Gordie Sampson
Gordon Francis Sampson (born July 30, 1971) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia.
Gordie Sampson
Gordon Francis Sampson
(1971-07-30) July 30, 1971
Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada
Pop, rock, country
Singer-songwriter, producer
Guitar, piano, bass, drums, bouzouki, accordion, fiddle
1990–present
Beginning his career as a performer on his hometown island of Cape Breton, both in bands and on his own, Sampson has gone on to achieve international success as a songwriter in Nashville. He has written songs for Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Rascal Flatts.[1] He has also released albums as a solo performer.[2]
Sampson has received a Grammy Award, a Juno Award, two ASCAP Awards, East Coast Music Awards, and honorary degrees from Cape Breton University and St. Francis Xavier University.[3][4]
Background[edit]
Sampson was born in 1971 to Francis Xavier Sampson (1946–2007) and Florence Ley. Sampson's only musical training as a child were piano lessons he took from his mother. He remembers being surrounded by fiddlers, who were very common in Cape Breton. Initially, he had no interest in fiddle music, but only wanted to be in a rock'n'roll band.[5] He taught himself to play guitar and played in school bands in both junior high and high school, playing material from acts such as AC/DC and Black Sabbath.[6]
Sampson attended Riverview Rural High School in the late 1980s.[7] His first band was called Ricochet; he played with them at age 17, straight out of high school, going on a six-month tour of the Maritimes.[6] After that, in the early 1990s, he was invited to join the Nova Scotia band Realworld with brothers Jamie and Matthew Foulds.[8] The group released one CD, Dig;[8] three singles from the album, all co-written by Sampson, were Top 10 hits in Canada in 1994. But the band was growing apart, and broke up later that year.[6]
Career[edit]
After Realworld disbanded, Sampson found himself increasingly interested in exploring the traditional Celtic music for which Cape Breton is well known. Gigging with local musicians led him to a place in Ashley MacIsaac's band just as MacIsaac was seeking a fusion of traditional Celtic music with contemporary rock'n'roll.[6] Sampson co-wrote two songs on MacIsaac's successful 1996 debut album, Hi™ How Are You Today?.[9]
Around this same time, Sampson became a part of Rita MacNeil's band, both on the road and on her popular weekly CBC show Rita and Friends.[5] He also toured with the Nova Scotia-based family music group The Rankin Family.[6]
Sampson recorded his first solo album in 1998, entitled Stones, which was recorded at Lakewind Sound Studios in Point Aconi, Nova Scotia—a recording studio Sampson and partner Fred Lavery built together in 1996.[10] The album was nominated for a Juno Award;[1] the single, "Sorry," won three East Coast Music Awards.[11]
In the late 1990s, Sampson also began to concentrate more on his songwriting, with the aim of getting other musicians to record his songs. Over time he began to see how challenging this was going to be from his Cape Breton hometown. In 2005, he moved with his wife and baby to Nashville, even though knew very little about country music at that point.[12]
Within a year, Sampson had co-written "Jesus, Take the Wheel", former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood had recorded it, and the song was number one on the Billboard country music chart for six weeks. Sampson has said that the song was inspired by the death of an acquaintance in a car accident on a highway in Nova Scotia two years earlier.[12] "Jesus, Take the Wheel" was written with Brett James and Hillary Lindsey.[13]
