David Lee Murphy

Murphy was an artist who was a pioneer of the edgy, rocking style that now dominates modern country music. He developed his musical style as a teenager in Southern Illinois, studying the sounds of such “outlaw” country musicians as Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Southern rock bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers and Z.Z. Top, also deeply influenced his musical style.

He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1983 seeking a successful career in country music. Arriving in Nashville he was determined to fuse those influences into his own recording style. But when every label in town turned him down, he turned to writing songs for others and playing the honky-tonks of Middle Tennessee with his band.

“When I first came to Nashville, I didn’t realize that they didn’t have 20-year-old country singers. You had to be 40. You had to have some scars and some wrinkles and a little bit of age. You had to have some smoke and diesel dust on you.” (David Lee Murphy”)

With no record deals in sight, he concentrated on his songwriting, wanting to get better so he could write and record his own songs. He had a litlle band and his life for a few years was playing whereever he could and learning how to write songs.

Slowly, as he was getting known as a songwriter stars such as Reba McEntire to Dobie Gray began recording his songs.

Although he was spotted by GRAMMY-winning producer and MCA Nashville President Tony Brown a couple of years after moving to Nashville. It wasn’t until heard Murphy’s recording of a song 10 years later called “Just Once” and put it on the soundtrack of the 1994 rodeo movie 8 Seconds.  This led to the recording of Murphy’s debut album, 1995’s Out With a Bang. It yielded the massive hits “Party Crowd” and “Dust on the Bottle” and became a Gold Record.

Becoming an in-demand songwriter for such post-millennial country stars as Chesney, Aldean and Shelton, he has earned more than a dozen songwriting awards.
David Lee Murphy songs have been recorded by superstars Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Hank Williams Jr., Brooks & Dunn, Chris Young and many more.

Million-selling singer-songwriter David Lee Murphy had no plans to make a new record until a country superstar made them for him.
I’ve been friends and written songs with Kenny (Chesney) for years,” Murphy reflects. “I sent him some songs for one of his albums a couple of years ago, and he called me up. He goes, ‘Man, you need to be making a record. I could produce it with Buddy Cannon, and I think people would love it.’ It’s hard to say no to Kenny Chesney when he comes up with an idea like that.”

Platinum-selling country artist and prolific songwriter David Lee Murphy returns to recording with Reviver Entertainment Group. The man who defined country’s freewheeling spirit, will release No Zip Code on Reviver Records, produced by 8-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney and Buddy Cannon.