Travis Tritt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Travis Tritt
Tritt performing in 2014
Background information
Birth name	James Travis Tritt
Born	(1963-02-09) February 9, 1963 (age 62) Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Country country rock outlaw country southern rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Columbia Category 5 Post Oak Big Noise

James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country singer and songwriter. He became famous in 1989 when he signed with Warner Bros. Records. He released many successful albums and songs with them. Later, he also released music with Columbia Records and Category 5 Records.

Travis Tritt has had seven albums that sold over a million copies, meaning they were certified platinum or higher. His 1991 album, It's All About to Change, sold three million copies! He has also had more than 40 songs on the country music charts. Five of these songs reached number one: "Help Me Hold On", "Anymore", "Can I Trust You with My Heart", "Foolish Pride", and "Best of Intentions". He also had 15 other songs that made it into the top 10. Travis Tritt's music mixes traditional country sounds with Southern rock influences.

He has won two Grammy Awards for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals." The first was in 1992 for "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", a duet with Marty Stuart. The second was in 1998 for "Same Old Train," which he sang with Stuart and other artists. He has also received four awards from the Country Music Association. Since 1992, he has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry, a famous country music show.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

James Travis Tritt was born on February 9, 1963, in Marietta, Georgia. He first became interested in singing after hearing his church choir. When he was eight, he received his first guitar and taught himself to play. In fourth grade, he performed songs for his class and other classrooms.

At age 14, his parents bought him another guitar. He learned more songs from his uncle, Sam Lockhart. Later, Tritt joined his church band, which sometimes played at other churches.

Travis Tritt started writing music while in Sprayberry High School. His first song was about a breakup. He also formed a bluegrass group with friends. They won second place in a local competition.

While playing in clubs, Tritt worked at an air conditioning company. He eventually quit that job to focus on music. His father doubted he would succeed as a musician, but his mother thought he should sing Christian music.

With help from Warner Bros. Records executive Danny Davenport, Tritt began making demo recordings. These are sample songs used to show off an artist's talent. They worked together for several years and created a demo album called Proud of the Country. Warner Bros. Records signed Tritt in 1987.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with Country Club (1989–1991)

Travis Tritt's contract with Warner Bros. Records meant he would record six songs. Three of these would be released as singles. If one became a hit, he would record a full album. His first single, "Country Club", was released in August 1989. It reached number nine on the country charts. This song was the title track for his 1990 debut album, Country Club.

His second single, "Help Me Hold On", became his first number-one hit in 1990. The album's other singles, "I'm Gonna Be Somebody" and "Drift Off to Dream", also did very well. Country Club sold over a million copies. In 1990, Billboard magazine named him Top New Male Artist. The Country Music Association (CMA) also nominated him for the Horizon Award, which he later won.

Big Success with It's All About to Change (1991–1992)

In 1991, Travis Tritt won the Horizon Award from the CMA. He also released his second album, It's All About to Change. This album became his best-selling, selling three million copies! All four of its singles reached the top five on the country charts. "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and the duet with Marty Stuart, "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", both reached number two. "Anymore" was a number-one hit.

The song "Bible Belt" from the album was featured in the 1992 movie My Cousin Vinny. The lyrics were changed for the movie. "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'" won Tritt and Stuart a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. They also had another duet, "This One's Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)", which was a top-10 hit. This song won the 1992 CMA award for Vocal Event of the Year.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E and a Christmas Album (1992–1993)

In 1992, Tritt and Marty Stuart started their "No Hats Tour." In August of that year, Tritt released the album T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Its first single, "Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man", reached number five. The next single, "Can I Trust You with My Heart", became Tritt's third number-one hit. T-R-O-U-B-L-E sold over two million copies.

Soon after, Tritt released a Christmas album called A Travis Tritt Christmas: Loving Time of the Year. He also joined the Grand Ole Opry, a famous country music show.

Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof and Greatest Hits (1994–1995)

In 1994, Tritt recorded a cover of the Eagles' song "Take It Easy" for a tribute album. When making the music video, Tritt asked the Eagles, who had not performed together in over 13 years, to appear in it. This led to the Eagles reuniting for their "Hell Freezes Over Tour."

His fourth album, Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof, was released in May 1994. Its first single, "Foolish Pride", went to number one. The album also included songs co-written with Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This album also sold over two million copies.

In 1995, Tritt released Greatest Hits: From the Beginning. It included most of his hit songs and two new ones. "Sometimes She Forgets" was a top-10 hit.

The Restless Kind and More Duets (1996–1997)

In 1996, Tritt and Marty Stuart had another duet hit, "Honky Tonkin's What I Do Best". This song won them the CMA award for Vocal Event of the Year. They also started a second tour together called the "Double Trouble Tour."

