On July 12, 1983, the first of The Band Perry trio was Kimberley Marie Perry, followed by Reid Hogan Perry on November 17, 1988, and finally Neil Clark Perry on July 23, 1990. The trio is related to baseball author and journalist, Dayn Perry of the San Diego Padres fame. At first, Kimberley’s younger brothers worked as her roadies for her own music band, as well as opened up as the act known as Mobile Music Machines.
The trio then united as The Band Perry and joined the New Faces of Country Tour in 2005. They were then discovered in 2008 by Garth Brooks’ manager, Bob Doyle. Through his help, the siblings signed with the brand new record label, Republic Nashville in 2009. From there, The Band Perry produced a self-titled extended play (EP) on April 6, 2010. It was soon followed up with a self-titled debut album released on October 12, 2010, then the second studio album, Pioneer, on April 2, 2013. The Band Perry album proved to be a commercial success as it became certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Music Canada (MC). Pioneer also became certified, this time gold, by the same two music industry organizations.
Shortly after releasing the second studio album, The Band Perry streamed through the independent label, Big Machine, as an EP simply titled Spotify Sessions. This occurred over the stretch of 2013 before releasing another EP on April 3, 2018, also through Big Machine. Titled From the Vault: 2010–2013, it served as a compilation of the trio’s previous recording work. The fourth and final EP recorded by The Band Perry was Coordinate, which was released on September 21 of the same year. Just like the EP that was released a few months before, it was made available as a digital download. However, instead of Big Machine as the label, it was ARTRAT, which is their own in-house label.
In addition to an already impressive discography in such a short time span, the Perry siblings have also engaged in a number of charitable causes, including the coverage of a mother and eight children that were killed in a house fire in 2014 near Greenville, Kentucky. In addition to paying for the funeral, they also covered all the hotel expenses while the father and surviving daughter were still at the hospital, still recovering from burns and injury.
Top 10 Songs From The Band Perry
#10 – Chainsaw
Originally, “Chainsaw” was recorded by Matthew Ramsey with his band, Old Dominion. It was also recorded by The Band Perry, which released it on March 3, 2014. It was the fourth and final single from their second studio album, Pioneer. The song’s subject portrayed the jilted narrator, Kimberly Perry, to take it upon herself to use a chainsaw to cut down a tree that had her initials on it, along with the love interest that betrayed her. The fierceness behind the trio’s performance caused the music critics to see the Perry siblings in a whole new, yet appreciative light.
#9 – Live Forever
In 2015, “Live Forever” was released as a non-album single and reached as high as number twenty-seven on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart and at number twenty-nine on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also peaked at number thirty-two on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and at number thirty on Billboard Canada’s Country chart. “Live Forever” was big and vivid, like an anthem taking in the appreciation of living life to its fullest potential.
For The Band Perry, this has been their trademark, as a family and as recording artists. The inspiration behind this song was so great that it was chosen by the U.S.A. Team of the 2016 Summer Olympics that were held in Brazil.
#8 – Postcard from Paris
Released in March 2012, “Postcard from Paris” was the fifth and final single from The Band Perry’s self-titled debut album. It had been cited by music critics as a beautiful song to spell out love, which has them agree when Kimberley Perry sings in a vulnerable state, this is when she is at her best as a singer. On the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, “Postcard from Paris” peaked at number six and charted at number sixty on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, the single reached number twenty-five on its Billboard country chart.
#7 – Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
With the RIAA, the vulnerable ballad, “Don’t Let Me Lonely,” became a certified gold hit which made it the eighth time in a row a released single from The Band Perry would earn a certification from the RIAA. It was the third single from the trio’s second studio album, Pioneer. On the music charts, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” peaked as high as number one on the Billboard Canada Country chart and at number two on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart. On the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it climbed as high as number nine and it also made an appearance at number fifty-nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
#6 – Gentle on My Mind
“Gentle on My Mind” was originally performed by John Hartford, then by Glen Campbell, both in 1967. Both versions of this single earned Grammy Award wins in 1968. For Hartford, he won Best Country & Western Song and Best Folk Performance. For Campbell, it was for Best Country & Western Solo Performance, Male, and Best Country & Western Recording.
