Frankie Ballard
Ballard performing at Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, April 24, 2014
Ballard performing at Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, April 24, 2014
Background information
Birth nameFrank Robert Ballard IV[1]
Born (1982-12-16) December 16, 1982 (age 41)[2]
Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
OriginNashville, Tennessee
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • guitarist
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2007–present
Labels

Frank Robert Ballard IV (born December 16, 1982) is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs charts.

Personal life

Ballard played college baseball at Mott Community College.[3] He then continued to pursue college baseball by playing in the NCAA with Western Michigan University.

On March 12, 2017, Ballard married his girlfriend, Christina Murphy, owner of Old Smokeys Boots, a Nashville-based shoe and accessory store. On November 7, 2019, the couple announced they were expecting their first child.[4] Their daughter, Pepper Lynn, was born on February 8, 2020.[5]

Music career

Ballard performing at Great River Days, Muscatine, Iowa, July 27, 2013

In the summer of 2008 he signed up for Kenny Chesney's Next Big Star competition.[6] After winning the competition for Michigan in 2008,[7] Ballard also opened shows for Chesney at Michigan venues.

He signed to Reprise Records Nashville in 2010 and released his debut single "Tell Me You Get Lonely."[8] It received a four-star review from Kyle Ward of Roughstock, who praised Ballard's voice and called the song "an above average debut effort."[9] The song debuted at Number 59 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending June 12, 2010,[10] and peaked at number 33 in early 2011.

On January 7, 2011, Ballard made his debut appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.

He released his second single, "A Buncha Girls", in early 2011. This song also made the top 40. Both of his singles are included on his self-titled debut album, released in May 2011.[11]

Also in 2011, he opened for Lady Antebellum.

In 2013, Ballard moved to Warner Bros. Records and released his third single, "Helluva Life". This is the lead single to his second album, Sunshine & Whiskey. It became his first number 1 single in early 2014.[12] Later in the year, the album's title track went to number 1. "Young & Crazy", the album's third single, also went to number 1.

The first single from Ballard's third album, "It All Started with a Beer", was released to country radio on November 16, 2015. The album, El Rio, was released on June 10, 2016. The album's second single, "Cigarette", released to country radio on August 8, 2016.

Ballard co-wrote "I Came to Git Down" on Big & Rich's 2014 album Gravity.

Concert tours

Supporting

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
US Country
[13] 		US
[14] 		US
Heat
[15]
Frankie Ballard 33 — 6
Sunshine & Whiskey 5 35 —
El Rio
  • Release date: June 10, 2016
  • Label: Warner Bros. Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 9 68 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Sales Album
US Country Songs
[19] 		US Country Airplay
[20] 		US
[21] 		CAN Country
[22] 		CAN
[23]
2010 "Tell Me You Get Lonely" 33 — — — Frankie Ballard
2011 "A Buncha Girls" 27 — — —
2013 "Helluva Life" 8 1 51 8 67 Sunshine & Whiskey
2014 "Sunshine & Whiskey" 5 1 57 4 75
2015 "Young & Crazy" 8 1 55 3 68
"It All Started with a Beer" 22 15 —A 50 — El Rio
2016 "Cigarette" — 52 — — —
2017 "You'll Accomp'ny Me" — 57 — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Title Director
2010 "Tell Me You Get Lonely"[31] Marcel Chagnon
2011 "A Buncha Girls"[32] Jim Wright
2013 "Helluva Life"[33] Mason Dixon
2014 "Sunshine & Whiskey"[34] Jack Guy
2015 "Young & Crazy"[35] Glen Rose
2016 "It All Started with a Beer"[36] Marcel Chagnon
"El Camino"
"Cigarette"[37] Sam Siske
"Sweet Time"
"Good As Gold"

References

  1. ^ "Frankie Ballard Bio". Frankie Ballard.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  2. ^ "Frankie Ballard". Discogs.
  3. ^ Keirns, Kristin (May 17, 2011). "Bronco Baseball Alumni Note - Ballard Playing on the Big Stage". Western Michigan University. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  4. ^ "Close". Archived from the original on November 8, 2019.
  5. ^ "Frankie Ballard and Wife Christina Welcome First Child". The Boot. February 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Frankie Ballard Biography". Great American Country. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  7. ^ "Frankie Ballard kicks off tour with free show at The Intersection in Grand Rapids". Mlive.com. March 31, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  8. ^ "Frankie Ballard biography". Warner Music Nashville. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  9. ^ Ward, Kyle (June 15, 2010). "Frankie Ballard — "Tell Me You Get Lonely"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  10. ^ Morris, Edward (June 5, 2010). "Miranda Lambert's "House" Claims Highest Address on Country Songs Chart". CMT. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  11. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Frankie Ballard biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  12. ^ Hudak, Joseph (November 21, 2014). "Frankie Ballard Talks Seger, Number One Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  13. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  14. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  15. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  16. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013.
  17. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016.
  18. ^ Matt Bjorke (August 9, 2016). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: August 9, 2016". Roughstock.
  19. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  20. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  21. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  22. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Canada Country". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  23. ^ "Frankie Ballard Album & Song Chart History - Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  24. ^ "American single certifications – Frankie Ballard – Helluva Life". Recording Industry Association of America.
  25. ^ Matt Bjorke (May 8, 2014). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - May 8, 2014: Brantley Gilbert's Guns N Roses Debut". Roughstock. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014.
  26. ^ "American single certifications – Frankie Ballard – Sunshine %26 Whiskey". Recording Industry Association of America.
  27. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Frankie Ballard – Sunshine %26 Whiskey". Music Canada.
  28. ^ Matt Bjorke (December 17, 2014). "Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: Week of December 17, 2014". Roughstock. Sales figures given here
  29. ^ Matt Bjorke (August 31, 2015). "The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: August 31, 2015". Sales figure given here
  30. ^ "Nielsen Soundscan Chart". Nielsen. July 11, 2016.
  31. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Tell Me You Get Lonely". Country Music Television. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  32. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : A Buncha Girls". Country Music Television. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  33. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Helluva Life". Country Music Television. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  34. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Sunshine & Whiskey". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  35. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Young & Crazy". Country Music Television. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  36. ^ Betts, Stephen L. (February 25, 2016). "See Frakie Ballard's Dreamy Video for 'It All Started With a Beer'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  37. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Cigarette". Country Music Television. Retrieved August 21, 2016.

External links

Frankie Ballard
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