Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through
Capitol Nashville
Capitol Records Nashville is a major United States-based record label located in Nashville, Tennessee operating as part of the Universal Music Group Nashville. From 1991 to 1995, Capitol Nashville was known as Liberty Records, before returning ...
since 2005. His debut album, 2006's ''
Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' country charts including the top 20 hits "
How 'Bout You", "
Two Pink Lines
"Two Pink Lines" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in August 2006 as the second single from his 2006 debut album '' Sinners Like Me''. Church wrote the song with Victoria Shaw.
Content ...
", and "
Guys Like Me
"Guys Like Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in January 2007 as the third single from his 2006 debut album '' Sinners Like Me''. The song peaked at number 17 on the US '' Billboard'' ...
".
His second album, 2009's ''
Carolina'', produced three more singles: "
Smoke a Little Smoke
"Smoke a Little Smoke" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in June 2010 as the third and final single from his 2009 album '' Carolina''. It was also the eighth single of Church's career to ...
" and his first top 10 hits, "
Love Your Love the Most" and "
Hell on the Heart". 2011's ''
Chief'', his first No. 1 album, gave him his first two No. 1 singles, "
Drink in My Hand
"Drink in My Hand" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in August 2011 as the second single from his 2011 album '' Chief''. The song became Church's first number one hit on the US '' Billbo ...
" and "
Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
", and the hits "
Homeboy", "
Creepin'", and "
Like Jesus Does
"Like Jesus Does" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in January 2013 as the fifth and final single from Church's 2011 album '' Chief''. It was also his ...
". His third No. 1 single was "
The Only Way I Know
"The Only Way I Know" is a song written by David Lee Murphy and Ben Hayslip and recorded by American country music artist Jason Aldean featuring Luke Bryan and Eric Church. It was released in November 2012 as the second single from Aldean's 2012 al ...
", which he,
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams; February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to BBR Music Group, Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released ten albums and 40 singles. His 2010 ...
, and
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...
recorded for Aldean's album ''
Night Train''.
A fourth album, ''
The Outsiders'', was released in February 2014. It produced five new singles between 2013 and 2015 with the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
, "
Give Me Back My Hometown
"Give Me Back My Hometown" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in January 2014 as the second single from his 2014 album '' The Outsiders''. The song reached number one on the US '' Billboa ...
", "
Cold One
"Cold One" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in June 2014 as the third single from his 2014 album '' The Outsiders''. The song was written by Church, Luke Hutton and Jeff Hyde.
Cont ...
", "
Talladega" and "
Like a Wrecking Ball". "Talladega" and "Give Me Back My Hometown" each reached number one on the
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
chart. Eric Church got his sixth No. 1 hit with
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
in May 2015 with the single "
Raise 'Em Up
"Raise 'Em Up" is a song written by Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston and Jeffrey Steele and recorded by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban as a duet with American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in January 20 ...
". His fifth studio album, ''
Mr. Misunderstood'', was released in November 2015 and went on to produce two number one singles with "
Record Year" and "
Round Here Buzz". On July 13, 2018, Church released the first single and
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
of his album ''
Desperate Man'', which was released in October 2018. In April 2021, Church released the
triple album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...
set ''
Heart & Soul''.
Early life
Church was born on May 3, 1977, in
Granite Falls, North Carolina
Granite Falls is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,722 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir– Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The name Granite Falls comes f ...
(Dudley Shoals area), to Ken and Rita Church. Church worked with his father at Clayton Marcus, a furniture upholstery company where his father was president. At 13, he bought a guitar and began writing songs of his own. By his senior year of high school, he had found a gig at a local bar, which occupied most of his time. He played many
Jimmy Buffett
James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...
cover songs and a few of his own original songs in some dive bars. Some of these places were so rough that he got into a few altercations from the stage. For a few years, the band played often in bars and restaurants throughout North Carolina. The band "Mountain Boys" consisted of his college roommate, brother, and a fellow guitarist.
Before moving to
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
, Eric graduated from
South Caldwell High School
South Caldwell High School (SCHS) is a public high school in Hudson, North Carolina. It is part of the Caldwell County Schools district.
History
The construction of South Caldwell High School was completed on August 25, 1977. SCHS is located on a ...
and then
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
with a degree in
marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...
. Upon graduation, Church became engaged to a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
teacher in the town of
Lenoir, North Carolina
Lenoir is a city in and the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina, Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,263 at the 2020 census. Lenoir is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the north ...
. The future bride's father attempted to persuade Church into a corporate career, which he rejected as an aspiring musician (and later referenced in his song "What I Almost Was" from his debut album). She broke the engagement and he headed to Nashville with his father's financial backing. His father also provided the opportunity to make contacts, and more importantly, time to focus on developing his songwriting ability.
