On September 9, 2011, Suite101 interview with country singer Bryan White about his career in country music and latest record Dustbowl Dreams. In addition to his many hits on country radio, White is known for From This Moment On, a popular duet with country-pop mega-star Shania Twain.
Bryan White Talks About his Musical Influences
“My parents were musicians, so I grew up watching them perform, which set me on fire as well. As far as an artist goes, my biggest influence is Steve Wariner who was my hero growing up. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be doing this,” he says.
Regarding his six #1 chart-topping singles on country radio, White remarks, “it all goes by so fast, so it’s very short-lived. I’m grateful and amazed for something like that to happen in my career. To look back and see these accomplishments is huge, since there are countless people that have struggled their whole lives to make something happen like that. It’s such a huge blessing, and I cannot really fathom it.”
Bryan White Talks About His Latest Record
According to Bryan White, “Dustbowl Dreams is my most successful album in my eyes, since I did a project in my own timing, and it was about a lot of the different things in my life that I wanted to write about. It’s the most real and the most organic record emotionally that I’ve ever done. I’m personally attached to it. It has songs about my parents, my heritage as an Oklahoman, my wife, family and the things that are important to me. That’s what the album is really about.”
Regarding his song The Little Things, he states, “it was inspired after my wife and I found out that we were having our first child. The song’s title and its concept deal with the small things in our lives that are really the biggest. I hooked up with two of my good friends and the next day I got the idea to make this happen.
“Dustbowl Dreams is the song that I want to be remembered for in terms of a guy trying to encompass what he was about and what he believed in and what he stood for, it would be the title track. That is my favorite song that I’ve written to date,” White shares.
Bryan White Talks About His Proudest Career Moments
“My proudest accomplishment is to get recognition on something that I’m passionate about, and to become successful as a singer. I was very proud when I won my first award, the ACM's Top New Male Vocalist, and knowing that my family was there watching, since they've been there for me from the start. Also, being able to work with some of my biggest musical heroes such as Vince Gill and Wariner,” he says.
In 1998, White was voted as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. “I don’t wake up every morning and look in the mirror and say ‘man, I’m beautiful.’ To me, it’s as if they are saying that I am one of the 50 most recognizable and notable folks that year. Just to be included in that list was huge.”
“Of course, I got a lot of slack from my buddies, who would say ‘Here comes Mr. Beautiful,’ so I had to deal with that for that year,” he laughs.
Bryan White Talks About Shania Twain and Duets
“It was amazing to duet with Shania Twain on From This Moment On, and to be involved with the biggest selling female country act of all time. She was great, gracious, and a sweetheart,” he reveals.
“This particular duet has done so many things for my career, where a lot of people around the world got to know me thanks to this collaboration,” he admits.
Other country artists that White would like to duet with in the future include Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.
Bryan White Talks About Family and Fatherhood
White is a respected artist who puts his family and children first! Most recently, he was performing in New Zealand and Australia, and returned home to be there for his family for a few days, only to return back to Australia.
“It was my son’s first day of kindergarten. I could have stayed because it made more sense to stay there, but I wanted to come home and not miss that. I walked my son to school, and I spent a few days with the kids and flew back to the same place. You don’t get those days back. There is no amount of money that could replace that memory. My kids are my priority, but at the same time, what I do for a living, and every decision I make has to do with them too,” he shares.
Bryan White Talks About His Fans and Social Media
“I’m very active on Twitter and Facebook. I love them because I came out before any of that. I remember the first days of actually writing physical letters to people, until it got too overwhelming. Now with social media it’s great because I can talk to everybody and it’s not difficult,” he acknowledges.
“I don’t think I could ever say in one sitting what my fans have meant to me. I am just grateful for all the support and the love that they have given me from day one. I think country music fans are the most loyal, the most kind, and family-related. I love where I’m at. As long as the support stays there, I’ll always be here making music. I cannot thank them enough,” White concludes.
For Bryan White, success means “being able to lay my head down at night on the pillow, and say ‘hey, I was a good dad today.’”
For more information on Bryan White, please visit his official website.
Source
- Telephone Communication. Bryan White. September 9, 2011.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
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