How To Book BlackHawk For Your Event
BlackHawk
may be available for your next special event!


Through more than three million-selling albums, ten
consecutive country hits, years of breathtaking concerts, numerous
award nominations, and even recognition as country's favorite new
group of the year, BlackHawk has forged a national reputation
for energetic live performances and recordings with powerful harmonies
and rocking country instrumentation.
"I think country music is dying for a
supergroup," said BlackHawk's Van Stephenson. "That
has always been our dream: That BlackHawk would occupy that
space, and transcend everything instead of running with the
pack." BlackHawk has already left the other contenders gasping for air. With
the release of their fourth Arista album, appropriately titled "The
Sky's The Limit," they created
their most potent combination of powerful performances and memorable
tunes to date. And as usual, the trio topped it all off with the most
unique and expressive vocals in country music. Once you hear the
combination of these three gifted singers, their sound is indelibly
printed on your eardrums.
"When you listen to a BlackHawk record,"
said Van, "you hear three distinct voices, which is very
different. We grew up listening to
Crosby, Stills & Nash and never
got over it!"
"The first time we sang three part harmony, we
really felt like we had found something," adds Dave. "It was
magical, like we were blood brothers."
Even before they found that combination, the members
of BlackHawk had the hit-making touch. From 1971 to 1977, Henry Paul
was a member of
The Outlaws, and recorded four albums with that group.
In 1980, he formed the Henry Paul Band, which cut four more albums,
including the critically acclaimed "Grey Ghost." In 1987, he rejoined
The Outlaws for one more album, "Soldiers of Fortune." Henry also had
his songs recorded by John Anderson ("Bad Love Gone Good")
and
The Bellamy Brothers ("Tragedy").
Meanwhile, classically trained pianist Dave Robbins
moved to Nashville in 1979 and soon met fellow songwriter Van
Stephenson. Before long they were a veritable hit machine, authoring
singles by Kenny Rogers ("All My Life"),
Dan Seals
("Everybody's Dream Girl"), and especially
Restless Heart,
for whom they penned "Big Dreams in a Small Town."
"Bluest Eyes in Texas," ''Til I Loved You," "Long
Lost Friend" and "Let the Heartache Ride." Van also
made his mark as a solo artist, recording three solo albums for MCA
Records which yielded the hits "Modern Day Delilah" and
"What The Big Girls Do."
"It was following a number of demo sessions and
publisher meetings that the idea of forming a group began to take
shape. A subsequent conversation with Arista/Nashville President Tim
DuBois lead us to Henry Paul," recalled Van, "and, viola,
BlackHawk was born!"
"It was one of those magic things,"
remembers Tim Dubois of the first time he heard BlackHawk's sound.
"When you heard the voices, it just fit. I love harmony groups,
and that's what turns me on as a producer. And when one like BlackHawk
makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, it's a unique kind of
sound."
The group's self-titled debut album was released in
February 1994, and they hit pay dirt instantly. After their first
single, "Goodbye Says It All," climbed to No. 11, the next
four "Every Once in a While," "I Sure Can Smell the
Rain," "Down in Flames" and "That's Just About
Right'' all reached the Top 10.
BlackHawk's energetic stage show made them a top
concert attraction as well. "The audience is the reason we're
there," said Van. "We hope that what people get from a
BlackHawk concert is the feeling that they were completely entertained
they got great music and got to know us a little bit as people.
Like they got their money's worth!" With the release of
"Strong
Enough" in 1995 and "Love
& Gravity" in 1997, BlackHawk scored with such unforgettable songs
as "I'm Not Strong Enough to Say No," "Like There Ain't
No Yesterday," "Postmarked Birmingham" and
"Almost a Memory Now." Collectively, they have sold more
than 3.5 million records, sealing their reputation as one of the most
successful and progressive country bands.
"The three of us come from a very, very
artistically minded, lyrically sensitive mind-set of the
singer-songwriter," points out Henry Paul. "When you say
recording 'artists,' I think BlackHawk takes the description
seriously. There are other groups with three-part harmony, but
BlackHawk's sound is unique because it comes from all three
singers." As proof, "The
Sky's The Limit" contains lead vocals
from all three members, including Dave Robbins' heartfelt ballad,
"Always Have, Always Will" and Van Stephenson's stone
country "Think Again."
On top of that, there are future BlackHawk classics
such as the good-time first single, "There You Have It," the
driving "Your Own Little Corner of My Heart" and the
heart-wrenching "Nobody Knows What to Say." It all adds up
to a new level of sophistication for the band, as well as a conscious
return to a more acoustic-based sound.
Says Dave, "We evolved after our first record,
which was very, very earthy, with a lot of fiddles, mandolins and
acoustic guitars, nothing whiny or twangy. With the second and third
albums we went with a little more electric approach. This record is
earthier and that was intentional. It's almost like getting back to
our roots; we're staying true to giving our fans some really great
music. We don't want to ever feel like we've sold out. We just can't
do that."
"I think about groups like
Alabama
and
Restless Heart," continues Dave, "and they're the guys who brought
listeners like me to country radio. Hopefully our contribution is that
people are now saying, 'Hey, you guys are the reason we're listening
to country!'"
Truth be told, there are millions of people who feel
exactly that way. People who want their country music to break new
ground and look to the future. As Henry Paul says, "No guts, no
glory!" And as always with BlackHawk, the sky's the
limit!
The Academy of Country Music, Country Music
Association and American Music Awards have all nominated BlackHawk for
top accolades, and the band won the 1995 fan-voted TNN/Music City
News Country Awards Star of Tomorrow.
(Van Stephenson died of cancer on April 8, 2001.)
Hit songs include --
- Every Once in a While
- I'm Not Strong Enough to Say No
- Like There Ain't No Yesterday
- There You Have It
- That's Just About Right
- I Sure Can Smell the Rain
- Down in Flames
- Almost a Memory Now
- Goodbye Says It All
- Big Guitar
- Your Own Little Corner of My Heart
- Hole in My Heart
- Postmarked Birmingham
- I Need You All the Time
- There You Have It
- King of the World
BlackHawk may be available for your next special event!
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Genre:
Country
Styles:
.Country-Rock. / CountryRock
.Contemporary Country. / ContemporaryCountry
.Country-Pop. / CountryPop
.Urban Cowboy. / UrbanCowboy
Years active:
x90s, x00s, x10s, x20s
Formed: ..in Tennessee / formed nTennessee
Formed: ..in Nashville / formed NashvilleTN
Formed: in 1992
Based: ..in US
Based: ..in Tennessee / based nTennessee
Based: ..in Nashville / based
NashvilleTN
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