Music career
2006–2007: ''Sinners Like Me''
Church co-wrote
Terri Clark
Terri Lynn Sauson, known professionally as Terri Clark, born August 5, 1968, is a Canadian country music singer who has had success in both Canada and the United States. Signed to Mercury Records in 1995, she released her self-titled debut that ...
's 2005 single "The World Needs a Drink",
and the track "Whiskey Wings" on
Dean Miller's 2005 album ''
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
''.
He started recording with different producers. Capitol Nashville showed an interest and watched him perform but they were yet to be convinced enough to offer a recording contract.
Autumn House-Tallant told
HitQuarters
HitQuarters was an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It was noted for its in-depth interviews with industry figures, as well as its A&R and manager contact directory, free artist promo pages and song ...
that they did not think his music was "interesting" enough.
The record company's attitude changed after he started working with producer
Jay Joyce
John Joseph "Jay" Joyce is an American record producer, songwriter and session musician. In the 1990s, Joyce, with Chris Feinstein and Brad Pemberton, recorded and toured as Iodine and began working as a record producer, working with artists suc ...
. Doyle states, "Eric scored a meeting with Nashville heavyweight Arthur Buenahora, a publisher at Sony Music who also signed
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
and
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...
. Church played him "Lightning", a ballad he wrote after watching the movie ''The Green Mile''". (p. 5) The strong sound and direction the two forged together finally convinced Capitol Nashville that he was ready.
His first single, "
How 'Bout You" peaked at No. 14 on
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
and led off his debut album ''
Sinners Like Me''. In April 2006, he performed on the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
for the first time.
The album's other two singles, "
Two Pink Lines
"Two Pink Lines" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in August 2006 as the second single from his 2006 debut album '' Sinners Like Me''. Church wrote the song with Victoria Shaw.
Content ...
" and "
Guys Like Me
"Guys Like Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in January 2007 as the third single from his 2006 debut album '' Sinners Like Me''. The song peaked at number 17 on the US '' Billboard'' ...
", both reached the Top 20 as well.
The fourth single, the title track, peaked at No. 51. An additional track from the album, "Lightning", was made into a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
despite not being released as a single. Church wrote the song shortly after moving to Nashville, inspired by the movie ''
The Green Mile''.
Following the album's success, Church toured with
Brad Paisley
Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...
and
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousi ...
.
Church was fired from opening for Rascal Flatts after repeatedly performing for longer than his allotted time, despite repeated warnings. He was replaced by Taylor Swift, who was just starting her career. Before Swift started the tour, Church and Swift spoke, where he told Swift that she would thrive on the tour and joked that she should give him her first gold record as a thanks. Swift later did give him her first gold record with an attached note that said "Thanks for playing too long and too loud on the Flatts tour. I sincerely appreciate it. Taylor".
2008–2010: ''Carolina''
In 2008, Church released a fifth single, "His Kind of Money (My Kind of Love)" to country radio. It debuted on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart at No. 55 in early 2008, and reached its peak of No. 46 in August. Originally slated as the lead single to an upcoming second album, "His Kind of Money" was instead included as a bonus track on albums sold at Best Buy.
Following this song was "
Love Your Love the Most", which debuted in early 2009 and was the first single from his second album ''
Carolina'', released in stores on March 24, 2009.
The night before the official release, Church and Capitol Records distributed copies of the album on the campus of Church's alma mater, Appalachian State University, during a "release party" concert.
As with his debut album, ''Carolina'' was produced by Jay Joyce, and is entirely composed of songs that he co-wrote. "Love Your Love the Most" brought Church to the top 10 for the very first time, peaking at No. 10 in September 2009. The album's second single, "
Hell on the Heart", debuted in October 2009 and would also hit the top 10 in May 2010. The third single from "Carolina" was "
Smoke a Little Smoke
"Smoke a Little Smoke" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in June 2010 as the third and final single from his 2009 album '' Carolina''. It was also the eighth single of Church's career to ...
".
In June 2010, Church moved to Capitol Nashville's new imprint EMI Records Nashville, becoming their second artist. On January 14, 2011, he released a four-song EP entitled ''Caldwell County''.
2011–2013: ''Chief''
![Eric Church 2012 Cropped 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Eric_Church_2012_Cropped_2.jpg)
Church released "
Homeboy" to country radio in early 2011. The album ''
Chief'', produced by Jay Joyce, was released July 26, 2011, debuting at No. 1 on both
Top Country Albums
Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales a ...
and the
''Billboard'' 200.
The album sold 145,000 copies in its first week.
