Michael Martin Murphey

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Michael Martin Murphey, Plymouth, NH, USA, October 13, 2012

Michael Martin Murphey (* 14. March 1945 as Michael Murphey in Dallas , Texas ) is an American country singer and songwriter .

Childhood and youth

From an early age Michael developed a taste for the legends and stories of the West. He read Mark Twain and William Faulkner . Musically he was influenced by Bob Wills and Hank Williams and Woody Guthry . During his high school days he formed his first band, which played a mix of folk , country and rock . In the mid-1960s he moved to Los Angeles and studied literature at the University of California there .

Career as a pop musician

Michael Murpheys began writing songs in Los Angeles and soon found employment with a music publisher. He also had regular appearances in a folk club. In 1964 he teamed up with John London, John Rains and Michael Nesmith , later a Monkee , and formed the band Trinity River Boys . A little later he formed the group Lewis & Clark Expedition with Owen Castleman , which recorded a moderately successful pop album. Murphey then retired to the Los Angeles area for some time and concentrated on songwriting. During this time the Monkees title What Am I Doing Hangin 'Around was created . He composed and wrote a full album for Kenny Rogers . In 1971 he returned to his native Texas, where he initially joined the outlaw movement around Willie Nelson in Austin .

The Nashville producer Bob Johnston noticed him and got him a contract with the A&M label. In 1972 the album Geronimo's Cadillac was recorded. A single of the same name reached a middle spot in the pop charts. A year later, the album Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir was produced. Michael Murphey was henceforth the Cosmic Cowboy .

Country music career

In the same year he switched to the Epic label. In 1975 there was Blue Sky - Night Thunder , which was gilded. Despite his closeness to the country scene, he was still widely regarded as a pop musician. His records, however, increasingly tended towards country. His 1976 album Swans Against The Sun was the first to hit the country charts. Murphey stayed by Epic until 1979. Then he married and took a three year hiatus from the music business. During this time he worked on several films, for which he partly wrote the music and the script. During this time he also changed his name by adding Martin , since there was already an actor Michael Murphey .

In 1982 he signed with the Liberty label . His first single, What's Forever For , reached number 1 on the country charts. In the same year he was named Newcomer of the Year by the renowned Academy of Country Music .

In 1985 he changed the label again. At Warner Brothers , a series of successful singles was published, including 1987, his second number 1 hit A Long Line Of Love . After a few more quite successful records, there was an abrupt change in style in 1990. Murphey began to record albums with classic western and cowboy songs , a rarity in those years. The previous sales figures could no longer be achieved, but there was enthusiastic approval from cowboy circles. The unexpected success even prompted his record company to set up his own label for Western songs: Warner Western . Michael Martin Murphey is now known almost exclusively as an interpreter of cowboy songs.

Discography

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US Country Country
1972 Geronimo's Cadillac US160 (9 weeks)
US 		-
1973 Cosmic cowboy souvenir US196 (2 weeks)
US 		-
1975 Blue Sky - Night Thunder US18th
gold
gold

(38 weeks)US 		-
1976 Swans Against the Sun US44 (13 weeks)
US 		Country47 (2 weeks)
Country
Flowing Free Forever US130 (5 weeks)
US 		-
1978 Lone Wolf US99 (6 weeks)
US 		-
1982 Michael Martin Murphey US69 (16 weeks)
US 		Country14 (33 weeks)
Country
1983 The Heart Never Lies US187 (3 weeks)
US 		Country27 (45 weeks)
Country
1986 Tonite We Ride - Country46 (19 weeks)
Country
1987 Americana - Country32 (28 weeks)
Country
1988 River of Time - Country11 (27 weeks)
Country
1989 Land of Enchantment - Country33 (20 weeks)
Country
1990 Cowboy songs US-
gold
gold
US 		Country25 (47 weeks)
Country
2010 Buckaroo Blue Grass II - Country73 (2 weeks)
Country
2013 Red River Drifter - Country48 (2 weeks)
Country

More albums

  • 1974: Michael Murphey
  • 1979: Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys
  • 1980: Hard Country
  • 1991: Cowboy Christmas: Cowboy Songs II
  • 1993: Cowboy Songs III - Rhymes of the Renegades
  • 1995: Sagebrush Symphony
  • 1997: The Horse Legends
  • 1998: Cowboy Songs Four
  • 1999: Acoustic Christmas Carols
  • 2001: Playing Favorites
  • 2002: Cowboy Classics: Playing Favorites II
  • 2002: Cowboy Christmas III
  • 2004: Live at Billy Bob's Texas
  • 2006: Heartland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5
  • 2009: Buckaroo Blue Grass
  • 2010: Lone Cowboy
  • 2011: Tall Grass & Cool Water
  • 2012: Campfire on the Road
  • 2016: high stakes

