Josh Kear
Josh Kear (born October 11, 1974) is an American country music songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] He has co-written numerous hit songs, including the chart-topping singles "Need You Now" for Lady Antebellum, "Before He Cheats" for Carrie Underwood, and "Blown Away" also for Underwood.[2][3] Kear holds the distinction of being the first songwriter to win the Grammy Award for Best Country Song three times, for those same tracks, and additionally received the Grammy for Song of the Year for "Need You Now".[2][3] His catalog includes 18 number-one hits on the Billboard country charts, recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, and Dierks Bentley, reflecting his versatility across country subgenres.[2] In addition to his creative output, Kear has testified before Congress in support of legislation aimed at improving royalty payments for songwriters amid the rise of digital streaming services.[4]Early Life and Background
Childhood and Influences
Josh Kear developed an early affinity for music through his father, Gary Kear, who regularly played guitar and sang around the home, inspiring Kear to pursue songwriting and performance. His father's eclectic selections, encompassing Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson, Motown artists, the Eagles, and Jimmy Buffett, formed the core of Kear's initial musical influences.[5] Kear has described his parents as his most profound personal influences, with his father exemplifying qualities he admired deeply. At age 13, he penned his debut song, driven by a youthful infatuation, despite possessing no proficiency on guitar or other common songwriting instruments beyond the trumpet.[5][6]Entry into Music
Josh Kear composed his first song at age 13, focusing on lyrics and melodies about a personal crush despite lacking proficiency on instruments beyond the trumpet.[6][5] His early exposure to music stemmed from his father's record collection, which included artists such as Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson, Motown performers, the Eagles, and Jimmy Buffett, fostering Kear's initial songwriting habits.[5] By age 16, Kear aspired to a professional songwriting career, self-educating through books on the craft and committing to daily writing.[5] Kear attended Middle Tennessee State University, initially pursuing a music business degree before transferring to history, from which he graduated cum laude in 1996.[7] During his college years, faculty members identified his potential; one professor published an early composition, and another secured writing appointments for him on Nashville's Music Row at age 19.[5] These connections provided Kear's initial foothold in the professional Nashville songwriting community, transitioning him from amateur efforts to industry engagements near his university's location in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[5]Songwriting Career
Relocation to Nashville and Early Successes
After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1996 with a degree in history, Josh Kear, originally from Jonesborough, Tennessee, established himself in the Nashville songwriting scene. He secured his first publishing deal with BMG at age 21 in 1995, marking an early entry into professional songwriting amid the competitive Music Row environment.[7] Following the loss of his BMG deal, Kear faced significant challenges in the late 1990s and early 2000s, transitioning from a promising newcomer to a struggling writer whose eclectic style—blending country, rock, and folk—often failed to align with mainstream radio preferences. Publishers repeatedly rejected his demos, leaving him without a stable affiliation and prompting a period of reevaluation. In spring 2003, he signed with independent publisher Big Yellow Dog Music, co-founded by Carla Wallace and Kerry O'Neil, who recognized potential in his versatile demos during an informal meeting. This deal provided crucial support, allowing Kear to refocus on commercial country songwriting.[8] Kear's persistence yielded his breakthrough with "Before He Cheats," co-written with Chris Tompkins in 2005 and recorded by Carrie Underwood for her debut album Some Hearts. Released as a single in January 2006, the song topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for seven weeks, earned platinum certification, and won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2007. This hit, drawing from themes of betrayal and revenge, propelled Kear's visibility and affirmed Big Yellow Dog's strategy, setting the stage for subsequent successes while highlighting his ability to craft narrative-driven country anthems.[6][8]Breakthrough Hits and Collaborations
Kear achieved his first major breakthrough in 2007 with "Before He Cheats," co-written with Chris Tompkins and recorded by Carrie Underwood on her debut album Some Hearts.[3] The track topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks, reached number eight on the Hot 100, and charted for 64 weeks, marking it as the most downloaded country song until 2009.[3] This success earned Kear his initial Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2008, establishing his reputation for crafting emotionally charged narratives in country music.[3] Building on this, Kear's collaboration with Tompkins continued to yield hits for Underwood, including "Blown Away" from her 2012 album of the same name, which ascended to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart.[3] The song secured Kear a second Grammy for Best Country Song in 2013, highlighting his ability to blend introspective storytelling with commercial appeal.[3] Another Underwood co-write, "Two Black Cadillacs" from the same album, also reached number one on the country chart in 2013, further solidifying their productive partnership.[3] A pivotal crossover collaboration came with "Need You Now," co-written with Lady Antebellum (now Lady A) members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood for their 2009 self-titled album.[3] Released as the lead single in 2009, it topped the Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks, peaked at number two on the Hot 100, dominated Hot 100 Airplay, and held a Top 3 position on Hot A/C for 35 weeks, achieving 5x Platinum certification and driving over 3 million album sales.[3] The track won Kear Grammy Awards for both Song of the Year and Best Country Song in 2011, as well as the 2010 ASCAP Country Song of the Year.[3] Additional co-writes with Lady A, such as "Dancin' Away with My Heart," reinforced this ongoing relationship.[3] Kear's versatility extended to other artists, including co-writing "Highway Don't Care" with Tompkins for Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift in 2013, which hit number one on the country chart, and "Drunk on You" for Luke Bryan, also a two-week number one that same year and ASCAP Song of the Year.[3] These collaborations underscored his role in propelling multiple artists to chart dominance during the early 2010s, contributing to his tally of 12 number-one country singles.[3]Major Chart-Topping Songs
