David Ball

David Alderman Ball (born July 9, 1953) is an American country music singer-songwriter and musician. Active since 1988, he has recorded a total of seven studio albums on several labels, including his platinum certified debut Thinkin' Problem. Fourteen of Ball's singles have entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His highest-peaking chart entries are 1994's "Thinkin' Problem" and 2001's "Riding With Private Malone", both of which peaked at No. 2.

Biography David Ball was born into a large musical family headed by his father, William "Billy" Ball, a Baptist minister, and his mother, Bessie Ball, a pianist. Later, he moved with his family to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where his father was pastor of Fernwood Baptist church. He eventually learned to play guitar after persuading his parents to buy him one. Having written his first song in seventh grade, he played it in a school talent show with a band he had formed, the Strangers. Afterwards, he played upright bass in various local youth groups and also the school orchestra. Together with friends, he took part in various bluegrass and country festivals in the Carolinas.

By the time Ball had left high school, he had a gig playing bass in Uncle Walt's Band, a trio headed by Walter Hyatt, who relocated to Austin, Texas, in the mid-1970s, in an attempt to make a mainstream breakthrough.

Ball subsequently focused on a solo career, moving to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to a publishing contract. Three singles for RCA Nashville in the late 1980s failed to provide a solo breakthrough, however, and a projected album was shelved and was not released until 1994. The experience did at least serve to introduce him to producer Blake Chancey, son of country producer Ron Chancey. In the spring of 1993, Chancey called Warner Bros. Records director Doug Grau on Ball's behalf.

A new recording contract followed. Thinkin' Problem, his debut album, was released on Warner Bros. Its title track served as the lead-off single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard country music charts and No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album, which received a platinum certification in the U.S., also produced the singles "When the Thought of You Catches Up with Me", "Look What Followed Me Home", "What Do You Want with His Love", and "Honky Tonk Healin'", although the latter two singles failed to make Top 40 on the country charts.

Ball recorded two more albums for the label – Starlite Lounge and Play – without much chart success. However, "Riding with Private Malone", from the 2001 album Amigo on the Dualtone label, reached a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts (now Hot Country Songs) chart, and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. This album failed to produce any other hits, however, and Ball exited Dualtone in 2002. Freewheeler followed in 2004, Heartaches by the Number in 2007 and Sparkle City in 2010.

In the 1995 album "Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles" David Ball's version of "I'll Follow The Sun" starts off the collection of Beatles songs by other artists.

Ball's "Thinkin' Problem" was parodied by Cledus T. Judd. Ball then appears in Judd's Shania Twain parody "If Shania Was Mine", standing behind the cameras and saying, "At least he's not picking on me this time."

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications(sales thresholds) US Country US CAN Country CAN David Ball Release date: November 22, 1989 Label: RCA Nashville — — — — Thinkin' Problem Release date: June 14, 1994 Label: Warner Bros. Nashville 6 53 3 55 US: Platinum CAN: Platinum Starlite Lounge Release date: June 25, 1996 Label: Warner Bros. Nashville 44 — — — Play Release date: July 31, 1999 Label: Warner Bros. Nashville 60 — 21 — Amigo Release date: October 2, 2001 Label: Dualtone Records 11 120 — — Freewheeler Release date: November 16, 2004 Label: Wildcatter — — — — Heartaches by the Number Release date: March 27, 2007 Label: Shanachie Records — — — — Sparkle City Release date: April 20, 2010 Label: Red Dirt/E1 — — — — The Greatest Christmas(as David Ball & The Pioneer Playboys) Release date: 2011 Label: self-released — — — — Come See Me Release date: September 7, 2018 Label: Public Records — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums Title Album details Super Hits Release date: July 18, 2000 Label: Warner Bros. Nashville Thinkin' Problem (25th Anniversary) Release date: September 18, 2019 Label: Omnivore

Singles

Music videos Year Video Director 1989 "Gift of Love"Jim May 1994 "Thinkin' Problem" O Pictures "When the Thought of You Catches Up with Me" Chris Rogers 1995 "Look What Followed Me Home" Martin Kahan "What Do You Want with His Love" Michael Salomon "Honky Tonk Healin'" David Ball 1996 "Circle of Friends" Steven T. Miller "Hangin' In and Hangin' On" Suzanne Gordon 1999 "Watching My Baby Not Coming Back" 2001 "Riding with Private Malone" Steve Schepman 2005 "Too Much Blood in My Alcohol Level" David Kiern 2010 "Hot Water Pipe"

Awards and nominations Grammy Awards 1995 "Thinkin' Problem" Best Male Country Vocal Performance TNN/Music City News Country Awards & CMT Flameworthy Awards 1995 David Ball Male Star of Tomorrow 2002 "Riding with Private Malone" Love Your Country Video of the Year Academy of Country Music Awards 1989

1995 Country Music Association Awards

David Ball Horizon Award "Thinkin' Problem" Song of the Year