Chuck grew up in the low country of South Carolina. His Daddy and Grandaddy were both Pentecostal preachers, so his earliest musical influence was in church ... mama taking his hands and showing him how to clap on 2 and 4 ... teaching him how to sing harmony ... singing I'll Fly Away, Amazing Grace and Just As I Am ... always on the backbeat ... and soon as he could sit where he wanted to in church ... from the backseat ...
He began singing solo in church before he was five years old and his Daddy should've known better ...He's never stopped ... well not for long anyway.
The first album he ever owned was Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison record and it was the coolest thing ever 'til mama heard the cussin' on the record and took it from him. He listened to The Beatles, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, the STAX stuff, CCR, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Jim Croce, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and others too numerous to mention - and they all influenced Chuck and what he likes in music.
Chuck hit the bars with his guitar when he was 17 and played the beach circuit for several years before moving to Nashville in 1984. He went to Belmont University and studied Music Business and Finance. In 1988, he met producer Marshall Morgan, who signed him as a staff songwriter to Taste Auction Music. In 1992, he opened his own publishing company, Wacissa River Music, Inc. In 2006, he started Chuck Cannon Music which covers all his new publishing and production efforts.
One of Chuck's greatest honors was to be elected President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI, 2001-2003). He still serves on their Executive Board and Legislative Committees. The honors his songs have garnered include BMIs Eight-Million-Air award for the song "I Love The Way You Love Me" which was the Academy of Country Music's 1993 Song of the Year and went on to become an international hit when BOYZONE released it in Europe as a single in 1999, where it stayed at the top of the charts for over 3 months. He's had numerous multi-week number one songs and many other BMI Million-Air awards but of all the songs he's written, the ones that consistently bring me back to what he loves about music are the ones he hasn't written yet.
ABOUT BILLY -
Tennessee has long been known throughout the world for its rich musical heritage; talented musicians from across the nation have traveled to Nashville to begin legendary careers that have earned Music City USA a reputation that is unsurpassed in the pantheon of American Music. One such talented musician is BILLY DEAN, whose insightful songwriting, clear and distinctive voice, and masterful instrumental gifts have earned him accolades from many awards academies and countless devoted fans.
A native of Quincy, Florida, Billy was raised appreciating the value of music and has a diverse array of musical influences. After attending college on a basketball scholarship, Billy moved to Nashville in 1983 and by 1990 had recorded his first Top 5 Hit "Only Here For A Little While". Since then, Billy has transcended genres with his unique repertoire earning numerous awards, including: The Academy of Country Music's Song of the Year "Somewhere In My Broken Heart", ACM New Male Vocalist of The Year, BMI Pop Awards, BMI Song Awards, BMI Million Air Plays Award, Country Music Television Rising Star Award, NSAI Song of The Year, and a Grammy for a Country Tribute "Amazing Grace.”
After twelve albums and eleven Top 10 singles, Billy has founded the publishing company BDMG (Billy Dean Music Group). Billy continues to make contributions to the Country Music world by building brands with music and empowering children, by being a spokesperson for Averitt Cares For Kids, and Sunkist's Take A Stand Program.
In 2012, Billy released his latest album, A Man of Good Fortune. Four years ago, Dean took a break from the recording studio, spending his time developing Billy Dean Music Group (BDMG - his very own publishing and production company) as well as continuing to tour regularly, keeping a connection with fans, both old and new. This hiatus from the studio gave Dean the time to pen many of the songs included on the new album. Dean co-wrote seven of the ten songs included on A Man of Good Fortune.
