CHAD BROCK

Reassuringly, at a time when fashion statements and karaoke contests are commonly deemed to be shortcuts to stardom, a few artists - like country singer Chad Brock - still approach their craft the old-fashioned way - they learn it.

When Brock emerged into the spotlight with his poignant take on "Ordinary Life",it was a No. 1 country hit from his self-titled debut project.  Years of persistence and dedication were rewarded. With his second album, Yes!, the strapping former athlete is poised to make additional headway in reaffirming his belief in the primacy of the song.  He was nominated for two awards from the prestigious Academy of Country Music: Top New Male Vocal & Vocal Event.

A native of Ocala, Florida, Chad Brock was strongly encouraged to cultivate his musical talent by a fondly-remembered school teacher, the late Florene Gabriel Reese. He moved to Nashville in January 1992. Having been introduced to Warner Bros. Records by singer/songwriter David Mullen, Brock auditioned for the label within months of his arrival. "I wasn't ready yet," Brock candidly admits. On the advice of industry professionals, he sharpened his skills by playing with a band in clubs and honky-tonks throughout the United States. The singer's impressive development eventually resulted in a recording contract.

One of the cuts on Yes! - a new-millennium update of "A Country Boy Can Survive" -  made a substantial impact, with vocal assistance from George Jones as well as writer Hank Williams, Jr. (Bocephus) himself.  Chad has found great success with the Y2K version. The singer credits the successful collaboration with reinforcing the all-important identity that "Ordinary Life" had begun to establish for him.

"Yes!" ,an actual account of how the retrieval of forgotten mail led to Brock's wedding, certainly meets this description. "The first time we played it", Chad recalls, "the song got an even bigger reaction than 'Ordinary Life'. I knew that song was special - people have flipped over it! It's a true story from start to finish."

"I just like to sing," Chad Brock matter-of-factly declares. "But I don't want to do a song that I can't make you feel." Guided by that worthy credo, even in perilous terrain where many musical dreams have been buried, a country boy truly can survive. 

Onstage, Chad likes to get his audiences fired up. “I try to get them on their feet,” he notes. “If they’re just sitting down, why are they there? Why am I there? I try new things to entertain them and make them laugh, make them get their money’s worth.”

Chad's last album, III, vibrates with honest, soul-searching variations of love from a multitude of angles and deep-rooted feelings. Though the lyrics often radiate with pain and self-doubt, they also glimmer with hope and newfound self-awareness. The 10 new cuts are strong on a CD packed with potential singles, along with three hit bonus tracks from the past.

“I want to keep making music as long as those folks out there let me. Hopefully, I will get better and better each time. I feel we’ve progressed tremendously from the first album to the third album. I want to try new things, different things, on the next record. When you limit yourself, you fail. Life is a learning process, and so is music.”

Chad’s blazing, red-hot musical career recalls a line from his song, “Lightning Does the Work”: “It ain’t the smoke, it’s the fire that gets the burnin’ done.”