Jim Witter

{{BLP sources|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = | name = Jim Witter | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = James Russell Witter | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|11|02}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | origin = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | instrument = Vocals, piano, guitar | genre = Country, contemporary Christian music | occupation = Singer, songwriter, producer | years_active = 1993–present | label = FRE, Curb | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|thepianomen.net/}} | current_members = | past_members = }}

'''James Russell Witter''' (born November 2, 1964) is a Canadian award-winning country music and Christian music singer/songwriter. Ten of Witter's songs reached the top 10 on Canadian country radio.<ref name="Jim Witter's Biography">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thepianomen.net/bio.htm |title=Jim Witter's Biography |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322190824/http://www.thepianomen.net/bio.htm |archive-date=2009-03-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Biography==

Jim Witter grew up playing music. In 1982, he performed four songs on the "Music for Safe Water" compilation by 820 CHAM radio. As a teenager, while still in high school, Jim honed his musical talents by playing evenings at a piano bar and restaurant called Snuggles, in Hamilton Ont. In 1990, one of Witter's demos caught the attention of a Sony Music Canada executive.<ref name="Jim Witter's Biography"/> Within three years, Witter was signed to FRE Records. His debut album, ''Jim Witter'', was released in 1993.<ref name="Inc.1995">{{cite magazine|author=Larry LeBlanc|title=Canada: Who's Who|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80|date=4 February 1995|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=80–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The first single, "Everything and More," entered the National Country Chart at No. 40, at the time a first for a debut Canadian single.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220623084137/http://www.geocities.com/jimwitteronline/facts.html%3F20075 Jim Witter Online - Facts]</ref> Every single released from the album reached the top 10 on the Canadian country singles chart, including "Distant Drum," "Stolen Moments," "Sweet Sweet Poison" and "Chevy Coupe." Witter received a 1994 Juno nomination for Best New Solo Artist, an award that covered all genres of music, as well as a nomination for Best Country Male Vocalist.

Witter signed a songwriting deal with Curb Records in 1999. That resulted in a record deal and the release of his second album, ''All My Life'', in both Canada and the United States. He continued his string of hits in Canada with songs like "All My Life," "Jumpin' Right In," "Tough As A Pickup Truck," "One Beat at a Time" and "One Hundred Years." Unfortunately, none of his singles reached ''Billboard's'' Hot Country Songs chart in the U.S.

When it came time to go back into the studio, Witter was encouraged by Mike Curb to record a Christian record.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220623185451/http://www.geocities.com/jimwitteronline/bio.html%3F20075 Jim Witter - Biography]</ref> The result was his third album, 2003's ''Forgiveness''. The album received a nomination at the 2004 GMA Dove Awards for Album of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tigerseye.ca/rave/reviews/music/piano_men.htm |title=TEP MUsic Review: "Piano Men" |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615042504/http://www.tigerseye.ca/rave/reviews/music/piano_men.htm |archive-date=2007-06-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Witter is currently performing in The Piano Men, a tribute to the music of the 1970s, performing the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thepianomen.net/synopsis.htm |title=Jim Witter's Biography |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319222947/http://www.thepianomen.net/synopsis.htm |archive-date=2007-03-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! style="width:10em;"| Title ! style="width:18em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Jim Witter'' | * Release date: November 12, 1993 * Label: FRE Records |- ! scope="row"| ''All My Life'' | * Release date: October 11, 1999 * Label: Curb Records |- ! scope="row"| ''Forgiveness'' | * Release date: January 14, 2003 * Label: Curb Records |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Single ! Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="65"| CAN Country |- | rowspan="3"| 1993 ! scope="row"| "Everything and More" | 5 | align="left" rowspan="4"| ''Jim Witter'' |- ! scope="row"| "Distant Drum" | 4 |- ! scope="row"| "Stolen Moments" | 5 |- | rowspan="3"| 1994 ! scope="row"| "Sweet Sweet Poison" | 6 |- ! scope="row"| "Human Highway" <small>(with Cassandra Vasik)</small> | 24 | align="left"| ''Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young'' |- ! scope="row"| "Chevy Coupe" | 6 | align="left"| ''Jim Witter'' |- | rowspan="3"| 1999 ! scope="row"| "All My Life" | 8 | align="left" rowspan="6"| ''All My Life'' |- ! scope="row"| "Jumpin' Right In" | 10 |- ! scope="row"| "Tough as a Pickup Truck" | 7 |- | 2000 ! scope="row"| "One Beat at a Time" | 7 |- | rowspan="2"| 2001 ! scope="row"| "One Hundred Years" | * |- ! scope="row"| "I Want You to Want Me" | * |- | rowspan="3"| 2003 ! scope="row"| "Forgiveness" | * | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Forgiveness'' |- ! scope="row"| "You Are the Sun" | * |- ! scope="row"| "Turn! Turn! Turn!" | * |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| * denotes unknown peak positions |- |}

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Year ! style="width:20em;"| Video ! Director |- | rowspan="3"| 1993 ! scope="row"| "Everything and More" | Keith Harrick |- ! scope="row"| "Distant Drum" | |- ! scope="row"| "Stolen Moments" | Keith Harrick |- | rowspan="2"| 1999 ! scope="row"| "All My Life" | Warren P. Sonoda |- ! scope="row"| "Tough as a Pickup Truck" | |- | 2000 ! scope="row"| "One Beat at a Time" | |- | 2003 ! scope="row"| "Turn! Turn! Turn!" | Antonio Hrynchuk |}

== Awards and recognition == ;Canadian Country Music Awards * 1994 Video of the Year: "Stolen Moments" * 1995 Vocal Collaboration Of The Year * 1996 Vocal Collaboration Of The Year

;GMA Dove Awards * 2004 nominee, Inspirational Album of the Year: ''Forgiveness''

;Juno Awards * 1994 nominee, Country Male Vocalist of the Year * 1994 nominee, Best New Solo Artist * 1995 nominee, Country Male Vocalist of the Year * 2000 nominee, Best Country Male Artist * 2004 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: ''Forgiveness''

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070820073321/http://www.thepianomen.net/ The Piano Men Starring Jim Witter] * {{IMDb name|nm13999546}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Witter, Jim}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian country singer-songwriters Category:Canadian male singers Category:Canadian performers of Christian music Category:Musicians from Hamilton, Ontario Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters