Interview with Country Musician Chris Young

Jan:
Hi Chris- Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with Nashville About.com.

Jan:
You played a new song at a recent showcase in Nashville, which was a gutsy move for any performer. Why did you choose to perform that song and can you tell us about the song itself?

Chris Young:
I wanted the first public performance of “He’s My Dad” to be really special, and a surprise to my Step Dad, Michael, who the song is about. I also think it is one of the best songs I’ve co-written to date. The song is about what it means to have a Step Dad, like mine, who walks into your life and becomes your dad.
We laugh all the time about how much my sister and I are like Michael, but we don’t look like him. My Step Dad has been there every step of the way for me.
He’s encouraged my music, my education, and my ambition.
When he and my mom met, I was only 9; 10 when they got married. He was just always there for me from the day he walked into our lives, and he did everything that the song says. He taught me how to be a man.

Jan:
Your songs have tremendous depth to them. I’ve rarely heard this in anyone other than seasoned songwriters and performers. Do you write all of your own songs? If not, who writes for/with you? What inspires your songs?

Chris Young:
Thank you. I’ve been very honored to write with a lot of people. Dan Bobbitt, James Campbell, Larry Wayne Clark, and Jeff Pearson have all been nice enough to co-write with me.
I try to write about things I either know first hand, or ideas that pop into my head. I keep a “hook book” so when I’m brainstorming so that I have something to start with. I think the best songs are the ones with a meaning behind them, like “He’s My Dad” and “Where Would I Be” which will both be on my upcoming CD.