Tom Shapiro
Induction Year: 2008
Birth Name: Tom Shapiro
Birth Date:
Place of Birth: Kansas City, MO
Biography
Tom Shapiro's songwriting career is unparalleled in the history of Music Row. The statistics speak for themselves: Music Row magazine's Top Country Songwriter in 1995; CMA Trip Play award winner in 1995 and 1997: BMI Country Songwriter of the Year three times in a five year period ('93, '96, '97), and, amazingly, a fourth time in 2002; NSAI's first ever Songwriter of the Decade for the 90's; an incredible 23 #1 songs: and 50 Top Ten charted singles. In short, Tom Shapiro has mastered the art of the country song.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Tom was into movie music and was playing the piano by the time he was ten years old. After his senior year in high school Tom spent the summer at a French university, and his dorm met an Oklahoman who played his guitar a lot when he wasn't studying French. When his newfound friend explained that he was writing songs, Tom began to write with him. "That was my first real entry into the world of songwriting," he says.
Like many successful songwriters, his musical influences come from many places. Tom spent a year at Whittier College in California then moved to Boston University, where he majored in music and minored in English, a sure sign that he had songwriting in mind as a future vocation. He also spent a brief time teaching at the Berklee School of Music. In 1973 he helped found a school of contemporary music, but he wanted to write, not teach, so a year later he sold his share of the school and moved to L.A. There he made do with a variety of jobs, notably one at a dental lab in the San Fernando Valley where he ran teeth to dentists in the L.A. area.
Tom's first major publishing deal, with a company called Heath-Levy Music, yielded several pop cuts, including "You Come First At Last" by L.T. D and major cuts by Sister Sledge and Smokey Robinson. Country didn't cross his mind until he met Michael Garvin, who introduced him to the world of country songwriting. "We wrote about twenty songs," Tom recalls, "most as an exercise, but we did get five of them recorded, including one on George Strait's first album."
The songwriting grind began to wear Tom down so he quit for a while and took a job working in a large East L.A. music store. During his hiatus, George Benson cut a song called "Never Give Up On A Good Thing" which became an international smash. "Monday I got word that the song had been cut over the weekend," he says. "Tuesday I quit my job. Wednesday I packed my clothes, and Thursday I headed for Nashville because I was tired of L.A. and I knew I could get an advance on the Benson cut to keep my going in Nashville for a while."
In Nashville he signed with Tree International and before long was having hits with artists like Crystal Gayle, Eddie Raven, Lee Greenwood and Marie Osmond. Over the next few years with Tree, Terrace Music, and then Great Cumberland Music Group, he had a flood of number 1 hits, including "Your Heart's Not In It," recorded by Janie Fricke, Tanya Tucker's "Highway Robbery," and Lorrie Morgan's "Watch Me."
Things got even hotter for Tom Shapiro in the last decade when he got involved in producing. He co-produced and co-wrote Billy Dean's string of smashes, including "Only The Wind," "You Don't Count The Cost," and the #1, "If There Hadn't Been You." His expertise in the studio led to multi-genre production projects including the legendary Dusty Springfield.
Many of Shapiro's hits are no airplay standards and have led to multi-platinum careers for the artists. These include Kathy Mattea's "Walking Away A Winner," Neal McCoy's #1 "Wink," Randy Travis's "This Is Me," the Trisha Yearwood #1 "Thinkin' Bout You," the Collin Raye smash, "Somebody Else's Moon", the Terri Clark #1 "Better Things To Do," and the Tim McGraw #1 "She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart." In 1996, Tom wrote two songs with legendary performer Neil Diamond for his platinum country album, Tennessee Moon.
In 1998 Tom returned to Sony/ATV Tree Publishing and had the honor of placing "I Will Be There For You" on the award-winning Prince of Egypt soundtrack that was also a single by newcomer Jessica Andrews. In 1999, he enjoyed three consecutive #1's with Clay Walker's "You're Beginning To Get To Me," Terri Clark's "You're Easy On The Eyes," and Sara Evans' "No Place That Far." Tom began the millennium with another major accomplishment with NSAI named him the first ever 'Songwriter of the Decade' for the 90's. Tom had four top twenty singles in 2001, including Billboard Magazine's and ASCAP's Top Country Song of The Year, the 6-Week #1 by Brooks and Dunn, "Ain't Nothing Bout You."
Tom began 2002 with two consecutive top-ten singles - Joe Diffie's "In Another World," and Tracy Byrd's "Just Let Me Be In Love," and finished the year with two more #1 singles (Darryl Worley's "I Miss My Friend" and George Strait's "Living And Living Well") and a top-five success with Sara Evans' "I Keep Looking." He also gained a cover by pop sensation Jennifer Lopez, and cuts with Clay Walker, Trace Adkins, Gary Allan, and Tracy Byrd. Tom continued his success in 2003 with songs recorded by Mark Wills, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Montgomery Gentry and Lonestar.
