Gordie Sampson

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Gordie Sampson


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Gordon Francis Sampson
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Born = July 30, 1971
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Instrument = Guitar, piano, bass, drums, bouzouki, accordion
Voice_type = silky
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Occupation = Singer-songwriter, producer
Years_active = 1990-present
Label = Maple Music
Associated_acts = Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Jimmy Rankin, George Canyon, Damhnait Doyle
URL = [http://www.gordiesampson.com/ www.gordiesampson.com]

Gordie Sampson (born July 30 1971) is a Grammy, and Juno award winning singer / songwriter / producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada.

As a performer he has shared the stage with the likes of Faith Hill, Keith Urban, the Rankin Family, Joel Plaskett, John Allan Cameron, Aselin Debison and Ashley MacIsaac.

As a songwriter he has known success writing songs for Carrie Underwood (Jesus, Take the Wheel), Crush (King for a Day), Jimmy Rankin (Followed Her Around, Leavin' Louisiana), and George Canyon (My Name).

As a producer and sound engineer he has logged studio time with Damhnait Doyle, Natalie MacMaster, The Cottars, Bruce Guthro, and Buddy MacMaster.

As a musical director for television and live projects he worked on "Celtic Electric" (CBC TV), the Rankin Family's Christmas special and the "Cape Breton Summertime Revue".

Music career

Though his early influences (Black Sabbath, AC/DC) were of the hard rock and heavy metal variety, this has not been evident in his professional career. His sound can be described as blues/folk/pop. He got his start jamming with Angelo Spinazzola and other young, local musicians while attending Riverview Rural High School in the late 1980's and later in bands such as "Hate Ashbury" and "Green Eggs And Jam" who played mainly local gigs in the Cape Breton area. He later got his first taste of success as a member of Realworld in the early 1990's with brothers Jamie Foulds and Matthew Foulds. The group released one self-titled CD that featured local radio hits "Angels", "Throwin' It All Away" and "We All Need". He was also a member of the house band on Rita MacNeil's weekly CBC hit show "Rita & Friends". He has produced and co-written Damhnait Doyle's "Davnet", and Natalie MacMaster's "In My Hands" albums.

His songs have been recorded by such artists as Faith Hill ("Paris"), Trace Adkins ("Words Get in the Way"), Carolyn Dawn Johnson ("Crybaby"), Aaron Lines ("Seeing Things"), Great Big Sea ("Lucky Me", "Let it Go") and George Canyon ("My Name", "Happy Man"). [Jones and Co. artist management]

It was "Jesus, Take the Wheel", co-written with Brett James and Hillary Lindsey in Nashville, that brought him international industry acclaim as a songwriter. That song was recorded by Carrie Underwood and released in 2005. It sat at the top of the charts for six weeks, tying Faith Hill's "Breathe" as a runner-up for longest-running number-one song by a solo female artist. Sampson has commented that the song was inspired by a story told by his aunt and the death of an acquaintance in a car crash on a Nova Scotia highway. [Words & Music magazine]

Since the success of "Jesus, Take the Wheel", Sampson has co-written songs with several well known Nashville performers including LeAnn Rimes ("Long Night", "Save Myself") and Bon Jovi("Any Other Day") for that band's 2007 country music album. He also spent time writing with Keith Urban at the Nashville home he shares with wife Nicole Kidman. [Halifax Chronicle Herald] Though Urban has yet to record any of the songs he wrote with Sampson, Urban has recorded three of Sampson's songs to date. [ Keith Urban website ]

Sampson has released two CDs as a solo artist. His debut solo album, "Stones" (1998), was nominated for a Juno Award. He also received an East Coast Music Award for the single "Sorry", also a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

His second CD, "Sunburn" (2004), came after a brief hiatus and was largely written in partnership with Troy Verges and Blair Daly. Sampson produced the CD and played the majority of the instruments on "Sunburn" including guitars, bass, drums and piano. The album was recorded in Canada at his own studio (Lakewind Sound Studios, in Point Aconi) on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia as well as in Toronto, Ontario and Nashville, Tenn.

Sampson now divides his time between Nashville and his Cape Breton home, in addition to touring across Canada. His third album release "For The Few And Far Between" is scheduled to hit stores on August 5th (availible on line in June).The first single from this record, "We Are Young And So Is The Night" hits Canadian radio june 24/08.

Personal life

His parents are Frank (September 6, 1946-December 3, 2007) and Flo (Ley) Sampson. His sister Amy Sampson is a former member of the band Ashego.

Gordie and his longtime partner Helen Musial have a young daughter named Amelie.

