Larry
Cordle was born and raised on a
small family farm in eastern
Kentucky. At a young age, he was
introduced
to bluegrass, country, and gospel
music by his great-grandfather.
Cordle fondly remembers this early
influence by pointing out, “We
lived so far away from everything,
that we had to make our own entertainment.
Music was just a way of life me,
for
all of us actually.”
After graduating from high school,
Larry spent four years in the Navy
and after being honorably discharged,
attended Morehead State University,
receiving a Bachelor’s
Degree in Accounting. “I just
didn’t see how I could
ever make a living doing only music,” he
explains, “so
I worked for a CPA firm during the
day and played
in clubs at night.”
All the
while, Larry desperately wanted to
devote to music completely, but his
commitments
would remain divided until he wrote
a song that changed everything. Cordell,
Kentucky
was not only home for Larry, but
also for his childhood
friend and neighbor, Ricky
Skaggs.
Upon hearing Larry’s
new song, “Highway 40 Blues,” Ricky
promised that he would one day record
it. In the summer of 1983, it was
the number one song
in the nation, helping to launch
Larry’s
songwriting career and Skaggs’ country
music career.
In
1985, at Ricky’s urging,
Larry gave up the stability his
office job offered and moved
to Nashville to be a full-time
staff writer for Amanda-Lin Music.
At last count, Cordle's songs
had appeared on projects that
had sold a combined total of
more than 50 million records,
by artists such as Alison
Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Garth
Brooks,
George Strait, Trisha Yearwood,
Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio, Alan
Jackson, and others.
Though
songwriting took Larry to Nashville,
his desire to perform has never
subsided. With his band Lonesome
Standard Time, Cordle
has the perfect platform to share
his music with fans everywhere. The band has been awarded Song of the Year
by the International
Bluegrass Music Association on
two separate occasions, garnered
GRAMMY nominations for Best Bluegrass Album, and landed #1
slots on the Bluegrass and Americana charts. Lonesome Standard Time is
comprised of seasoned, esteemed musicians in their own right, providing Larry
with an
outlet to feature his trademark
singing, original material, and engaging personality that immediately connects
the fans to his music.
Lonesome
Standard Time now includes Booie
Beach on guitar, Kim
Gardner on
dobro, Mike Anglin on bass, and
Kristin Scott Benson on banjo.
Each musician is established and respected in the bluegrass community, offering
a sense of professionalism that is easily recognized on and off the stage.
Larry simply states, "They are just some of the finest players
I've ever heard." A band of this caliber opens up all sorts of musical
possibilities and Cordle is eager to explore them. "I don't want anybody
to take this the wrong way, but just the term 'bluegrass' is so limiting.
Yeah, we're a bluegrass band, but there's just so much that can be done within
the
realm of acoustic music."
In addition to his revered songwriting
and role as a bandleader, Cordle
is often featured as a lead and
harmony vocalist on some of Nashville’s most awarded
and popular music. He’s provided harmony vocals for artists such as Garth
Brooks, Billy Yates, Rebecca Lynn Howard, and Blake Shelton.
His lead singing is featured on Livin, Lovin, Losin: A Tribute to the Louvin Brothers,
which won a GRAMMY for Best Country Album in 2003 and was named Recorded
Event of the Year
by IBMA in 2004. He’s also featured on two tracks of Moody Bluegrass,
alongside artists such as Tim O’Brien, Alison Krauss, John Cowan, and Harley
Allen.
Cordle remains extremely active
in all facets of his career.
He tours extensively in the US
and abroad with Lonesome Standard Time and
is currently a staff writer for
Sea-Gayle Music, which is co-owned
by country superstar Brad Paisley,
Frank
Rogers, and Chris Dubois. Larry now resides in
Hendersonville, Tennessee with his wife, Wanda, and their daughter, Kelvey,
but still enjoys the opportunity
to make frequent trips back to his home and his roots in Kentucky.
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"The
13 tunes - seven co-written by
Cordle - are closer to country
than most material
coming out of Nashville these days,
and the record is all the better
for it."
The Associated Press
"Traditionalism is certainly
alive and kicking here."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Bluegrass band with a big-city
sense of satire."
People Magazine
"It is a rare occurence
when a song on a small, independent
label
makes
an
impression on country radio these
days."
Country.com
"Just the sort of thing
to put some life back into country."
USA Today
• Recorded Event
of the Year, International Bluegrass
Music Assn. (2004)
•
Best Country Album, GRAMMY (2003)
•
Song of the Year nominee, International
Bluegrass Music Assn. (2003)
•
Song of the Year, Country Music
Assn. (2001)
•
Song of the Year, CMT/Country Weekly
(2001)
•
Single of the Year, CMT/Country
Weekly (2001)
•
Vocal Event of the Year, International
Bluegrass Music Assn. (2001)
•
Vocal Collaboration of the Year,
CMT/Country Weekly (2001)
•
Best Bluegrass Album nominee, GRAMMY
(2000)
•
Country Vocal Collaboration, GRAMMY
(2000)
•
Song of the Year nominee, Country
Music Assn. (2000)
•
Vocal Event of the Year, Country
Music Assn. (2000)
•
Vocal Collaboration of the Year,
Academy of Country Music (2000)
•
Song of the Year nominee, Academy
of Country Music (2000)
•
Song of the Year, International
Bluegrass Music Assn. (2000)
•
Album of the Year nominee, International
Bluegrass Music Assn. (2000)
•
Album of the Year nominee, GRAMMY
(1993)
•
Song of the Year, International
Bluegrass Music Assn. (1993)
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