Plenty of famous country music giants have advice for those aspiring to be country artists themselves. From rags to riches stories to advice from new and old country stars alike, the following advice might just be what you need to hear.
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1. Lainey Wilson
This “Things A Man Oughta Know” hitmaker once said that staying true to yourself is one of the most important things to remember when pursuing a country music career. She also noted that endurance is particularly important, too.
“Don’t take no for an answer, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, the early bird gets the worm, roll your sleeves up and don’t let anybody tell you no,” said Lainey Wilson. “Be kind and you’ll land where you’re supposed to.”
2. Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton has made quite a name for himself in the last decade. He’s a proud winner of multiple country music awards and Grammys for his work, particularly for the song “White Horse” and the album Starting Over, among others. Stapleton shared his advice for aspiring musicians back in 2023 after winning an award at the 57th CMA Awards in Nashville. The gist? “Take action.”
“I used to have people tell me that you must be present to win, and that’s the way Nashville works,” said Stapleton. “It takes some commitment and it takes a lot of dedication to the craft. It takes hard work, but also just loving it enough to keep doing it.”
[Buy Tickets To See Chris Stapleton Live]
3. Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll has never shied away from giving advice and more or less delivering sermons whenever he wins an award; and he’s won a lot of awards. However, one piece of advice from the “Save Me” hitmaker for aspiring musicians came earlier in his career. And that piece of advice actually came from someone else.
“It was keep writing,” Jelly Roll once said. “It was so cliché and so frustrating. It’s the last thing you want to hear. You play somebody a song and they’re like, ‘That’s great, man. Keep writing.’”
4. Carly Pearce
Country starlet Carly Pearce once said that her own mother was the one to give her some particularly valuable advice. We think it’s a very simple quote that all aspiring country musicians should take to heart.
“[My mom] told me to always keep my feet on the ground,” said Pearce.
5. Luke Bryan
Famed country star and beloved American Idol host Luke Bryan has been in the industry for a while, so it’s safe to assume he knows a thing or two. His advice to aspiring country music artists, which came from his father, is pretty cut-and-dry: Try to do it right from the get-go.
“Finish the drill,” said Bryan. “Do things right the first time and you don’t have to go back and do them over again.”
6. Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is the oldest country singer on this list (no shade) and also the most legendary singer in country music. He’s seen the ins and outs of the industry firsthand, as well as how it has evolved through the decades. When asked what advice he had for aspiring country singers, Nelson’s answer was the most Nelson-esque answer ever.
“If they’re any good, they wouldn’t listen to me or anybody else,” said Nelson. “They’ll do what their instincts tell them to do and they’ll wind up doing the right thing. You can get a lot of bad advice out there.”
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer
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