Post by Kim on Mar 18, 2012 12:24:49 GMT -5
Nashville’s Darryl Worley Opens Up About His New Single, “You Still Got It,” His Faith And How His Daughter Breaks His Heart Every Day
Exclusive Interview—For more than a decade, Darryl Worley has been one of the most consistent hit makers and astute chroniclers of American life in all of country music. With a string of hits including “When You Need My Love,” “Tennessee River Run,” “Second Wind,” “Awful, Beautiful Life” and the heartbreaking “I Miss My Friend,” Darryl has earned a spot among the elite writers and singers in Nashville. But it’s his patriotic classic, “Have You Forgotten”—atop the charts for an astounding seven weeks—that made Darryl a household name through his passionate pleas to his fellow citizens to preserve and defend our way of life in these very perilous times. If he’d never done more, those songs alone would be enough to solidify his place in country music history. But, with the March 19 release of his infectious latest single and heartwarming video, “You Still Got It,” and plans for a new album in June, Darryl shows convincingly that, not only does he still have it, he’s making music as good or better than any he’s released thus far. During the recent Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2012, Darryl took time to chat with Nashville.com about his new music, his career, his family and his faith. We’ll have more from Darryl in June when his new album is released. But, for now, here’s some of what Darryl, one of country’s true good guys, had to say.
Nash: Why is CRS so important to you? What makes you keep coming back?
Darryl: It’s a labor of love. I just feel if you have an opportunity to interface with people who make it possible to go out there and do what you do, and if you want your music to generate work on the road, you really need to have those guys. And, over the years, I haven’t burned any bridges and I have a lot of people in this business I truly care about. It’s just a good reunion. I got to see some people yesterday I haven’t seen in quite some time.
Nash: You sounded good last night, and I love the new single. You co-wrote that one, correct?
Darryl: Yeah, Brett Jones and I wrote it. We got together spring of last year and were hanging out over at his place. He said, “Man, I’ve got this thing I’ve been working on.” And he had almost the whole chorus done. A lot of times the chorus is the toughest.
Nash: And you can work backwards from that, once you have that finished?
Darryl: Absolutely. That’s exactly what we did. A chorus can be pretty elusive. It’s hard to chase it down and nail it down. So when you get that first, you’ve gotta be careful with the melody because you think, now where am I gonna go with the verses? But I heard the chorus and said, “Brett, that sounds like a hit.” It’s very simple and a sing along kind of thing. I had people telling me all night last night, “Man, but the time you got to the second chorus, we were singing along with it.” I said, “That’s what we wanted you to do.” (chuckles)
Nash: It has a very cool Myrtle Beach stroll kind of a vibe to it.
Darryl: Absolutely. It’s got that South Carolina shag kind of thing. No doubt, a boardwalk kind of feel. It’s exactly that kind of thing that makes you want to get up and dance.
Nash: I know Brett had the original idea, but were the lyrics as you finished it up inspired by your lovely bride, Kimberly?
Darryl: I told Brett, it’s so cool to write this with you right now, because this is kind of where I’m at. My wife is a big plus in my wife, and anything I can say or do that will bring a smile to her face, she certainly deserves it. She’s at home 24/7. We don’t send the little munchkin off to the babysitter very often. She’s an incredible mother and just takes pains with that child. She loves this song. She knows it’s about her.
Nash: How far along is the album? Still due in June?
Darryl: That won’t be any problem. We’re practically finished. We’re re-recording a couple of songs off some older albums and those are the only things we’re not finished with.
Nash: Which songs?
Darryl: We’re re-doing “Slow Dancing With a Memory.”
Nash: That’s one of my three or four favorite songs you’ve ever done.
Darryl: I get that a lot. It’s a different concept, and when we sat down to write it I thought it might be more of a story than a song, but we were able to figure out how to make it work. Then “I Need a Breather,” which is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. And I believe we got a better track this time. It’s just a little more laid back this time and more open. It has space to breathe. Then a song a million people have told me should have been a single. A song called “Find Me.”
Nash: It was refreshing to hear you say last night you still feel blessed to be able to do what you do for a living. And how rare that is.
Darryl: It’s very rare. Honestly, it is. My grandfather told me years ago, “Son, if you can figure out how to make this music thing make you a livin’, you’re a lucky guy. Do you know how many people get to do something they actually love to pay the bills?” How true is that? He worked all his life and very seldom got to do anything he enjoyed. And longevity is no issue. You can just keep goin’ and goin’. And I take my voice and my health more serious than I ever have. I’m 47 years old, but without a shadow of a doubt, I’m singing better than I ever have. If you look at the medical literature, they say your vocal muscles only really peak when you’re at about 65 years old. Then it doesn’t necessarily have to regress. That’s up to you and how you take care of yourself. I told my wife, I would like to keel over onstage and that’s where I’d like to be done. I hope I’m still doin’ it when I’m 80.
