Curtis Wright

Curtis Blaine Wright (born June 6, 1955 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania) is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1989 with the single "She's Got a Man on her Mind" on a branch of MCA Records, before recording a solo album in 1992 on Liberty Records. By 1994, he and frequent songwriting partner Robert Ellis Orrall had formed a duo known as Orrall & Wright, which also recorded one major-label album. Wright later succeeded Brent Lamb in 2002 as the lead vocalist for the band Shenandoah, until being replaced by Jimmy Yeary in 2007. He has toured as a member of Pure Prairie League as well.

Initially a member of a band known as the Country Generation, succeeded by the Super Grit Cowboy Band, Wright later performed as a backup vocalist and guitarist for Vern Gosdin. In December 1989, he quit Gosdin's band and wrote Ronnie Milsap's number one single "A Woman in Love". Wright signed with Airborne Records in 1990 and released "She's Got a Man on Her Mind", which charted at number 38 on Hot Country Songs. Due to the label's lack of finances, he did not release an album. (Conway Twitty would take "She's Got a Man on her Mind" to number 22 on the same chart a year later, becoming Twitty's last top-40 hit on the country charts.) Later in the same year, he co-wrote Shenandoah's "Next to You, Next to Me" with Robert Ellis Orrall, and Steve Wariner's top 20 hit "There for Awhile".

In 1992, Wright signed to Liberty Records, where he released his self-titled debut album that year. This album produced two more low-charting singles. It also included the song "What's It to You", which Wright also co-wrote with Orrall. Although Wright's version was never released as a single, Clay Walker later recorded this song on his 1993 debut album, and his version was a number one hit that year. He also co-wrote Shenandoah's 1992 single "Rock My Baby". By 1994, Wright joined Orrall to form Orrall & Wright, a duo which charted two singles and recorded one album for Giant Records before disbanding. Wright later wrote Daryle Singletary's 1996 single "Too Much Fun".

After the departure of their former lead singer Brent Lamb (who, in turn, replaced Marty Raybon) in the late 1990s, Shenandoah chose Wright as their third lead singer. Wright left Shenandoah in 2007 to join Pure Prairie League, and Jimmy Yeary succeeded him.

Curtis Wright (1992)

Track listing

1. "What's It to You" (Wright, Robert Ellis Orrall) - 2:47
2. "Phonographic Memory" (Wright, Orrall, Doug Millett) - 2:29
3. "If I Ever Love Again" (Wright, Billy Spencer) - 3:53
4. "I Can't Stand to Watch My Old Flame Burn" (Wright, T. J. Knight) - 3:02
5. "I Don't Know How Love Starts" (Wright, Knight, Rich Alves) - 3:40
6. "If I Could Stop Lovin' You" (Wright, Spencer, Orrall) - 2:23
7. "If You Don't Love Me" (Wright) - 3:05
8. "Talk to Me, Heart" (Wright) - 3:45
9. "I Tripped over Your Memory" (Wright, Curt Ryle, Mike Baker) - 2:50
10. "Hometown Radio" (Vernon Rust) - 3:45

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.

• Mike Baker - acoustic guitar
• Bill Cook - bass guitar
• Larry Franklin - fiddle
• Sonny Garrish - steel guitar
• Steve Gibson - electric guitar
• Vince Gill - background vocals
• Rob Hajacos - fiddle
• Jana King - background vocals
• Chris Leuzinger - electric guitar
• Randy McCormick - piano
• Roger McVay - bass guitar
• Tony Piro - drums
• Gary Prim - piano
• Brent Rowan - electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Curt Ryle - acoustic guitar, steel guitar
• James Stroud - drums
• Curtis Wright - vocals, acoustic guitar
• Curtis Young - background vocals

Technical

• Julian King - recording
• Glenn Meadows - mastering
• Lynn Peterzell - production, recording, mixing
• James Stroud - production

Singles