Bradley Walker (singer)

Bradley Walker is an American bluegrass and country music singer and songwriter.

Bradley Walker
Born1978
Athens, Alabama
GenresCountry, Bluegrass
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1998–present
LabelsGaither Music Group
Websitebradleywalker.com

Early life

Bradley Walker is a native of Athens, Alabama. He was born with muscular dystrophy, and has been in a wheelchair all his life. He was a student at East Limestone High School where he played percussion in the school band.[1]

Walker started singing when he was two or three years old, and began performing in public when he was four.[2] When he was ten, he was invited on stage to perform with The Oak Ridge Boys, and when he was eleven, he sang with The Oak Ridge Boys on The Nashville Network's Nashville Now as well as on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.[3]

He works at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant as a Material Inventory Coordinator while pursuing a music career.[2]

Music career

In 1998, Walker formed a band, The Trinity Mountain Boys, and began to perform at bluegrass festivals.[3] In 2001, he joined the Georgia-based group Lost Horizon.[4] He was signed to Rounder Records, and released his debut album, Highway of Dreams, in 2006. The album was produced by Carl Jackson.[5] For his performance on the album, he won the Male Vocalist of the Year Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association.[6]

2016: Call Me Old-Fashioned

Walker's second album, Call Me Old-Fashioned, was produced by Rory Feek and recorded at the Joey + Rory studio out on their farm. Walker had known Joey and Rory Feek since 2007, and he was asked by Rory Feek to sing the hymn "Leave It There" at the funeral of Joey Feek in accordance with her wishes.[6] Bill Gaither of the Gaither Music Group, who was also at the funeral service, heard Walker's performance and signed Walker to his label.[7] The album includes a posthumous duet with Joey Feek, "In The Time That You Gave Me", using vocals she recorded before her death.[6] The album was released on September 23, 2016,[8] and debuted at No. 9 on the Top Country Albums chart.[9]

2017–18: Blessed: Hymns & Songs of Faith

On October 6, 2017, Walker released Blessed: Hymns & Songs of Faith. The album, produced by Ben Isaacs, features collaborations with Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Jimmy Fortune, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Isaacs and Ricky Skaggs.[10] The album received a GMA Dove Award for the Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year in 2018.[11]

He also performed a song "Leave It There" in the Homecoming CD/DVD release Give the World A Smile in 2017.[12]

2020

In 2020, walker collaborated with Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, and Mike Rogers to release an album Brotherly Love and a concert DVD/TV special filmed at Rory Feek's barn/studio near Columbia, TN.[13] The album was released digitally on May 29, 2020, and the DVD and CD released on September 4, 2020.[14] The concert film aired on the Circle network on October 20, 2020.[15]

Discography

Albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US
[16]		 US
Country
[17]		 US
Christian
[18]		 US
Bluegrass
[19]
Highway of Dreams[20]
  • Released: September 12, 2006
  • Label: Rounder Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — — — 10
Call Me Old-Fashioned[21]
  • Released: September 23, 2016
  • Label: Gaither Music Group
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 155 9 4 1
Blessed: Hymns & Songs of Faith [23]
  • Released: October 6, 2017
  • Label: Gaither Music Group
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 — — 18 1
Brotherly Love[25]
(with Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, and Mike Rogers)
  • Released: May 28, 2020
  • Label: Gaither Music Group
  • Formats: Digital download, CD, DVD
 — — 19 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles
Year Single Album
2016 "Why Me" Call Me Old-Fashioned

Music videos
Year Video
2006 "A Little Change"

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee / Work Result Refh
2017 GMA Dove Awards Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year "The Right Hand of Fellowship Nominated [26]
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year "Don't Give Up on Me" Nominated [26]
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year Call Me Old-Fashioned Nominated [26]
2018 GMA Dove Awards Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year "I Will Someday" Nominated [27]
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year Blessed Won [11]
Southern Gospel Artist of the Year Himself Nominated [27]

References
  1. Hollman, Holly (July 21, 2006). "Riding on a 'Highway of Dreams'". The Decatur Daily.
  2. Essex, Kimberly. "Overcoming the Odds: Country singer lives out his dreams". WAFF48.
  3. McCall, Michael (January 20, 2008). "Singer Thrives Despite Disease". American Profile.
  4. "Bradley Walker > Biography". Billboard.
  5. "'Highway of Dreams' for Singer Bradley Walker". NPR. January 23, 2007.
  6. Evans Price, Deborah (October 20, 2016). "Bradley Walker on Joey Feek's Influence Behind New Album". Rolling Stone.
  7. Klett, Leah Marianne (October 21, 2016). "Christian Artist Born with Muscular Dystrophy Discusses Faith, Influence of Rory and Joey Feek, Album 'Call Me Old-Fashioned'". Gospel Herald.
  8. Deming, Mark. "Call Me Old-Fashioned". AllMusic.
  9. Dauphin, Chuck (October 25, 2016). "Bradley Walker Reflects on His Surprise Top 10 Country Album & Singing at Joey Feek's Funeral". Billboard.
  10. "'Blessed: Hymns and Songs of Faith' by Bradley Walker ft, Alison Krauss & More Out Now". Music World.com. October 6, 2017.
  11. "Local musician Bradley Walker wins GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year". WHNT News 19. October 17, 2018.
  12. Allen, Wade (April 6, 2017). "Bill and Gloria Gaither share 2 new 'Homecoming' albums". Gaston Gazette.
  13. Evans Price, Deborah (September 18, 2020). "Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, Mike Rogers and Bradley Walker Deliver New Take on Statlers' Classic 'Elizabeth'". Sounds Like Nashville.
  14. Longs, Herb (September 3, 2020). "Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers & Ben Isaacs Release Gaither Music Group CD, DVD & TV Special". The Christian Beat.
  15. Longs, Herb (October 20, 2020). "Gaither Music Group's 'Brotherly Love' Premieres On Circle Network". The Christian Beat.
  16. "Bradley Walker Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  17. "Bradley Walker Chart History - Top Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  18. "Bradley Walker Chart History - Top Christian Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  19. "Bradley Walker Chart History - Bluegrass Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  20. "Highway Of Dreams". Amazon.
  21. "Call Me Old-Fashioned Bradley Walker". Amazon.
  22. Bjorke, Matt (December 14, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: December 14, 2017". Roughstock.
  23. "Bradley Walker - Blessed: Hymns and Songs of Faith". AllMusic.
  24. Bjorke, Matt (October 17, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: October 17, 2017". Roughstock.
  25. "Jimmy Fortune / Ben Isaacs / Mike Rogers / Bradley Walker: Brotherly Love". AllMusic.
  26. "2018 Nominees". GMA Dove Awards. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017.
  27. "2018 Nominees". GMA Dove Awards. Archived from the original on 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
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