Nash: How’s the family?
Darryl: Good. Mom’s struggling a little bit. She lost one of her legs to circulation issues and recently she’s had some issues with the other leg. Bless my dad’s heart, he’s very much of a realist. He’s concerned that if something happens to the other leg, it’ll be a real problem for them because he’s not able to lift her. So he kinda got her on the stick and she’s taking better care of it now. We go and visit as often as we can. And they keep Savannah for us occasionally. They love that girl.
Nash: Does she just break your heart every day, just doing something sweet or cute?
Darryl: Every day. I told my wife drivin’ down here. Just out of the blue, Savannah was back there eating Chick Fillet and I heard her kind of whisper under her breath, “I love you, Daddy.” She does it constantly. That’s something we do around our house. You know as well as I know that the generation we grew up in, they didn’t throw that around. My dad grew up in a touch environment. He was a product of the depression. So we didn’t hear it, especially from my dad. But I told my wife, “That’s something I want to infuse this household with.” I probably tell her 25 times a day. And she makes me laugh. I laugh until I cry. And I’m having a blast with her.
Nash: Is she old enough that you talk to her about following her dreams? Or do you just try to set and example at this point?
Darryl: I talk to her about it now. I sure do. And she gets it. We have never excluded her from our conversations. We talk at dinner and I tell her about America and I tell her about freedom. She knows so much about our military and the wars we’ve been in. And she’ll go up to a service person in the airport and thank them for their service. (laughs) I explain to her that those people wearing those uniforms are why we can do whatever we want to do and be whatever we want to be in this country. I tell her, “You can be a singer, you can be a dancer, you can be both. It’s wide open.” And she’s got such an imagination. She told her mother the other day, “I’ve made up my mind I’m gonna be a singer like Daddy. I’m gonna get him to make me some songs for me.” And I thought, how cool is that? And she can sing. She was humming along with the radio—right on pitch—before she ever could talk. And if she ever sang a note that wasn’t in the melody, it was a harmony. She never blurted out a note that was off in left field . . . like my wife! (big laugh) She will kill me!
Nash: How concerned are you about the world your little girl will grow up in? It’s a lot different than the way we grew up.
Darryl: We are concerned about that. But I’m gonna tell you, there’s a lot of things my parents gave me that you can’t put a price tag on. And probably the most important is my faith in God. And I have a wife who’s got faith a lot bigger than a mustard seed, I’ll just put it that way. I tend to be more like my dad, sometimes looking at the negative side of things. I tend to me very much a realist, and sometimes realism and pessimism can go hand in hand. So it’s been good for me to have her in my life. She helps me see the positive, speak the positive. Our faith is renewed. We’ve gotten back in church and are getting more active in the church, because the things we’ve done so far have just blessed out lives. My wife and I have sat down and talked about this very subject through these things we’ve been talking about.
And for us, the number one thing is to give her a very firm spiritual foundation and know that she understands what that’s all about. And to express to her and make her realize that the most important thing is life is to know God and to feel God and to exist in harmony with Him. And no matter what happens in this world, it’s going to be okay if you have that. I truly believe that. And I have struggled so many years, worrying about how I’m gonna do this or do that. And my wife just calls me on the carpet and says, “Why do we have to have this conversation over and over again? Do you believe? Do you believe? And if you do, why are you struggling with this?”
Nash: Have you forgotten?
Darryl: (big laugh) She works me over, and she’s right. I stop that kind of thought process, and everything’s always okay. We work real hard at that. And it’s been good for me to get back involved with a church family situation again. And it’s doing miraculous things for our child.
Nash: What are you most looking forward to?
Darryl: We’re getting ready to get Savannah into some stuff that I think will be a lot of fun. She’s crazy about Kung Fu and Karate, and we’re going to start her into that. I think it’ll be good for her in a lot of ways—discipline, balance, confidence. And she’s a leader, definitely not a follower. And she’s crazy about ballet. I don’t know how long that’ll last. She seems to have my mother’s athletic ability. So, tap dance, ballet and Karate or Kung Fu. That’s her wish list. We’re gonna get her in all that. And she’s interested in the piano.
And, in terms of my music, I want nothing more than to work really hard, like I always do. And to push the right buttons with the right gatekeepers and have another big hit song. It just changes everything. Work comes easier and your price goes up. This year could be another good year, and a hit song would make a big difference.
