NEW YORK, NY (Warner/Chappell Music) -- Warner/Chappell
Music Nashville artist
John Rich was awarded the 2006 ASCAP Songwriter/Artist of the Year at the 44th Annual ASCAP Country
Music Awards, honoring his top-charting triple-threat work as an artist (as half of the multi-platinum country duo Big & Rich) and sought-after songwriter and producer. This marks the second straight time Rich has taken home the prestigious award.
Along with writing Big & Rich's own recent hits "Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy" and "8th of November" (nominated for CMA Song of the Year Award), 32-year-old Texan John Rich was honored for his work this year with country artist Keith Anderson (Top 10 Country song "Pickin' Wildflowers"), platinum-selling honky-tonk artist Jason Aldean (#1 Country song "Why" and Top 10 Country song "Hicktown"), Grammy-winning multi-platinum country star Gretchen Wilson (Top 10 Country song "All Jacked Up"), and Grammy-winning multi-platinum pop/country superstar Faith Hill (#1 Country song "Mississippi Girl" and Top 5 Country song "Like We Never Loved at All" featuring Tim McGraw).
"John Rich is one of the most exciting, driven, and prolific creative talents I have worked with. He forces all those around him to push themselves harder to produce the best result possible," said Richard Blackstone, Chairman and CEO, Warner/Chappell Music.
In the past five years, John Rich has helped revolutionize contemporary country music, especially though his writing and production work with breakout star Gretchen Wilson, who in 2004 stormed to the top of the Country and Pop music charts with her four times platinum debut, Here For The Party, which reestablished country's "redneck" roots in modern form. Her John Rich-penned #1 hit "Redneck Woman" went on to win the ASCAP Country Music single of the year, establishing Wilson as a star and Rich as a go-to hit-maker. It wasn't long before international superstar Faith Hill called upon Rich to help her return to her country background as a "Mississippi Girl," with an earthy sound ... and a #1 hit.
John Rich signed to Warner/Chappell Music Nashville in 2001. To date John Rich has written for superstar artists including Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Faith Hill, Keith Anderson, Jason Aldean, Cowboy Troy, Shannon Brown, Martina McBride, Clay Walker, and Aaron Tippin, and is currently producing country music legend John Anderson.
