T. G. Sheppard (born Billy Neal Browder (after his father, Billy Browder), … Read Full Bio ↴T. G. Sheppard (born Billy Neal Browder (after his father, Billy Browder), 20 July 1944, Humboldt, Tennessee) is an American country music singer. He never graduated from high school, but was one credit away from doing so. He ran away from his home at the age of 15 to become involved in the music industry in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially he worked in the record business and tried recording pop music under the name, Brian Stacy.

In 1974, Sheppard signed with Melodyland (later Hitsville) Records, which was a short-lived country label that was owned by Motown Records, and recorded the song "Devil in the Bottle," which became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and also became a Top 60 Pop hit in 1975. The follow-up, "Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home," also went to No. 1 and cracked the Top 100 during the summer of 1975. Several subsequent releases during 1975-1977 also made the Top 10 like "Motels and Memories" and "Show Me A Man".

Early in his career, TG became close friends w/Elvis Presley. Elvis gave TG his first tour bus and TG even lived at Graceland for a while during their friendship. A relative of TG's at a performance of his in his hometown of Humboldt, TN gave a first-hand account of TG mentioning the recent passing of his friend, Elvis, beginning to honor him by singing one of Elvis' songs, & having to leave the stage to compose himself before returning to finish the song. TG & Elvis were very close.

In 1977, Sheppard signed with Warner Bros. Records, where he enjoyed his greatest success. Starting with that summer's "When Can We Do This Again," he had a series of fifteen consecutive Top 10 releases, including 10 No. 1 songs. The biggest included "Last Cheater's Waltz" (1979); "I'll Be Coming Back For More" and "Do You Want to Go to Heaven" (1980); "I Loved 'Em Everyone" and "Party Time" (1981); "Only One You," "Finally" and "War is Hell (On the Homefront Too)" (1982). Another major hit came in 1984: "Slow Burn." "I Loved 'Em, Everyone" also reached the top-forty on the U.S. pop singles charts.

In 1985, he moved from Warner Bros. to Columbia Records, where he continued to enjoy success. After just missing the top 20 with "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (a remake of the Elvin Bishop hit), he returned to the top 10, with his biggest success during this time frame coming with 1986's "Strong Heart" (the last of his 14 No. 1 hits, as it turned out). Three more songs peaked at No. 2 in 1987: "Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue in the Heart)," "You're My First Lady" and "One for the Money."

Sheppard's success continued until about 1988, when rootsy neo-traditionalist artists began to eclipse more polished pop-country artists like Sheppard on the country charts. He continued to tour and play throughout the 1990s, but did not sign a new record contract, and did not release any new material until his 2002 live release, T.G. Sheppard: Live at Billy Bob's, which found Sheppard performing his classic hits for an enthusiastic crowd at the famed honky tonk in Fort Worth, Texas.

He has a new CD out called "Timeless" which has him singing songs from the big band era. In the mid to late 1980's T.G. Sheppard was an associate sponsor on the #25 Folgers Chevrolet driven on the Nascar Winston Cup circuit by Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader. In 1990 the Folgers sponsorship moved to Roush racing and driver Mark Martin.

TG is married to a fellow song-writer / singer, Kelly Lang, and they currently reside in Hendersonville, TN

Smooth Sailing
T.G. Sheppard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth sailin', sailin'
And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on

We didn't break apart in stormy weather
We didn't run aground like others do
Now we're not afraid when storm clouds gather

We got the kind of love to see us through

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth sailin', sailin'
And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on

Found each others arms in troubled waters
Found that that's the safest place to go
From now on we can laugh at troubled waters
'Cause the roughest storms just seem to make love grow

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth sailin', sailin'
And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth sailin', sailin'
And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth sailin', sailin'
And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on

We got smooth sailin', sailin'

Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
Smooth

Overall Meaning

Sailin' is a song about two people who have faced their share of difficulties but have managed to stay together through it all. The title of the song refers to the smooth sailing that the couple is now experiencing, after having weathered the storms of life. The song is a testament to the power of love and the importance of having a solid foundation upon which to build a relationship. It's about two people who have found each other and who are determined to make their love last.

The lyrics suggest that the couple has faced some challenges in their relationship, but they have stuck together and come out stronger on the other side. They did not break apart in stormy weather or run aground like others do, but instead, they found each other's arms in troubled waters, which was the safest place to go. Now they're not afraid when storm clouds gather because they have the kind of love that can see them through.

In the end, the song is about hope and optimism. The couple has gone through difficult times, but they have managed to come out on the other side with a stronger, more solid relationship. They can now look forward to the future with confidence, knowing that they have each other to rely on.

Line by Line Meaning

We got smooth sailin', sailin'
Our love is easy and smooth, without any obstacles or difficulties.

Looks like every drop of rain is gone, gone, gone
It seems that any challenges or problems we had in the past have disappeared and we feel happy and content in our relationship.

And a blue sky full of rainbows from now on
We have an optimistic and positive outlook on our future together.

We didn't break apart in stormy weather
We didn't let difficult times or challenges tear us apart.

We didn't run aground like others do
We didn't let obstacles or problems keep us from continuing our relationship.

Now we're not afraid when storm clouds gather
We feel secure in our relationship and can handle any challenges or difficulties that come our way.

We got the kind of love to see us through
Our love is strong enough to overcome any obstacles or difficulties.

Found each others arms in troubled waters
We found comfort and support in each other during difficult times.

Found that that's the safest place to go
We realized that being together is the best way to deal with any challenges or problems.

From now on we can laugh at troubled waters
We can face any future difficulties or problems with a sense of humor and optimism.

'Cause the roughest storms just seem to make love grow
Difficult times have strengthened our love and made us closer and more connected.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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