James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums Peace (2003) for Best Instrumental, and Faith (2009) for Best New Age Album.The 52nd annual Grammy Awards nominees list He won a Canadian Country Music Award, a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association, and was twice named Songwriter of the Year by SESAC. Billboard lists 22 of his albums reaching No. 1 on the New Age chart, and 16 of his songs reaching Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Four of his albums were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Since 1997, he has hosted his own radio show, The Jim Brickman Show, which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States.
Brickman has collaborated with Lady A, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, Michael W. Smith, Leslie Odom Jr., Martina McBride, Megan Hilty, Donny Osmond, Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John, Carly Simon, John Oates, Five for Fighting, Michael Bolton, Gerald Levert, Jane Krakowski, Richie McDonald, Sandi Patty, Mat & Savanna Shaw, and many others.
Early life Brickman was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and began playing piano at the age of five. His Jewish parents took him to services at Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in nearby Beachwood, where Brickman was confirmed in his teens. He attended Shaker Heights High School, and he performed on piano with the high school orchestra. He heard fellow student Anne Cochran sing in a musical, and introduced himself, asking her to join him in performing piano-vocal material. Together, they won a talent competition hosted by the WGCL "G98" radio station. Another high school friend named Meg Tippett convinced Brickman to join the Heights Youth Theatre as accompanist, which grew into four years as musical director.
Brickman studied composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. In 1980, Brickman founded his own advertising music company called The Brickman Arrangement, writing commercial jingles for many companies across the country such as McDonald's, Pontiac, City of Cleveland, Ohio Lottery, and Isuzu.
Musical career Brickman signed to Windham Hill Records in 1994 and released his first album, No Words featuring the song "Rocket to the Moon" which became his first solo instrumental to be ranked on the Billboard charts. The songs "Angel Eyes" and "If You Believe" gained radio airplay from Brickman's second release, By Heart on the Windham Hill label in 1995. The following year, the CD's title track, "By Heart", became his first top 20 adult contemporary (AC) hit. In 1997, Brickman released the album Picture This, adding a vocal performance, "Valentine", sung by Martina McBride. By the end of the year, Brickman issued the first of many Christmas CDs, The Gift, with the title song featuring Collin Raye and Susan Ashton, topping three different charts; for this album, Brickman received a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association. He later produced several other Christmas-themed albums, Peace (2003), Christmas Romance (2006), Homecoming (2007), and The Hymns and Carols of Christmas (2008); and his two albums Grace (2005) and Faith (2008) concentrated on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
During his career, four albums have sold over 500,000 copies; By Heart (1995), Picture This (1997), The Gift (1997), and Destiny (1999), qualifying them as Gold records in the United States. In November 2005, three of Brickman's albums, The Disney Songbook (2005), Grace (2005) and Greatest Hits (2004), held the top three spots on Billboard's New Age chart. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2003, an SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, and a Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration". The 2008 album Faith was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.
Brickman composes a variety of music, and is known for his success in radio's adult contemporary format. He has collaborated with artists from all genres with songs like "Love of My Life" with Michael W. Smith, "You" with Jane Krakowski, "Never Alone" with country group Lady A, "After All These Years" with Anne Cochran, and "Never Far Away" with Christian contemporary group Rush of Fools, among others. Because of his long association with Windham Hill, his work is sometimes classified in the new-age genre, although Brickman considers his style to be broader than that. In May 2006, Brickman left Windham Hill and signed with Savoy Label Group (SLG) to release music under his own Brickman Music Group imprint. The album Escape was his first release distributed by SLG, following Pure Jim Brickman, a career-spanning compilation from Windham Hill.
In 2015, Brickman released the first album in the Soothe series for relaxation, meditation, yoga and massage. Soothe, Vol. 1 came with an audiobook. Three more volumes in the series followed through 2019.
Radio show Making its debut in January 1997, Your Weekend with Jim Brickman is a four-hour radio show that has been heard across the US featuring music blended with celebrity interviews, lifestyle features and entertainment reports.
In 2018, The Jim Brickman Show Podcast debuted on Pandora. Two years later, his podcast moved to Spotify as The Brickman Bedtime Story.
Television Brickman filmed the PBS specials My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman (2000), Love Songs & Lullabies (2002), The Disney Songbook (2005), and Beautiful World (2009). He has appeared on various TV shows such as Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
Personal life Brickman grew up in Cleveland. He has a residence there as well as in New York City.
Other media Brickman composed the 1996 Fred Meyer grocery advertising jingle, “What’s On Your List Today?”
Brickman appeared on the September–October 2013 cover of Making Music Magazine to discuss his life and career.
Brickhouse Direct Brickman founded Brickhouse Direct (BHD) in 2003 to provide internet marketing and e-commerce solutions. They specialized in promoting new acts and reinvigorating the careers of veteran musicians. In 2005, Brickhouse bought the online marketing firm Viawerk, bringing Viawerk co-founder Rod Flauhaus on board as partner. Flauhaus co-wrote the album Homecoming. Brickman's younger brother Michael served as president of Brickhouse. Brickhouse marketing clients included, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Richie McDonald (Lonestar), Point of Grace and many others. The label also published works by saxophonist Dave Koz, comedian Anita Renfroe, singer Chris Sligh and singer Mark Masri. Brickman's own 2012 album Blessings was released on the Brickhouse Direct label.
