Brian Whittington

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Brian Whittington was born to create music – he started early and has stuck with it through ups and downs, but thousands of musicians can say that. What really makes Brian… well, Brian? It’s probably best to start at the beginning. 

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Brian was born February 23, 1962 and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. Brian sang his first church solo at age eight. On his stereo, he soaked in the sounds of Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Charles Brown, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Solomon Burke and Southern gospel groups like The Kingsmen and The Happy Goodmans. Those soulful stylings made their impressions deep and continue to shape Brian’s music today. It is easy to hear the influence of decades of divinely-inspired soul as it flows out of Brian’s piano and resonates in his voice. 

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After college, Brian set out to make his dreams a reality – hopefully a paying reality. For musicians dreaming about making a living doing what they love, Nashville, Tennessee is usually a good start. Brian headed to Music City and landed a golden gig with Opryland Production Group as a singer and performer, appearing in four different shows during his time there. That’s where it all began…

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While in Nashville, Brian was a songwriter for New Clarion Music Group, Ed Bruce Music and Tree Publishing Companies, with more than 300 songs under his belt. As such, he has been a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1986. His song “Look Who’s Holding You Now” made it into the hands of Ace Hacker (would’ve been a great name for a golfer, right?), giving Brian his first recorded song in 1986.

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As a performer, Brian was a featured demo singer in Nashville for many songwriters, appeared on the Porter Wagoner television show for four years, and performed with Brenda Lee as a duet partner and featured singer on “Music, Music, Music” for two seasons. He has also worked on the road as a featured and backup singer and guitar player for Brenda Lee and Ed Bruce. If you were watching “Nashville Now” or “The Grand Ole Opry” in past years, you may have seen Brian’s appearances with Ralph Emory, Jack Green or Roy Acuff. During Brian's appearance with Roy Acuff on "The Grand Ole Opry", Brian was such a hit that he was called back to the stage for two encores to a full house of 5,000 people.

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In the mid-1990s, Brian moved out to Las Vegas as a performer in Boomtown Casino’s show “Nashville, USA.” While most things in Vegas are supposed to stay in Vegas, fortunately for Texas, Brian was an exception to the rule. In 1995, Brian moved to Dallas where he began making a name for himself in the city’s vibrant music scene. He planted roots at Del Frisco Steak House as their featured singer and pianist for nearly 10 years, and continues to make his mark performing, writing and recording in the Dallas area.

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If you have a chance to catch one of Brian’s shows on the road, don’t miss it. Aside from his obvious charm, wit and good looks, hear him once and you will never forget Brian’s unique blend of soul mixed with the smoothest grit you never knew was possible. A piano and microphone never had it so good.