You remember IRA DEAN as the”wild”,”untamed”,”crazy”,”energetic” bass player of the country trio TRICK PONY but since leaving the group in 2008, Ira has proven that strength doesnʼt always come in numbers. Back in 2000, Trick Pony exploded right out of the starting gate with their highly acclaimed and platinum selling self-titled CD.
Huge hits co-written by Dean like “Pour Me,” and the Grammy nominated “Just What I Do,” established Ira Dean as not only the wild man with headlights in his chrome stand up bass,but as a brand new singer songwriting force and studio musician in country music. The trio won both the American Music Awardsʼ “Top New Artist” and the Country Music Associationʼs “Artist of the Year”. The second CD, On A Mission ,which Ira co-wrote 7 cuts including the hit single “ON A MISSION” brought five more Academy of Country Music nominations including “Album of the Year” and “Vocal Group of the Year”.
Now a few years and more than 50 cuts later ,Ira is happy being “A POWER OF 1” . Ira has had songs recorded by Ronnie Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Trace Adkins, Aaron Lewis,Colt Ford, ex- pony Heidi Newfield, Jake Owen,Gary Allan,Including his hit single “FEELING LIKE THAT”, and 7 songs cut by Montgomery Gentryʼ, Including their Hit single “ONE IN EVERY CROWD” , and Single “I’LL KEEP THE KIDS” to name a few.
Ira has recorded with such greats as Hank Williams Jr., Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson , Emmy Lou Harris, Mel Tillis, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry,Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker, Ronnie Milsap, Lee Roy Parnell and many more
In 2012 IRA released his first solo single titled “Somethin’ Bout a Sunday” the video was a top 10 video for CMT and GAC.
In 2015 IRA DEAN released his long overdue single “Nothin’ To Do Round Here”.
.This song consists of an all star band. Ronnie Milsap, Lee Roy Parnell, Montgomery Gentry, Colt Ford, and Jeffrey Steele. “Nothin’ To Do Round Here” can be heard on XM SIRIUS radio , The Highway channel as we speak.
This is the First Single off Ira’s first DEBUT CD “IT’S ABOUT TIME.”
In 2017 the Oscars recognized Ira Dean for his work with Edwin McCain for writing and producing Edwin’s song “I’m Back” which was a Oscar pick for best original music score in a movie.
Ira has been busy in 2018 in the studio playing guitars and bass on “FOREVER WORDS” (the never released works of JOHNNY CASH)
Sung by Chris Cornell, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss , and more scheduled for release in May.
“FOREVER WORDS VOLUME 2” is already in the works with Ira Dean co-producing.
More from 2018. Ira wrote and produced partial soundtrack for “Under Suspicion “ a Chris Mulkey film that will be released later 2018
2019-Ira dean Produced 22 tracks for the soundtrack for upcoming film which Ira Dean is also Co-Starring with Chris Rich (Reba show, Murphy Brown). The film “DEEP RIVER” is presently shooting in Sanford N.C.
2021 Ira co-wrote 5 tracks on Aaron Lewis’s new record featuring the Song AM I THE ONLY ONE which is only 1 of 9 songs to debut in billboards hot country song chart.
He also co-produced Aaron Lewis’s anxiously awaiting album with Ben Kitterman and Aaron Lewis which is scheduled to drop 1st quarter of 2022
Most recently Ira co-wrote 7 songs on Eddie Montgomery’s new album AIN’T NO CLOSING ME DOWN including the first single
ALIVE AND WELL
Ira still keeps a busy tour schedule playing all over the United States.
“Itʼs crazy ain’t it?”, Ira sayʼs, “ But then again my life has always been crazy”.”When I first came to town I was drowning. I had this gig for $30 bucks a night and was going to go back home”. “Then I met this red headed kid bout my age, he came up to me at the club I was playing at and said”, “ Man you can stay at my place for a while”, “That red headed kid was John Carter Cash”. “ My first year in town and I was staying with Johnny Cash, June Carter, and John Carter”. Ira laughs……..”God must love Crazy”
