Catt Gravitt

Catt Gravitt
Born Moline, Illinois, United States
Genres Country, rock, pop, gospel
Occupation(s) Songwriter
Associated acts Kelly Clarkson, Jana Kramer, Adam Lambert, Jake Owen, Sons of Sylvia

Catt Gravitt (Cathy Lee Gravitt) is an American songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. In the music business for over 20 years, she signed on as a writer with her current publishing company, Razor and Tie, in 2008.[1] Gravitt has songwriting credits in multiple genres, and was most recently named SESAC's Songwriter of the Year in 2012.[2][3]

Career

After graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a journalism degree, Gravitt initially set out to be an artist.[4] She was signed to A&M Records in an all-girl pop group in Los Angeles. After the group parted ways she made her way to Nashville where she sparked the attention of producer Garth Fundis (Trisha Yearwood, Don Williams, Sugarland).[4] After being signed to a label development deal, Gravitt began focusing more specifically on her writing career.[5]

A song Gravitt co-wrote about a fire that injured her godson was initially put on hold for an artist in country music, and ended up in the hands of Christian music/gospel artist Natalie Grant. The song, “In Better Hands” became a CCM No.1 single (Gravitt’s first no.1) for Grant,[6] and was nominated for Gospel Music Associations (GMA) Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year in 2008.[7][8]

Gravitt has had three different publishing deals, but has been with publishing company Razor and Tie since 2008.[9][10]

In recent years, Gravitt has had simultaneous radio singles ("Amen", Eden's Edge; "Alone With You", Jake Owen; "Why Ya Wanna", Jana Kramer) on the charts in country music; garnered a producer credit (as well as helping to pen 8 of the 11 tracks on the debut album) for rock band Sons of Sylvia, along with well-respected producer Jack Joseph Puig (John Mayer, U2, Stone Temple Pilots); and a vocal producer gig from Warner Bros..[4]

Gravitt has multiple writing credits for major pop artists like Adam Lambert[11] and Kelly Clarkson,[12] and the UK group Boyzone.[13]

Recognitions and awards

Gravitt was a part of the 2004, 5x multi-platinum Rascal Flatts album Feels Like Today with her song "Where You Are" (co-written with songwriter James LeBlanc). The album reached No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums charts, and was nominated by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for Album of the Year.[14]

"In Better Hands" (Natalie Grant Relentless, 2008 Curb Records) became Gravitt's first No. 1 song on the Hot Christian AC chart. It received GMA Dove Award nominations for both Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year in 2008. The album itself reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums of 2008.[15]

Released in October 2011, Gravitt's song "Alone With You", recorded by Jake Owen, was a multi-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,[16] and was certified GOLD by the RIAA.[17] His album Barefoot Blue Jean Night also reached No. 6 on the US Billboard 200, and No. 1 on U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums.

Kelly Clarkson recorded Gravitt's song "Honestly" on her 2011 platinum album Stronger which reached No. 2 on the U.S Billboard Top 200 Albums.[18] The album also won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2012.[19] (Clarkson is No. 2 on Billboard's Year End Charts for AC Artists in 2012.)[20]

Another one of Gravitt's songs "Why Ya Wanna" was recorded by Jana Kramer and released in 2012, breaking a record previously set by recording artist Taylor Swift when it reached No. 3 on the mediabase chart; the highest debut for any new artist since Swift's song "Tim Mcgraw" which reached No. 5 on the mediabase chart with its debut in 2006.[21] The song, which was certified GOLD in the US by the RIAA,[22] also reached No. 3 on the U.S Billboard Country and U.S. Billboard Country Airplay charts. "Why Ya Wanna" landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Year End Charts for Hot Country Songs for 2012.[23] (Kramer also went on to receive the No. 4 spot on Billboard's Year End Charts for both Top New Country Artists, and Top Country Female Artists.)

Also released in 2012, Gravitt's songs "Underneath" and "Runnin'" were a part of Adam Lambert's album Trespassing which became No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, Canadian Albums Chart, and Hungarian Albums Chart.[24][25]

Most recently, Gravitt was a nominee for Music Row's Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year in 2012,[26] and won the SESAC Songwriter of the Year Award for 2012,[2] an award that was held by singer/songwriter from the country group Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott for the previous 2 years.

