Ricky Lynn Gregg

More than six years passed between Ricky Lynn Gregg's second album, Get a Little Closer, and his third, Careful What You Wish For. The long gap wasn't due to a lack of offers from record companies, but more to the lack of an offer that felt right to Gregg. He knew what he was looking for, and the offers that came his way didn't have it. He'd been coaxed along in the early years of his career in country music by Jimmy Bowen of Liberty Records, a Nashville subsidiary of Capitol. During the early '90s, Bowen was clearly committed to Gregg's success. His support and backing, coupled with the young musician's talent and drive, led to Gregg's eponymous debut in 1992, a second album two years later, and six music videos, five of which hit the Top Ten on Country Music Television. Dance clubs in 1993 helped drive the success of singles like "If I Had a Cheatin' Heart," "Can You Feel It," and "Three Nickels and a Dime." Billboard magazine put him in the number four spot on its list of Top New Country Artists that same year, and Performance magazine honored him with a nomination for Best New Country Act. Unfortunately, Gregg's professional affiliation with Bowen and Liberty ended in 1995, when Bowen developed thyroid cancer, dropped out of the business, and traded his seat on Nashville's Music Row for the warm sand and blue waters of Hawaii. Gregg headed home to Texas. It wasn't until 1997 that Gregg found another level of commitment to his music that was similar to Bowen's. Things started happening again for his career after he signed with manager Eddie Rhines, who also represented Confederate Railroad and George Jones. Rhines orchestrated a tour for his new client with Jones, and the shows helped Gregg build up his fan base once again. With Eddie Gore and Barry Beckett acting...