Greylan James has been chasing his country music dreams for as long as he can remember, and growing up in East Tennessee, he didn’t have to look far for inspiration. Right about the time he was taking an interest in music, fellow East Tennessee native Kenny Chesney was blowing up. It made the dream of becoming a country singer feel a little more within reach for Greylan.
“I grew up in East Tennessee, so there was always music around, and right when I was a kid, Kenny Chesney was becoming a massive superstar. And so, when I was starting to take guitar lessons, starting to take singing lessons, everybody had a story about how they saw Kenny Chesney come up. And they were like, ‘If you keep on, you’ll become the next Kenny Chesney.’”
What happened next proved to be a life-altering moment for young Greylan James.
“My parents got tickets when I was seven years old to Kenny Chesney at Neyland Stadium, and it was my first ever concert. So, I was two years removed from getting that first guitar, and seeing it in action, seeing somebody on that big of a stage was insane for me. And so, that was definitely the moment I was like, ‘Alright, that’s what I wanna do.’ It was a life changing experience,” he shared.
When he was 10, Greylan had the chance to meet Chesney in what would become a moment he’s never forget.
“I first met him briefly when I was about 10 years old. My bluegrass band was playing at a fundraiser. He was there. Peyton Manning was there too, and 10-year-old me was freaking out,” he previously revealed to Country Now. “I got to walk up to him with my dad. I had also just gotten my first C on a science test, which devastated my family. I remember telling my dad about my report card, and he was like, ‘No. That’s unacceptable.’ But I said, ‘It doesn’t matter. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be a country music star.’ It just happened to be that night that I met Kenny.”
When Greylan’s dad asked Chesney if he had any advice for the young singer, he told him a valuable message.
“Kenny was like, ‘Two pieces of advice. Stay in school and learn to write songs because songwriting will be your ticket.’ I never forgot that,” Greylan promised.
Greylan James experienced a full-circle moment when Kenny Chesney recorded “Happy Does,” a song he co-wrote. It’s a moment he’ll never forget, and one he’ll always be grateful for.
Now, Greylan is continuing his journey as a solo artist with the release of “Greylan James • “Water At A Wedding”,” out this Friday. The song has already generated major buzz, racking up nearly 10 million views across platforms ahead of its release.
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