An air of high
expectation and inevitability has always surrounded Chris Young. Anyone
who heard him sing, and anyone who experienced his poised and engaging
stage show, inevitably decreed that this tall fellow with the friendly
smile had what it takes. When they found out he also wrote the best of
his songs, people would just smile, shake their heads and say, "That boy
is going to be a star."
Indeed, Young lives up to everyones predictions with his self-titled
debut on RCA Records. Working with Kenny Chesney's producer Buddy
Cannon, Young has created a potent debut that puts an up-to-date,
contemporary edge on traditional country music.
For as long as I
can remember, I told everyone I would be a country singer, says Young
with the straightforward, aw-shucks attitude that has already won him a
nation of fans. I've always been sure that this was what I was going to
do. I didn't know if I'd be successful, but I knew I would be singing,
even if it meant doing it on the street with a cup in front of me. I
love it that much.
Like his heroes Keith Whitley and Randy Travis, the 21-year-old seems to
own an old soul and a lived-in voice custom-designed to sing country
music. Like those idols, he ushers country's classic sound into the
modern era, energizing the genres core themes and values by making them
as current as tomorrows news.
I don't worry about labels, he says. I know that whenever I sing the
music I love, I see people my age, and people of all ages, really
responding to it. I know they hear the same things I hear in the music.
It's about life, all the joy and all the heartbreak of living, right
there in three minutes and 22 seconds.
As it turns out, that's the length of Young's first single, Drinkin'
Me Lonely, the self-written song that's already made a star of the
hometown boy from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Young's debut shows how deep his talent goes. He reaches into his own
song bag for the Southern rocker Lay It On Me and the celebratory
Small Town, Big Time, both co-written with Tim James.
Meanwhile, the touching Center of My World, which Young co-wrote
with veteran David Lee Murphy, shows how well he can handle a believable
love song. It's a tune destined to be a future prom-night, wedding-party
favorite.
Young figures he came by his musical obsession naturally. Some of his
earliest memories involved listening to his grandfather, one-time
Louisiana Hayride performer Richard Yates, play piano and guitar at
family gatherings.
By grade school, Young performed in children's theater, leading family
and friends to discover his innate singing talent. The youngster enjoyed
the full support of his parents from the start; whenever he asked for
help, they came through without hesitation, whether it meant paying for
vocal lessons or buying his first guitar.
A lot of parents
discourage kids from music, because they know it's a long shot and it
can be disappointing, he says. But I got to do what most kids didn't
because my parents always encouraged me and supported my dream.
In high school, while most tall and handsome young men devoted
themselves to sports, Young focused on getting better at music. His
tenacity paid off. Young and his partners quickly started getting gigs
at prestigious Nashville music clubs like 3rd & Lindsey. The week the
A-student took his finals as a senior in high school, he put out his
first album. His earliest fan club members still treasure it like gold.
He went to
college, taking music business classes, first at Belmont University in
Nashville, then at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
After two years of studying, he was performing more than 150 shows a
year. It's hard to perform three shows a week and stay in an honors
program, said the high-achiever. So I put my classes aside for the time
being to pursue music full-time. Music Row insiders encouraged him, but
also suggested the teen singer continue to write and gain seasoning.
When a Texas nightclub agent invited him to front the house band at the
famous Cowboys honky-tonk in Arlington, Texas, Young excitedly took the
job. One of his more faithful fans insisted he audition for Nashville
Star. Young at first balked, until the friend told him that this years
winner would, for the first time, get a recording contract with RCA
Records.
When I heard
that, I got interested, he says. RCA has always been the label I wanted
to be on. It's where my heroes recorded, guys like Keith Whitley, John
Anderson, Ronnie Milsap and Alan Jackson. I knew they were the best of
the best.
I've always felt this was my destiny, says the singer. But I also
realized early on that hard work is as important as talent. I love to
work just as much as I love music. So I'm having the time of my life
right now.
Still, I'm waiting for that day when I hear my song being played on the
radio next to George Strait and Brooks & Dunn. That's when I'll
celebrate. At that point, I'll know my work is just beginning, but I'll
also know that dreams do come true.
|
Visit Chris At
www.chrisyoungcountry.com
www.myspace.com/chrisyoungmusic |
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