In 2004, Tom Shapiro celebrated the milestone achievement of 50 Top Ten charted singles. He continued his dominance of the Country singles chart with two consecutive top-five singles ("Hot Mama" and "Perfect"), as well as his 22nd #1 with "If You Ever Stop Loving Me" by Montgomery Gentry. If you want to locate Tom Shapiro it's a safe bet that you can find him anytime and anywhere on the Country charts.
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Discography / Career Highlights
Catalog Highlights:
"A BOY LIKE YOU" TRICK PONY
"AIN'T NOTHIN' 'BOUT YOU" BROOKS & DUNN - #1 Hit
"ARE YOU EVER GONNA LOVE ME" HOLLY DUNN - #1 Hit
"B.Y.O.B." SISTER SLEDGE - Top 10 Hit
"BETTER THINGS TO DO" TERRI CLARK - #1 Hit
"DON'T STOP" WADE HAYES - Top 10 Hit
"DRINKIN' THINKIN'" ROBERT BACON
"HIGHWAY ROBBERY" TANYA TUCKER - #1 Hit
"HOLDIN' ON TO SOMETHIN'" JEFF CARSON - Top 10 Hit
"HOT MAMA" TRACE ADKINS - Top 10 Hit
"I COULD USE ANOTHER YOU" EDDIE RAVEN - Top 10 Hit
"I KEEP LOOKING" SARA EVANS - Top 10 Hit
"I MISS MY FRIEND" DARRYL WORLEY - #1 Hit
"I ONLY WANTED YOU" MARIE OSMOND - Top 10 Hit
"I WANT MY BABY BACK" MARK CHESNUT
"I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU" JESSICA ANDREW
"IF NOT THROUGH LOVING YOU YET" LOUISE MANDRELL - Top 10 Hit
"IF THERE HADN'T BEEN YOU" BILLY DEAN - #1 Hit
"IF YOU EVER STOP LOVING ME" MONTGOMERY GENTRY - #1 Hit
"IF YOU LOVED ME" TRACY LAWRENCE - #1 Hit
"IF YOUR HEART AIN'T BUSY TONIGHT" TANYA TUCKER - Top 10 Hit
"IN A NEW YOK MINUTE" RONNIE MCDOWELL - Top 10 Hit
"IN ANOTHER WORLD" JOE DIFFIE - Top 10 Hit
"IT WON'T BE ME" TANYA TUCKER - Top 10 Hit
"IT'S WHAT I DO" BILLY DEAN - #1 Hit
"JUST LET ME BE IN LOVE" TRACY BYRD - Top 10 Hit
"LIVING AND LIVING WELL" GEORGE STRAIT - #1 Hit
"LOVE TALKS" RONNIE MCDOWELL - Top 10 Hit
"LOVING EVERY MINUTE" MARK WILLS
"MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED" JO DEE MESSINA - #1 Hit
"NEVER GIVE UP ON A GOOD THING" GEORGE BENSON - Top 10 Hit
"NO PLACE THAT FAR" SARA EVANS - #1 Hit
"NOTHIN' NEW UNDER THE MOON" TOM SHAPIRO - Top 10 Hit
"OH, ME OH MY SWEET BABY" DIAMOND RIO - Top 10 Hit
"ONLY LOVE CAN SAVE ME NOW" CRYSTAL GAYLE - Top 10 Hit
"ONLY THE WIND" BILLY DEAN - Top 10 Hit
"ONLY WHEN I LOVE" HOLLY DUNN - #1 Hit
"PERFECT" SARA EVANS - Top 10 Hit
"SAY NO MORE" CLAY WALKER
"SHE DON'T TELL ME TO" MONTGOMERY GENTRY
"SHE NEVER LETS IT GO TO HER HEART" TIM MCGRAW - #1 Hit
"SOMEBODY ELSE'S MOON" COLLIN RAYE - Top 10 Hit
"SOMEDAY" HOLLY DUNN - Top 10 Hit
"THAT AIN'T MY TRUCK" RHETT AKINS - #1 Hit
"THAT GIRL'S BEEN SPYIN' ON ME" BILLY DEAN - Top 10 Hit
"THE FACE OF GOD" BILLY RAY CYRUS
"THINKIN' ABOUT YOU" TRISHA YEARWOOD - #1 Hit
"THIS IS ME" RANDY TRAVIS - Top 10 Hit
"TOUCH AND GO CRAZY" LEE GREENWOOD - Top 10 Hit
"WALKING AWAY A WINNER" KATHY MATTEA - Top 10 Hit
"WATCH ME" LORRIE MORGAN - #1 Hit
"WE BOTH WALK" LORRIE MORGAN - Top 10 Hit
"WHEN BOY MEETS GIRL" TERRI CLARK - #1 Hit
"WINK" NEAL MCCOY - #1 Hit
"YOU DON'T REALLY COUNT THE COST" BILLY DEAN - Top 10 Hit
"YOU REALLY HAD ME GOING" TOM SHAPIRO - #1 Hit
"YOU'RE BEGINNING TO GET TO ME" CLAY WALKER - #1 Hit
"YOU'RE EASY ON THE EYES" TERRI CLARK - #1 Hit