Tritt's fifth album, The Restless Kind, was released in 1996. It included the top-10 hit "More Than You'll Ever Know" and a cover of Waylon Jennings's "Where Corn Don't Grow". This album was different because Tritt helped produce it himself.

No More Looking over My Shoulder (1998–1999)

In 1998, Travis Tritt and other artists sang on Marty Stuart's song "Same Old Train." This song won Tritt his second Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Later that year, Tritt released his last album with Warner Bros., No More Looking over My Shoulder. The album's first song, "If I Lost You," was a hit.

Moving to Columbia Records: Down the Road I Go (2000–2002)

After leaving Warner Bros., Tritt signed with Columbia Records. In 2000, he released the album Down the Road I Go. The first song from this album, "Best of Intentions", became his fifth and final number-one hit on Billboard. It was also his most successful song on the Hot 100 chart.

The next two singles, "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" and "Love of a Woman", both reached number two on the country charts. "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" reached number eight. Tritt wrote or co-wrote many songs on this album.

Strong Enough and My Honky Tonk History (2002–2005)

In September 2002, Tritt released his second album on Columbia Records, Strong Enough. Its first single, "Strong Enough to Be Your Man," reached number 13.

In 2002, Tritt performed with Ray Charles on the TV show Crossroads. In 2004, Tritt released his 10th studio album, My Honky Tonk History. This album included three charting singles: "The Girl's Gone Wild," "What Say You" (a duet with John Mellencamp), and "I See Me."

Later Years and Recent Music (2007–Present)

Travis Tritt left Columbia Records in 2005. He then signed with an independent label called Category 5 Records in 2006. In 2007, he released his only album for Category 5, The Storm. This album had more rhythm and blues influences.

In 2013, Tritt reissued The Storm under his own label, Post Oak, renaming it The Calm After.... This re-release included two cover songs. One was "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough", which he sang as a duet with his daughter, Tyler Reese.

In 2019, Tritt was featured on the country rock song "Outlaws & Outsiders" by Cory Marks. His latest album, Set in Stone, was released in 2021. In 2024, he was featured on another Cory Marks song called "(Make My) Country Rock."

Acting Roles

Travis Tritt has also had a career in acting. His first role was in the 1993 TV movie Rio Diablo, alongside country singer Kenny Rogers. In 1994, he appeared as a bull rider in the movie The Cowboy Way.

He also had guest roles on TV shows like Tales from the Crypt, Yes, Dear, Diagnosis Murder, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Tritt appeared as himself in the 1996 movie Sgt. Bilko and the 1997 film Fire Down Below.

In 1998, he was in Blues Brothers 2000, performing with famous musicians like B. B. King and Eric Clapton. In 2001, he guest-starred in Elmo's World the Wild Wild West. He has continued to act in films like Fishers of Men (2011), Let There Be Light (2017), and Forever My Girl (2018).

Musical Style and Influences

Travis Tritt has a unique musical style that blends country, rock, and folk music. He said he started adding "more soul" to his voice after hearing African-American singers. He was also influenced by Southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and bluegrass music.

He writes songs based on his own experiences. He once said that his song "Here's a Quarter" was very simple, but record executives were unsure about releasing it. He also fought for the release of "Country Club" because he felt it didn't quite fit his style at first.

Personal Life

Travis Tritt married Theresa Nelson on April 12, 1997. They have one daughter and two sons.

In May 2019, his tour bus was involved in a car accident that sadly took the lives of two people.

Political Views

Travis Tritt is a member of the Republican Party. He supported George W. Bush for president in 2000. They met in 1996 when Tritt sang the national anthem at a political convention.

In September 2020, Tritt gained attention for blocking some social media users who used certain political hashtags. In April 2023, he announced he would remove products from a specific company from his tour rider to protest their support for a transgender influencer.

Discography

Studio albums

• Proud of the Country (1987)
• Country Club (1990)
• It's All About to Change (1991)
• T-R-O-U-B-L-E (1992)
• Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof (1994)
• The Restless Kind (1996)
• No More Looking over My Shoulder (1998)
• Down the Road I Go (2000)
• Strong Enough (2002)
• My Honky Tonk History (2004)
• The Storm (2007)
• The Calm After... (2013)
• Set in Stone (2021)

Billboard number-one singles

• "Help Me Hold On" (1990)
• "Anymore" (1991)
• "Can I Trust You with My Heart" (1992–1993)
• "Foolish Pride" (1994)
• "Best of Intentions" (2000)

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

American Music Awards

TNN/Music City News Country Awards

Academy of Country Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Tritt performing in 2009