BBR Music Group Granger Smith has a long history with fans. Long before he had a #1 hit like “Backroad Song” and numberless fans of his made-up character, Earl Dibbles, Jr., he was a smart, hard-working guy who wanted a place at the table.
He’s earned that place, and just like everyone else in country music — he ponders what to do with it, after last Sunday, when 58 people lost their lives in Las Vegas.
“The first feeling is heartbroken, because you don’t want to see country music in that kind of news,” the Texan says. “You don’t want to see anything involving any human in this kind of situation… Watching the news and knowing that, oh, God, those are our fans too. Those band members are label mates. Those promoters are people we worked with last week. All those emotions happen first.”
Indeed, Granger benefits from the success of the most famous person on his label, two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, Jason Aldean, who happened to be performing at the beginning of the deadliest shooting in U.S. history.
“I’ll tell you what happens second,” Granger says. “I have children, [a] wife, and I’m not going to live in fear… I’m not going keep them out of school. I’m not going to cancel concerts that are outdoors with high-rise buildings around them. We’re going to stand strong and united and continue to deliver music… It’s my responsibility, as a fireman is responsible for going after a fire. It’s my responsibility to go out and deliver music. I’ve always felt like that’s my calling, and that’s not gonna change.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
Granger’s new single, “Happens Like That,” is the lead release from When the Good Guys Win, which comes out October 27.
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