BRANDON HEATH
Best Song, “Give Me Your Eyes”Best Song Runners-up:2. Family Force 5, “Radiator”3. Jeremy Camp, “There Will Be a Day”
Profile By Matt Conner
Explaining Brandon Heath’s popularity comes down to basic math. Two albums equal four Dove Award wins, two GRAMMY nominations and a hit single that stays No. 1 from August until December. In fact, the past year saw the Nashville resident (born and raised) stake a claim to just about every level of acclaim possible.
Heath’s “Give Me Your Eyes” from his latest album, What If We (Reunion), gave last year’s GMA winner for “New Artist of the Year” a bona fide smash hit and a “ccm” classic. And apparently CCM readers continue to love the song, making it your pick for “Best Song” in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Here, Brandon tells us what he does with his awards and whose eyes he would choose if given the choice.
FAVORITE SONG
My most favorite song that I've written is called “Soldier.” I’ve not recorded it yet, but Bebo Norman recorded it on his record called
Try. It has some sentimental value, too.
GIVE ME YOUR EYES
Hmm… Brooke Shields has always had beautiful eyes, but then if I took them I'd look like a girl, and she’d be blind; so she can keep them.
BEST GMYE REACTION
My favorite reactions are always the ones when people put together a dance routine and post it online. You should check them out on YouTube and Tangle.
FAN INTERACTION
I’ll be honest, I’m not great at MySpace or Facebook. I really prefer face-to-face interaction. I always stay to the end of the signing line after every show. At least I get a few minutes with folks. I’m thankful and blown away by what God is doing with my life. I never imagined it like this.
FANDAMONIUM
I get moms trying to introduce me to their daughters all the time. AWKWARD. I mean what do you say in a moment like that?!” OK, yeah, let’s get married. I have no idea who you are, but why not?!”
THE HEATH CONNECTION
People tell me all the time that it feels like I am telling their story. I think that’s just because I’m being honest with my own, and it shows how similar we all are with our struggles and our deepest needs. I write about relationships, too; certainly that is something we all can easily relate to.
BRANDON AS THE FAN
David Wilcox was one of my first favorite songwriters, and he still is. You should check him out. Anyway, I went to stand in line to one of his shows in Nashville one time. It was sold out, and I saw him walk in the front door. He asked me if I was coming to the show, and I said I hoped to but it was sold out. He pulled out his guitar and played me three songs right there in the parking lot. WOW! And I still made it in to see him that night.
MAKE WAY FOR THE DOVES
Well, for now, they are on a shelf at home. I left the very next morning [after the Dove Awards] for tour and haven’t been home. But when I get back they are going to my parent’s house. I am grateful, but I don’t do this for the awards.
For more information on Brandon Heath, visit brandonheath.net.
For a complete list of 2009 Readers’ Choice winners, log on to CCMmagazine.com/readerschoice09winners.