Sampson has been quoted as saying that the success of "Jesus, Take the Wheel" "worked wonders for my music career."[12] He has since written songs which have been recorded by Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, and many other well-known country performers. He wrote the song "Any Other Day" for the 2007 Bon Jovi album Lost Highway. He has produced albums for Natalie McMaster and Damhnait Doyle.[14]
Sampson has also recorded three more solo albums since his 1998 debut. His second CD, Sunburn (2004), was largely written in partnership with Troy Verges and Blair Daly. Sampson produced the CD and played the majority of the instruments on the album, including guitars, bass, drums and piano. The album was recorded at Lakewind Sound Studios, as well as in studios in Toronto and Nashville. For The Few And Far Between was released in 2008; it was nominated for a 2009 Juno Award and was the recipient of two East Coast Music Awards.[14] Almost Beautiful came out in 2011, and is the first solo album of his move away from the rootsy pop music of his previous releases and towards the kind of country music he has been writing for others for many years.[15]
Sampson lives in Nashville with his wife, Helen Musial, and their daughter Amelie.[16] He still returns to Cape Breton for a couple of months every summer.[15]
In 2010, the Gordie Sampson Songcamp was conceived by Sampson as a way to encourage and develop young songwriters from across Nova Scotia. Sampson attends the intensive, five-day event every year, often accompanied by special professional guests.[17] In July 2019, Sampson held the 10th Anniversary edition of his Songcamp, hosting 37 songwriters and 10 world-class writer/producer guests. Over 500 songs have been penned at the camp during its ten-year run.[18]
Stones (1998)
Sunburn (2004)
For the Few and Far Between (2008)
Almost Beautiful (2011)
"I Don't Whiskey Anymore" Randall King, Into the Neon (2024) Warner Music
"Sleeping With Her" Teign Gayse, Single (2023) Indie
"When the Lights Go On" Sarah Jarosz, Polaroid Lovers (2023) Rounder
"Missing Someone" Dan + Shay, Bigger Houses (2023) Warner Music
"Neon Dreamin'" Jade Eagleson Do It Anyway (2023) Starseed Records
"The Hard Way" Payton Smith, What Colors Your Wild (2023) Combustion Master
"Lately" Caitlin Smith, I Think of You (The Heartache Collection) (2023) Monument Records
"Loser" Mike Ryan, Longcut (2022) Rock & Soul
Won't Take Long" Tyler Thompson, Single (2022) Sony Music
"The Last Time" Tenille Townes, Single (2022) Columbia Nashville
[21]
"If We Were A Country Song" Madison Kozak, Single (2022) Songs & Daughters / Big Loud Records
[22]
"Something New" The Abrams, Single (2022) Anthem Entertainment L.P.
[23]
"My Weakness" Jason Aldean, Single (2022) Macon Music, LLC under exclusive license to This Is Hit, Inc. d/b/a Broken Bow Records
[24]
"If I Got You" Jordyn Pollard, Single (2022) Jordyn Pollard
[25]
"Downtown Baby" Caitlyn Smith, High (2022) Monument Records, A Division of Sony Music Entertainment
[26]
"I Don't Like The World Without You" Caitlyn Smith, High (2022) Monument Records, A Division of Sony Music Entertainment
[26]
"Look At The Mess I'm In" Danielle Bradbury, In Between: The Collection (2022) Big Machine Label Group, LLC
[27]
"Things People Say" Ben Chapman, Channing Wilson, Make the Night Better (2022) Hippie Shack
[28]
"Song Still Gets Me" Sarah Darling, Song Still Gets Me (2021), Tone Tree Music
"Sky Without Stars" Jonathan Hutcherson, Jonathan Hutcherson (2021) CN Records
[30]
"Kiss About It" Cash Campbell, Single (2021) Captain & Bear Records
[32]
"You're Gonna Love Me" Hannah Dasher, The Half Record (2021) Sony Music Entertainment
[33]
"Back To Myself" , The Art of Falling Apart (2021) Serenader Source Inc. / ArtHaus [36]
Serena Ryder
"Thinking About You" , The Art of Falling Apart (2021) Serenader Source Inc. / ArtHaus [36]
