In a modern "David and Goliath" story, Broken Bow Records and Craig Morgan have defied the odds to see Craig's hit single "That's What I Love About Sunday," written by Mark Namore and Adam Dorsey, become not only a No. 1 hit, but a multiple week chart topper. The last "independent" artist to experience multiple weeks at the top of the country charts was The Kendall's in 1977 with "Heaven's Just A Sin Away." It's an impressive feat and one that should've probably happened sooner.


In an era of mergers and homogenized "corporate" radio, the "little engine that could" has made the country charts seemingly safe again for "independent" labels and artists. Broken Bow Records hasn't truly seemed to be like a traditional independent label. Just like what Vanguard Records does for the adult rock format, Broken Bow is doing for the country format. Like a major label, they have hired a whole promotional staff that works the phones as well as any major Nashville label (RCA Label Group, Sony, Warner, Universal Nashville, Capitol, and Curb). In addition to Craig the label's experienced moderate success with established artists Sherrié Austin and Joe Diffie.

However, Craig Morgan is Broken Bow's real big success. After signing to Warner owned Atlantic Records in the late 1990's, Craig had moderate success with a couple of singles. Atlantic was happily plugging along when the label was consolidated into Warner Brothers Records, and Craig, along with a few label mates (most notably fellow Independent artist Doug Stone), was left in "label limbo." Instead of going over to Warner, Craig opted to find a new home.

Broken Bow quickly came to the table.

Perhaps Broken Bow needed Craig more than Craig needed them. At that point in the fledgling company's career, they'd signed and released a few albums by new artists like Joanie Keller, Damon Gray and another Atlantic cast-off, Oklahoma's The Great Divide. Still, the label had failed to achieve any semblance of a hit, despite quality releases, until Craig came through the doors. The first single Craig charted for Broken Bow was the five minute-long ballad "Almost Home." The song, with its strong story telling, instantly resonated with audiences and became Craig and Broken Bow's first Top 10 hit (it peaked at Number 6). The album I Love It from which "Almost Home" came from also provided Craig with two more Top 30 hits in the ballads "Every Friday Afternoon," and "Look At Us."

Radio instantly took to Craig's first single from his second Broken Bow album (the first artist in the label's history to release two albums), My Kind Of Livin'. The song was "That's What I Love About Sunday."

From the first time Craig heard the song he felt strongly about it."I didn't write this one," Morgan says. "But when I heard it I immediately felt attached to it unlike any other song I'd ever heard. There are very few songs I didn't write where I have this kind of emotional attachment, but this one really talks about the things that are important to me."

The song has currently topped the charts for four straight weeks and all indications are that the song will see a fifth week on the top of the charts. As to be expected, Craig is quite thrilled with the results, "I am so excited about having my first No. 1 record and to have it stay in the top spot for four weeks now is more than I could have ever dreamed of happening," says Morgan. "In addition to everyone at radio, I am surrounded by a wonderful team of people who are working so hard for me and I appreciate all of them."

Not to be outdone, Craig and the label are poised to release the second single off of the record; the fun summertime anthem "Redneck Yacht Club." And, it's not the only other strong song on the record. There are no less than 3 or 4 more potential singles, most notably "I Got You" and "That's When I'll Believe You're Gone."

What will all of this mean for country music and other artists who are release their albums independently? Hopefully, more labels like Broken Bow, (Clint Black's Equity Music Group?) will get a chance to usher their artists into the top of the charts more frequently than the occasional hits like David Ball's "Riding With Private Malone," Mark McGuinn's "Mrs. Steven Rudy," and David Lee Murphy's "Loco." It certainly adds to the variety of choices for fans and radio alike.