Jeffery Wayne "Jeff" Bates
(born September 19, 1963 in Bunker Hill, Mississippi) is an American country music artist. Signed to RCA Records in 2003, Bates released his debut album Rainbow Man
that year. A second album, Leave the Light On
, was released in 2005 on RCA, but he left the label in 2006. This album was followed by Jeff Bates
in 2008 on the independent Black River Music Group. Bates' two RCA albums accounted for seven chart singles on the Billboard
country charts, of which three reached top 40: "The Love Song" (his highest, at #8), "I Wanna Make You Cry" at #23, and "Long, Slow Kisses" at #17.
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JEFF BATES TICKETS
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Biography
Jeff Bates was born in Bunker Hill, Mississippi. When Bates was three months old, he was given up by his biological mother and adopted by a
sharecropping family. In the early 2000s, he spent time in jail for grand larceny. He had started stealing from friends to pay for an 18-month addiction to methamphetamine.
[1] He went through
withdrawal in a jail cell and credits prayer and a
12-step program for staying clean. He has co-written a number of songs with Kenny Beard. While in jail, Bates called Beard to let him know where he had pawned Beard's favorite guitar for drug money.
Musical career
Rainbow Man
Before signing to a record contract, Bates co-wrote
Tracy Lawrence's 2002 single "What a Memory". Bates signed to
RCA Records Nashville in 2003, releasing his debut single, "
The Love Song" that year. Peaking at #8 on the
Billboard
country charts, it was the first of three singles from his debut album
Rainbow Man
,
which also produced a #47 in its title track and a #23 in "I Wanna Make You Cry". Bates co-produced the album with
David Malloy, Kenny Beard, and
Scott Hendricks.
Leave the Light On
His fourth single, "Long, Slow Kisses", was a re-recording of a cut from his debut album. This re-recording was the third Top 40 hit of his career, peaking at #17 in 2005. It was also the first of four singles from his second album,
Leave the Light On
.
However, none of the other three singles from this album — "Good People", "No Shame" and "One Second Chance" — reached Top 40, and Bates was dropped from RCA's roster.
Jeff Bates
He signed to Black River Music Group in 2008 and released his
self-titled third album. The album's first three singles were "Don't Hate Me for Lovin' You", "Riverbank", and "One Thing". The video for "Don't Hate Me For Loving You" reached #1 on CMT Pure Country's 12 Pack Countdown and GAC Top 20 Countdown. The "One Thing" video also reached number one on CMT Pure Country's 12 Pack Countdown.
Personal life and charitable efforts
In August 2006, a $3,500 guitar that was a gift to Bates from the
Takamine guitar company and used in his video "One Second Chance" was stolen from Bates' garage. When Bates called the
Nashville police, Det. Rick Mavity was sent to investigate. Mavity was the same officer involved in Bates' arrest. Mavity located the stolen guitar in a
pawn shop and returned it to Bates.
Bates has been active in his works of compassion, collecting for organizations such as
Toys for Tots and others. In 2005, a concert in
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, raised $25,000 for
Hurricane Katrina relief in his home area.
In May 2007, Bates married his wife, Kelly, in an outdoor ceremony. A year later, he signed to Black River Music Group and released his self-titled third album.
Discography
Studio albums
Year
| Album
| Chart Positions
|
US Country
| US
| US Heat
| US Indie
|
2003
| Rainbow Man
- Released: May 20, 2003
- Label: RCA Nashville
| 14
| 117
| 1
| —
|
2006
| Leave the Light On
- Released: April 11, 2006
- Label: RCA Nashville
| 12
| 62
| —
| —
|
2008
| Jeff Bates
- Released: April 8, 2008
- Label: Black River
| 32
| —
| —
| 37
|
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or wasn't released.
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Singles
Year
| Single
| Chart Positions
| Album
|
US Country
| US
|
2003
| "The Love Song"
| 8
| 59
| Rainbow Man
|
"Rainbow Man"
| 47
| —
|
2004
| "I Wanna Make You Cry"
| 23
| —
|
2005
| "Long, Slow Kisses"
| 17
| 105
| Leave the Light On
|
"Good People"
| 42
| —
|
2006
| "No Shame"
| 45
| —
|
"One Second Chance"
| 59
| —
|
2008
| "Don't Hate Me for Lovin' You"
| —
| —
| Jeff Bates
|
"Riverbank"
| —
| —
|
2009
| "One Thing"
| —
| —
|
"—" denotes the single failed to chart or wasn't released.
|
Music videos
Year
| Video
| Director
|
2004
| "I Wanna Make You Cry"
| Steven L. Weaver
|
2005
| "Good People"
| Roman White
|
2006
| "One Second Chance"
| Deaton-Flanigen Productions
|
2008
| "Don't Hate Me For Lovin' You"
| Ryan Smith
|
2009
| "One Thing"
|
References
- Jeff Bates biography