Well, I weathered a great week and a tough week at the same time.
BEFORE I MOVE ON: IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN, PLEASE STOP READING THIS POST NOW. THIS IS A MESSAGE TO MY FANS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY LIFE. I WRITE THIS TO LET MY FANS KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT OR YOU WILL TRY TO TAKE IT AS ME BRAGGING, THEN STOP READING NOW AND SIMPLY GO TO A DIFFERENT PAGE.
PLEASE. I BEG YOU. STOP READING NOW AND MOVE ON.
Now to our regularly scheduled programming:
The last coupla days were tough for reasons I can't share...but trust me, I'm wasted emotionally. Lots of stuff got cleared up over the last couple of days with business type stuff, but it wasn't without some hard emotional toiling. Thank God things are finally taken care of. Not much more I can say about that - it's a little vague, but know this: I had a rough coupla days.
On to better things:
Nashville was great and a lot of doors are opening very quickly. Without sounding weird, God has opened up more doors for me than I ever thought possible.
Here's a couple of stories: the other day I was meeting with a guy from a major label, eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Usually, no matter where I am I get at least 10-15 people who ask for autographs (please don't take this as me bragging, I'm just trying to tell a story), but that day I had a little respite. Until I finished eating. Suddenly, I had about 20 people all at once. I was thankful they waited till I was done eating, but a little overwhelmed. As the crowd started to thin, a lady walked up and said that she didn't know who I was but her boyfriend was crazy about me, but the boyfriend was emberrassed to come over, so she came over to get my autograph. I laughed because I thought it was hilarious. Then, after I signed the autograph, she slides me a card and says, "I work for x label as an A&R coordinator and we have a pop side to our label...I'm on the country side, but I called the pop a&r guy and we want for you to come in and talk with us."
As I'm sitting with an A&R guy from another label. I felt kinda bad. But I felt kinda good, too.
I went to a party for the Grammy's in Nashville (check out this website: http://wkrn.com/nashville/news/american-idol-contestant-stirs-buzz-at-grammy-block-party/94168.htm) that happens every year and met the president of a label group. I wasn't talking to his label group just because no one had contacted me yet. When he found out no one had contacted me yet, he freaked out, and actually called his a&r guy, had the guy come down to the party to set up a meeting with me, then leave to go back home.
I felt kinda bad. But I felt kinda good, too.
Finally, at the same party, a certain president of a label not based in Nashville happened to be in town. At first he didn't give me the time of day, and I was okay with that...he was kind of a big deal. He had heard my song "Know" somehow and thought it was pretty good, but apparently not good enough to really blink at. No biggie. Well, then he noticed me taking pictures with some big stars and the big stars were the ones coming up to me to take pictures - I had no idea they were big stars because I know nothing about country music, but people were telling me they were - you know, I'm an idiot. So, he comes over and gives me his card. Then he sees label heads coming up and giving me cards, so he comes back over and tells me to call him next week. Then I take more pictures, and he comes over and writes down his cell phone # for me and tells me to call him the next day. More pictures, then he brings over his a&r person and tells me to meet with them the next day.
I felt like I was the unwanted toy that got some attention and then the kid who owns the toy decides he really wants it after all. The label guy is the kid who doesn't give a crap about the toy till other people want it, then he decides it must be worth something, so he snatches it back up. Anyway, I felt kinda bad. But I felt kinda good, too.
I'm looking forward to spilling all the beans, but I am, at this moment, being pursued by 9 labels - literally 9 labels have contacted me now, some more serious than others, obviously, but all very interested. Some mainstream, some Christian, some indie, some major. I mean, it's incredible. Honestly, I never thought it would be like this. I mean, it honestly has to be a God thing...and I say that very, very rarely...I mean, this kind of stuff is just out of my hands and it's turning out better than I ever imagined.
So, basically, I'm putting together the dream lineup of label, publisher, manager, booking agent, etc....now all I have to do is make a great record. Will people buy it? Well, that remains to be seen. But the way I see it is this: with as many doors as are coming open at this point, if I can't make a career out of it, I'm an idiot. By August 23, when my contract with the show is over, I will have a dream team around me...it's crazy. Literally crazy.
Crap. I might be in trouble...since I'm an idiot.
Anyway, discuss away...I won't give you topics, since apparently in my topics I name-dropped (I found a blog that claimed as much). So, you can discuss what you want.
P.S. I will take this down later today, just because I do want this specific post to be simply for the fans, so by lunch today this will be down. I do this to simply re-iterate that this is for the fans.
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32 comments:
How wonderfully blessed you are! Congratulations and can't wait to see what you do post A.I. What a nice dilemma to have...nine record labels!
I think some of the nastiness comes from people not really understanding your sense of humor...or maybe they are just jealous. I feel sorry for those that try to gain your attention by picking apart everything you say, twisting it around, and then posting their negativity on this blog or elsewhere.
Julie
LOL! I'm laughing WITH you, not at you! The funniest part is the guy with all the toys who didn't care about one till others will playing with it. what a way with words! I can just picture the whole thing!
