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A.J. Masters was raised in Southern California and currently lives on a small farm just outside Nashville, TN with his lovely wife and family. At age 14 he learned to play bass guitar in his older brother’s band. Over the next twenty years, he wrote songs and performed in various bands, duos, and as a soloist. Being both a singer and a songwriter was a very important part of his musical development. AJ signed with an independent record label, Bermuda Dunes Records. Within three years he had 10 charted singles, was voted Independent Male Vocalist of the Year, and was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for New Male Vocalist. He also performed on the New Faces Show with Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakum, Keith Whitley and Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo. Some of AJ's songwriting honors include BMI Millionaire Award for "Change My Mind", multi platinum award for "Love Ain't Like That", independent song of the year for "We're Here to Stay", and nominated for a Nammy for "Buffalo". During the early 90's, AJ played accoustic guitar for the great Charlie Rich. These days AJ can be found singing and playing songwriter shows, festivals, and house concerts throughout the country. He can also be heard playing guitar or bass on the road or in the studio with Jennifer Hanson, Ray Scott, Steve Azar, or Charlie Rich Jr. AJ is a lifetime member of NSAI and has written songs recorded by Faith Hill, The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Diamond Rio, John Berry, Charlie Rich Jr., Ronna Reeves, Gene Watson, Ray Scott, Zona Jones, Steve Azar, Jo-El Sonnier, Fat Boy, Frazier River Band, Jennifer Hanson, and Georgia Middleman.
.J. Masters was born in Walden, New York, not too far from the Hudson River, but grew up in Southern California, in Compton, a community of many minorities. Masters recalls his contemporaries as largely made up of “Dustbowl kids and grandkids from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.” It was a truly American mix.
At the age of 14, A.J. began playing bass guitar in his brother’s band, “The Hustlers.” The band played parties, covering songs by the Everly Brothers, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Zombies, the Animals and other popular bands of the era. At 16, he picked up the guitar and began writing his own songs, folk-rock tunes with a bluesy edge. Then as now, A.J.’s songwriting would be vital to his career as an artist.
In the 1980s, A.J. signed with an independent record label, Bermuda Dunes Records, and within three years had 10 charted singles. In 1986, he was voted Independent Male Vocalist of the Year and was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Best New Male Vocalist. In 1987, he performed on the New Faces Show with Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakum, Keith Whitley, and Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo. Speaking of his awards as an independent artist, A.J. observes wryly, “I was at the top of the bottom.”
In the 1990s, A.J. played acoustic guitar for the great Charlie Rich, and he kept on writing. His songwriting was honored with the BMI Millionaire Award for “Change My Mind,” a multi-platinum award for “Love Ain’t Like That,” recorded by Faith Hill, and an Independent Song of the Year award for “We’re Here to Stay.” More than 100 of his songs have been recorded since 1984, by The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Diamond Rio, John Berry, Charlie Rich Jr., and many other artists.
In lean times, A.J. turned to his skills in laying carpet to tide himself over. As with every talent, it came in handy at an unexpected time. While recording in Michael McDonald’s studio, he was told that Michael wanted a hardwood floor but hadn’t gotten around to having it done yet. A.J. said, “Oh, I can do that,” and he did.
“I work all the time,” A.J. says. A typical day might include recording demos, which involves writing the charts, going over the songs with the other artists, playing guitar and recording, sometimes creating as many as four demos in just three hours of studio time. The other half of that day might be spent writing more songs.
“It works out to about 50 cents an hour, but I’d be doing it anyway.” On writing a hit, A.J. notes, “It’s like playing the lottery. Sometimes you just know, you can feel you have a hit, but it may take years before other people discover the song.”
Today, A.J. can be found singing and playing songwriter shows, festivals, and house concerts throughout the country. “And I have a family,” he notes, with whom he lives on a small farm just outside Nashville.
Amazingly, in the midst of all his writing, playing and singing, A.J. Masters has made time to contribute his songs and his talents to the Michelle’s Angels Foundation. Music Director Ken Harrell brought A.J. into the fold, and he played the Foundation’s first benefit concert at the Bluebird in Nashville in September 2005. They say if you want something done, ask a busy person. That would be A.J. Masters.
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