Lionel Cartwright

{{Infobox musical artist | name = Lionel Cartwright | image = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Lionel Burke Cartwright<ref>{{cite web|url=http://repertoire.bmi.com/writer.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&fromrow=1&torow=25&querytype=WriterID&keyid=56024&keyname=CARTWRIGHT+LIONEL+BURKE&CAE=231332515&Affiliation=BMI|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130925200602/http://repertoire.bmi.com/writer.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&fromrow=1&torow=25&querytype=WriterID&keyid=56024&keyname=CARTWRIGHT+LIONEL+BURKE&CAE=231332515&Affiliation=BMI|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 September 2013|title=Lionel Cartwright|work=Broadcast Music Incorporated|accessdate=25 September 2013}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|2|10}} Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S. | origin = Glen Dale, West Virginia, U.S. | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|Guitar|Piano|Mandolin|Fiddle}} | genre = Country | occupation = {{Hlist|Singer|Songwriter}} | years_active = 1988–present | label = MCA | website = }} '''Lionel Burke Cartwright''' (born February 10, 1960) is an American country music artist. Between 1988 and 1992, Cartwright charted twelve singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, including a {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 1 single in 1991's "Leap of Faith". He also charted in the Top 10 on the same chart with "Give Me His Last Chance", "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" and "My Heart is Set on You". Cartwright has also released three studio albums, all on MCA Records.

==Biography== Cartwright was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, but was raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia. Cartwright was interested in music from an early age. He first took piano lessons as a child, before going on to master guitar and eight other instruments.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.moodybluegrass.com/artists.html |title=Moody Bluegrass |access-date=2007-06-19 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171102/http://www.moodybluegrass.com/artists.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lionel first performed publicly at age ten in community gatherings.<ref name="allmusic">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p1547/biography|pure_url=yes}} allmusic ((( Lionel Cartwright > Biography )))]</ref> He also went on to serve as performer, arranger and musical director on The Nashville Network's musical sitcoms ''I 40 Paradise'' and ''Pickin' at the Paradise''.<ref name="allmusic"/>

Later on, Cartwright moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and worked as a demo singer.<ref>[http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Lionel-Cartwright.html Lionel Cartwright biography: OLDIES.com]</ref> He was eventually spotted by Tony Brown, a producer at MCA Records, while performing in Knoxville, Tennessee. Brown thought that Cartwright needed more experience before being signed to a record deal, and by 1986, Cartwright was signed to MCA.<ref name="allmusic"/>

Cartwright's self-titled debut album was released in 1989 under the production of Tony Brown. Lead-off single "You're Gonna Make Her Mine" charted at No. 45 on the country charts, followed by three straight Top 20 hits: "Like Father, Like Son" at No. 14, "Give Me His Last Chance" at No. 3 and "In My Eyes" at No. 12.<ref name="allmusic"/> Cartwright wrote nine of the album's ten songs, and played guitar, fiddle, piano and mandolin on it.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Lionel Cartwright |others=Lionel Cartwright |year=1989 |type=CD booklet |publisher=MCA Records |id=MCAD-42276}}</ref>

In 1990, Lionel received a nomination for Top New Male Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music Awards, alongside Clint Black and Garth Brooks, losing to Black.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-03-10.pdf|title=ACM Names Awards Nominees|magazine=Billboard|pages=11, 101|date=March 10, 1990}}</ref>

His next album, ''I Watched It on the Radio'', followed in 1990. It was led off by the No. 8 "I Watched It All (On My Radio)", which he co-wrote with Don Schlitz. After it came the No. 7 "My Heart Is Set on You" and No. 31 "Say It's Not True". The album was also his highest peak on Top Country Albums, at No. 21. Brown produced this album as well.