Awards and nominations

* Grammys
** 2006 - Song of the Year, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Nomination)
** 2006 - Best Country Song , "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Won)
* Juno Awards
** 2005 - Songwriter Of The Year, "Sunburn", "Paris" and "You (Or Somebody Like You)" (Nominated)
** 2000 - Best Instrumental Album, In My Hands - Natalie MacMaster, (WON)
** 1999 - Best Roots & Traditional Album - Solo, "Stones" (Nominated)
* CMA
** 2006 Song of the Year for "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (nomination)
* Nashville Songwriters Association
** 2006 - International Songwriter Achievement Award "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
*Canadian Country Music Award
** 2006 - Songwriter of the Year, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Carrie Underwood) (WON)
** 2006 - Songwriter of the Year, " Crybaby" (Carolyn Dawn Johnson) (Nomination)
*Academy of Country Music Award
** 2006 - Single of the Year - Carrie Underwood - "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
*Great American Song Contest
** 2005 Pop/Contemporary, "Paris" (WON)
** 2005 Pop/Contemporary, "Sunburn" (WON)
*CCMA Award
** 2005 - Single of the Year - George Canyon - "My Name"
** 2005 - Song of the Year - George Canyon - "My Name"
** 2000 - Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration
*ECMA Awards
** 2005 - Album of the Year Sunburn)
** 2005, 2004, 2000 - Songwriter of the Year
** 2005, 2000 - Single of the Year
** 2005 - Male Artist of the Year (Sunburn)
** 2005 - Pop Recording of the Year (Sunburn)
** 2002. 2001 - SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
** 2000 - Video of the Year
** 1999 - New Artist of the Year
*International Songwriting Competition
** 2005 - Performance Category, "Paris" (WON)
*MIANS Awards
** 2004 - Album of the Year
** 2004, 2000 - Male Artist of the Year
** 2004 - Pop/ Rock Artist of the Year
** 2004 - SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
** 2003 - Producer of the Year
** 2000 - Songwriter of the Year
** 1999 - Producer of the Year
*SOCAN Awards
** 2002 - Most Country Airplay
*Canadian Radio Music Awards
** 2000 - Pop Adult Best Solo Artist (Nomination)
*John Lennon Songwriting Contest
** 2000 - Pop Category Finalist

Discography

* "Stones" (1998)
* "Sunburn" (2004)
* "For the Few and Far Between" (2008)

Notable hits

These are songs that Sampson wrote for other artists.
*"Might As Well Be Makin Love" - Jessica Simpson
*"God Close Your Eyes" - Whitney Duncan
*"Open Road" - Whitney Duncan
*"When I Said I Would" - Whitney Duncan
*"You're Not Leavin Me" - Martina McBride
*"Everybody Wants To Be Loved" - Martina McBride
*"Found" - Josh Gracin
*"Oh Love" - Brad Paisley (featuring Carrie Underwood)
*"Jesus, Take the Wheel" - Carrie Underwood
*"Just A Dream" - Carrie Underwood
*"Get Out Of This Town" - Carrie Underwood
*"Walk On The Moon" - Great Big Sea
*"God Made Woman" - Keith Urban
*"The Hard Way" - Keith Urban
*"You (or Somebody Like You)" - Keith Urban
*"Paris" - Faith Hill (Warner Nashville)
*"Any Other Day" - Bon Jovi
*"One Last Goodbye" - Richie Sambora (from the movie "The Banger Sisters")
*"Measure of a Man" – Jack Ingram (Universal)
*"If I Had Your Name" – Martina McBride (RCA Nashville)
*"Unmistakable" - Jo Dee Messina
*"Long Night" - LeeAnn Rimes (Curb Records)
*"Save Myself" - LeeAnn Rimes (Curb Records)
*"Get Me Through December" - Alison Krauss / Natalie MacMaster
*"Crybaby" – Carolyn Dawn Johnson (Universal Canada)
*"Words Get In the Way" – Trace Adkins (Capitol Nashville)
*"Seein' Things" - Aaron Lines (RCA Nashville)
*"Lucky Me" - Great Big Sea (Warner Canada)
*"Let It Go" - Great Big Sea (Warner Canada)
*"My Name" - George Canyon
*"King For A Day" - Crush
*"How the West Was Won" - Shaye
*"Star" - Shaye
*"Followed Her Around" - Jimmy Rankin
*"Leavin Louisiana" - Jimmy Rankin
*"Maybe You're Right" - The Rankins
*"Another California Song" - Damhnait Doyle
*"MacDougall's Pride" - Ashley MacIsaac
*"We All Need", "Angels", "Throwin' It All Away" - Realworld

References

External links

* [http://www.gordiesampson.com Official site]
* [http://www.maplemusic.com Maple Music]
* [http://jonesandcoartistmanagement.com Management company]