It’s no secret that The Rock has great taste in music.
He’s voiced his support for artists like Cody Jinks, Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson in the past, and has been filmed on more than one occasion getting down to some country music. But more than just a fan, The Rock actually tried to start a career in country music.
When he was 15, The Rock lived in Nashville and spent some time down on Broadway before he made it big in Hollywood. He reflected back on those times with a throwback picture in front of Tootsies:
“A lil’ flashback to the iconic honky tonk I used to hang out in when I was 15 years old. The one and only Tootsies Orchid Lounge.
I grew up loving traditional country, blues and hip hop – but when I was 15 living in a lil’ motel room in Nashville – just me and a buddy of mine – I thought I could be a decent country music singer to make a little money not be broke. A woman heard me singing in a grocery store (true story) and told me I should go down to Broad street and try and sing in one of the honky tonks to get noticed.
So that’s what I did. Keep in mind I was 15, but I actually looked 57.
One night at a one of country bars, I bought a car from a crackhead for $40 bucks (original agreement was $75:) – and that beat up Thunderbird turned out to be stolen, of course – and about a month later we were forced out of Nashville. Wound up moving to the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Bethlehem) where I would FINALLY, get my wayward ass on the right track to become a productive young man.
And though my 15yr old dream of become a country music legend, never came true… years later, my buddy – the GOAT Willie Nelson would gift me my very first guitar. Which I learned to play pretty well. Didn’t matter anyway because I proudly sing in raspy keys that don’t exist.”
Not half bad, eh?
Although, this is probably the closest he ever got to a hit country song.