Biography Conrad Bigknife

When I was 13 years old, I wanted to be an Elvis impersonator when I grew up!” Conrad Bigknife confesses with an embarrassed laugh. “I just wanted to be on stage so bad and in the 1980’s there were these three kind of famous Elvis impersonators and that seemed like a pretty good way to make a living.” As a teen Bigknife may have taken a lot of inspiration from The King, but as an adult, he’s found a sound all of his own.

- Conrad Bigknife’s third album, “Full Circle” is a mix of soaring country vocals, shimmering guitars and choruses so catchy, they’ll remind you of the first time you heard “Take it Easy” from The Eagles. “Hearts” has all the makings of a modern day country hit, but with none of the over-produced glitz. There’s a simple beauty to these songs that is worth paying attention to.

- At the age of 8, Bigknife remembers listening to classic country albums with his Dad. Some of his favorite performers were: Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Freddy Fender and of course, Johnny Cash. By the age of 13, he was a full on Elvis fan. He says, “There were times when I got very close to sounding like Elvis on “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog” and right then I knew that music was what I was going to do with my life.”.

- Bigknife released two albums prior to Full Circle. 1997’s Hurry Up and Wait and 2003’s This World. Bigknife recalls, “One of my most memorable moments was Nashville North Stage 1997. I was singing my last song, ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers. As the song came to a close, the entire place erupted into thunderous applause and a standing ovation. It was honestly one of the greatest moments of my life.

- Full Circle is only Conrad Bigknife’s third album, but he’s really found his sound with this one. “I feel like I’m finally doing exactly what I was meant to do with my music” he says. It’s easy to imagine “Hearts” becoming a big country hit. From the opening melodic guitar solo to the chorus that will stick in your head for days, “Hearts” could be the song that reminds country music fans of why they love this genre so much.

- When asked what it’s like writing songs with his wife Shannon, Bigknife reveals a very personal side of himself. “As We Are” is actually a song about our marriage. It’s from Shannon’s point of view. It’s about the flexibility and understanding that we have as individuals. We don’t feel like we are trapped because we are married but rather we truthfully believe the heaven’s brought us together.”The vocals on “As We Are” and the stripped down style are reminiscent of some of Keith Urban’s mellower, easy-going songs like “Memories of Us.”

- After 15 years of working casinos and cover shows, does Bigknife ever think about putting his music on the back burner and taking a break? “Settling down just isn’t an option. This is my job. I will do this until I’m physically unable to get up there on that stage anymore.” Bigknife’s big heart and endless determination remind us of another star who was able to transcend musical boundaries and who stood proudly on the stage right up to the end— Roy Orbison. Bigknife has that clear, powerful Orbison-esque voice and it’s easy to imagine that through the years Bigknife’s songs will evolve and become classics just like Presley’s and Orbison’s did.

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