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In 1984, Hornsby formed Bruce Hornsby and the Range, and the band was signed to RCA Records the following year. They released the song “The Way It Is” which made it to the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart in 1986. It has since been sampled by a handful of rap artists most notably, Tupac Shakur. When the album was released soon after, the album became a multi platinum selling album and was responsible for another top five hit entitled “Mandolin Rain”. The band would go on to win the Grammy Award for ‘Best New Artist’ in 1987.
“Scenes From the Southside” was a different slant, and a natural progression in the music that they made. It was released in 1988 and featured the single “The Valley Road”, which led the band to success, making it to number 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 in Canada. The album itself made it to number 5 in the Billboard 200 whilst 18 in the UK Album Chart. “A Night on the Town”, which was released in 1990 made it to number 20 in the US and number 23 in the UK.
April 6th 1993 saw the release of “Harbor Lights” an album released by Bruce Hornsby as an artist in his own right, going to number 46 in the Billboard 200 and 32 in the UK Albums Chart. It featured the single “Across the River” which peaked at number 18 in the US Chart and number 1 in Canada. Hornsby had a song “Set Me in Motion” feature on the original soundtrack of the film, Backdraft in 1991. Hornsby didn’t maintain the commercial success of his previous released after “Hot House” which was his last album to chart in the Billboard 200 chart. He has however had many releases as a collaborative effort with his contemporaries, and of course has the Grammy Awards on his shelf for ‘Best Bluegrass Album’ and ‘Best Pop instrumental Performance’.
An incredibly talented musician and a multi instrumentalist, Bruce Hornsby’s performances ranging from elements of classical piano, to jazz, right through to folk, and jam band are always something spectacular. The multi-genre musician has picked up many awards for his original fusion of styles, and is accredited for his talent internationally.
My favourite of all of his music has always been the incredible piano playing his offers to his audience. Live performances by Hornsby never disappoint, whether he’s behind the piano, on the banjo, or taking a solo vocal spot, the energy he brings to each craft is unique and passionate. The music is an innate part of his being, and his talent to translate it to a mesmerised crowd is something that few musicians are capable of.
Seeing Hornsby play with Ricky Skaggs is also an amazing element to his music. Their folk blend washes over the audience, and their playful puns with each other encourage the playful dynamic of the performances. As a live musician, Bruce’s talent resonates and empowers the spectators, and it is evident how much he enjoys his craft and ability to please a crowd. Don’t miss your chance to see one of the most talented musicians of this generation perform live.
I consider myself very lucky because I was one of the 800-900 fans that attended The Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers concert on Saturday July 5th 2014 at The Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in Wilmington NC. The crowd simply exploded when Bruce and his band opened up with a kickin' version of "Big Rumble" which was followed by two more songs to complete this opening medley. Not only is Bruce a phenominal piano player and an extremely talented musician, he is an all around nice guy as well. After delighting the crowd with the first few hits he broke into a pumped up "What A Time." Chessboxer, the outstanding opening act, were jammin' with him and The Noisemakers throughout the entire 1 hour and 45 minute set! He closed the set out with a rippin', burnin "White Wheeled Limosine." Not only did Bruce show us his skills on the piano but also on songs that he tore apart on the accordion and the dulcimer as well. The most amazing thing about the show for me and quite a few fans was that we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves singing and dancing right in front of the stage. I was informed that the show wasn't a sellout but you could have fooled me. I turned around numerous times to see everyone not only right in the center area standing but also it appeared that every seat was taken! This amphitheatre is certainly an awesome venue to see a show. One can choose to remain in their general admission seat that no one fought over or to stand in the area in front of the stage. If you weren't here I feel sorry for you because it was definitely a wonderful experience. But there is no excuse not to see Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers sometime in the near future.