On November 30, 2011, ''Chief'' was announced as a nominee for the 2012 Grammy Awards for Best Country Album. In January 2012 "Drink in My Hand" became his first No. 1 single. In February 2012, "
Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
" was released as the third single from ''Chief''. In an interview with
American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
, Church stated that the song was about "a love affair that takes place in an amphitheater between two people. It didn't happen with Springsteen, ironically, it happened with another artist." The song went on to become a No. 1 country hit, as well as his first Top 20 single on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album's fourth single, "
Creepin'", was released to country radio on July 16, 2012. Church lent his vocals for a song titled, "
The Only Way I Know
"The Only Way I Know" is a song written by David Lee Murphy and Ben Hayslip and recorded by American country music artist Jason Aldean featuring Luke Bryan and Eric Church. It was released in November 2012 as the second single from Aldean's 2012 al ...
", with
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams; February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to BBR Music Group, Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released ten albums and 40 singles. His 2010 ...
along
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...
. This song appears on Aldean's album ''
Night Train'', from which it was released as the second single. The fifth single from ''Chief'', "
Like Jesus Does
"Like Jesus Does" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released in January 2013 as the fifth and final single from Church's 2011 album '' Chief''. It was also his ...
", was released in January 2013 and peaked at number six on
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
chart in June 2013.
In September 2012, Church announced that he planned to release his first live album in 2013, containing recordings of performances at the
Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on October 8 and 9, 2012. On February 8, the live album's title was announced as ''Caught in the Act'', with a release date set for April 9. Church has stated he plans to take some time off from music in 2013 to focus on his songwriting and musical direction. At the 2012 CMA Awards in November, Church's album ''
Chief'' won Album of the Year. In November it was announced that Church would co-headline
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...
's No Shoes Nation Tour alongside Chesney,
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini ( fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, ukulel ...
, and
Eli Young Band
Eli Young Band is an American country music band composed of members who met while students at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas: Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), and Chris Thompson (drum ...
. In December, Eric was honored as one of the CMT Artists of the Year Awards. His award was presented by
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician, ...
and he received a video message of congratulations from
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
's
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder and a main songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionall ...
.
2013–2015: ''The Outsiders''
On October 22, 2013, Church released a new single titled "
The Outsiders". His fourth studio album, also titled ''
The Outsiders'', was released on February 11, 2014. This album, as with Church's previous three, was produced by Jay Joyce and released on the EMI Records Nashville label.
It was followed in January 2014 by "
Give Me Back My Hometown
"Give Me Back My Hometown" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in January 2014 as the second single from his 2014 album '' The Outsiders''. The song reached number one on the US '' Billboa ...
". This single reached number one on the
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
chart, becoming his fourth overall. The third single, "
Cold One
"Cold One" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in June 2014 as the third single from his 2014 album '' The Outsiders''. The song was written by Church, Luke Hutton and Jeff Hyde.
Cont ...
", was released in June 2014, followed by "
Talladega" in September. The latter reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in February 2015. The fifth single, "
Like a Wrecking Ball", was released to country radio on March 9, 2015.
2015–2018: ''Mr. Misunderstood''
On November 3, 2015, Church's new surprise album, ''
Mr. Misunderstood'', arrived in the mailboxes of his church choir members. The album became available to the public on iTunes the following day. The album was released as a surprise with no fanfare and no promotional advertisements. It was produced by Jay Joyce and executive producer Arturo Buenahora, Jr. The first single, the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
, was released to radio on November 9, 2015. The first live performance and debut of the track was at the 2015 CMA Awards. The song peaked at No. 15 on the airplay chart on February 6, 2016. "
Record Year" is the album's second single. The album's final track, "Three Year Old", pays tribute to all the lessons Church has learned from his three-year-old son, who was also credited with naming Church's guitar "ButterBean". Church used "ButterBean" for the creation of the album. ''
Mr. Misunderstood'' was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2016
ACM Awards
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...
and the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
was nominated for Video of the Year. ''
Mr. Misunderstood'' features ten self-written and co-written tracks and features themes of independence, lessons learned, and loyalty. The album was recorded by Jason Hall at St. Charles in Nashville. In March 2016, "Record Year" was released to radio; it reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay in August 2016. The album's third single, "
Kill a Word" released to country radio on August 29, 2016. Church was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "
Take Me Home, Country Roads
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two o ...
", "
On the Road Again" and "
I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the
CMA Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...
.
Church played his biggest solo tour to date with his Holdin' My Own Tour that featured 62 shows in 61 cities from January through May 2017. The tour was capped off by two sold-out shows at Nashville's
Bridgestone Arena
Bridgestone Arena (originally Nashville Arena, and formerly Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1996, it is the home of the Nashville Predators of ...
, with the Friday night show breaking the arena's capacity record before being one-upped by the Saturday night show which set of record of 19,020 attendees.
