Dean Brody – Top Country Artist of the Month
Country singer and songwriter Dean Brody was born in Smithers, British Columbia and grew up in the small village of Jaffray, B.C. (population 800) located on the edge of the Canadian Rockies. He definitely had a rural, country childhood, spending his time fishing, hunting, playing sports, and participating in the local 4-H club. Dean, like most boys in town, took his first job at age fifteen at the local sawmill. The job convinced him that he should take a shot at his dream of becoming a musician. Eventually his songwriting skills landed him a publishing deal and so, in 2004, Brody headed to Nashville, TN, focused on his songwriting.
Unfortunately, after two years, his contract wasn’t extended. To make matters worse, his U.S. work permit wasn’t renewed, and Brody was forced to move back to Canada, all but sure that he was going to have to abandon his music dreams. Before he really had a chance to settle, though, Brody learned that producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band), then working with Broken Bow Records, wanted to sign him to a recording deal. Brody returned to Nashville, and began working with friend and producer Matt Rovey on his debut album, the self-titled Dean Brody, which Broken Bow released in 2009. His first single, ‘Brothers,’ generated enough play to hit the middle of the charts in both Canada and the U.S.A. that same year.
His recording contract with Broken Bow Records led him south again for another five years and although his self-titled debut broke the top 25 in the U.S., the top 10 in Canada, and garnered him a CCMA Award for Single of the Year, his partnership with the label was threatened by an ultimatum that Brody simply could not accept. Dean Brody would not compromise. and soon found himself looking for a new home in Canada for both his growing family and his music.
He’d soon find both; settling down on Nova Scotia’s South Shore and inking a deal with Open Road Recordings in 2009. His move home has paid off and Brody has become one of Canada’s biggest country stars. His sophomore album Trail in Life yielded four top 10 singles including ‘People Know You By Your First Name.’
The album also won three 2011 CCMA Awards for Album, Songwriter and Single of the Year as well as a 2011 JUNO nomination for Country Album of the Year. To top it off Brody finished out 2011 as the Most Played Canadian Country Artist of the year on Canadian radio.
His most recent release, his third, is called ‘Dirt’ (click here for the TC album review). Again produced by Matt Rovey the album has had immediate success with the first single, ‘Canadian Girls,’ hitting #1 on the country radio charts.
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