They call him "King George the II"...well...he does sound similar to an early Strait...but here's the lowdown on this up & comer!
Like many country artists, Corbin grew up in a SMALL town in rural Gilchrist County, FL.
“There’s no Walmart there,” he says. “There was a Hardee’s, but it closed. That was the only franchise fast food place in the county. Trenton has a red light; Bell has a blinking light. It’s a great place.”
Growing up, he spent much of his time on his grandparent’s cattle farm (his parents divorced when he was young). He credits his grandparents for his love of music…
“My grandparents liked to watch the Opry,” Easton remembers. “We’d start Saturday night off with ‘Hee Haw’ and then ‘Opry Backstage’ and then ‘Opry Live’.”
When Easton was about 15 years old he began taking guitar lessons from a local musician named Pee Wee Melton. “He was a great mentor,” Easton recalls. “He was a great player and a great teacher. He was a really big influence on me.”
Every day when he got home from school, Easton would practice guitar for hours, sometimes until his fingers were raw, then help his grandfather around the farm.
Melton encouraged Corbin to get out and start playing his music in front of an audience, so he joined a local band. “I’d always wanted to play and sing, but up until that time I never really did do it in public,” he says. “We’d play school functions and parties. We were too young to play bars, but we played everything else.”
After earning a business degree at the University of Florida, Easton took two important steps… “My wife, Brinn, and I got married on September 2, 2006, and on October 14 we moved to Nashville,” he says. “I always knew I wanted to move up here. There was never any question about it. I didn’t want to wake up one day and wish I would have tried it, but I had to get my education first so I had something to fall back on.”
When he got to Music City, Corbin got a day job at the local Ace Hardware and began playing around town on writer’s nights. His big break came when a distant cousin, who is also a professor of music management at the University of Montana, heard Easton’s music. He asked if he could send it to some of his Nashville contacts. The response was great! Among those who were impressed by Easton’s music was James Yelich, a booking agent, who asked if he could hear him play in person. Easton quickly agreed.
Also at the meeting was Joe Fisher, who had recently joined Universal Music Group Nashville as Senior Director of A&R. The two men were blown away and Fisher quickly signed him to the label and the rest is well, history.
His first single, “A Little More Country Than That,” was written by Rory Feek (of Joey & Rory), Don Poythress and Varble. ”Even though I didn’t write it, this song identifies who I am,” he says. “It shows character and that’s important where I’m from. You learn to say ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, sir,’ and to open the door for the ladies.”
Now that his life long dream is upon him, Easton says he’s ready. “I just want to make great country music,” he says. “Just the opportunity to play music for a living is a great thing. I’m just thankful to have the opportunity to do what I’m doing now.”
Have you heard the single yet? I absolutely LOVE it. The first time I heard it, I immediately thought that Easton’s voice reminded me of a young George Strait…what do you think?
If you haven’t heard it, check out the song/video now…
You can pick up his 4 song EP now on Amazon.
For more information on Easton Corbin, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter HERE.
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