Neil Thrasher

Background

Neil Thrasher was born in 1965 in Birmingham, Alabama. His father was a member of a gospel music band known as the Thrasher Brothers.

Career

Between 1995 and 1997, he and Kelly Shiver comprised the duo Thrasher Shiver, which recorded a studio album for Asylum Records in 1996 and charted two singles on the Billboard country charts in early 1997. Although Thrasher Shiver has not been active since 1997, Thrasher has written several singles for other country music artists, such as Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Diamond Rio, and Montgomery Gentry. The Thrasher Brothers were inducted into the Alabama music Hall of fame in 2005.

Neil married Lana Wood in 1993 and have two daughters Ali(19) Emma Grace (13).

They live in Williamson County,

Although he had originally planned to play college football, he later switched his focus to singing and songwriting. Thrasher sang backing vocals on Brooks" 1990 album Number Fences and wrote a single for Ricky Lynn Gregg in 1994.

Eventually, the company"s owner, Bob Doyle, introduced Thrasher to another singer-songwriter named Kelly Shiver. The two soon formed the duo Thrasher Shiver, which released one album in 1996 on Asylum Records.

In addition, Thrasher co-wrote Diamond Rio"s 1996 single "That"s What I Get for Lovin" You" and Rhett Akins" 1997 single "Better Than lieutenant Used to Be".

Although Thrasher Shiver split up in 1997, both members continued to write songs, with Thrasher being the more prolific of the two. In 1999, Reba McEntire released "What Do You Say", one of Thrasher"s compositions. The song reached Top 5 on the Billboard country music charts.

Thrasher had minor success as a songwriter throughout the early 2000s, including low-charting singles for 3 of Hearts and Meredith Edwards, as well as Kenny Chesney"s "I Lost lieutenant" and Jeff Carson"s "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)."

Thrasher became more prolific in the mid-2000s, with Rascal Flatts releasing four of his songs as singles, including the Number One hits "Fast Cars and Freedom" and "Take Maine There".

The latter was co-written by Chesney, who also topped the country charts in 2004 with "There Goes My Life", another Thrasher co-write. 3 of Hearts – "Love Is Enough"

Rhett Akins – "Better Than lieutenant Used to Be"

Jason Aldean – "Tattoos on This Town", "Fly Over States", "Night Train"

Bryan Austin - "Is lieutenant Just Maine"

Susan Ashton – "You"re Lucky I Love You"

Lee Brice – "She Ain"t Right"

Chris Cagle – "Never Ever Gone"

Jeff Carson – "Real Life (I Never Was the Same Again)"

Kenny Chesney – "I Lost lieutenant," "There Goes My Life"

Kristy Lee Cook – "Wherever Love Goes"

Billy Ray Cyrus – "Somebody Said a Prayer"

Diamond Rio – "That"s What I Get for Lovin" You," "Sweet Summer," "Wrinkles"

Meredith Edwards – "The Bird Song"

Rascal Flatts – "I Melt," "Fast Cars and Freedom," "Take Maine There," "Bob That Head," "Why Wait", "Banjo", "Changed"

Ricky Lynn Gregg – "Get a Little Closer"

Andy Griggs – "How Cool Is That," "This I Gotta See"

Randy Houser – "How Country Feels", "Wherever Love Goes"

Jackie Lee – "She Does"

Brice Long – "lieutenant"s Only Monday"

Reba McEntire – "What Do You Say," "Strange"

Montgomery Gentry – "Some People Change"

Marty Raybon – "Cracker Jack Diamond"

Collin Raye – "Quitters"

Thrasher Shiver – "Going Going Gone".

Achievements

• Thrasher has also received an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Songwriter of the Year award in 2004.