Hal Ketchum

Hal Ketchum
Ketchum performing in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Hal Michael Ketchum
Born	(1953-04-09) April 9, 1953 (age 63)
Origin	Greenwich, New York, United States
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Rhythm guitar
Years active	1986, 1991–present
Labels	Watermelon MCG-Curb Curb Asylum-Curb
Associated acts	Lisa Brokop Gary Burr The Vogues
Website	http://www.halketchum.com

Hal Michael Ketchum (born April 9, 1953) is an American country music artist. He has released 11 studio albums since 1986, including nine for the Curb and Asylum-Curb labels. Ketchum's 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Between 1991 and 2006 Ketchum had 17 entries on the Hot Country Songs charts. Three of his singles — "Small Town Saturday Night," "Past the Point of Rescue" and "Hearts Are Gonna Roll" — all reached number 2 on this chart, and three more charted within the Top Ten: "Sure Love" at number 3, and "Mama Knows the Highway" and "Stay Forever," both at number 8.

Ketchum was born in Greenwich, New York. At the age of 15, he began performing in clubs as a drummer with a rhythm and blues trio. In 1981, Ketchum moved to Austin, Texas, where he began to visit Gruene Hall, a small dance hall near his home. This influenced him to try his hand at singing and songwriting, and by 1985 he was playing at small Texas clubs. In 1986, Ketchum recorded 11 of his self-penned songs under his full name Hal Michael Ketchum. This album, Threadbare Alibis, was released in 1988 under the small Texas label Watermelon Records.

Ketchum then moved to Nashville, Tennessee and signed a record deal with Curb Records. In 1991, Ketchum released his Curb debut album Past the Point of Rescue, with both his debut single "Small Town Saturday Night" and the title track "Past the Point of Rescue" reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, launching him to stardom. This album was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.