Josey Greenwell: On The Edge of Glory

Growing up in the rural South, country music was the music that I was raised to listen to.  Most new country music is not for me anymore, but from the time I was born until a girlfriend introduced me to Alanis Morissette, I only listened to country music.  I still think Garth Brooks was the end of true country music, but that is a debate for another time.  I grew up listening to Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Jr., Willie Nelson, Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Lori Morgan, and many, many others.  I still love some of that music, and I can still sing some of those songs when I can’t remember the words to a Lady Gaga song.  Country music has never been known for its liberalism (unless you count the Dixie Chicks and sometimes Reba and Dolly), and they have never been what you would call gay friendly.  When k.d. lang came out as a lesbian in 1992, her career in country music fell apart.  I still love to hear k.d. sing, but you don’t hear her on the radio a lot anymore.  Even though I am gay, I’m still somewhat a country boy at heart, as Ricky Scaggs sang:

 I may look like a city slicker,
Shinin' up through his shoes. 

Underneath I'm just a cotton picker,

Pickin' out a mess of blues. 

Show me where I start. 

Find a horse and cart. 

I'm just a country boy,

Country boy at heart.

There is a new star on the rise in the country music world that just might make country music change its tune about gay people.  That rising star is Josey Greenwell.  With his looks and that voice, he is on "The Edge of Glory." 

Josey Greenwell, the small town boy with the big time voice, snuck up on the scene by capturing the Colgate Country Showdown in 2006, a title also held by greats such as Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans and Miranda Lambert.  In reality though, this young Kentucky talent has been grooming a career in music since first finding his voice in the school choir at St. Joseph Parish.

“I was twelve or thirteen, and showing quarter horses around the country with my mother, when my dad became seriously ill,” Greenwell said. “He died rather quickly, way too soon, and it changed my whole perspective on life in a good way. I don’t know what kind of person I would have been if my father had lived, but I know who I’ve become because he didn’t. It’s brought me closer to my two older sisters and my mother, and I’ve learned to live, laugh and love as much as possible.”

Through the difficult teenage years that followed, the high school basketball and soccer player poured his heart and soul into singing and song writing, and a career was born. “I’ll never forget the day writing and my love for music clicked,” he said. “I’ve known for a long time this is what I want to do with my life.”

After graduating from tiny Bethlehem High School with honors, Greenwell enrolled at Western Kentucky University and started attending Writers Nights in Nashville to test out new material. Much of the music was popular and he soon was picked up by an independent label and began to write for his first album. During this course, some unreasonable mishaps occurred and Josey parted ways with the label and began to record an album entirely on his own titled, My Life On the Radio, writing all 13 songs on the recording. Playing in and around Nashville, Greenwell successfully showcased at the electric 12th & Porter nightclub, and a new path formed.

What happened with that first record label?  They found out he was gay and decided that they were not the trailblazers to bring a gay country music star to the public.

In moving to Nashville when I was 19, I was signed to a record label here. 

After we had been recording for months, they found out I was gay and dropped me from the record label and debut album wasn't released. I ended up finishing the project myself and spent all that year promoting it myself and trying to get any kind of help I could. They said, "Music isn't ready for something as controversial as you and we sure as hell won’t be the first label to have it." 

I don't think that is true at all and actually think music is READY for someone like me to come along! Music can put someone on such a pedestal and it's up to them whether or not they use that for the greater good and I definitely feel like I am not only strong enough, but now brave enough to be able to stand up for millions of people out there just like me and stand as a role model with my music. I have launched myself full force into the country/pop world and am definitely looking for any opportunity to share my story. It took me a long time to be ok with the fact that what happened with the label "wasn't" ok to do. 

Music should be about talent and not sexuality, but I'm proud of mine nonetheless.

He struggled with the decision to go back to school, but finally decided to pack my bags and chase a dream, said Greenwell. So far, the road has been good. He recently won a national online voting competition for an opening spot on Little Big Town's 2009 Tour, along with Zac Brown Band. Since then he has also opened for Dierks Bentley, Mark Chesnutt and grabbed a few other spots on some tours. He also played at the 2010 Detroit Hoedown and the coveted 2010 CMA Festival in Nashville, had a music video aired on CMT and recently was mentioned as an upcoming star in features in CMA Close Up Magazine, The Los Angeles Chronicle, World Sentinel, The New York Times, Countryweekly.com, The Kentucky Standard, and GACTV.com

The future looks bright for the young singer-songwriter, and if his websites are any indication, his reputation and music are growing rapidly. With over 72,000 friends on MySpace and more than 3.6 million plays already collectively on his Myspace, Facebook, and YouTube channels, this internet sensation hopes to someday soon become a big name in music.

“I’m gaining valuable experience and writing more each and every day. I'm a very real and fun person and I want to portray that in my music, whether it’s a get up a dance track or a heartfelt ballad, it's real and I want you to feel it,” Greenwell said. “I'm so excited for what's to come with my music and It seems like there’s not a lot of young guys thriving in the industry right now, but I’m optimistic that I'll soon find the right team to work with."

Click "Read More" below too see some of his videos and listen to his songs.  He even does a Lady Gaga cover, and while "The Edge of Glory" on the streets of Nashville is adorable, his song, "Just Fine" is absolutely beautiful, and reminds me of why I do still like some country music. The song "Round & Round" is an inspirational song for anyone facing persecution, because karma comes around, and absolutely beautiful message. So go to the second part of the post and check out these songs.