Charlie Major

A major star in his native Canada, Charlie Major had a string of number one hits and numerous awards, including winning the Juno Award for Country Male Vocalist of the Year three years running, beginning in 1994. Deciding he wanted to be a musician in 1974, Major became a traveling troubadour, and for the next 15 years sharpened his writing and playing skills on the road. At one point he lived in Spain, where he played for tourists and put together a few country bands. Back in Canada, he entered and won a songwriting contest in 1986, part of the prize entitling him to record and release a single. Soon, his songs were being recorded by the likes of Canadian stars Matt Minglewood and Patricia Conroy. On a visit to Nashville in 1989, he did some recording, and one of the songs, "Backroads," ended up being a number one hit for Ricky Van Shelton three years later. Then in 1993, Major released his first album, The Other Side, in Canada, and it sold double platinum there, yielding six number one hits and winning numerous awards, including the Canadian Country Music Association 1994 Album of the Year and Single of the Year ("I'm Gonna Drive You Out of My Mind"). He moved to Nashville in 1994 and was briefly signed to Arista Records, before Imprint Records bought his contract and issued his second album and U.S. debut, Here and Now, in 1996. Everything's Alright appeared a year later, and in early 2000 Major resurfaced with 444.