Serena Ryder
"Chills" Shantelle Davidson, Single (2021)
"When It All Sinks In" The Flipsides (2021) Buena Vista Records / UMG Recordings, Inc.[37]
Adam Hambrick
"Gold" Single (2020) Combustion Masters
Corey Kent
"Buckingham and Nicks" (2020) Towne
Towne
"I Don't Want to Love You Anymore" (2020) Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment[48]
Caitlyn Smith
"Midnight in New York City" (2020) Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment[48]
Caitlyn Smith
"Damn You For Breaking My Heart" (2019) Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment[50]
Caitlyn Smith
"Everyone Loves Me But You" Single (2019) Dreaming Out Loud Entertainment
Jodi Guthro
"My Favourite Picture of You" (2019) Sony Music Entertainment
Willie Nelson
"Household" Single (2019) Songs & Daughters / Big Loud Records
Madison Kozak
"Halfway Tree" Single (2019)
The East Pointers
"Mystery Cove" , Yours To Break (2019)
The East Pointers
"Mary Brown" , What Goes Around (2019) Dipole Productions
Chris Kirby
"Elmira" , Yours To Break (2019)
The East Pointers
"One On The Way" , Blue Jeans (2019) CN Records
Steve Moakler
"Outcast" Mitchell Bailey Gordie Sampson, The Gordie Sampson Songcamp 2010–2019 Compilation Disc (2019) Gordie Sampson Songcamp
MAJE
"Temporary Forever" , The Gordie Sampson Songcamp 2010–2019 Compilation Disc (2019) Gordie Sampson Songcamp
Makayla Lynn
"Missed Call" , Liquor Store Flowers (2019)
Damhnait Doyle
"21 Days" , Liquor Store Flowers (2019)
Damhnait Doyle
"Gold" featuring Rachel Wammack Single (2019) Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
Cold Creek County
"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" , Every Girl (2019) Gwendolyn Records, LLC.
Trisha Yearwood
"The Leavin'" The Belles (2018) Creekhouse Entertainment/See Blue Music
The Belles
"Noise" , Reloaded (2018) BMG
Shenandoah (band)
"Put a Little Love on It" Put a Little Love on It (2017)
Aaron C. Lewis
"Creature Machine" – TRALA (2017) TRALA
"Everywhere" , Decadent Days (2017) Love Letter
Gay Nineties
"Hungover It" Rivertown Saints, Rivertown Saints (2017) Open Road
[67]
"Two Weeks" , What We Leave Behind (2017)
The East Pointers
"Play That Party Song" Michael Tyler, 317 (2017) Reviver
[69]
"Rescue" , Single (2017) Atlantic for the United States and WEA International outside U.S. A Warner Music Group Company[74]
Hunter Hayes
"Wheels" Steve Moakler (2017) CN
[65]
"Good" Songs for Other People (2017) Peace Pourage
David Ryan Harris
"That Kind of Beautiful" Lighter in the Dark (2016) Croakin' Poet
Sister Hazel
"The Other Side of the Radio" , The Other Side of the Radio (2016) Sea Gayle
Brent Anderson
"Who Would It Be" , A Whole Lot More to Me (2016)
Craig Morgan
"Ride On" Single (2016)
Aaron C. Lewis
"Found" Single (2016)
Aaron C. Lewis
"The First Time" Donavan Woods, Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled (2016) Meant Well
"Everybody Wants to Be Loved" (2016) Big Machine
Martina McBride
"The Thing About Love" (2016) Big Machine
Martina McBride
"All the Way" (2016) True North
Matt Andersen
"Love Drunk" (2016) Creative Nation
Steve Moakler
"City Girl" – Ryan Hurd (2016) Sony
"Warm Beer" Single (2015)
Aaron C. Lewis
"Russian History" Two Story Road EP (2015)
Two Story Road
"Boombox" Two Steps Back (2SB), Two Steps Back (2SB) (2015)
[79]
"Withdrawals" (2015) Columbia Nashville
Tyler Farr
"Sins of Saturday Night" , So Let's Go (2015) Skinner's Hill Music
Alan Doyle
"Skyscrapers" , The Last of Us (2015)
Neon Dreams
"The Getaway" Christopher Brown, Christopher Brown (2015)
"Get Me Through December" Single (2015)
Eimear Reynolds
"Get Me Through December" , Light Up The Dark (2015)
The Outside Track
"I Am What I Am" , Another Piece of Me (2015) Big Machine
Laura Bell Bundy
"We Need to Talk" BACHMAN (2015) 12 Hit Wonder/Linus Entertainment
