - Solitary Man
1977 "Lovin' On" - 20 - T.G.
1978 "Mister D.J." - 13 - T.G.
1978 "Don't Ever Say Goodbye" - 13 - T.G.
1978 "When Can We Do This Again" - 5 - Daylight
1978 "Daylight" - 7 - Daylight
1979 "Happy Together" - 8 - Daylight
1979 "You Feel Good All Over" - 4 - 3/4 Lonely
1979 "Last Cheater's Waltz" - 1 - 3/4 Lonely
1980 "I'll Be Coming Back For More" - 1 - 3/4 Lonely
1980 "Smooth Sailin'" - 6 - Smooth Sailin
1980 "Do You Wanna Go to Heaven" - 1 - Smooth Sailin
1981 "I Feel Like Lovin' You Again" - 1 - Smooth Sailin
1981 "I Loved 'Em Every One" 37 1 3 I Love 'Em All
1981 "Party Time" - 1 - I Love 'Em All
1982 "Only One You" 68 1 20 Finally
1982 "Finally" 58 1 17 Finally
1982 "War Is Hell (On the Home Front Too)" - 1 - Perfect Stranger
1983 "Faking Love" (with Karen Brooks) - 1 - Perfect Stranger
1983 "Without You" - 12 - Greatest Hits
1983 "Slow Burn" - 1 - Slow Burn
1984 "Somewhere Down the Line" - 3 - Slow Burn
1984 "Make My Day" (with Clint Eastwood) 62 12 - Slow Burn
1984 "One Owner Heart" - 4 - One Owner Heart
1985 "You're Goin' Out Of My Mind" - 10 - One Owner Heart
1985 "Fooled Around and Fell In Love" - 21 - Livin' on the Edge
1985 "Doncha" - 8 - Livin' on the Edge
1986 "In Over My Heart" - 9 - Livin' on the Edge
1986 "Strong Heart" - 1 - It Still Rains In Memphis
1987 "Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue In the Heart)" - 2 - It Still Rains In Memphis
1987 "You're My First Lady" - 2 - It Still Rains In Memphis
1988 "One For the Money" - 2 - One For the Money
1988 "Don't Say It With Diamonds" - 48 - Crossroads
1989 "You Still Do" - 14 - Crossroads

[edit] External links