Interview with Gil Grand
b"In 1997, Sudbury, Ontario's\\xa0Gil Grand signed a music publishing deal with TMP\\xa0out of Toronto, Canada headed by Frank Davies and moved to Nashville.\\xa0Within just a few months of his arrival, he secured two cuts, Love Trip\\xa0with Virgin recording artist Jerry Kilgore and On Again Off Again\\xa0with MCA recording artist Tracy Byrd.\\n\\nHis songwriting skills and singing ability immediately caught the attention of top record executives, and he soon signed a major U.S. record deal with Sony Music Nashville\\u2019s Monument Records.His debut album, Famous First Words, gained the respect and accolades of the country music industry on both sides of the border.\\n\\nOn the strength of that record, he received three CCMA nods, including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Wrangler Rising Star.\\n\\nHis impressive sophomore effort 'Burnin' netted him five CCMA nominations, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year and Album of the Year, with Grand taking home the award for Male Vocalist of the Year.\\n\\nIn 2006, Gil released his third album, Somebody\\u2019s Someone, which he co-produced with Joel Feeney, earning a CCMA award for Record Producer of the Year.\\n\\nIn October 2007, Grand and business partner Randy Gee launched Grand & Gee Music Group, a Nashville-based music publishing company and full-service recording studio.\\n\\nThe company earned CCMA nominations for Music Publisher of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011and 2012.\\n\\nBucky Covington brought G&G their first top 30 single with.\\xa0I Want My Life Back,\\xa0and Chris Young\\u2019s big number one hit Tomorrow\\xa0became Grand & Gee Music\\u2019s first chart topper and SESAC Song of the Year."