Andy Griggs - You Won't Ever Be Lonely 1999

Andy Griggs was not interested in music until his older brother passed away. His brother wrote songs and played the guitar and Andy wanted to pick up on that and carry on with what his brother had started. He taught himself how to play and he sang some of the songs that were written by his brother. After singing Gospel songs and marrying, he finally got his record deal in 1997.

A quick glance at the cover and inner-sleeve photos of Andy Griggs's debut album reveals this kid's most obvious selling point, aside from his light, twangily expressive baritone: an alluring Leonardo DiCaprio-Brad Pitt "look"--the stringy blonde hair, the fashionably stubbly beard. No doubt he'll make hearts throb in the teenage-female target group that the Nashville record hucksters seem to be lusting after these days. Griggs has a serious weakness for generic-sounding country-pop ballads. Yet the 26-year-old Louisiana-born singer delivers some impressive country grit and soul on gutsier songs like "Waitin' On Sundown," "A Side of Me," and the anguished "Ain't Done Nothin' Wrong"--one of four songs that Griggs co-wrote. And he really rips things up on his spirited, worthy reprise of the Rodney Crowell classic "Ain't Livin' Long Like This." It just goes to show that you can't always judge a book (or a country CD) by its pretty-boy cover.

Personnel: Andy Griggs (vocals); B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Jerry McPherson (electric guitar); Russ Pahl, Jeff King, Reggie Young (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal & lap steel guitars); Charles Cushman (5-string banjo); Larry Franklin (mandolin, fiddle); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Jimmy Nichols (piano, keyboards, background vocals); Richard "Spady" Brannan (bass); Paul Leim (drums, percussion); Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Larry Marrs, Tammy Sullivan, Curtis Wright, Curtis Young (background vocals).


Tracklist:

01. You Made Me That Way
02. I'll Go Crazy
03. I Miss You The Most
04. You Won't Ever Be Lonely
05. Waitin' On Sundown
06. A Side Of Me
07. I Don't Know A Thing
08. Shine On Me
09. Ain't Done Nothin' Wrong
10. She's More
11. Ain't Livin' Long Like This