Happy Father’s Day.
The one time a year when we collectively celebrate the dads who have so profoundly impacted our lives.
And perhaps nobody has a more profound impact on the country music world than family. Whether it’s dads or grandads, country music has a longstanding tradition that’s built around family.
Just ask your favorite country artist how they fell in love with country music and they can probably point to one or two people who inspired them, and there’s a good chance that one of those people is dad.
And it’s reflected in the music. I mean, just off the top of your head you could probably list off a dozen country music “dad songs,” and there would be plenty left over.
A prime example? Eric Church.
For Eric Church, his entire approach to living life and making music was inspired by his dad.
“My dad is a… I’m trying to find the right words to describe him.
My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me… my dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him.
There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”
And what does that attitude produce?
One word: Authenticity.
“My daddy’s always preached, and it’s something that rung true, he’s always preached authenticity. He’s always preached being honest and being true.
My daddy’s from a small town, you know it’s a blue collar town, and he’s just always been pretty even-keeled; never too high and never too low. He’s always been honest and authentic. I think it’s a good template.
It has been for me thus far, especially with this industry, ‘cause it’s really easy to get high and low. So, I think just keeping everything in perspective and trying to be real, and I think people can sense that, and I certainly will tell my kids the same thing.”
And while Eric has learned a ton from his own father, one of the beauties of fatherhood is that you continue to learn from your children as well.
Cue the “Three Year Old”