Discography

Singles

Year Single US Christian Hot AC Artist Album
2007 "In Better Hands" 1 Natalie Grant Relentless
Year Single US Top 40 Artist Album
2010 "I'll Know You" Sons of Sylvia Revelation
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Year Single US Country Artist Album
2011 "Amen" 18 Edens Edge Edens Edge
2011 "Alone With You" 1 Jake Owen Barefoot Blue Jean Night
2012 "Why Ya Wanna" 3 Jana Kramer Jana Kramer
2012 "Whiskey" 27 Jana Kramer Jana Kramer
2014 "Love"A 37 Jana Kramer TBD

ACurrent single.

Songs written by Gravitt

Year Song Artist Album Co-writers
1997 "Don't Break the Wings" Holly Dunn Leave One Bridge Standing
2001 "I'm Goin' Back" Trace Adkins Chrome Craig Wiseman, Bobby Terry
2003 Where You Are" James Leblanc Muscle Shoals City Limits
"You Have No Idea" Kenny Rogers Back to the Well
"If I Was An Angel" Daniel Lee Martin All That I Am
2004 "Where You Are" Rascal Flatts Feels Like Today James LeBlanc
"If I Was An Angel" Glenn Cummings Big
2005 "In My Neighborhood" Craig Morgan My Kind of Livin' Monty Padson, Danny Wells
"This is Me Missing You" Joey Daniels Take Me Off the Market
2006 "My Life" Ronnie Milsap My Life Gerald O'Brien, Pam Rose
"High" Trace Adkins Dangerous Man
"My Life" Doc Walker Doc Walker Gerald O'Brien, Pam Rose
"Love Me Wild" Angela Hacker Nashville Star Season 5
2008 "In Better Hands" Natalie Grant Relentless Jim Daddario
"Help Me, Help You" Julianne Hough Julianne Hough Danny Green
2009 "Anything is Possible" Jake Mcvey Anything is Possible
"Train" Davisson Brothers Band Davisson Brothers Band
"Lies" Martina McBride Shine Tania Hancheraff, Gerlad O'Brien, David Campbell
"You Wouldn't Cry (Andrew's Song) Mandisa Freedom Mandisa, Cindy Morgan
En Tus Manos (In Better Hands) Shelia Romero En Tus Manos
2010 "Plastic Jesus" High Valley High Valley James LeBlance
"High" David Bradley Movin' On
"Nothing Without You" Boyzone Brother Tom Shapiro, busbee
"50 Ways" Sons of Sylvia Revelation Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"The War Within" Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark, Brian Howes
"Song of Solomon" Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"Long Beach" Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark
"John Wayne" Ashley Clark, Gerald O'Brien
"I'll Know You" Ashley Clark, Adam Clark, Austin Clark, Brian Howes
"Give Me Love" Ashley Clark, Mile Shimshack
"Ghost Town" Ashley Clark, Mike Shimshack
2011 "I Hope You're Listening to the Radio" Nicole Donatone If You Knew
"Hurry Down Sunshine" Mycle Wastman I'm All Over It
"Sunshine" George Canyon Better Be Home Soon
"Tell Me a Lie" The Downtown Fiction Let's Be Animals
"Every Other Memory" Eli Young Band Life at Best Chris DeStefano, Josh Kear
"Nothing Without You" Committed Committed
"Alone With You" Jake Owen Barefoot Blue Jean Night Shane McAnally, J.T. Harding
"Honestly" Kelly Clarkson Stronger Tom Shapiro, Robert Marvin
2012 "I Hope You're Listening to the Radio" Lucie Evans I Hope You're Listening to the Radio
"What a Song Can Do" Rachel Crow Rachel Crow Gerald O'Brien, Jackie Wilson
"Underneath" Adam Lambert Trespassing Adam Lambert, Tom Shapiro, Josh Crosby
"Runnin' " Adam Lambert, David Marshall, Fred Williams, Robert Marvin
"Goodbye California" Jana Kramer Jana Kramer Jana Kramer, Josh Crosby, Leslie Roy
"Whiskey" Sam Mizer
"Why Ya Wanna" Ashley Gorley, Chris DeStefano
"Last Supper" Edens Edge Edens Edge Hannah Blaylock
"Amen" Skip Black, Hannah Blaylock, Gerald O'Brien
"Roots" Cherrill Green, Skip Black
2014 "Just Another Song" Lucy Hale Road Between Mike Daly, Lucy Hale
"Love" Jana Kramer TBD
"Fight" Gloriana TBD
"Baseball Cap" John King TBD
2015 "To the Moon" Ashley Clark Greyhound EP
"Day Before Temptation" The SteelDrivers The Muscle Shoals Recordings
"XO" Kelsea Ballerini The First Time Kelsea Ballerini, Gerald O'Brien
"Bullet" Jana Kramer Thirty One Jana Kramer, Martin Frederiksen
"Don't Touch My Radio" Jana Kramer, Blair Daly
"Just Like in the Movies" Jana Kramer, Brian Keirulf
"Love" Jimmy Robbins