Hey, I'm loving having an inside look at your whole AI/music career experience. I hope you don't become an idiot and mess the whole thing up! ;-)
WOW! Congratulations - that is so wonderful for you and your family! That's also great for the rest of us. I am so exited for you. It must be so hard to know the right thing to do, I can only imagine being overwhelmed with choices like that. I think it would almost paralyze me into doing nothing for fear of doing the wrong thing. Well enjoy it -- you are one the most musically gifted people I have ever heard so as long as you keep grounded and don't let all the attention 'go to your head' then I predict a long successful career for you.
With Love
RadKca
To Chris
From GDA
First and foremost,
STOP! calling yourself an Idiot. You are not, if you were you wouldn’t be were are. I mean that on all possible levels.
You tend to do so when you are situations that are new, therefore as ignorant as student on the first day of class and life is continually a learning experience.
Do some research to find out if which label has an effective track record on marketing the music you intend to record.
Is all this record company interest in signing you as a solo or with the band or both?
It must be wearing for you that so many moments of joy are shadowed by some negative, I trust you are basically enjoying the overall experience.
As for the “God thing”, for those of us with less passionate belief would probably characterize these recounted events as serendipity.
Cie le vive.
sideburn here....
freakin' rad...that's a dream of many people (me included)...you seem to be computer(internet) saavy, so use that to your advantage....Lables only put so much money into marketing these days...and I you don't sell right away, they forget you...but then again, there is absolutly nothing wrong with being indy...look at sup-pop...
rawk on, chris
Chris, you deserve the attention but... watch out for the sharks. Your first step should be a lawyer, hopefully one who shares your beliefs. Then manager...then label... then booking agent. This seems to be the pattern that works most successfully and will offer you the most protection. I know you are a smart and strategic guy but it is very easy to get blinded by the lights of Nashvegas.
ash =o)
PS needtobreathe was awesome, blog update tomorrow
Cracker Barrel, aside from having great food, has always been a great place for making business contacts. Guess it's a southern thing :)
hey chris good day...it's great hear that alot of label companies are trying to pursue you, i'm very excited to hear the record that you will be putting up...hope it will be release here in the philippines. I know people will definitely buy your record, i'll be one of them...god bless and wish you all the best in everything that you do. :-)
Awesome! Congratulations! Dude, I am very happy for yah.
Have a nice day.
wow that's sounds really exiciting . 9 lables can't wait for all of this to come together for you , and all your hopes and dreams come true . iam sure that you could have never have emagined this for yourself can't wait until aug.
"Crap. I might be in trouble"
I believe the word is Carp :-P
I hope you never get in real trouble.....and I'm very glad for this blog post.....it's awesome :-)
Ok, I am an idiot. Whats an A & R person?
Secondly, you mention needing to put together a great new record. Ummm, whats wrong with the current one? I think its a great album.
thirdly, I am getting the feeling that these record labels want you and only you. Are you and the band members going separate ways? or just taking a short detour?
I'm glad you're feeling better now. How amazing to have all that attention - not that I'm surprised as your CD is very listenable. Keep your head up.
Did you "kinda bad. But I felt kinda good, too."? I wasn't sure on this point ;-)
Perhaps the reason why people let you eat was due to your earlier post about "meeting a star" etiquette !
Just keep true to yourself and continue what you did to get his far and you'll be fine :-)
-Diane.
Oh....and we have a lot of those pictures on the Fansite
Wow Chris! God really is doing amazing things. Congratulations on all the opportunities. You can count on me to buy your album with whatever label you choose. Have a great weekend.
PS- My mom is excited about seeing you play at Freedom Weekend Aloft. I wish I wasn't 1000 miles away and could go with her.
Blessings, Ali
Trevor,
A&R stands for artist and repetoire. Basically they are the people at labels who sign artists and make sure records are shepherded to greatness.
The old HPF is a good record, but it was recorded in my house on literally like $1500 worth of equipment. Obviously it sounds great, but it's not major label. I'll be re-recording 6-7 songs from this album and writing more.
And, yeah, it looks like I'm going solo. But with a band. What that means is my band members will audition and hopefully make it through. But the name recognition is with Chris Sligh, so we're moving forward with everyone as a solo artist. But hopefully the band will be my live band, etc.
Chris
Chris... so excited and worried for you! Since you are going to take this down soon and it appears your life is getting heavy...I want to share my favorite story with you to remember.
It is a true story.
Everybody felt it.... a moment of eerie silence...........a low rumble and then the ground began to shake. Buildings swayed and buckled and then collapsed like a house of cards. Less than 4 minutes later over 30,000 were dead from an 8.2 earthquake that rocked and nearly flattened Armenia in 1989. In the muddled chaos a distressed father bolted through the winding streets leading to the school where his son had gone earlier that morning.
The man could not stop thinking about the promise he had given his son many times.
"No matter what happens Armand, I'll always be there."
Well he reached the site where his sons school had been but saw only a pile of rubble. He just stood there at first fighting back tears....and then took off stumbling over debris running toward the east corner where he knew his sons classroom had been.
