BlackHawk

Infobox musical artist
Name = BlackHawk


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Genre = Country
Years_active = 1992-present
Label = Arista Nashville
Columbia Nashville
Rust Nashville
Radiance
Associated_acts = Jeff Black
The Outlaws
Restless Heart
Keni Thomas
URL = http://blackhawkmusic.us
Current_members = Chris Anderson
Jon Coleman
Henry Paul
Michael Randall
Randy Threet
Monte Yoho
Past_members = Anthony Crawford
Dave Robbins
Van Stephenson

BlackHawk is an American country music group founded in 1992 by Henry Paul (lead vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar), Van Stephenson (background vocals, electric guitar), and Dave Robbins (background vocals, keyboards).cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fxftxqe5ldde~T1 |title=BlackHawk biography |accessdate=2008-01-07 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=Allmusic] Several backing musicians also performed with the trio; however, these backing musicians were not officially part of BlackHawk.

Prior to the group's formation, Robbins and Stephenson had co-written several Number One singles for the country pop band Restless Heart, and had also charted two pop hits in the early 1980s.cite web |url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Blackhawk.html |title=BlackHawk biography |accessdate=2007-11-27 |work=Oldies.com] Paul was previously a member of the Southern rock band The Outlaws as well.

In 1994, BlackHawk was signed to a record deal with Arista Nashville. Their debut single, "Goodbye Says It All", was released that year, peaking at #11 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, and their first album (1994's "BlackHawk") was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, the band continued to chart several singles, in addition to releasing three more albums and a Greatest Hits package.

Van Stephenson departed the group in 2000 due to complications from skin cancer. He was replaced with Randy Threet (also a former member of The Outlaws), who made his first appearance on "Spirit Dancer", the band's fifth studio album. After Threet's departure in 2003, Anthony Crawford took over as tenor vocalist and lead guitarist; Crawford was, in turn, succeeded by Michael Randall four years later. In early 2008, Robbins left the group to resume his songwriting career, and Threet re-joined. Since then, BlackHawk's backing band has been assumed into the main group, which now comprises Paul (lead vocals, guitar, mandolin), Randall (acoustic guitar, background vocals), Threet (bass guitar, background vocals), Chris Anderson (lead guitar, background vocals), Jon Coleman (keyboards, background vocals), and Monte Yoho (drums, percussion).cite web |url=http://www.blackhawkmusic.us/bio.html |title=BlackHawk biography |accessdate=2008-04-12 |work=BlackHawk official website]

Biography

BlackHawk was founded in 1992 by lead vocalist/guitarist Henry Paul, vocalist/guitarist Van Stephenson, and keyboardist/vocalist Dave Robbins. The group's name was derived from the Stutz Blackhawk, a model of car. All three members had experience with other musicians prior to the formation; Stephenson, a former solo artist who charted two hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the mid-1980s, had written several songs for the country pop band Restless Heart, frequently collaborating with Robbins. In addition, Henry Paul was formerly a member of The Outlaws, a Southern rock band.

In 1993, BlackHawk signed to Arista Nashville, releasing their debut single "Goodbye Says It All" that year. The song, which peaked at #11 on the Hot Country Songs charts in early 1994, served as the lead-off to their self-titled debut album, which also produced four more singles: "Every Once in a While", "I Sure Can Smell the Rain", "Down in Flames", and the Jeff Black-penned "That's Just About Right". These songs all reached Top Ten on the country charts. Overall, "BlackHawk" was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for selling two million copies in the United States.

BlackHawk's second album, "Strong Enough", was released in 1995. Its lead-off single, "I'm Not Strong Enough to Say No" peaked at #2, followed by "Like There Ain't No Yesterday" at #3; however, none of the other three singles from the album reached Top Ten. "Strong Enough" earned the group an RIAA gold certification for selling 500,000 copies.

"Love & Gravity" was the title of BlackHawk's third album, released in 1997. Only two singles were released from this album, although neither single reached Top 30. The group's chart success was restored in late 1998, however, with the release of "There You Have It", which went on to peak at #4; this song brought BlackHawk to the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, peaking at #41 on that chart. "There You Have It" was the first of two singles from 1998's "The Sky's the Limit", which also produced the #27 "Your Own Little Corner of My Heart".

2000s

In 2000, BlackHawk released its "Greatest Hits" collection, composed of the greatest hits from their first four albums. One of this album's newly-recorded tracks, "I Need You All the Time", was a minor Top 40 hit on the country charts. Shortly afterward, Stephenson departed the group, due to complications from skin cancer; Stephenson died in 2001.

Stephenson was replaced by Randy Threet, another former member of The Outlaws, who formerly served as the bass guitarist in BlackHawk's backing band, BackHawk. In 2002, the group left Arista for Columbia Records, with one album (2002's "Spirit Dancer") being relesed on that label before the group was dropped in 2003. That same year, Threet left as well, with Anthony Crawford taking his place.

In 2005, BlackHawk sang background vocals on Keni Thomas' single "Gloryland"; recorded by Thomas on his 2005 album "Flags of Our Fathers", the song was originally recorded by BlackHawk themselves on "Spirit Dancer". A year later, BlackHawk signed to Rust Records. BlackHawk did not release an album for the label, which was shuttered by the end of 2006. Crawford also left in 2006, with Michael Randall succeeding him. Robbins left in 2008 and was replaced with John Coleman. That same year, the group's backing band — which by then comprised Chris Anderson (lead guitar, background vocals), Randy Threet (bass guitar, background vocals), and Monte Yoho (drums, percussion) — was assumed into the official lineup of BlackHawk. A live album will be released in September 2008 on Airline Records.

BackHawk

In addition to its three core members, BlackHawk was originally accompanied by a backing band named BackHawk. Originally, BackHawk comprised Tere Bertke (bass guitar), Dale Oliver (guitar), and Bobby Huff (drums). Oliver left in the early 2000s for a career composing theme music for professional wrestling. As of 2008, BlackHawk has begun counting its backing musicians among its official lineup (as opposed to the three central musicians and backing band being separate).

Discography

Albums

ingles

*^A Album cut; charted from unsolicited airplay.
*^B Failed to chart.

References

External links

* [http://blackhawkmusic.us Official website]