Other credits

Vocal production

Label Artist Song Album Year
Interscope Records Sons of Sylvia "John Wayne" Revelation 2010
"Ghost Town" 2010
"The War Within" 2010
Warner Bros. Jana Kramer "Why Ya Wanna" Jana Kramer 2012
"Whiskey" 2012
"Goodbye California" 2012
RCA Adam Lambert "Underneath" Trespassing 2012
Epic Cher Lloyd "Human" Sorry I'm Late 2014

TV/Placements

One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives, Nashville, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Jay Leno Show, CMT Music Awards, ACA Awards, The Next: Fame is at Your Doorstep, Opry Live, The Singing Bee, Home for the Holidays 2012 CBS Special, The Fosters, Vanderpump Rules, etc

References

  1. "Catt Gravitt signs with Razor and Tie 2008". Sesac.com. March 25, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "SESAC Songwriter of the Year 2012". Sesac.com. October 29, 2012.
  3. Dave Paulson (October 28, 2012). "SESAC Nashville Music Awards honor top songs, songwriters of 2012". The Tennessean. Gannett. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Catt Gravitt". Razor & Tie Music Publishing. Razor & Tie Direct L.L.C. 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  5. Peter Cronin (2012). "Catt Gravitt: Sweet Sound Of Success". SESAC. SESAC. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  6. "Music News – Natalie Grant Headlines Third Annual Christmas Tour". 1 Cubed. November 14, 2007.
  7. "Dove Awards nominations announced". SESAC. SESAC. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  8. "GMA Dove Nominations!!!". Natalie Grant. Natalie Grant. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  9. "SESAC's Catt Gravitt Signs With Razor and Tie Music & OWM/19 Entertainment". Sesac.net. March 25, 2008.
  10. "Catt Gravitt has signed with Razor & Tie Publishing". Allaccess.com.
  11. "Adam Lambert's 'Trespassing': A track-by-track review". Content.usatoday.com. May 15, 2012.
  12. "Publishing Pics". MusicRow. April 10, 2012.
  13. "CATO: Gerald O'Brien & Catt Gravitt – Songwriter". Music180.com.
  14. "News : Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Other Acts React to ACM Nominations". CMT. March 8, 2006.
  15. Relentless, Natalie Grant – Billboard Chart History
  16. Alone With You, Jake Owen Billboard Chart History
  17. "Jake Owen "Alone With You" certified GOLD by RIAA". Sonymusicnashville.com.
  18. Stronger, Kelly Clarkson Billboard Album Chart History
  19. "SESAC recognizes writer/publisher Grammy nominations". Sesac.com. December 6, 2012.
  20. Billboard 2012 Year End Charts – Adult Contemporary Artists Archived May 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  21. "Jana Kramer breaks Taylor Swift record". Allaccess.com. October 11, 2012.
  22. mikemnrr. ""Why Ya Wanna" – Jana Kramer; Certified GOLD by RIAA". Janakramer.com.
  23. US Billboard 2012 Year End Charts – Country Songs Archived May 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  24. "Adam Lambert Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'Trespassing'". Billboard.
  25. "Latest Look at Adam's Worldwide Success With 'Trespassing'". The Official Adam Lambert Site.
  26. "Music Row Awards – 2012 Final Nominations" (PDF). Docs.google.com.

External links

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