"Bombshell" (2015) Warner Music Nashville
Ashley Monroe
"I Hope Its Me" Brett Kissell (2015) Warner Music Canada
"Down in Flames" (2015) Vanguard
Chris Isaak
"The Long Way Home" , Bottom of the Ninth (2014)
John Landry
"I Faked It" , In My Dreams (2014) Pheromone
Mo Kenney
"Loses Its Shine" , Lost in Light (2014) MDM
Tim Chaisson
"Drink You Up" Sarah Davidson (2014) Suretone
"Let There Be Lonely" (2014) Republic
Secret Sisters
"Blame It All On You" (2014) Fontana North
Jimmy Rankin
"Falling So Hard" (2014) Fontana North
Jimmy Rankin
"Talk Myself Outta Fallin'" (2014) Devil's River
Radney Foster
"Noise" (2014) Devil's River
Radney Foster
"The Songwriters" (2014) Sony
Willie Nelson
"You Know You're Home" (2014) RGK
Tim Hicks
"747" (2014) Capitol Nashville
Lady Antebellum
"Girl in Your Truck Song" (2014) RPM Entertainment
Maggie Rose
"Nothing Like Starting Over" (2014) Atlantic
Hunter Hayes
"Look Who's Lonely Now" No Pressure No Diamonds (2014)
Dave Sampson
"Let There Be Lonely" Jonathan Jackson, Nashville Cast (2014) Big Machine
"It's Just My Heart Talkin'" (2014) BMI
Los Lonely Boys
"Dreamgirl" The Best of Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014) EMI Nashville/Relativity
Hunter Hayes
"Wherever You Are" , The Other Side (2013) Nettwerk Productions Ltd.
Tim Chaisson
"All Cried Out" , (May 2013) 19 Recordings
Kree Harrison
"Bourbon in Kentucky" (2013) Capitol Nashville
Dierks Bentley
"This Car" (2013) Republic Nashville
Cassadee Pope
"Last Two Standing" The Gordie Sampson Songcamp (2013) Turtlemusik
Dave Sampson
"Harbourtown" The Gordie Sampson Songcamp (2013) Turtlemusik
Breagh MacKinnon
"Pretty Good Mistake" Amy Wilcox (2013)
Amy Wilcox
"I Wish I Could Break Your Heart" (2013) Republic Nashville
Cassadee Pope
"If I Had Another Heart" (2013) MCA Nashville
Randy Rogers Band
"My Favourite Picture of You" (2013) Dualtone
Guy Clark
"Rodeo" Rachel Bradshaw (2013)
"23 Degrees and South" (2013) Mercury Nashville
Billy Currington
"Good with Wine" (2013) EMI Nashville
Eric Paslay
"Song About a Girl" (2013) EMI Nashville
Eric Paslay
"Jesus Take the Wheel" (2013) Big Machine
Danielle Bradbery
"Never Like This" (2013) Big Machine
Danielle Bradbery
"Famous" (2013) EMI Nashville
Kelleigh Bannen
"Dear Heart" (2013) Royalty
Tenille
"My Favourite Picture of You" , This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (2012) Icehouse Music
Jerry Jeff Walker
"You Move Me" Mark Cameron Just the Way You Like It (2012)
"Damn That Dress" Mark Cameron Just the Way You Like It (2012)
"Black Coffee" Mark Cameron Just the Way You Like It (2012)
"It Still Hurts" Mark Cameron Just the Way You Like It (2012)
"Where the Nightingales Sing" , Boy on Bridge (2012) Skinner's Hill
Alan Doyle
"I've Seen a Little" , Boy on Bridge (2012) Skinner's Hill
Alan Doyle
"Under the Waves" Songs And Story: Finding Nemo (2012) Disney
"Too Good to Be True" (2012)
Edens Edge
"Over You By Now" (2012)
Jana Kramer
"Let It Hurt" , Changed (April 2012) Big Machine
Rascal Flatts
"Great Big Love" , Changed (April 2012) Big Machine
Rascal Flatts
"Leave Love Alone" , Blown Away (May 2012) Arista
Carrie Underwood
"Discovering Gold" Discovering Gold (2011)
Aaron C. Lewis
"Wishing Well" Discovering Gold (2011)
Aaron C. Lewis
"Pretty Red Dress" , Revival (2011)
Tara Oram
"My Favourite Picture of You" Jerry Jeff Walker, A Tribute to Guy Clark (November 2011) Icehouse Music
"Storm Warning" Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes (October 2011) Atlantic
[81]
"The Songwriters", Bill Anderson, Songwriter (2011)
"Tupelo" Lauren Alaina, Wildflower (October 2011) Mercury
"She's a Wildflower" (aka "Wildflower") Lauren Alaina, Wildflower (October 2011) Mercury
"Love Looks Good On You" Randy Travis & Kristin Chenoweth, Anniversary Celebration (June 2011) Warner Bros.