Josh Kear has co-written at least 15 songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with some sources citing up to 18 such hits across country airplay metrics.[9][10] His breakthroughs include crossover successes that extended beyond country radio, influencing pop and adult contemporary formats. One of Kear's earliest major hits, "Before He Cheats" recorded by Carrie Underwood, debuted in September 2005 and ascended to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart on January 28, 2006, holding the position for multiple weeks while peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Co-written with Chris Tompkins, the track earned ASCAP Country Song of the Year honors and crossed over to MTV and VH1 rotations, achieving top-five placements on both Adult Contemporary and Pop charts.[10] "Need You Now," co-written with Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood, was released in November 2009 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart for five consecutive weeks starting in March 2010, also reaching number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.[3] The song secured the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2011 and propelled the album of the same name to multi-platinum sales, marking Kear's first such Grammy win.[11] Kear's collaboration with Underwood continued with "Blown Away" from her 2012 album, which hit number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in July 2012 and won the Grammy for Best Country Song the following year, making Kear the first songwriter to claim the award twice for Underwood recordings.[11][9] Other significant chart-toppers include "Highway Don't Care" by Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, which reached number one in May 2013; "Drunk on a Plane" by Dierks Bentley, topping charts in September 2014; and "Neon Light" by Blake Shelton, achieving number one in March 2015.[12][13] In later years, Kear notched additional number ones such as Luke Bryan's "Most People Are Good" in June 2018, his reported 13th chart-topper, and Little Big Town's "Woman, Amen" in October 2017, the 14th. These successes underscore Kear's versatility in crafting emotionally resonant narratives that dominate country airplay.Evolution of Style and Later Works
Kear's early songwriting encompassed an eclectic range of genres, including country, dark folk, rock, and upbeat pop, reflecting his broad musical influences before fully committing to Nashville's industry.[8] Upon signing with Big Yellow Dog Music in 2003, he refocused on mainstream country, aligning his craft with commercial demands while retaining emotional depth in themes of heartache and passion.[8] This pivot yielded breakthroughs like "Before He Cheats" (2006) for Carrie Underwood, marking a stylistic emphasis on narrative-driven, radio-friendly country anthems over experimental forms.[3] In subsequent years, Kear maintained versatility within country, co-writing hits that blended traditional storytelling with contemporary production, such as "Blown Away" (2012) and "Two Black Cadillacs" (2012) for Underwood, and "Highway Don't Care" (2013) for Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift.[3] His output evolved to include introspective tracks like Lee Brice's "Drinking Class" (2014), which became the most-played country song on Billboard's Country Airplay chart in 2015.[3] Later collaborations extended to crossover appeal, exemplified by "Most People Are Good" (2018) for Luke Bryan, emphasizing optimism amid personal reflection.[2] Into the 2020s, Kear's work sustained chart dominance with songs like Jordan Davis's "Buy Dirt" featuring Luke Bryan (2021), a meditative piece on life's priorities that topped country charts, and Lainey Wilson's "Watermelon Moonshine" (2022), capturing rural romance in modern country idiom.[2] These later efforts demonstrate a refined consistency in crafting relatable, hit-oriented country songs without departing from his core focus on emotional authenticity, amassing over a dozen No. 1 singles by the late 2010s.[8]Awards and Recognition
Grammy Awards
Josh Kear has received four Grammy Awards, all for songwriting contributions to country hits, making him the only songwriter to win the Best Country Song category three times.[11][3] His first win came at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008 for Best Country Song with "Before He Cheats," performed by Carrie Underwood and co-written with Chris Tompkins.[14] This track, which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, highlighted Kear's ability to craft narrative-driven songs blending revenge and emotional depth.[15] In 2011, at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, Kear secured two awards for "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum (now Lady A): Best Country Song and the general Song of the Year.[16][17] Co-written with the band's members and others, the song's introspective lyrics about late-night regret propelled it to number one on multiple charts and over 8 million U.S. sales.[15] These victories underscored Kear's versatility beyond pure country tropes.[3] Kear's third Best Country Song win occurred in 2013 at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards for "Blown Away," again with Underwood and Tompkins, depicting a mother's fierce protection amid a tornado.[11][18] The song topped the country charts and earned praise for its vivid imagery and structural innovation.[15] Kear has also received two additional Grammy nominations, though specifics remain tied to his broader catalog without further wins.[11]| Year | Category | Song | Performer | Co-writers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Country Song | "Before He Cheats" | Carrie Underwood | Chris Tompkins[14] |
| 2011 | Best Country Song | "Need You Now" | Lady Antebellum | Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, et al.[16] |
| 2011 | Song of the Year | "Need You Now" | Lady Antebellum | Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, et al.[17] |
| 2013 | Best Country Song | "Blown Away" | Carrie Underwood | Chris Tompkins[11] |