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Michael Peterson - At a Glance
Loved for such million-selling country music chart toppers as "Drink
Swear Steal & Lie" and "From Here To Eternity," this
multiple Grammy and CMA award nominee has moved sold-out audiences all over the
globe for nearly a decade. But Michael Peterson is so much more than a "celebrity
recording artist."
Prior to his career in country music, this national champion
collegiate football player spent twelve years teaching hundreds of thousands of
Jr. High and Sr. High School students across North America "How to live with
uncertainty and not be paralyzed by fear." He is a contributing
author to the New York Times best selling "Chicken Soup For The Soul" series
with two new books released in the fall 2006. He is a proven hit
songwriter with multiple #1 songs in gospel and country both in the U.S. and
Europe. His songs have been recorded by multiple Grammy winning
superstars like Travis Tritt, Timothy B. Shmitt from The Eagles and
Deniece "Let's Hear It For The Boy" Williams.
But more than anything else, Michael Peterson is a proven "people
mover" whose consistent commitment to purposes greater than him, has
captured the attention of organizations of all shapes and sizes.
Organizations such as Special Olympics, Selective Service, The Ronald
McDonald House, FFA, the USO, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and most
recently the New Holland Corporation and the U.S. Army seek him out as a voice
for messages that matter. With over 100 performances in 2006 and a new CD
entitled "In Black" complete, 2007 is set to be Michael's most exciting year of
his career.
Michael Peterson - Biography
Michael Peterson catapulted into the national
spotlight in 1997 on the success of the hit single, "Drink, Swear, Steal &
Lie" and his follow up release, "From Here To Eternity," which became his first
#1 hit as an artist and second as a writer. (The first being the CCM #1 "Taking
Your Love For Granted" by Imperials.) The self-titled debut disc was certified
gold and he was recognized as country music's top selling new male artist of
1997 and 1998.
Michael was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1959, but grew up in
Richland, Washington, where he developed a deep appreciation for and love of
music. He credits his grandmother with nurturing his interest in music.
The 6'4" athlete-musician attended Pacific Lutheran University on
football and music scholarships. He placed his musical aspirations on
hold, however, while pursuing his psychology degree and starting at left
offensive tackle on the team that won the 1980 NAIA Div II National Football
Championship.
After graduation, he spent twelve years motivating Jr. High and
Sr. High School students all over the United States and Canada with his
powerful assembly program, "Who Cares?" He secured his first major
publishing deal and recordings for pop superstar Deniece Williams, co-writing a
song ("If We Are The Light") on her multiple Grammy winning So Glad I Know
album. In 1986, he recorded a collection of contemporary Christian songs
on Sparrow Records charting 3 songs ("Beyond The Very Best," "Draw Me Near" and
the CHR hit "Give It Up.") on the CCM national music charts.
It would be a decade before the release of his next album, Michael
Peterson, but this country smash was pure gold for Warner/Reprise
Records. The album produced five hit singles, "Drink, Swear, Steal and
Lie" (#3 on Billboard's country charts), "From Here to Eternity" (#1) "Too Good
To Be True" (#5), "When the Bartender Cries" (#27), and "By The Book" (#19).
Peterson was named Top New Artist of 1997 by both Billboard and
Radio & Records and honored as Country Weekly's Male Newcomer and Gavin's
Artist to Watch in 1998.
The 1990's ended as Being Human, his second country
album, was released; that album launched two chart singles, "Something 'Bout a
Sunday," and "Sure Feels Real Good."
Michael made his dramatic television debut with a guest
appearance on "Walker, Texas Ranger" and continued his string of accolades by
winning the Male Star of Tomorrow Award at the fan-voted 1999 TNN/Music City
News Awards.
In 2000, he signed with Sony and in 2001, released the single
"Modern Man." It was the highest debuting single of his career.
After a label shake, Michael, along with nearly a dozen other artists, left
SONY Nashville in 2002. In 2004, AGR/Universal acquired the rights to the
critically acclaimed "Modern Man" album from SONY and released the CD in
Europe. The first week on the charts in Germany, the album launched 6
songs to the top 40, with the single, "No More Looking Over My Shoulder"
reaching # 2 on the German Country charts and # 1 on the Trans-European Hit
Predictor Hot Disc chart.
Highlights of 2005 and 2006 were many. Michael performed
more than 150 dates including Europe's largest country music festival in
Gstaad, Switzerland-headlines for festival reported: "Peterson Steals The
Show."
Michael sang the National Anthem on national network television
at the opening of the ARMY/NAVY football game broadcast to a worldwide audience
watching from 140 countries.
At Christmas, 2005, Michael performed for deployed troops on a 7
day, 11 country tour of the middle east with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff General Peter Pace. In 2006, he traveled to visit troops in
Korea and Afghanistan.
Also in 2006, Michael hosted the very successful "Michael
Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race" during CMA Music Fest. He
spoke and performed a song he wrote for the American Legion at the
organization's national convention in Salt Lake City.
He was a featured speaker and singer at both the national 4-H
dairy youth and national FFA youth conventions.
As the celebrity spokesperson for the New Holland Company he made
dozens of appearances and participated in raising tens of thousands of dollars
for assorted charities including the American Cancer Society and Canadian
Cancer Society.
He signed a new long-term publishing deal with Dimensional Music
Publishing and secured the title track and first single on multi-platinum
recording artist Ty Herndon's most recent release on Universal entitled "Right
About Now."
He was a contributing author in two nationally released books. "A
Country Music Christmas" (Broadway Books/Random House) and "Between The Lines
And Spaces" (Standard Press).
In 2006, Michael released a new CD entitled Down on the Farm
which received this review by the dean of country music journalists, Robert K.
Oermann:
"MICHAEL PETERSON/Down On The Farm - Writer: Arlos Smith/Rebecca
Marshall/Mark McGuinn; Producer: Tony Smith/Kent Wells; Publisher: Midnight
Music/Middle Oz/WB, SESAC/BMI; Beyond (track) -
Here's another artist who's been away too long. The title tune to
Michael's new CD finds him in robust voice, fronting a meaty, up-tempo track.
Hooks a-plenty. And the lyrics even name check New Holland
tractors, whose dealerships are offering the collection. He's back as a
writer as well-eight of the 10 tracks on Down on the Farm are from his pen,
including the superb 'I Hope They're Wrong,' 'News' and 'I Cut Myself Off at
the Past,' all of which sound like smashes to me."
Michael's newest album, In Black, is set to be released
in the summer of 2007.
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