Andy Childs

Born and raised amid the vibrant music scene of Memphis, singer and guitarist Andy Childs began performing while still in his teens, taking on an entertainer role at a local amusement park. Although he pursued studies in music business at the University of Memphis, his drive to establish himself as a performer prompted him to tour as a keyboardist and musical director for artists such as the Shirelles, Del Shannon, and Lou Christie. At the same time he built a solo career, appearing at state fairs along with corporate events and conventions. A handful of tracks he cut for a modest hometown label drew regional attention after a pair of songs achieved local success, which in turn secured him a developmental arrangement with Sony in 1991. That arrangement ultimately stalled, yet Childs soon signed with RCA, issuing a self-titled album on the label in 1993. Despite an accomplished roster of session players and production handled by longtime Alabama mainstay Josh Leo, the release yielded only two modest country-chart entries, “I Wouldn’t Know” and “Broken.” Even high-profile tour slots alongside Clint Black and Collin Raye proved insufficient to propel the project forward. In the later years of the decade Childs served as a staff songwriter for EMI before teaming with fellow Nashville session and touring musicians to form the quintet Sixwire, whose debut album appeared in summer 2002.