"One Last Goodbye" Donny & Marie Osmond, Donny & Marie (May 2011) MPCA
"Paper Heart" Stealing Angels, Stealing Angels (May 2011) Skyville
"Kiss You Like You're Never Coming Back" Sarah Mare, You're My Summertime (2010)
"Everybody Wants to Be a Redneck" , Changing Man (2010)
John Landry
"Kiss Goodbye" Little Big Town, The Reason Why (August 2010) Capitol
"Fuck Last Night" Darkest of Discos (2010)
Slowcoaster
"Damn the Rain" Randy Rogers, Band Burning the Day (August 2010) MCA Nashville
"Unmistakeable" Jo Dee Messina, Unmistakable (April 2010) Curb
"She's a Wildflower" (aka "Wildflower") Point of Grace, No Changin' Us (March 2010) Word Entertainment
"Too Far to Drive" , Homeward Bound (2010) Aselin
Aselin Debison
"Close to You" , Homeward Bound (2010) Aselin
Aselin Debison
"Lie a Little" , Homeward Bound (2010) Aselin
Aselin Debison
"Learning to Fly" , Homeward Bound (2010) Aselin
Aselin Debison
"So Sorry Mama" , Footloose Soundtrack (2010) Warner Bros.
Whitney Duncan
"Beautiful Shame" Just Getting Started (2010) Bandstand
Pauline Reese
"Hard Time Movin' On" ft. Rodney Crowell Movin' On (2010) Gecko Music Productions
David Bradley
"My Kind of Radio" , Ride (2009)
Jo Hikk
"This Time" , Play On (November 2009) Arista Nashville
Carrie Underwood
"Someday When I Stop Loving You" , Play On (November 2009) Arista Nashville
Carrie Underwood
"That Kind of Beautiful" , Believe (May 2009) Valory
Emerson Drive
"You Don't Know How Beautiful You Are" If We Had a Fire (2009) Revenant (Canada)
Lennie Gallant
"Davey Jones" The Greencards, Fascination (April 2009)
"Maybe You're Right" – , These Are the Moments (2009)
The Rankin Family
"You're Not Leaving Me" Martina McBride, Shine (March 2009) RCA/Sony
"Found" , Weren't We Crazy (2008)
Josh Gracin
"Get Me Through December" , Looking for Christmas (2008)
Ali Matthews
"Get Me Through December" , December (2008)
Jeni Fleming
"Walk On the Moon" , Fortune's Favour (2008) Warner Music Canada
Great Big Sea
"538 Stars" Tara Oram, Chasing The Sun (October 2008) Open Road/Sugar Hill
"538 Stars" Mary Elizabeth Murphy, Wild Blue Country (2008)
"Might As Well Be Making Love" Jessica Simpson, Do You Know (September 2008) Epic, Columbia Nashville
"That's What the Night Is For" Julianne Hough, Julianne Hough (2008) Mercury
"The Hard Way" Secrets (2008) Rounder
Sierra Hull
"Too Good to Be True" Julianne Hough, Julianne Hough (2008) Mercury
"All I Wanted Was a Slow Dance" Julianne Hough Julianne Hough (2008) Mercury
"Chasing the Sun" , The Barra MacNeils 20th Anniversary Collection (2007)
The Barra MacNeils
"Nothin Like an Ocean" , Reunion (The Rankin Family Album) (2007) EMI
The Rankin Family
"Midnight Oil" , Someday (2007)
John Landry
"Maybe You're Right" , Reunion (2007)
The Rankin Family
"Got to Leave Louisiana" , Edge of Day (2007) Song Dog
Jimmy Rankin
"Just a Dream" , Carnival Ride (October 2007) Arista Nashville
Carrie Underwood