Compilations

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US Country Country
1984 The Best of Michael Martin Murphey - Country20 (22 weeks)
Country

More compilations

  • 1990: The Best of Country
  • 1992: What's Forever For
  • 1998: Wildfire 1972-1984
  • 2001: Ultimate Collection
  • 2006: Cowboy Christmas Gift Set

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US Country Country
1972 Geronimo's Cadillac
Geronimo's Cadillac 		US37 (13 weeks)
US 		-
1975 Wildfire
Blue Sky - Night Thunder 		US3
platinum
platinum

(19 weeks)US 		-
Carolina in the Pines
Blue Sky - Night Thunder 		US21 (13 weeks)
US 		-
1976 Renegade
Swans Against the Sun 		US39 (7 weeks)
US 		-
A Mansion on the Hill
Swans Against the Sun 		- Country36 (10 weeks)
Country
1977 Cherokee Fiddle
Flowing Free Forever 		- Country58 (8 weeks)
Country
1979 Chain Gang
Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys 		- Country93 (3 weeks)
Country
Backslider's Wine
Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys 		- Country92 (3 weeks)
Country
1981 Take It as It Comes
Hard Country OST 		- Country83 (3 weeks)
Country
with Katy Moffatt
1982 The Two-Step Is Easy
Michael Martin Murphey 		- Country44 (10 weeks)
Country
What's Forever For
Michael Martin Murphey 		US19 (20 weeks)
US 		Country1 (24 weeks)
Country
Still Taking Chances
Michael Martin Murphey 		US76 (7 weeks)
US 		Country3 (18 weeks)
Country
1983 Love Affairs
Michael Martin Murphey 		- Country11 (17 weeks)
Country
Don't Count the Rainy Days
The Heart Never Lies 		- Country9 (21 weeks)
Country
1984 Will It Be Love by Morning
The Heart Never Lies 		- Country7 (18 weeks)
Country
Disenchanted
The Heart Never Lies 		- Country12 (17 weeks)
Country
Radio Land
The Heart Never Lies 		- Country19 (16 weeks)
Country
What She Wants
The Best of Michael Martin Murphey 		- Country8 (23 weeks)
Country
1985 Carolina in the Pines
The Best of Michael Martin Murphey 		- Country9 (20 weeks)
Country
Re-recording of the single from 1975
1986 Tonight We Ride
Tonight We Ride 		- Country26 (14 weeks)
Country
Rollin 'Nowhere
Tonight We Ride 		- Country15 (16 weeks)
Country
Fiddlin 'Man
Tonight We Ride 		- Country40 (14 weeks)
Country
1987 A Face in the Crowd
Americana 		- Country4 (21 weeks)
Country
with Holly Dunn
A Long Line of Love
Americana 		- Country1 (23 weeks)
Country
I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl
River of Time 		- Country3 (27 weeks)
Country
1988 Talkin 'to the Wrong Man
River of Time 		- Country4 (20 weeks)
Country
with Ryan Murphey
Pilgrims on the Way (Matthew's Song)
River of Time 		- Country29 (13 weeks)
Country
From the Word Go
River of Time 		- Country3 (27 weeks)
Country
1989 Never Givin 'Up on Love
Land of Enchantment 		- Country9 (22 weeks)
Country
Family Tree
Land of Enchantment 		- Country48 (11 weeks)
Country
1990 Route 66
Land of Enchantment 		- Country67 (4 weeks)
Country
Cowboy Logic
Cowboy Songs 		- Country52 (11 weeks)
Country
1991 Let the Cowboy Dance
Cowboy Songs 		- Country74 (1 week)
Country

More singles

  • 1973: Calico Silver
  • 1973: Cosmic Cowboy
  • 1974: Holy Roller
  • 1974: Fort Worth I Love You
  • 1976: Rhythm of the Road
  • 1978: Nothing Is Your Own
  • 1978: Paradise Tonight
  • 1991: What Am I Doing Here
  • 1993: Big Iron (with Marty Robbins )
  • 1993: The Wild West Is Gonna Get Wilder
  • 1998: Born to Buck Bad Luck

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ a b c Chart sources: US1 US2
  2. ↑ a b Awards for Music Sales: US
personal data
SURNAME Murphey, Michael Martin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Murphey, Michael (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country singer and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH March 14, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Dallas , Texas