Billy Currington Research Paper

Imagine that you sold 7 million albums as an artist. How would you feel about that? Well, Luke Bryan did just that. In my essay I will be telling three reasons why he should be an honorary person.

Shel Silverstein was born September 25,1930 in Chicago,IL. He had many different professions. His professions were poet, author, songwriter, illustrator. He wrote many books and novels. Also, he was awarded for writing his books. He got Grammy Award for Best Country Song (1970 - A boy named sue), Grammy Award for Best Album for Children (1985 - Where the sidewalk ends), and Quill Award for Children’s Illustrated book (2005, runny rabbit). He also did many famous works. His most famous works were Where the Sidewalk ends in 1974, A boy named Sue in 1969, and The Giving Tree in 1964.

He was ranked behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles in third among all musicians for getting 115 certifications from RIAA. He also earned himself the title of most #1 Billboard country hits getting forty-four songs to #1 (George Strait, 2012). Out of his sixty-one singles, fifty-eight of them made it to the list of the country top ten. George Strait even starred in a movie. In 1992, Pure Country hit theaters. The movie gained Strait even more publicity and fans (Carlin, 2006). Winning himself twenty-two CMAs and twenty AMCs, Strait was an outstanding artist. In 2008, he also got the Artist of the Decade. The George Strait Country Music Festival was a very unusual thing for a country artist, but of course it would be George Strait who broke boundaries. He also made an album called Strait Out of the Box. It was very popular and sold like crazy (George Strait, 2012). Strait Out of the Box sold over five million copies which broke the records in country music history in the year 1999 (Bego, 1997). When Strait made the album Blue Clear Sky, he made a very rare accomplishment. The album made it onto both country and pop charts. It was played on pop radio stations too (Carlin, 2006). This crossover let fans of other genres hear George’s songs. All in all, Strait had a very triumphant career. His life was not a fairy tale though, he had some life changing things happen to him and his

New York, 1981. Born an only child, Alicia Keys parents Divorced when she was two years old, after which she was brought up by her mother, Teresa Augello in a one-bedroomed apartment in "Hell’s Kitchen" neighborhood in Manhattan. At the time this was no place to raise a child, it was a boiling pot for the negative, a place where prostitution, drugs and gang violence strived. Despite all the struggles her mom was persistent in wanting her daughter to succeed and did all she could for her to progress. Teresa Augello was Keys' pillar and inspiration, working as a paralegal until midnight most nights and then heading back to work after just a couple hours sleep

Tupac Shakur was born in New York on June 16, 1971 to Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland. His mom was in jail for doing drugs and his father had nothing to do with him until he was an adult. Tupac went to the Baltimore School for the Arts. Tupac took ballet and dance classes.

George’s career began in 1981 with the album Strait Country, which “was influential in increasing the radio play of more traditional, less pop-influenced country music.” (Biography.com Editors), and was followed by 39 albums that have been; certified gold, the most of any country artist. He also holds the country music record for platinum and multi platinum. One example of his continuing popularity in the genre is that as of 2013 he was the only artist to have a top ten hit every year for the previous 32 years and his 60 number 1 singles are the most in the history of

Elvis Presley was born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys Smith Presley and Vernon Presley. Elvis was supposed to be a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn. His parents were part of the working class but made very little money; as a child, Elvis moved frequently due to his parents looking for jobs. Elvis’ father worked odd jobs and was once sentenced in 1938 to three years in prison for forging a four dollar check, but he stayed less than a year (Nix). After moving numerous times, the Presley family settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where the birth of Elvis’ career would take place. Elvis Presley, also known as “The King of Rock N’ Roll”, was one of the best-selling artists and on the Greatest of All Time Hot

With an estimated one billion units sold and counting, Elvis Presley is thought to be the most commercially successful solo musical artist of all time (Meacham 1) Born in Tupelo Mississippi and later relocating to Memphis Tennessee, Elvis was a natural star. Elvis won a high school talent show by singing and playing his guitar, earning the most applause out of any of the contestants. He would soon after that become a trucker, but his dreams of becoming a star were not crushed yet. Elvis gyrated his hips into America's heart as the most influential figure in American history.

“The good ole days weren't as always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.” Billy Joel went from an average class worker to a well know piano player. He impacted pop music by focusing on his piano, won multiple Grammys and awards, was inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making him one of the most influenced pop artists in the 20th century.

In the 1950’s, America was just starting to develop a common culture. Platforms like The Ed Sullivan Show, were uniting Americans while maintaining the conservative values of the time. Many Americans tried to hold onto the lifestyle and values they were so used to, but the times were changing. The number of women in the workforce doubled, African Americans were fighting segregation, and a new teenage culture was developing. Music, rock n’ roll at that time, became a way to make up the differences between Americans. Elvis Presley, a poor southern boy, made major waves by singing what most considered solely race music enticing teenagers and angering disapproving parents. This changed the common culture of the time by breaking down at least some of the barriers between whites and blacks through teenagers love of music.

Billy Barker was a sailor from Cambridge shire, England who struck gold in 1862. Billy was Born in England around 1819 as he grew up he Worked with his father as a waterman cutting and logging trees, and working for a sawmill. In 1845 railroads started taking over and the work slowed down in England Billy was losing jobs and money became scarce so he went to North America in search of a new job to keep his funds up. In 1850 Billy worked on a California gold mine in a small town called Lillooet, not having much luck in finding gold so in 1862 Billy barker moved to the area near Richfield to work on several mines that he owned.

Imagine yourself standing above thousands of people singing the lyrics of your song back to you. How does it feel? Growing up in the backwoods of Oklahoma, Garth Brooks only had a dream for his reality. Through his hard work and dedication to his music, Garth Brooks, one of the top-selling solo artists and ranked among the biggest stars of his generation, will leave a legacy people only dream to achieve.

There are many great country stars today for example, Thomas Luther Bryan or many of you probably recognize him as Luke Bryan. Luke Bryan is an American country singer and songwriter. He began his music career in the mid 2000s. Luke Bryan was discovered when Capitol Records saw him perform at a restaurant and of course soon after signed him. Thanks to Capitol Records, Luke Bryan has sold over seven million albums, twenty seven million tracks worldwide and has twelve number one hits. He has many more great songs to come, like his new Spring Break series soon to be released.

“Thank you, thank you very much” is what Elvis used to say back in the day when he was the King of Rock and Roll. Although Elvis was a great singer parents did not want their kids to watch Elvis, because the older generation did not like Elvis, but the younger people thought he was very entertaining. Elvis had created Rock and Roll, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he earned 14 Grammy nominations, which makes my artist one of the best Rock and Roll singers of the 20th century.

Sergeant Alvin Cullum York left a solid and long lasting legacy on Tennessee and the Unites States. He wanted to remember as a man who helps to improve the education in Tennessee, bring better roads to his town, and help his fellow man (Birdwell, 2001). York wanted to provide educational opportunities for mountain children of Tennessee. Alvin C. York Instituted founded in 1926 as a private agricultural high school. After the depression of 1937, the school became public and continued to serve under the control of the State Board of Education.