Jim Brickman

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Jim Brickman


Img_capt = Jim Brickman posing with a fan after a concert in December, 2006
Img_size = 200
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born = birth date and age|1961|11|20
Origin = Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Instrument = Piano
Genre = Adult contemporary (soft), New Age
Occupation = Composer, recording artist
Years_active = 1994-present
Label = Windham Hill (1994-2005)
Savoy Records (2005-present)
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.jimbrickman.com/ www.JimBrickman.com]

Jim Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American composer and pianist. Brickman is known for his solo piano compositions, which are classified as new age music. However, he is as well known for his original love songs and performing them with vocalists such as Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Michelle Wright and others.

Career

Education

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was nineteen, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for "Sesame Street". He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.

Recording career

Brickman signed with Windham Hill Records to release his first album, "No Words", in 1994. The song "Rocket To The Moon" from that album was the first solo instrumental song ever to be ranked on "Billboard"'s charts. Four of his albums ("By Heart", "Picture This", "The Gift", and "Destiny") have all sold over 500,000 copies, qualifying them as gold records in the United States.

Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums "The Gift" (1997) and "Peace" (2003); and his 2005 album "Grace" concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.

Since 1997, Brickman has also hosted his own radio show called "Your Weekend with Jim Brickman", which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States.

Some of his songs include "Valentine" with Martina McBride; "The Gift" with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton; "I'm Amazed" with Lila McCann; "After All These Years," with Anne Cochran; "Love of My Life," with Michael W. Smith; "You," with Jane Krakowski; "Destiny," with Jordan Hill and Billy Porter; and an instrumental love song, "If You Believe." Other hits include "Rocket to the Moon" and "Angel Eyes". And now he is doing a Christmas tour with Richie McDonald.

Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.

In 2006, Brickman left Sony BMG for SLG Records, part of the Savoy group.

Discography

Studio albums

ingles

*^A "Valentine" was originally only released to Adult Contemporary, but charted on the country charts as an album cut. It was remixed and released to country radio the following year. It also peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
*^B "Your Love" also peaked at #16 on "RPM" Canadian Adult Contemporary.
*^C "Sending You a Little Christmas" also peaked at #15 on Hot Christian Songs.
*^D "Escape" peaked at #17 on Hot Contemporary Jazz Songs.

References

External links

* [http://www.jimbrickman.com/ The Official Jim Brickman Website]
* [http://israbox.com/2008/08/12/jim-brickman-valentine-2008.html Jim Brickman - Valentine]