Brad Cotter
Brad Cotter has been around the block and back again. This guy has lived a lot of life in a very short time. When Brad was only 7 years old, his parents took him to his first Gospel singing. He has always been a big fan of music. From the time he could walk he would stand on the fireplace and sing along with his mom's Elvis records, as well as his father's (and Brad's) favorite recording artist; Otis Redding. It was obvious even at 8 years old that this little guy had a very special gift. Good family friend Fred Jones introduced the Cotters to Jerry Redd, who used to sing professionally with such Gospel greats as The Stamps Quartet – and yes, he worked with Elvis – and several other award-winning groups in the 1960's. Brad Cotter was one of Redd's "prize-students" from day one. Brad's first ever public appearance was at a church in Columbus where Redd was the guest-song director for a special week-long revival. That was 1979, and after only 4 months of voice lessons, and at just 9 years of age, Brad amazed the congregation that night with three standard Gospel chart-toppers from at least 20 years before the blond-haired, green-eyed kid was even born. Amazing as it was that a child this age could even remember all of the words, the fondest memory for the boy's mother Janet, was Brad being "barely visible behind the piano, even though he was standing on a stack of hymnals just so he could reach the microphone." He went on to record five Gospel records in the next eight years, two of which were with independent record labels with national distribution. Although scoring top-25 in several regions, Brad enjoyed little notoriety but a "lifetime worth of experiences," claims his father. He was voted the "top child Gospel soloist in America" at the National Quartet Convention in Nashville, TN, with 15,000 spectators leaping to their feet when Brad sang his version of Squire Parson's "The Lovely Name of Jesus." There would be plenty more standing ovations for Brad in the years and stellar performances to follow.
After a three-year hiatus that Brad blames on “chasin’ girls and growin’ up,” he began performing again around his hometown singing in restaurants, high-schools, weddings, private parties, or "anywhere people would gather." That prompted the then 20-year-old singer to pursue his dreams one more time. He auditioned for the head of the music department at Southern Union State Junior College, and after only one verse and half of a chorus into a song he played on the piano, his teacher knew she had found an especially gifted student. Brad had a performing-arts scholarship promised to him on the spot. He then proceeded to be the highlight of every production that year and is still talked about today. But Brad had big dreams and he also knew from his eight years of experience that traveling and recording were much more exciting, "not to mention that music is the skill I have the most knowledge of and ability to do," he admits.
So the singer/songwriter decided to join a band. After a couple of years playing coffee-shops, dive bars, fraternity parties, piano bars, wing joints, beer gardens and such, Brad landed his first professional gig in 1992 with the band Silverado out of Dothan, AL. The band enjoyed regional success and several labels expressed serious interest in the band, but they were never able to secure a major recording contract. But out of it all, the humble songsmith was introduced to the business at a much more intense and professional level than ever before. Opening for dozens of major acts from Dr. Hook & The Byrds to Vertical Horizon and Brother Cain, all the way to John Anderson, Lori Morgan and numerous country artists, that brief period gave Brad the confidence and stage-presence needed to perform at the "next-level".
Silverado couldn't hold on to Brad for long. He headed for Nashville in the spring of 1993, and by the end of that year, the self-proclaimed "country boy" had inked a developmental recording contract with RCA. This would be the singer’s biggest break yet . . . biggest heartbreak, that is. The staff at RCA "passed" after Brad and producer Byron Hill had recorded only 6 songs for the project. "That really hurt, but I think it just made me work that much harder.” Since 1994 Brad has been singing demos for countless major songwriters in Nashville and is one of the most sought-after and talked-about male vocalists in town. Brad has a reputation for the way he pours his heart and soul into every lyric, not just his unmistakable voice. On top of singing demos for who Brad calls "the greatest writers in the world," this gifted young vocalist has enjoyed his own success as a writer. He has written songs exclusively for three major publishers since 1996, has had over 40 songs published, and has had two "cuts" on major artists. Brad also spent one and a half years with an exclusive development deal with Mercury Records, teaming up with producers John Celton, Rich Alves, and Keith Stegall, only to be passed-over again after the label merged with MCA and then bought by Segrams. After two more production deals, (Walt Aldridge/Jason Houser) and (Frank Rogers) with EMI, Brad signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in 2002, but was released due to "budget considerations.”
Currently, Brad is working with producers/songwriters Steve Bogard and Rick Giles. The 33 year-old STAR from Auburn, AL knows all too well what the "business" is all about and he is beyond primed and ready for what the world has to offer. As far as “star potential,” just spend five minutes with the guy and you will want to know everything about him. Brad continues to write songs with some of the biggest writers in the business as well as working with Bogard and Giles, writing songs about his life, the good and bad, and everything in-between.
Brad Cotter is damn real. His music is honest. He’s a man’s man, a woman’s dream, and he’s the best friend to every song he wraps around his heart.
