Noah Adrian Gordon (born September 19, 1971, in

Sparta, Illinois Sparta is a city in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,095 at the 2020 census. The city was the principal filming location for the 1967 film '' In the Heat of the Night''. Consumer ammunition manufacturer Underwood a ...

) 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 and songwriter. He had been a musician since childhood, playing

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

and drums in his parents' band, and he began playing drums for

Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...

at age ten. After graduating high school, Gordon signed to

Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revival ...

sister label Patriot Records. There, he released his debut album ''I Need a Break'' on February 7, 1995. The album produced the single "The Blue Pages," which spent three weeks on the '' Billboard'' country charts, peaking at No. 68. ''Billboard'' gave the album a positive review, saying that its opening track "may leave you with the impression that Gordon is yet another

honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...

pretender," but considered the other tracks to be strongly written. In January 1999, Gordon and

Bryan Austin Bryan Cuevas (born September 12, 1967 in Pass Christian, Mississippi) is an American country music artist, known professionally as Bryan Austin. Signed to Liberty Records' sister label Patriot Records in 1994, he released an album and two sing ...

, also a former Patriot Records recording artist, founded a band called Phoenix. Gordon has written songs for other artists, including "

You Still Own Me "You Still Own Me" is a song originally recorded by Scottish-Canadian country music artist Johnny Reid. It was recorded on his 2005 album '' Born to Roll''. Emerson Drive version Canadian country music band Emerson Drive recorded a cover of th ...

" by

Johnny Reid John Kirkland Reid (born August 21, 1974) is a Scottish-Canadian country music artist. Reid moved to Canada in July 1988 when he was 13. His father, a diesel mechanic, wanted to give Reid and his brother opportunities he did not think they would ...

(also released by

Emerson Drive Emerson Drive is a Canadian country music band consisting of Brad Mates (lead vocals), Danick Dupelle (guitars, backing vocals), Mike Melancon (drums), and Dale Wallace (keyboards, backing vocals). The band was founded in 1995 as 12 Gauge, which ...

), "You Are" by

John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery (born January 20, 1965) is an American country music singer. Montgomery began singing with his brother Eddie, who would later become known as one half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, before beginning his major-label solo ca ...

(also released by

Chad Brock Chad Brock (born July 31, 1963) is an American country music singer and disc jockey. Before beginning his musical career in the late 1990s, he was a professional wrestler in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), until an injury forced him to retire ...

) and "The Call" by

Matt Kennon Matthew Carl Ferguson (born in Conyers, Georgia) is an American country music singer and songwriter known professionally as Matt Kennon. He has co-written a song for Randy Travis and has released one album for BamaJam Records. This album includ ...

. He has also co-produced several of

Colt Ford Jason Farris Brown (born August 27, 1969) known professionally as Colt Ford, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and former professional golfer best known for his music fusing the country and rap genres. He has released seven ...

's albums.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Music videos

References

1971 births American country drummers American country singer-songwriters Living people American mandolinists Singer-songwriters from Illinois Liberty Records artists People from Sparta, Illinois 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers Country musicians from Illinois 21st-century American drummers American male singer-songwriters {{US-country-singer-stub