For Hartford, the inspiration from the song came from watching an episode of the science fiction classic, Doctor Zhivago, along with his wife and son. He combined the show’s influence with his personal experiences to come up with a song that depicted the feel of entrapment in a situation he no longer wished to be a part of. This song not only inspired Glen Campbell but by 1968 it had been covered by approximately fifty different artists. In 2014, for the Band Perry, it was their song of choice to be featured on the tribute album, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me.
Their version charted as high as number twenty-nine on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart and at number thirty-five on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also won a Grammy Award in 2015 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. When Glen Campbell died in August 2017, the sales of his hit single surged by six thousand percent.
#5 – All Your Life
Released in August 2011 from The Band Perry’s debut album, “All Your Life” managed to peak at the top of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and US Billboard Country Airplay Songs, despite music critics suggesting any artist could have performed this single. However, the fans still loved the song enough to either download or purchase enough copies to certify it platinum with the RIAA.
It was also a number thirty-seven hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and a number six hit on Billboard Canada Country. Kimberley’s vocal delivery of declaring herself as the only girl in her love interest’s life came at a time when the energy of youth was still very much a part of her life, as well as her brothers. It showed, not just in this single, but throughout the entire self-titled album that turned the trio into what may seem like instant stars in the music industry.
#4 – Done
The second of four singles from The Band Perry’s second album, Pioneer, was “Done.” On the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, it peaked at number one and was a number eight hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In Canada, it also peaked at number one on its country chart. The US Billboard Hot 100 charted “Done” at number forty-three as the sixth song in a row that became a crossover hit for the Perry trio.
It also earned a platinum certification from the RIAA and a Group Video of the Year at the 2014 CMT Music Awards. Loaded with attitude and sass, “Done” had been critically acclaimed as a concert ticket seller that could get the audience to get up and dance as the temperamental performance of Kimberly Perry that definitely seemed to be on fire with this song. This also served as the fifth occasion a single produced by The Band Perry became certified platinum with the RIAA.
#3 – You Lie
The third of five singles released from The Band Perry’s debut album, “You Lie” peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and US Billboard Country Airplay charts in 2011. As a narrator angered by the betrayal of her husband’s infidelity and lies, Kimberly laid out a powerful performance that saw at the bridge of the song throw the wedding ring into the river in a similar manner he threw away their marriage. Part of the humor behind what critics felt was among the more mature singles on the album, was the use of similes to describe her cheating husband’s deceitful ways.
#2 – Better Dig Two
“Better Dig Two” was the first single that came from the album, Pioneer. In 2012, it topped the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, and on Billboard Canada Country. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it charted as high as number twenty-eight. With the RIAA, this single also became a double-platinum seller. The lyrical tale performed by Kimberly Perry focused on informing her love interest if he died before her, she will be buried next to him. However, if he betrays her, she’ll kill him herself, then end her own life as the betrayal would be too much for her to bear. “Better Dig Two” really struck home the reality infidelity would not be tolerated, nor a separating of the ways caused by anything other than death.
#1 – If I Die Young
“If I Die Young” was the big breakout hit for The Band Perry, which has ultimately become the signature song the trio is best known for. On the US Billboard charts of Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and Adult Contemporary, it peaked at number one. It also became a number fourteen hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned international success by charting as high as number eight on Canada’s Country Singles chart and on the UK Singles Chart at number eighty-two.
“If I Die Young” also became a seven-time certified platinum seller with the RIAA, as well as earning platinum with Music Canada, and silver with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Country music at its finest, yet versatile enough to cross into the pop charts, the heartfelt musical tale of dying young and how people respond to such sadness. The music play featured a brilliant series of instrumentation that turned “If I Die Young” into such a standout hit.
Deservedly, the hit single and its heartfelt music video earned a flurry of nominations, as well as several awards, including Breakthrough Video of the Year in 2011 from CMT Music Awards and from the Country Music Association Awards, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year. “If I Die Young” was the second of five hit singles that came from The Band Berry’s self-titled debut album and still remain as a radio favorite, regardless of it’s a country station or pop.
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