7 inspiring stories from stars who stayed the course – and won
If you are an aspiring artist or songwriter, there will be times when it feels like your creative career is going nowhere. A little voice in your head is telling you that if you’re going to ‘make it,’ you’d have done it by now. Worse still, that voice might be coming from a well-meaning family member nudging you to give it up and come back home. Right now, you need inspiration and encouragement. And maybe some stories about ‘making it in Music City’ to tell the folks back home.
“Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.” – Dwayne Johnson
Nashville is a ten-year town. If we needed any proof, we need look no further than the recent spate of Number One parties and the artists and songwriters whose songs were being honored.
Jon Pardi
During the celebration for his two No. 1 hits, ‘Dirt on My Boots’ and ‘Heartache on the Dance Floor,’ Jon Pardi mentioned that he arrived in Music City ten years ago and even before that, he was writing songs and playing in bands from his early teens. In fact, it has taken him well over a decade to get where he is today, as an established artist with a solid track record.
“Thank you so much for believing in me. I’ve been here for a while now and Feb. 23, 2008 is when I moved to town. Ten years later, I have three number ones and we’re at a double number one party. Thank you. Thanks for believing in me.” – Jon Pardi
Kip Moore
A few days earlier, Kip Moore and the writers of ‘More Girls Like You’ were being honored for their chart-topping success. Moore had moved to Nashville in 2004 and signed a songwriting deal. It was eight more years before he was signed to a recording contract with MCA.
It wasn’t an easy time for Moore, but he kept his eyes on the prize as the years progressed. He told me during the Number One party what kept him going: “It was knowing I wasn’t going to be happy doing anything else. There was no Plan B.” He also noted, “It was a battle to keep one foot in front of the other.”
Brett Young
Brett Young co-wrote his recent No. 1, ‘Like I Love You,’ with Jesse Lee and both have paid their dues on the road to success. Young had been writing songs and performing for fourteen years before he even got to Nashville and signed a record deal with BMLG.
Young’s previous chart-topper, ‘In Case You Didn’t Know,’ marked him as the first Country artist to gain an RIAA Platinum certification in 2017, and the song went on to reach the 2X Platinum sales mark.
Jesse Lee
Jesse Lee had to overcome disappointment on her way to becoming a hit songwriter. She had signed a recording contract with Atlantic Nashville in 2007, but her releases met with only limited success. However, she was not about to let this discourage her.
As she said at the Number One party, “People didn’t want me on the radio! So I reinvented myself and started to write. Then I realized I was getting into publishing companies because of my writing not my artist talents.” Her change of direction paid off, co-writing Kelsea Ballerini’s first No. 1, ‘Peter Pan.’
“it’s been more than a ten-year town for me. It’s been eleven!” – Jesse Lee
Dustin Lynch
Dustin Lynch recently scored his fifth Number One with ‘Small Town Boy,’ but he has invested many years of his young life moving toward that level of success. He grabbed the chance to perform at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café at the age of sixteen, moving full-time to Nashville in 2003. While studying at Lipscomb University, he continued to write songs and perform at every opportunity. When he graduated with a B.S. degree in biology in 2007, he decided to stay in Nashville and focus on his music career.
Persistence paid off, and Lynch was signed to Valory Music Group, moving to Broken Bow Records in 2011. It was ten years between that first performance at the Bluebird and signing the record deal with Broken Bow, and a further seven years to this point, establishing him as a successful artist with a string of hits to his credit.
Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce achieved her first Number One, ‘Every Little Thing,’ at the age of twenty-eight. She was sure that her future would be in music: at the age of nine, she visualized herself singing on a stage and never gave up on that goal. At sixteen, she was working at Dollywood, learning stagecraft from more experienced performers.
She moved to Nashville, taking menial day jobs while she worked on building her skills as a songwriter and a singer in the evenings. She remembers sitting at home watching the CMA Awards on TV. She made it her goal to be on that show one day. Her tenacity paid off with a nomination in the ‘New Female Vocalist of the Year’ category at the 2018 CMA Awards.
“I wouldn’t change anything about my personal journey in the industry. I had to figure out who I was as an artist. I’m glad this didn’t happen when I was twenty-one. I wouldn’t have appreciated it as much as I do now.” – Carly Pearce
Buddy Jewell
Think about Buddy Jewell if you want to know about persistence! He started pursuing a career in music in Arkansas in 1982. He learned his craft the hard way, working in gunfighting shows at Six Flags Over Texas and entering talent shows, including one sponsored by the band Alabama. He moved to Nashville in 1993 and found work singing more than 5,000 demos for songs that became hits for artists such as George Strait, Clay Walker and Gary Allan.
Jewell spent years perfecting his vocal skills, networking and preparing for the success that he knew would come if he stayed the course. When his big opportunity presented itself he was ready, winning the first season of Nashville Star. This led to a recording contract with Columbia Records and a self-titled, GOLD-certified Number One album.
Success takes an investment of time
Talent alone is just the starting point to a career in music just as in any other endeavor. Pushing too hard, too fast means you are more likely to trip and fall.
Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Brett Young, Jesse Lee, Dustin Lynch, Carly Pearce, Buddy Jewell. Scroll up and look again at when they arrived in Nashville, when they began to achieve success and what they did in between.
Their stories are just a few examples of artists and songwriters who understand that the road to success is a marathon not a sprint. If ever you need encouragement, go online and research the timeline of almost any star singer or songwriter. Quite often, ‘ten years’ is the least they invested in pursuit of their goals. Remember that you are studying for a ‘Doctorate in Songology’(R) and every day is one more investment in your own success story!
- In my next post, I’ll suggest ten ways to stay focused on success by moving your career forward, one day at a time.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com