Billy Currington photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

From small-town Son of the South to hot new artist to bona fide country star, Billy Currington has seen it all. In 2003 he burst onto the Nashville scene with his self-titled debut album, and proceeded to burn up the charts with Top Ten singles "I Got a Feelin’" and "Walk a Little Straighter." It wasn’t long before the legendary Shania Twain tapped him to be her duet partner in their smash hit "Party for Two". In the accompanying video, Billy swung from an enormous chandelier and straight into the hearts of Americans everywhere.

Billy got his start in Nashville after some of his songwriting work found its way to producer Carson Chamberlain, who promptly put one of Billy’s songs on hold. A few weeks later, Carson and Billy ran into each another at the Longhorn Steakhouse; as a result of their conversation that night, the boys got together and started penning songs. A handful of Currington-Chamberlain demos landed on the desk of Universal Music Group Nashville’s (UMGN) Chairman Luke Lewis, and Billy Currington’s dream of landing a record deal finally came true. In 2001, he signed on as an artist with Mercury Nashville, a division of UMGN.

Billy’s latest effort, Little Bit Of Everything, is just what it claims to be – a little bit of everything. The album showcases his talent for country with influences from R&B, pop and rock ’n’ roll over the span of eleven tracks, all produced by Billy and longtime collaborator Chamberlain. "Carson and I have been together since the beginning. We’re just a great team, and we work well together. He’s given me the opportunity to grow as a singer, songwriter and producer."

Billy's skill as an artist has definitely evolved. It’s evident from the album’s upbeat attitude, soaring vocals, and spot-on production that Billy has truly hit his stride, and the timing couldn’t be better. "I’d been on the road touring so much, I hadn’t had the chance to record anything. When a window of opportunity finally opened up earlier this year, I felt like it was the right time to go in and start making a new record."

Billy’s record kicks off with an exhilarating song about one of those rare, perfect days at the beach. The bright lyrics of "Swimmin’ In Sunshine" floats on a breezy, upbeat melody, and the joyfulness of the tune pretty much sets the tone for everything to come. The album is optimistically reflective, and in "Life & Love And The Meaning Of", Billy wonders "how boring this ol’ life would be if we had the answers to everything."

Little Bit Of Everything’s first single, "Don’t", is a soulful, relatable song about falling in love and cherishing every moment you have together. It’s a tune that speaks to the heart. Billy gives it his all, and his expressive voice soars through the chorus and compliments the song’s R&B feel with grace and warmth.

Billy Currington's 2008 CD, Little Bit of Everything. Photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

While the album reflects a variety of musical styles, it’s still a classic country record, and nothing drives this home like "That’s How Country Boys Roll." "I had to have a redneck song on here," said Billy. "I for sure wanted a really rockin’ good country song." And that’s exactly what it is, with lyrics about casting reels, singing in bars, and loving Mama and Jesus and Jones. It’s not hard to imagine cruising down the highway in a pickup truck with the windows down, this song blasting and singing along to the chorus.

The tracks Billy co-wrote, "Life & Love And The Meaning Of", "Every Reason Not to Go", "That’s How Country Boys Roll", "I Shall Return" and "No One Has Eyes Like You" are all standouts in their own right, but "No One Has Eyes Like You" holds a particularly dear place in his heart. "The lyrics of that song mean a lot to me, and I feel it has a great melody. It was one of the songs I started playing acoustically in many different places. Whether it was on the bus, or at a show somewhere - it just seemed to always go over well. As time went on people started requesting that song, and I knew it was something special."

Little Bit Of Everything showcases Billy’s many talents and his optimistic outlook on life. It’s evident that Billy is in a great place not only as a performer, but also as a songwriter and producer. "You know, I get asked a lot, ‘What’s your favorite thing to do? Writing the songs, going into the studio to record them, or doing live shows?’ And I can honestly say I love doing it all. They’re all fun. I can’t pick one over the others. I just feel so blessed and so lucky getting to do what I love."