Craig Morgan, Richie McDonald Make a Move
In two separate bits of industry news, Craig Morgan has signed with Sony BMG Nashville, and former Lonestar lead vocalist Richie McDonald's first solo album will be a contemporary Christian project. Lonestar left the Sony BMG roster last year, and McDonald confirmed shortly thereafter that he was leaving the band.
Morgan recently announced that he had decided to leave the independent Broken Bow label, where he enjoyed a string of hits that includes "Almost Home," "Redneck Yacht Club," "That's What I Love About Sunday," "Little Bit of Life," "Tough" and "International Harvester." Broken Bow remains Jason Aldean's label home.
Morgan had previously recorded for Atlantic, and there was speculation on Music Row about where he would land after exiting Broken Bow. That speculation ended Thursday night (March 6) during the Sony BMG's annual party on the General Jackson showboat, an annual event during Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. No word on which Sony BMG label -- Arista, BNA, Columbia or RCA -- will be releasing Morgan's upcoming music, but an album is expected this fall.
As for McDonald, the contemporary Christian album probably comes as no surprise to his former bandmates in Lonestar. In several interviews, they blamed him for the decline in the band's record sales because of his insistence in releasing a series singles centering on family values. Two of those, "My Front Porch Looking In" and "Mr. Mom," are frequently cited as prime examples of what has become known in the music industry as "sippy-cup songs."
McDonald's solo album, I Turn to You, was produced by songwriter Frank Myers. Distributed by Lucid Artist, it will be available at retail outlets nationwide.
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Missy says:
Maybe Richie should be on the next GONE COUNTRY series!!! I’m sure John Rich could teach him a thing or two. Kind of ironic!!!!
David Nisbet says:
The rest of Lonestar got fed up with him? At least when he was in the group they were Country, their new songs sound like the same teenPop crap Nashville seems to thrive on lately.
hotelmotel says:
I can see why the rest of Lonestar got upset. Lonestar did about 2 too many of the “family values” type songs within a 2 or 3 year period. Those songs hurt the group, it got them typecast, and that was that.They were only going to appeal to a more limited audience, but radio stations are mass market institutions.
I partly understand why they released those songs. If “Front Porch Looking In” does well, then, as the cliche goes, don’t fix what’s not broken, and release “Mr Mom.” But this only works so many times.
Anyway,like their music or not, Lonestar had a good run with Richie McDonald.
MaryAnne says:
I am happy for Richie, because Christian music is definitely a growing genre. He may not get rich like the big time country artists do but they may appreciate a talent like his more than Nashville ever did.
Frank n Stank says:
Makes a lot of sense to me to leave a label who was THE MAIN reason said artist had ANY success at all. Just stab them in the back and go elsewhere.
That is SO typical Nashville and just another reason why most of the artist will have short careers and NOT last long.
I hope the label got a nice parting gift and gave the finger as the “superstar” ran out the door.
Loyalty is just not in the cards for SOME artists OR radio where artists are a dime a dozen!!
If radio doesn’t play the new singles we’ll all know why, they aren’t loyal to those that jump ship!!