Today, country artist Brett Young is known for hit songs like "In Case You Didn't Know" and "Mercy." In 2018, he gained significant notoriety after winning the ACM's New Artist of the Year Award. But long before he found music, he was just a kid playing college baseball who had to end his career. It was during this time that he says music "saved his life." Here's how he turned that life-saving thing into his life's work.
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Playing baseball for his high school in Anaheim, California, Brett Young caught the attention of several colleges as he brought his team to the state championships. He eventually chose Fresno State, where he experienced an elbow injury that would change his life trajectory. Young recalled his emotions during that time, sharing that he "didn't know what he was going to do." He said he felt as though he had "too much ADD" to sit behind a desk, so the thought of working a 9-to-5 was pretty daunting for him.
In an interview with Sounds like Nashville, he shared how he first discovered music. He said his earliest memories were getting to play "DJ" in the car with his sister in the backseat. "I have a sister who's eight years older than me, and whoever got the front seat would get to play DJ," he shared.
"Every time I got in the front seat, she would sit in the back and kick my chair the whole time. So, to be obnoxious, I would turn on music she didn't like at the time." Young said that ultimately, the joke was on him, because that's what made him "fall in love" with country music.
Now, Brett Young "Can't Imagine Doing Anything Else"
After his injury, Young moved back home to California and developed an interest in playing the guitar. This led him to write songs, pick up gigs, and eventually move to Los Angeles, California. After years of performing with little progress, Young decided to move to Nashville. It was there that he would sign a record deal in less than a year. Although he'd agreed to give up artistry when he got there, it seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape it.
"I would go write, I would record a demo with my voice on it and then pitch it to labels: 'Do you have any artists that need songs like this?' "The response overwhelmingly was, 'We like the song, but whose voice is this on the demo?' I ended up in meetings as an artist, which is exactly what I had moved there to give up."
After signing a deal with Big Machine Label Group, Young went on to have 5 No. 1 hits and major success with his record, "Brett Young" in 2017. At 38, he still doesn't quite feel like he's "made it" but it seems like he's come a pretty long way since that boy in California. Reflecting on the past, he shared, "Looking back now I can't imagine doing anything but music."
Photo by: Braden Carney