Nash: Thanks again for giving me so much time. I always enjoy talking with you.
Darryl: It’s always my pleasure.
—David Scarlett
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
Exclusive Interview—For more than a decade, Darryl Worley has been one of the most consistent hit makers and astute chroniclers of American life in all of country music. With a string of hits including “When You Need My Love,” “Tennessee River Run,” “Second Wind,” “Awful, Beautiful Life” and the heartbreaking “I Miss My Friend,” Darryl has earned a spot among the elite writers and singers in Nashville. But it’s his patriotic classic, “Have You Forgotten”—atop the charts for an astounding seven weeks—that made Darryl a household name through his passionate pleas to his fellow citizens to preserve and defend our way of life in these very perilous times. If he’d never done more, those songs alone would be enough to solidify his place in country music history. But, with the March 19 release of his infectious latest single and heartwarming video, “You Still Got It,” and plans for a new album in June, Darryl shows convincingly that, not only does he still have it, he’s making music as good or better than any he’s released thus far. During the recent Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2012, Darryl took time to chat with Nashville.com about his new music, his career, his family and his faith. We’ll have more from Darryl in June when his new album is released. But, for now, here’s some of what Darryl, one of country’s true good guys, had to say.
Nash: Why is CRS so important to you? What makes you keep coming back?
Darryl: It’s a labor of love. I just feel if you have an opportunity to interface with people who make it possible to go out there and do what you do, and if you want your music to generate work on the road, you really need to have those guys. And, over the years, I haven’t burned any bridges and I have a lot of people in this business I truly care about. It’s just a good reunion. I got to see some people yesterday I haven’t seen in quite some time.
Nash: You sounded good last night, and I love the new single. You co-wrote that one, correct?
Darryl: Yeah, Brett Jones and I wrote it. We got together spring of last year and were hanging out over at his place. He said, “Man, I’ve got this thing I’ve been working on.” And he had almost the whole chorus done. A lot of times the chorus is the toughest.
Nash: And you can work backwards from that, once you have that finished?
Darryl: Absolutely. That’s exactly what we did. A chorus can be pretty elusive. It’s hard to chase it down and nail it down. So when you get that first, you’ve gotta be careful with the melody because you think, now where am I gonna go with the verses? But I heard the chorus and said, “Brett, that sounds like a hit.” It’s very simple and a sing along kind of thing. I had people telling me all night last night, “Man, but the time you got to the second chorus, we were singing along with it.” I said, “That’s what we wanted you to do.” (chuckles)
Nash: It has a very cool Myrtle Beach stroll kind of a vibe to it.
Darryl: Absolutely. It’s got that South Carolina shag kind of thing. No doubt, a boardwalk kind of feel. It’s exactly that kind of thing that makes you want to get up and dance.
Nash: I know Brett had the original idea, but were the lyrics as you finished it up inspired by your lovely bride, Kimberly?
Darryl: I told Brett, it’s so cool to write this with you right now, because this is kind of where I’m at. My wife is a big plus in my wife, and anything I can say or do that will bring a smile to her face, she certainly deserves it. She’s at home 24/7. We don’t send the little munchkin off to the babysitter very often. She’s an incredible mother and just takes pains with that child. She loves this song. She knows it’s about her.
Nash: How far along is the album? Still due in June?
Darryl: That won’t be any problem. We’re practically finished. We’re re-recording a couple of songs off some older albums and those are the only things we’re not finished with.
Nash: Which songs?
Darryl: We’re re-doing “Slow Dancing With a Memory.”
Nash: That’s one of my three or four favorite songs you’ve ever done.
Darryl: I get that a lot. It’s a different concept, and when we sat down to write it I thought it might be more of a story than a song, but we were able to figure out how to make it work. Then “I Need a Breather,” which is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. And I believe we got a better track this time. It’s just a little more laid back this time and more open. It has space to breathe. Then a song a million people have told me should have been a single. A song called “Find Me.”
Nash: It was refreshing to hear you say last night you still feel blessed to be able to do what you do for a living. And how rare that is.
Darryl: It’s very rare. Honestly, it is. My grandfather told me years ago, “Son, if you can figure out how to make this music thing make you a livin’, you’re a lucky guy. Do you know how many people get to do something they actually love to pay the bills?” How true is that? He worked all his life and very seldom got to do anything he enjoyed. And longevity is no issue. You can just keep goin’ and goin’. And I take my voice and my health more serious than I ever have. I’m 47 years old, but without a shadow of a doubt, I’m singing better than I ever have. If you look at the medical literature, they say your vocal muscles only really peak when you’re at about 65 years old. Then it doesn’t necessarily have to regress. That’s up to you and how you take care of yourself. I told my wife, I would like to keel over onstage and that’s where I’d like to be done. I hope I’m still doin’ it when I’m 80.
