Travis Tritt performs at Charlie Daniels 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam at Bridgestone Arena on Nov, 30, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn.
One of the most versatile careers in the past thirty years of country music history has been that of Travis Tritt. After breaking onto the scene with his first hit just a few months before the 1980s faded into the past, the singer established a career that balanced sentimental ballads with uptempo tracks that highlighted his Southern Rock heritage.
What makes a classic Travis Tritt song? You combine the simple emotion of a true romantic balladeer such as a Kenny Rogers or a Lionel Richie, throw in a dash of the down-home Country sound of George Jones, and add a little bit of Allman Brothers swagger, and you have the ingredients for what has become one of the most successful careers in country music history! Here are ten moments of Travis Tritt’s career that definitely rank as "Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof."
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10. Travis Tritt - "Drift Off To Dream"
This dreamy and romantic ballad provided Tritt a chance to show how effective he could be with a performance from the heart. In the winter of 1991, this became the fifth single from his successful debut disc Country Club.
9. Travis Tritt - "The Best Of Intentions"
As the 90’s faded into the 2000's, Tritt decided to change record labels, leaving his longtime home of Warner Brothers for a new recording deal with Columbia. The song boosted his chart numbers, returning him to the top of the charts for the first time in six years with an emotional performance about a man who hadn’t always achieved his goals with his lover, but he had done the best he could.
8. Travis Tritt - "It’s A Great Day To Be Alive"
The Darrell Scott composition was simple and to the point -- to rejoice in the little things. Tritt turned in a joyous performance on the song, which was the second single from his excellent Down The Road I Go, and the result was a song that just narrowly missed the top of the Country charts, and gave the singer one of his three appearances inside the Top-40 of the Hot 100.
7. Travis Tritt - "Country Club"
The debut single from Tritt turned the Country Music world on its' ear when it was released in the late summer of 1989. The song took off at radio instantly, and proved to be one of the biggest Travis Tritt songs at retail -- all in an era where sales of singles were declining. The track proved to be quite the introduction for one of the format’s most unique song stylists.
6. Travis Tritt - "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde"
This story song captivated the fans’ attention when it was released in the winter of 2002. Tritt played his part of the balladeer with relative ease, and the song’s performance on the charts was aided by a memorable video starring Billy Bob Thornton, which definitely lent a little bit of empathy to the "bad guy" in the song.
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5. Travis Tritt - "More Than You'll Ever Know"
Tritt enjoyed a top ten hit with this powerful ballad in 1996, all about a man who was having difficulties conveying his emotions to his partner, but in spite of that fact that the emotions were hard to discuss, they were very much there. He handled the self-written lyrics with just the right amount of vulnerability.
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4. Travis Tritt - "Anymore"
The lyrics to this signature Travis Tritt song would have been enough to move this song up the charts. But, the video -- which depicted Tritt as a Vietnam veteran going through a stay at a rehabilitation clinic where his true love finds him -- sparked emotion with male and female fans alike, making one of his most enduring performances.
3. Travis Tritt - "Help Me Hold On"
After "Country Club" effectively launched Tritt’s career, he switched gears a bit, showing his versatility. Where his debut single had shown his humorous side, this 1990 release showed his proficiency with a ballad, becoming his very first number one hit in the process. The story of a man pleading with his love to stay with him in the relationship clicked with audiences, making for a cigarette lighter / cell phone moment at his shows.
2. Travis Tritt - "The Whiskey Ain’t Workin" (with Marty Stuart)
On paper, the combination may have shocked some inside the industry when the song was released in the fall of 1991. The Southern Rocker (Tritt) and the Bluegrass Boy (Stuart) combined their talents to etch out a partnership that was a hit from the start, making the pair the modern-day Waylon and Willie. To this day, one of the first questions that Tritt is asked is usually about Marty Stuart, and vice versa!
1. Travis Tritt - "Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)"
There weren’t that many "Kiss Off" songs in Country Music when the singer released this track as the lead single from his 1991 sophomore album It’s All About To Change in the spring of 1991. Radio jumped on this Travis Tritt song as soon as it was released, and his performance of the song on the 27th Annual Academy of Country Music awards that spring helped it to make an even quicker impact. But, the song is kind of dated. After all, who uses quarters in the phone anymore? With that in mind, the singer has been known to change the lyrics in concert to "Here’s an iPhone, Call someone who cares" -- a true sign of the times!