Bursting onto the American country scene in the late 1980s with a distinctive breed of riffy, rock-tinged anthems which simultaneously made ample use of the fiddle, Ohio six-piece Yankee Grey toured extensively in the Cincinnati area before landing their breakthrough. After sending a demo to Sony imprint Monument Nashville, the band – then fronted by singer and guitarist Tim Hunt – landed their first major-label record deal in 1997, and went on to promptly record a healthy dose of new material alongside acclaimed producers Robert Ellis Orrall, Josh Leo and Ronnie Thomas. By 1999, they had finalised their first LP and were ready to take the national charts by storm. The group’s debut single, “All Things Considered”, reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, three months later, their debut album Untamed showed itself to be a minor success too, peaking at #41 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. Spawning another popular single in “Another Nine Minutes”, which reached #74 in the US in 2000, the album was well-received, bagging a nomination at the Academy of Country Music Awards. However, it marked the final effort from Hunt, who retired from the band shortly thereafter due to vocal problems. The group were subsequently dropped by Sony as they embarked on the hunt for a new lead singer. Keyboardist Jerry Hughes took up the mantle on the group’s second LP, the uninspiringly titled Yankee Grey 2, which landed via Stonewall Records in 2002 and failed to chart. They found a suitable replacement in Lyle Gudmunsen later the same year, although the band failed to replicate the synergy of their heyday and ultimately parted ways.