"YOUR HEART'S NOT IN IT" JANIE FRICKE - #1 Hit
Album Cut Artist
"A BETTER IDEA" DIAMOND RIO
"A LITTLE AT A TIME" JOANNA JANET
"A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH YOU" REBECCA LYNN HOWARD
"A BOY LIKE YOU" TRICK PONY
"ABOVE IT ALL" THE LARKINS
"AIN'T NOTHIN' 'BOUT YOU" BROOKS & DUNN
"AND THERE WAS YOU" TRACE ADKINS
"AND YET" TOMMY SHANE STEINER
"BEING HUMAN" MICHAEL PETERSON
"BETTER THAN I DESERVE" DARRYL WORLEY
"CAN'T STOP MY HEART" BROOKS & DUNN
"COLD KISSES" STEVE HOLY
"CORRECT ME IF I'M RIGHT" KEVIN DENNEY
"DRINKIN' THINKIN'" LUKE STRICKIN
"HOT MAMA" TRACE ADKINS
"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT" MARK WILLS
"I CAN'T DO IT ALL" TY HERNDON
"I GOTTA KNOW" COLEY McCABE
"I KEEP LOOKING" SARA EVANS
"I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT" LINDA DAVIS
"I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT" COLLIN RAYE
"I MISS MY FRIEND" DARRYL WORLEY
"I THINK I LIKE IT HERE" RICKY VAN SHELTON
"I WANNA THANK EVERYONE" BUDDY JEWELL
"I WANT MY BABY BACK" MARK CHESNUTT
"I WANT TO BE WITH YOU" LEANN RIMES
"I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU" JESSICA ANDREWS
"I WISH IT WAS YOU" TRACE ADKINS
"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY" CHAD BROCK
"I'M IN THE MOOD" CLAY WALKER
"IF I DIDN'T LOVE YOU STILL" JENNIFER HANSON
"IF NOT YOU" JO DEE MESSINA
"IF YOU EVER STOP LOVING ME" MONTGOMERY GENTRY
"IN ANOTHER WORLD" JOE DIFFIE
"JUST LET ME BE IN LOVE" TRACY BYRD
"LIE BEFORE YOU LEAVE" MONTGOMERY GENTRY
"LIVE TO LOVE ANOTHER DAY" JOE DIFFIE
"LIVING AND LIVING WELL" GEORGE STRAIT
"LOVING EVERY MINUTE" MARK WILLS
"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME" JESSICA ANDREWS
"MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED" JOE DIFFIE
"MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED" JO DEE MESSINA
"MY SIDE OF THE MIDDLE" GARY NICHOLS
"NEW JERUSALEM"
"NO PLACE THAT FAR" WESTLIFE
"NO PLACE THAT FAR" SARA EVANS
"OH MOON" DOUG STONE
"ON A GOOD DAY" BLAKE SHELTON
"ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS" TRACE ADKINS
"ONE MORE ROLL OF THE DICE" BROOKS AND DUNN
"OUCH" SAMMY KERSHAW
"PAIN TO KILL" TERRI CLARK
"PERFECT" SARA EVANS
"SAY NO MORE" CLAY WALKER
"SHE DOESN'T KNOW SHE'S GOT IT" BLAKE SHELTON
"SHE DON'T TELL ME TO" MONTGOMERY GENTRY
"SOME DAY I'M GONNA FINISH LEAVING" TRACY LAWRENCE
"SOMEWHERE I WANNA GO" TRACY BYRD
"SUMMER TIME" LONESTAR
"THAT GETS ME" LONESTAR
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT" JOHN MICHAEL MONGOMERY
"THE FACE OF GOD" BILLY RAY CYRUS
"THE MOMENT BEFORE I MET YOU" BROOKS & DUNN
"THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS" ERIKA JO
"THIS IS THAT" MIKE WALKER
"'TIL I SAID IT TO YOU" REBA MCENTIRE
"WHAT YOU AIN'T GONNA GET" LAUREN LUCAS
"WHY SHOULD I CARE" SARA EVANS
"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME LOVE" JESSICA ANDREWS
"WILD" LONESTAR
"YOU FEEL GOOD" TRACY BYRD
"YOU GET USED TO SOMEBODY" TIM MCGRAW
"YOU GOT MY LOVE" KORTNEY KAYLE
"YOU LOOK GOOD IN MY SHIRT" KEITH URBAN - #1 Hit
"YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT" CHRIS CAGLE
"YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY" SARA EVANS