Veteran country entertainer Sammy Sadler is singing better than ever and he’s back with a brand new CD, and an ongoing commitment to making the very best music that he can. “I look for songs that speak to me,” says Sadler. “If I don’t believe in what I’m singing, there’s no way I can expect an audience to believe it, either.”
Sadler’s far-ranging and distinctive vocals should make instant believers out of listeners everywhere. Top-drawer songs, coupled with the able production of Jerry Cupit, make HEART SHAPED LIKE TEXAS a must-have CD for any country music fan. From the very first note of the up-tempo smash, “I Want To Be Loved By You,” it’s clear that Sammy Sadler still has the vocal chops that were the highlight of his previous disc, HARD ON A HEART. “I’m really excited by this project,” Sadler says. “I think it’s stronger in some ways than my last album, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.”
Sadler’s fans will certainly be pleased with the new music – and radio should embrace the CD as well. Sammy’s faith is firm and he hopes that this time around, he’ll find a permanent niche in the mainstream country marketplace. “Nashville’s changing all the time,” he said recently. “There are new faces and new labels everywhere you turn, and it is hard to connect sometimes.” Sadler, however, feels certain that the time for his music to be heard is now. “I’m not the 21-year old kid I once was,” he says. “I’ve grown as a man, and I don’t second-guess the paths my life has taken.”
Sadler has led an interesting - and sometimes challenging - life. Born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Texas, he is soft-spoken but intense; light-hearted yet full of faith. But most of all, Sammy Sadler is filled with music. Sadler enjoyed six charting singles on Evergreen Records before a tragic shooting left him injured, and killed his friend Kevin Hughes, in what would later become known as the “Murder on Music Row.” While determined to avoid allowing the incident to dictate his future, Sadler understands that it has nonetheless left an indelible mark on his life. “It will always be a part of who I am,” he observes. “But I survived. And I believe that there’s a reason that I’m still here – and I thank God for giving me that chance.” So heartfelt are Sammy’s beliefs that he, Cupit, and songwriter Jimmy Carr wrote “Thank God” as an acknowledgement of his conviction. “It was important to me to include the song on this project,” Sammy says. “It’s a spiritual song for me in a lot of ways, but really, anyone who’s had hard times can put themselves in those shoes and know there’s a reason that they’re still here.” Sadler believes his music is the reason he’s still among the living. “It’s been hard sometimes,” he admits. “But if I was a quitter, I would’ve quit a long time ago.”
“Quitting” isn’t a word that’s gets much use in Sadler’s vocabulary. He worked hard and recovered from his injuries and went on the road with his band Overdrive, touring the U.S. and Canada for nearly five years. They shared the bill with the top country acts of the day (Joe Diffie, Billy Dean, Toby Keith, Steve Wariner, Willie Nelson), and Sadler made several national television appearances as well (Country Music Television, Entertainment Tonight). Eventually, Sammy disbanded the group and walked away from two years’ worth of bookings because of management and personnel issues. “I loved performing,” he says. “But I wanted to make records.” And he did just that; working almost two years, to find the songs and record his 2004 release, HARD ON A HEART.
Radio embraced Sammy, and the CD enjoyed commercial success while generating intense media interest in the singer and his story. Sammy put together a new band and toured throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana throughout 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he and producer Cupit teamed up and began the song search, and laying the groundwork for HEART SHAPED LIKE TEXAS. Sadler’s distinctive tenor rules heart and soul on each of the 11 cuts that comprise the disc, and standout tracks include the tender ballad, “I’ll Always Have Denver,” the hooky title track, and the groove-oriented, radio-friendly, can’t-get-it-out-of-your head, “Trying To Get The Girl.”
“I’ve got new management in place with Joe Bob Barnhill and Doug Deforest,” Sammy says. “And I believe they’re gonna make the difference – and make this thing happen.” Sadler has the talent and desire. Here’s hoping that God - and Nashville - give him the chance he deserves. Like the song says, this time he wants it all:
“I want a big black Cadillac
Want to ride my train on the fastest track
And wake up every mornin’ feelin’ brand new
I’ll take two one-way tickets to Paradise
And I wanna roll sevens when I roll the dice
But most of all, I wanna be loved by you” (Teeters/Nelson)
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