Discography Albums Year Album Chart position RIAA Record label Billboard 200New Age CAN Country 1994 No Words — 13 — — Windham Hill 1995 By Heart 187 3 — Gold 1997 Picture This 30 1 — Gold The Gift 48 1 19 Gold 1998 Visions of Love 170 — — — 1999 Destiny 42 1 — Gold If You Believe — 2 — — 1999 My Romance 75 1 — — 2001 Simple Things 54 2 — — 2002 Love Songs and Lullabies 73 1 — — Valentine — — — — 2003 Peace 87 1 — — 2004 Greatest Hits 134 1 — — 2005 Grace 88 1 — — The Disney Songbook 142 1 — — Walt Disney Records 2006 Pure Jim Brickman — 2 — — Windham Hill Escape 105 1 — — Savoy Label Group Christmas Romance — — — — Compass Records 2007 Homecoming 96 1 — — SLG Hope — — — — Compass Records 2008 Valentine Reissue — 1 — — Savoy Label Group Unspoken 199 1 — — Ultimate Love Songs — 2 — — Time Life The Hymns and Carols of Christmas — 4 — — Green Hill Faith — — — — Compass Productions 2009 Beautiful World 89 1 — — Somerset Entertainment Joy 85 1 — — Compass Productions (Target), Somerset 2010 Home — 2 — — Somerset Entertainment Love 141 1 — — 2011 Yesterday Once More: A Tribute to the Music of the Carpenters — 6 — — Green Hill All Is Calm: Peaceful Christmas Hymns 84 1 — — Somerset Entertainment Romanza — 1 — — 2012 Believe — 2 — — Mood Entertainment Piano Lullabies — 4 — — 2013 The Magic of Christmas 58 1 — — Somerset Entertainment Love 2 — 2 — — 2014 Blessed: Songs of Inspiration — — — — Mood Entertainment Pure Worship — 6 — — Green Hill On a Winter's Night: The Songs and Spirit of Christmas — 2 — — 2015 Pure Romance — 2 — — Soothe, Volume 1: Music to Quiet Your Mind and Soothe Your World — 1 — — Brickman Music 2016 Pure Cinema — 3 — — Green Hill Freedom Rings: Solo Piano — 2 — — Brickman Music Soothe, Volume 2: Sleep - Music for Tranquil Slumber — 1 — — Valley Entertainment 2017 Wedding Songs — 6 — — Brickman Music Soothe, Volume 3: Meditation - Music for Peaceful Relaxation — 6 — — Valley Entertainment A Joyful Christmas — 2 — — BMG 2018 Soothe, Volume 4: Subzero - Sounds That Spark the Senses — 1 — — Odeon Records 8: Just Breathe— ——— Odeon Records Limited 2019 Soothe, Volume 5: Lullaby Dreams - Music for a Peaceful Escape———— Odeon Records Limited Underground———— Odeon Records Limited A Christmas Celebration — 2 — — Green Hill Pure Carpenters—9——Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions 2020 Interstellar———— Odeon Records Limited 25th Anniversary: Greatest Hits — Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Bossa————Odeon Records Limited Bedtime Story———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Soothe - A Cinematic Soundtrack: Music to Unwind and Take You Away————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Soothe, Volume 6: Christmas - Music for a Peaceful Holiday————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions2021 Brickman on Broadway————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions 88: Solo Piano Sessions———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Jim Brickman's Piano Bar: 30 Love Songs of the 50s & 60s————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Bedtime Story: Volumes 2 & 3————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Soothe, Volume 7: Prayer - Music for a Peaceful Soul————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions The Ultimate Christmas Playlist————Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions A Christmas Symphony———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions2022 Bedtime Story: Volumes 4 & 5———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions Disney on Piano: The Disney Songbook Vol. 2———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions A Very Merry Christmas———— Brickman Music/Green Hill Productions2023 Brickman Across America: Heart & Soul of American Music———— Brickman Distributed Soothe Sailing: Brickman Plays Yacht Rock - Volume 1———— Brickman Distributed The Look of Love: Brickman Plays Bacharach———— Brickman Distributed Brickman Sings Christmas———— Brickman Distributed2024 Because You Loved Me: Diane Warren Re-Im———— Jim Brickman Music from the Magic Kingdom: The Disney Songbook - Volume 3———— Brickman Distributed Brickman Across America: Heart & Soul of American Music - Volume 2———— Brickman Distributed Comfort & Joy: An Old Fashioned Christmas - Volume 2———— Brickman Distributed 2025 Soothe: Endel Sleep Soundscape———— Emeraldwave by Green Hill Soothe, Volume 8: Summer Yoga———— Brickhouse Records & Tapes Soothe Sailing: Brickman Plays Yacht Rock - Volume 2———— Brickhouse Records & Tapes The Gift of Christmas Around the World———— Brickhouse Records & Tapes 2026 Soothe, Volume 9: Latin———— Brickhouse Records & Tapes"—" denotes releases that failed to chart, not released, or not certified
Singles