|
Jim Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American composer and contemporary pianist. Brickman is known for his original solo piano compositions, which are classified as new age music. However, he is as well known for his original love songs and performing them with vocalists such as Anne Cochran, Hillary Scott, Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Michelle Wright and others.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was 19, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
Brickman signed with Windham Hill Records to release his first album, No Words, in 1994. The song "Rocket To The Moon" from that album was the first solo instrumental song ever to be ranked on Billboard's charts. Four of his albums (By Heart, Picture This, The Gift, and Destiny) have all sold over 500,000 copies, qualifying them as gold records in the United States.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Since 1997, Brickman has also hosted his own radio show called Your Weekend with Jim Brickman, which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States.
Some of his songs include "Valentine" with Martina McBride; "The Gift" with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton; "I'm Amazed" with Lila McCann; "After All These Years," with Anne Cochran; "Love of My Life," with Michael W. Smith; "You," with Jane Krakowski; "Destiny," with Jordan Hill and Billy Porter; and an instrumental love song, "If You Believe." Other hits include "Rocket to the Moon" and "Angel Eyes".
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
In 2006, Brickman left Sony BMG for SLG Records, part of the Savoy group. This marks the last artist with Windham Hill (with only George Winston left) and may result in the end of the label.
|
