Griggs releases song remembering Sandy Hook children
Monday, January 7, 2013 – Andy Griggs and hit songwriter Bobby Pinson penned a song dedicated to the families of those affected by the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Proceeds from 20 Little Angels sung by Griggs will be donated to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund managed by the United Way of Western Connecticut.
Griggs and Pinson were grief stricken over the incident. Griggs wrote on his Facebook account, "My eyes have been raining all afternoon. Twenty Little Angels tells of the tragedy and asks questions we all have asked and want to know. How did these sweet, pure, innocent children get 'caught up in someone else's hell?' We do believe these little angels are in heaven now so we tried to put things in perspective by sharing our personal feelings to calm our anger and soothe our grief by writing a song that would bring comfort to us and to all affected by this tragedy."
"There's not enough that can be done for this cause but by downloading this song, everyone's small contribution can make a big difference to the families of these Twenty Little Angels," he said.
The song will be available for download, via iTunes, this week.
"United Way says there will be no fees for the administration of this project," said Griggs. "Even credit card companies have waived their fees for credit transactions benefiting this cause."
The pair met while signed with RCA Records. More than 40 of Pinson's songs found their way onto major albums and 6 were number 1 hits by Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Jason Aldean.
Griggs signed with RCA in 1998 and his first album and single by the same name "You Won't Ever Be Lonely" went number 1. He had three albums on RCA, and one on Montage before taking the leap to start his own label, Little Hannel Records.
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CD reviews for Andy Griggs
The Good Life
Andy Griggs tries awfully hard to be like the late Waylon Jennings, his friend and mentor, here. While this tougher than leather persona fit the hard as nails Jennings, it's not certain such a grizzled exterior is right for Griggs. For instance, "Tattoo Rose" and "You Can't Drive My Cadillac" are both lusty to the hilt. Is this really the same fresh-faced kid that gave us "She's More" and "You Won't Ever Be Lonely"?
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This I Gotta See
After two uneven albums that generated some modest hits, but no breakthroughs, Andy Griggs turned to veteran producer/guitarist Randy Scruggs for his third CD. The result is his strongest album yet-but alas, it's still not a knockout.
The Louisiana native's voice is front and center on the new release, and that's as it should be; he's got one of the most distinctive voices in country music today. Scruggs' production also comes through big-time on such numbers as the opening title track and the »»»
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Freedom
Andy Griggs' new album presents us with a man you might not hesitate to have a beer with, but it doesn't make him out to be someone you'd likely consider for elected office. He sings with a thick and warm vocal tone, but his songs - many of which he co-wrote - throw out clich+ after clich+, much like a friendly stranger with a loose tongue down at the end of the bar. Keys to a happy life are so basic, even a simpleton backwoods farmer can comprehend them. "Practice Life," his big, blustery balled »»»
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Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left –
Despite the fact that Tim McGraw is five years sober, fit as a triathlete and touring behind a number one album, he is still in an unenviable position. As he approaches 50, McGraw has to stay a step ahead of the current crop of young country hunks with TV shows, cross format radio airplay and wider appeal. But as he proved at First Niagara's... »»»
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