On October 4, 2017, Church debuted a song he had written for Sonny Melton, who died in the
Las Vegas shooting tragedy. The song, called "Why Not Me", was performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
In November 2017 Church released a limited run vinyl box set titled ''61 Days in Church'' that would be released in monthly stages through 2018. The collection includes 124 tracks all of which were recorded live at the 61 shows of his 2017 Holdin' My Own Tour. The set includes two songs from each concert of the tour with the exception of the final two Nashville shows, which feature three songs from each night. He had already began releasing the album in stages for free on digital streaming services in September 2017.
2018–2021: ''Desperate Man''
On July 12, 2018, Church announced via social media that he would release his sixth album, ''
Desperate Man'', on October 5, 2018. He released the album's first single and
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
the following day.
On November 11, 2020, Church won the Entertainer of the Year award at the
54th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
He performed "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
" alongside
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American R&B and soul singer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, her debut album, ''Fearless'' was released in 2008. The record topped ''Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certifie ...
at
Super Bowl LV.
2021-present: ''Heart & Soul''
On April 16, 2021, Church released the album ''
Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
'', followed by the album ''
Soul_
In_many_religious_and_philosophical_traditions,_there_is_a_belief_that_a_soul_is_"the_immaterial_aspect_or_essence_of_a_human_being".
_Etymology
The_Modern_English_noun_''soul''_is_derived_from_Old_English_''sāwol,_sāwel''._The_earliest_attes_...
'',_And_.html" ;"title="Heart_&_Soul_(Eric_Church_album).html" "title="Heart & Soul (Eric Church album) ''Heart & Soul (Eric Church album)">Soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
'', And ">&'' on April 20, on April 23. The triple-album release contains 24 songs in total, including the singles Heart On Fire and "Hell of a View".
In October 2021, after two of his bandmates tested positive for COVID-19, Church performed two solo concerts on his The Gather Again Tour. The solo shows were in Pittsburgh on October 8 and Philadelphia on October 9. On February 22, 2022, Church was announced to perform at the 57th
on March 7, 2022.
On January 8, 2008, Church married music publisher Katherine Blasingame at West Glow Resort in
. At the wedding, Church performed "You Make It Look So Easy", a song he wrote for Blasingame. On October 3, 2011, their first son, Boone McCoy Church, was born; he is the subject of Church's song "Three Year Old". On February 15, 2015, their second son, Tennessee Hawkins "Hawk" Church was born. Their home (along with Church's "
's ''Cribs''.
The Chief Cares Fund is a foundation organized by Eric and Katherine Church in 2013. The non-profit organization has been used to help underprivileged families in Tennessee, North Carolina, and even as far as helping orphans in Nepal receive clothing, proper bedding, and schooling. The foundation has also delivered Bibles to Haiti and helps fund Humane Society no-kill animal shelters. People can donate to the foundation on Eric Church's website by simply donating or by purchasing exclusive Chief Cares Platinum Tickets to his concerts where money from the tickets go to the Chief Cares Fund.
In November 2022, North Carolina Governor
awarded Church the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian honor.
Church wears his signature aviator sunglasses as a result of wearing contact lenses. When his career was getting started, he was forced to deal with the heat from the stage lights drying out his contacts. As he began performing in larger venues, his aviators and
denim trucker hat became his trademark.
Church has become an avid advocate for the use of
"; at the time of that song's release, Church's record label urged him not to release the song, though it had minor success as a single. Church has also referenced marijuana use in other songs like "The Joint" and "I'm Gettin' Stoned", and has even been the subject of a marijuana joke at the 49th ACM Awards where
for the new-country generation and compared Eric Church's dressing room to a cannabis dispensary.
In March 2022, Church was heavily criticized by fans for cancelling a then-upcoming April concert in San Antonio, Texas in order to watch the
in the NCAA Championship Final Four. In response to the criticism, Church announced a makeup concert in New Braunfels, Texas, for the date of September 2, and justified the cancellation in a follow-up interview stating, in part, "To win that, it was a wild week or two. It was just something I had to be there, and had to take my boys ... I can’t recreate Duke and Carolina Final Four."
. Church's influences include
. Church has also said that many
.
;Headlining
* Jägermeister Country Tour (2010)
* Blood, Sweat and Beers Tour (2012–13)
* The Outsiders World Tour (2014–15)
*
(2017)
* Double Down Tour (2019)
* Gather Again Tour (2021–22)
;Supporting
* Me and My Gang Tour (2006) with
* Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars (2010) with Miranda Lambert
* My Kinda Party Tour (2011) with
Band members
* Eric Church – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, piano
* Driver Williams – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
*
– rhythm guitar, lead guitar
* Jeff Hyde – acoustic guitar, banjo, background vocals
* Lee Hendricks – bass guitar
* Craig Wright – drums
*