New Artist Spotlight: The Wrights
By Tamara Saviano
It's fitting that the debut spot on Alan Jackson's new record label, ACR (Alan's Country Records) belongs to an act featuring his nephew Adam Wright.
The co-release with RCA Records, Down This Road, showcases the husband-and-wife harmonies of Adam and Shannon Wright.
The couple met in 1998 when Adam filled in as lead guitarist for Shannon, a club performer in Atlanta. Immediately they began building on their diverse musical backgrounds - everything from Hank Williams to Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan - by writing songs, developing their vocal blend and recruiting a band.
They also fell in love.
Adam remembers the sounds of his father's piano playing, heard through the wall the baby grand shared with his childhood bedroom. Singing ran in the family, including his mother and most famously in his uncle Alan.
Shannon also grew up in a musical family, and remembers the front-porch picking and singing overseen by her grandparents in La Grange, Ga. "We still have these little tapes from like 1978 of me singing Kenny Rogers and Linda Rondstadt songs while strumming on the ukulele," she said.
The Wrights moved to Nashville in 2002, eventually landing a coveted performing slot on the Grand Ole Opry and opening for Country Music icon Loretta Lynn.
Their debut album, Down This Road, co-produced by Keith Stegall and John Kelton, includes 12 songs, all written by The Wrights and was released May 3.
IN their OWN WORDS:
What CD is in your stereo right now?
SHANNON: "Lee Ann Womack's new CD."
What is your pet peeve?
ADAM: "When someone doesn't wave back."
What song do you wish you had written?
ADAM: "'I Believe In You.'"
Who is your dream duet partner?
ADAM: "Already got her."
SHANNON: "Ditto."
On the Web: www.thewrightsmusic.com
® 2005 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.
May 3, 2005
© Kristin Barlowe