"Get Out of This Town" , Carnival Ride (October 2007) Arista Nashville
Carrie Underwood
"On Any Other Day" Bon Jovi, Lost Highway (June 2007) Island/Mercury
"If I Had Your Name" Martina McBride, Waking Up Laughing (April 2007) RCA
"Get Me Through December" Alison Krauss, A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection (April 2007) Rounder
"Measure of a Man" , This Is It (March 2007) Big Machine
Jack Ingram
"Open Road" , Whitney Duncan (2007) Warner Bros.
Whitney Duncan
"Nothing Like An Ocean" , Reunion (2007) LOADmusic
The Rankin Family
"When I Said I Would" , Whitney Duncan (2007) Warner Bros.
Whitney Duncan
"(When) God Made Woman" Keith Urban, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (November 2006) Capitol
"Star" , Lake of Fire (2006), EMI Canada
Shaye
"Cry Baby" , Love & Negotiation (2006) Dancing Lily Music
Carolyn Dawn Johnson
"Words Get in the Way" Trace Adkins, Dangerous Man (August 2006) Capitol
"Seeing Things" , Waitin on the Wonderful (2005)
Aaron Lines
"Jesus, Take the Wheel" , Some Hearts (November 2005) Arista Nashville
Carrie Underwood
"Hurricane Jane" Colin Raye, Twenty Years and Change (October 2005) Aspirion
"Paris" Faith Hill, Fireflies (August 2005) Warner Bros.
"You or Somebody Like You" Keith Urban, Days Go By (May 2005) Capitol
"Fear of Flying" Shelly Fairchild, Ride (May 2005) Sony
"I Miss Manhattan" Shattered (2004) The Orange Record Label
Louise Pitre
"Mad Violet" Take Your Things and Go, Worry the Jury (2004)
"Lucky Me" , Something Beautiful (2004) Warner Music Canada
Great Big Sea
"Let It Go" , Something Beautiful (2004) Warner Music Canada
Great Big Sea
"The Hard Way" Keith Urban, Be Here (September 2004) Capitol
"My Name" , One Good Friend (September 2004) Universal South
George Canyon
"Is It Right" Dav-net (2003) Turtlemusik
Damhnait Doyle
"Now When the Rain Falls" Dav-net (2003) Turtlemusik
Damhnait Doyle
"Deal with God" Dav-net (2003) Turtlemusik
Damhnait Doyle
"Afterglow" Dav-net (2003) Turtlemusik
Damhnait Doyle
"Another California Song" Dav-net (2003) Turtlemusik
Damhnait Doyle
"Followed Her Around" – , Song Dog (2001) Song Dog
Jimmy Rankin
"In My Hands" , In My Hands (1999) Rounder
Natalie MacMaster
"King for a Day" Crush, Face in the Crowd (June 1995) Sonic
"My Heart Beats For Love" , Can't Be Tamed (July 1995) Hollywood
Miley Cyrus
"The Real Thing" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"We All Need" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"She's Got It" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"Man with the Mink" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"Throwin It All Away" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"Angels" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
"Sunday Rain" Realworld, Dig (1993) Jesse Dog
Grammys
Grammy Awards of 2007
Natalie MacMaster
Carrie Underwood
CCMA Award
Carrie Underwood
ECMA