''Chasin' the Sun'' was the title of his third and final MCA release, which was issued in 1991. Unlike with his first two albums, Cartwright worked with several producers and studio musicians. Although the album produced his only No. 1 country hit in its lead-off single "Leap of Faith", the other two singles were not as successful: "What Kind of Fool" reached No. 24 and "Family Tree" missed the Top 40, with a No. 62 peak. After the latter, he charted two more singles ("Be My Angel" and "Standing on the Promises") which were never included on an album, and left MCA in 1992. He wrote "If That's What You Call Love" on Kathy Mattea's 1997 album ''Love Travels'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-travels-mw0000080698 |title=Love Travels by Kathy Mattea on AllMusic |website=AllMusic |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503132505/http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-travels-mw0000080698 |archivedate=2013-05-03 |accessdate=2013-02-01 }}</ref> a song which also featured him on piano and background vocals.<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=Love Travels |others=Kathy Mattea |year=1997 |type=CD booklet |publisher=Mercury Nashville |id=314 532 899 2}}</ref>

Since exiting MCA, Cartwright has composed themes for many television series, and continues to compose cues and underscores for various shows.

==Discography==

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Album details ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| US Country ! width="45"| US |- ! scope="row"| ''Lionel Cartwright''<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-03-18.pdf|title=Album Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=March 18, 1989}}</ref> | * Release date: March 6, 1989 * Label: MCA Records * Format: LP, CD, cassette | 44 | — |- ! scope="row"| ''I Watched It on the Radio'' | * Release date: May 15, 1990 * Label: MCA Records * Format: CD, cassette | 21 | — |- ! scope="row"| ''Chasin' the Sun'' | * Release date: August 31, 1991 * Label: MCA Records * Format: CD, cassette | 27 | 170 |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Single ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| US Country <ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|page=83|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> ! width="45"| CAN Country <ref name="canada">{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=a60jqkjv10rg6h984qqfa5qnj6&q1=lionel+cartwright&q2=Country+Singles&interval=50 |title=Canada RPM single peaks |accessdate=2013-02-01}}</ref> |- | 1988 ! scope="row"| "You're Gonna Make Her Mine" | 45 | — | align="left" rowspan="4"| ''Lionel Cartwright'' |- | rowspan="3"| 1989 ! scope="row"| "Like Father Like Son" | 14 | 21 |- ! scope="row"| "Give Me His Last Chance" | 3 | 7 |- ! scope="row"| "In My Eyes" | 12 | 6 |- | rowspan="2"| 1990 ! scope="row"| "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" | 8 | 14 | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''I Watched It on the Radio'' |- ! scope="row"| "My Heart Is Set on You" | 7 | 6 |- | rowspan="3"| 1991 ! scope="row"| "Say It's Not True" | 31 | 29 |- ! scope="row"| "Leap of Faith" | 1 | 3 | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Chasin' the Sun'' |- ! scope="row"| "What Kind of Fool" | 24 | 19 |- | rowspan="3"| 1992 ! scope="row"| "Family Tree" | 62 | 90 |- ! scope="row"| "Be My Angel" | 63 | 56 | rowspan="2" |''The Real Story''<ref name="cash">{{cite journal|date=August 1, 1992|title=Singles|journal=Cash Box|page=21|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-08-08.pdf}}</ref> {{small|(unreleased)}} |- ! scope="row"| "Standing on the Promises" | 50 | 89 |- | 2013 ! scope="row"| "Free Me from Myself" | — | — | {{n/a}} |- | colspan="5" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Year ! style="width:16em;"| Video ! Director |- | 1989 ! scope="row"| "Give Me His Last Chance" | Stephen Buck<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-06-03.pdf|title=New Videoclips|magazine=Billboard|date=June 3, 1989}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 1990 ! scope="row"| "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" | rowspan="3"| John Lloyd Miller |- ! scope="row"| "Say It's Not True"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-11-10.pdf|title=New Videoclips|magazine=Billboard|date=November 10, 1990}}</ref> |- | 1991 ! scope="row"| "Leap of Faith" |- | rowspan="2"| 1992 ! scope="row"| "Family Tree" | {{n/a}} |- ! scope="row"| "Be My Angel" | John Lloyd Miller |- | 2013 ! scope="row"|"Free Me from Myself" |David Moses Perez |}

== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable" !Year !Organization !Award !Nominee/Work !Result |- |1990 |Academy of Country Music Awards |Top New Male Vocalist |Lionel Cartwright |{{nom}} |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cartwright, Lionel}} Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Country musicians from Ohio Category:People from Gallipolis, Ohio Category:MCA Records artists Category:People from Glen Dale, West Virginia Category:Country musicians from West Virginia Category:Singer-songwriters from Ohio Category:Wheeling University alumni Category:Singer-songwriters from West Virginia Category:John Marshall High School (West Virginia) alumni