A. J. Masters

{{Short description|American country music singer-songwriter (1950–2015)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = A. J. Masters

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Arthur John Masaracchia{{cite news|last= Thanki |first= Juli |title= Songwriter A.J. Masters, who co-wrote 'Change My Mind,' dies |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=January 13, 2015 |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/01/13/songwriter-aj-masters-co-wrote-change-mind-dies/21713079/|accessdate=February 9, 2016}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|12|20}}

| birth_place = Walden, New York, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|1|12|1950|12|20}}

| death_place = near Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| origin =

| genre = Country

| occupation = Singer-songwriter

| instrument = Vocals, guitar

| years_active = 1970s–2015

| label = Bermuda Dunes Records

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

Arthur John Masaracchia (December 20, 1950 – January 12, 2015), better known as A. J. Masters, was an American country music singer. He charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, between 1985 and 1987. He also wrote songs for John Berry, Faith Hill, and Jennifer Hanson.

Biography

Masters was born in Walden, New York{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|date=2008|page=259|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}} but raised in Compton, California. He played bass guitar in his brother's band, and had his first cut in 1978 when Mickey Jones recorded "I'm No Cowboy".{{cite web|url=http://www.gene-watson.com/index.php/aj-masters.html|title=Gene Watson Peer's Quote from AJ Masters: January 2013|work=Gene Watson official website|accessdate=February 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122082844/http://www.gene-watson.com/index.php/aj-masters.html|archive-date=January 22, 2013|url-status=dead}}

Masters signed with Bermuda Dunes records in the 1980s, charting with eight of his releases for the label. The highest peak was number 48 with "Back Home", his second release, in early 1986. He also released an album of the same name in 1986. An uncredited review in Billboard gave Back Home a positive review, saying that Masters had "a light, intense, and flexible quality".{{cite magazine|date=December 6, 1986|title=Reviews: Country|magazine=Billboard|page=68|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NUUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22aj+masters%22+%22back+home%22&pg=RA1-PA68}} A review of "I Don't Mean Maybe", his fourth single, praised his "full and assertive voice."{{cite magazine|date=October 11, 1986|title=Reviews: Country|magazine=Billboard|page=85|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ESUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22aj+masters%22+%22bermuda+dunes%22&pg=RA2-PA85}}

Masters received an Academy of Country Music shortlist nomination for New Male Vocalist of the Year. In the 1990s, Masters played guitar for Charlie Rich and wrote the songs "Change My Mind", which was recorded by both The Oak Ridge Boys and John Berry, "Someday" and "Moo La Moo" by Steve Azar, "Last Request" by Frazier River, "Love Ain't Like That" by Faith Hill, and "Half a Heart Tattoo" by Jennifer Hanson.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=A.+J.+Masters&tab=songaswriterchartstab|title=Top songs as songwriter|work=Musicvf.com|accessdate=February 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427010720/http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=A.+J.+Masters&tab=songaswriterchartstab|archive-date=April 27, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com/songwriter/670/ |title=AJ Masters |work=Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival |accessdate=February 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708012634/http://pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com/songwriter/670/ |archivedate=July 8, 2013 }} He died on January 12, 2015, of prostate cancer.

Discography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
rowspan="2"\| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"\| Single ! colspan="1"\| Peak chart positions
style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"\| US Country
1985 ! scope="row"\| "Lonely Together" \| 86
rowspan=3\|1986 ! scope="row"\| "Back Home" \| 48
scope="row"\| "Love Keep Your Distance" \| 54
scope="row"\| "I Don't Mean Maybe" \| 65
rowspan=4\|1987 ! scope="row"\| "Take a Little Bit of It Home" \| 58
scope="row"\| "In It Again" \| 70
scope="row"\| "255 Harbor Drive" \| 67
scope="row"\| "Our Love Is Like the South"^A \| 77

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Single

! colspan="1"| Peak chart
positions

style="font-size:smaller;"

! width="45"| US Country

1985

! scope="row"| "Lonely Together"

| 86

rowspan=3|1986

! scope="row"| "Back Home"

| 48