Nash: How’s the family?
Darryl: Good. Mom’s struggling a little bit. She lost one of her legs to circulation issues and recently she’s had some issues with the other leg. Bless my dad’s heart, he’s very much of a realist. He’s concerned that if something happens to the other leg, it’ll be a real problem for them because he’s not able to lift her. So he kinda got her on the stick and she’s taking better care of it now. We go and visit as often as we can. And they keep Savannah for us occasionally. They love that girl.
Nash: Does she just break your heart every day, just doing something sweet or cute?
Darryl: Every day. I told my wife drivin’ down here. Just out of the blue, Savannah was back there eating Chick Fillet and I heard her kind of whisper under her breath, “I love you, Daddy.” She does it constantly. That’s something we do around our house. You know as well as I know that the generation we grew up in, they didn’t throw that around. My dad grew up in a touch environment. He was a product of the depression. So we didn’t hear it, especially from my dad. But I told my wife, “That’s something I want to infuse this household with.” I probably tell her 25 times a day. And she makes me laugh. I laugh until I cry. And I’m having a blast with her.
Nash: Is she old enough that you talk to her about following her dreams? Or do you just try to set and example at this point?
Darryl: I talk to her about it now. I sure do. And she gets it. We have never excluded her from our conversations. We talk at dinner and I tell her about America and I tell her about freedom. She knows so much about our military and the wars we’ve been in. And she’ll go up to a service person in the airport and thank them for their service. (laughs) I explain to her that those people wearing those uniforms are why we can do whatever we want to do and be whatever we want to be in this country. I tell her, “You can be a singer, you can be a dancer, you can be both. It’s wide open.” And she’s got such an imagination. She told her mother the other day, “I’ve made up my mind I’m gonna be a singer like Daddy. I’m gonna get him to make me some songs for me.” And I thought, how cool is that? And she can sing. She was humming along with the radio—right on pitch—before she ever could talk. And if she ever sang a note that wasn’t in the melody, it was a harmony. She never blurted out a note that was off in left field . . . like my wife! (big laugh) She will kill me!
Nash: How concerned are you about the world your little girl will grow up in? It’s a lot different than the way we grew up.
Darryl: We are concerned about that. But I’m gonna tell you, there’s a lot of things my parents gave me that you can’t put a price tag on. And probably the most important is my faith in God. And I have a wife who’s got faith a lot bigger than a mustard seed, I’ll just put it that way. I tend to be more like my dad, sometimes looking at the negative side of things. I tend to me very much a realist, and sometimes realism and pessimism can go hand in hand. So it’s been good for me to have her in my life. She helps me see the positive, speak the positive. Our faith is renewed. We’ve gotten back in church and are getting more active in the church, because the things we’ve done so far have just blessed out lives. My wife and I have sat down and talked about this very subject through these things we’ve been talking about.
And for us, the number one thing is to give her a very firm spiritual foundation and know that she understands what that’s all about. And to express to her and make her realize that the most important thing is life is to know God and to feel God and to exist in harmony with Him. And no matter what happens in this world, it’s going to be okay if you have that. I truly believe that. And I have struggled so many years, worrying about how I’m gonna do this or do that. And my wife just calls me on the carpet and says, “Why do we have to have this conversation over and over again? Do you believe? Do you believe? And if you do, why are you struggling with this?”
Nash: Have you forgotten?
Darryl: (big laugh) She works me over, and she’s right. I stop that kind of thought process, and everything’s always okay. We work real hard at that. And it’s been good for me to get back involved with a church family situation again. And it’s doing miraculous things for our child.
Nash: What are you most looking forward to?
Darryl: We’re getting ready to get Savannah into some stuff that I think will be a lot of fun. She’s crazy about Kung Fu and Karate, and we’re going to start her into that. I think it’ll be good for her in a lot of ways—discipline, balance, confidence. And she’s a leader, definitely not a follower. And she’s crazy about ballet. I don’t know how long that’ll last. She seems to have my mother’s athletic ability. So, tap dance, ballet and Karate or Kung Fu. That’s her wish list. We’re gonna get her in all that. And she’s interested in the piano.
And, in terms of my music, I want nothing more than to work really hard, like I always do. And to push the right buttons with the right gatekeepers and have another big hit song. It just changes everything. Work comes easier and your price goes up. This year could be another good year, and a hit song would make a big difference.
Nash: Thanks again for giving me so much time. I always enjoy talking with you.
Darryl: It’s always my pleasure.
—David Scarlett
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
