finetune artist: Bob Carlisle

b. Orange County, California, USA. Singer-songwriter Bob Carlisle made his most significant impact in the music industry when a song he had written for his daughter's 16th birthday, "Butterfly Kisses", became a hit on mainstream US radio. By this time he was already an established veteran of the contemporary Christian market. "Butterfly Kisses" was so popular that within weeks of release, it was the subject of competing country cover versions by two other artists. As a result, the album that housed it, Shades Of Grace, also became a hit, and was repackaged and retitled as Butterfly Kisses (Shades Of Grace). Carlisle was apparently "numbed" by this reversal in his fortunes, especially after the album rose to number 2 in the charts. Carlisle (and co-writer Randy Thomas) also received Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association for the song. However, although the song and the artist appeared to have arrived from nowhere, Carlisle had been persevering with his career over a number of years. For several years, he had been a member of the Christian group Good News, featuring on two of their albums, before joining Allies, a successful contemporary Christian rock group, for nine years. He also worked as a session player for artists as diverse as Poison and Barry Manilow. It was while a member of Allies that he met writing partner Randy Thomas, and the duo have written songs for others including Dolly Parton ("Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That"). At the turn of the 90s he moved to Nashville to further his career, but could hardly have anticipated the impact that "Butterfly Kisses" would have.

Listen to Bob Carlisle at Finetune.

(2005) Simply Bob Carlisle
(2002) The Best of Bob Carlisle: Butterfly Kisses & Other Stories
(2000) Nothing But The Truth
(1998) Stories From The Heart
(1997) Butterfly Kisses (Shades Of Grace)
(1997) Butterfly Kisses
(1997) Collection: B. Carlisle

Butterfly Kisses
Father's Love
We Fall Down
Butterfly Kisses (Reprise)
On My Knees