Smith, "You" with Jane Krakowski, "Never Alone" with country group Lady A, "After All These Years" with Anne Cochran, and "Never Far Away" with Christian contemporary group Rush of Fools, among others. He has collaborated with artists from all genres with songs like "Love of My Life" with Michael W. The 2008 album Faith was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.īrickman composes a variety of music, and is known for his success in radio's adult contemporary format. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2003, an SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, and a Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration". In November 2005, three of Brickman's albums, The Disney Songbook (2005), Grace (2005) and Greatest Hits (2004), held the top three spots on Billboard's New Age chart. ĭuring his career, four albums have sold over 500,000 copies By Heart (1995), Picture This (1997), The Gift (1997), and Destiny (1999), qualifying them as Gold records in the United States. He later produced several other Christmas-themed albums, Peace (2003), Christmas Romance (2006), Homecoming (2007), and The Hymns and Carols of Christmas (2008) and his two albums Grace (2005) and Faith (2008) concentrated on arrangements of well-known Christian music. By the end of the year, Brickman issued the first of many Christmas CDs, The Gift, with the title song featuring Collin Raye and Susan Ashton, topping three different charts for this album, Brickman received a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association. In 1997, Brickman released the album Picture This, adding a vocal performance, " Valentine", sung by Martina McBride. The following year, the CD's title track, "By Heart", became his first top 20 adult contemporary (AC) hit. The songs "Angel Eyes" and "If You Believe" gained radio airplay from Brickman's second release, By Heart on the Windham Hill label in 1995. Musical career īrickman signed to Windham Hill Records in 1994 and released his first album, No Words featuring the song "Rocket to the Moon" which became his first solo instrumental to be ranked on the Billboard charts. In 1980, Brickman founded his own advertising music company called The Brickman Arrangement, writing commercial jingles for many companies across the country such as McDonald's, Pontiac, City of Cleveland, Ohio Lottery, and Isuzu. īrickman studied composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. Another high school friend named Meg Tippett convinced Brickman to join the Heights Youth Theatre as accompanist, which grew into four years as musical director. Together, they won a talent competition hosted by the WGCL "G98" radio station. He heard fellow student Anne Cochran sing in a musical, and introduced himself, asking her to join him in performing piano-vocal material.
He attended Shaker Heights High School, and he performed on piano with the high school orchestra. His Jewish parents took him to services at Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in nearby Beachwood, where Brickman was confirmed in his teens. īrickman was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and began playing piano at the age of five. Smith, Leslie Odom Jr., Martina McBride, Megan Hilty, Donny Osmond, Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John, Carly Simon, John Oates, Five for Fighting, Michael Bolton, Gerald Levert, Jane Krakowski, Richie McDonald, Mat & Savanna Shaw, and many others. īrickman has collaborated with Lady A, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, Michael W. Since 1997, he has hosted his own radio show, "The Jim Brickman Show", which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States. Four of his albums were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 1 on the New Age chart, and 16 of his songs reaching Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Billboard lists 22 of his albums reaching No. He won a Canadian Country Music Award, a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association, and was twice named Songwriter of the Year by SESAC. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums Peace (2003) for Best Instrumental, and Faith (2009) for Best New Age Album. James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host.