With nothing but his bare hands he started digging, desperately pulling bricks and pieces of wall plaster. While others just stood by watching in forlorn disbelief, he even heard someone growl, "Forget it mister they're all dead" He looked up flustered and replied, " You can grumble or you can help me lift these bricks" but only a few pitched in, and most of them gave up once their muscles began to ache. But the man couldn't stop thinking about his son, so he kept digging and digging....... for hours and hours.
12 hours went by..... 18 hours..... 24 hours..... 36 hours......... and finally into the 38th hour he heard a muffled groan from under a piece of wallboard. The man grabbed the board, pulled it back and cried, "Armand!" and from the darkness came a slight, shaking voice, "Papa?" Other weak voices began calling out as the young survivors stirred beneath the still uncleared rubble. Gasps and shouts of bewildered relief came from a few onlookers and parents who remained.
They found 14 of the 33 students still alive. When Armand finally emerged he tried to help dig until all his surviving classmates were out. Everybody standing there heard him as he turned to his friends and said, "See I told you my father wouldn't forget us."
We have a Father like that....-
Dr. Scott Hahn ….from his book "A Father who keeps His promises."
Call it god, call it talent, call it god-given talent--it's all good! Very, very exciting, Chris. You've earned this, and how nice that you've got such a range of choices. Delicious. Savor every moment. Good for you for getting through whatever personal struggles you've been dealing with, and Congrats on bringing back your blog!
Chris,
I agree with gdahimself, you are not idiot. What you are is someone who speaks honestly and openly. You are a person who truly cares about others. In a day when most people are self cnetered and dishonest, this is so refreshing and let's face it, a lot of people just don't know how to deal with it.
All the new experieces that are happening for you, are just that. New Experiences. It is a learning process. It takes time. Sure, when you look back there are going to be things that you wished you had done differetly- that is life. We learn as we go. I ran for a poitical office a couple years ago. Looking back, I wished I had done things diiferently but I had never run for a political position before. I walked away learning a lot. Don't give yourself such a hard time. YOU ARE GOING TO DO GREAT!!! You will probably have some failures along the way but in the end you will make it. I always tell my students this; "Failure is only temporary, quitting is permament" As long as you stick with it and your beliefs, the Lord is going to bless you. Look at all the great things happening to you. God's hand is in all this and he is going to keep on blessing you.
Carmen
What a wonderful update. I couldn't be happier. While it's bittersweet that the blog may and probably will change, it's been a fascinating two months for me. I hope you always remember how much you are loved. Whether you blog or not, there will always be a fan buying your CDs, standing cheering in the crowd for you, sharing your goodness with everyone she knows and wishing you and your family well. Me.
I love moments that come up in life where all you can say is, "It's gotta be a God thing." That's when you know how truly blessed you are. Congratulations on everything!!
And at my job I have an overabundance of experience with the whole "kid who doesn't want the toy until the other kids want it" scenario... but it's actually with two year olds. It's exhausting. But I'm sure it's exciting for the toy!! :)
Have a relaxing weekend after your emotional week!
Lori
Guys, a little self-depracating humor never hurt anyone.
: - )
Chris
Thanks for the 411. Your very own "Toy Story"! Rock on.
Wow, it sounds like a really cool couple of days! And I think you are truly deserving of all of it. Your talent is going to get you far in life!
And I am laughing right now because I asked you a few days ago about a concert in Nashville, and you must have been in Nashville when I asked. :P I had no idea. We ended up being in Nashville yesterday too, but probably didn't go to the same places as you did I suppose. Maybe someday!
to Chris & Trevor,
From GDA
You all got to lose this habit of referring to yourselves as Idiots when your are ignorant about something.
To be an idiot is someone with a low I.Q. or mentally challenged, hardly best self image reinforcement.
Trevor - traditional the A & R person also has a say in the selection of songs to record, at onetime dictated (read chose)which songs got recorded.
Morning everybody! :-)
Chris, I'm sorry the past couple of days have been emotionally rough for you. I wish there was something I could do. :-(
On the music side, though, that is AWESOME! Of course everybody wants you...you're GREAT! I can't wait to see what you're gonna do...
Laura
Of course they want you
or else they'd be "idiots"
they see a good thing.
You will be big soon
and you won't have time for us
but we'll still be here.
We will remember
the time that you spent with us
it will make us smile.
Sandy,
I hope I never get to the point that I don't have time for my fans. It may be less time, but I'll still make time for a forum like this. I think it's going to be incredibly important.
Chris
Dude -
That's awesome. Thanks for the insight into what's been shaking - so true your toy analogy. It's kind of a primal instinct thing - people gravitate to what's popular. I find it hilarious that it's the label guy's clients (or stars he probably wished he signed)who showed this guy what direction he needs to be heading in.
I'm not a giant country guy meself - but I do like Rascall Flatts. Did you see them? Their song "My Wish" is one of my personal favorites (check out the lyrics - sounds like it could have been penned by, uh, you).
And Hey GDA - I think you're taking Chris a little too literally. He's trying to not come off as bragging or arrogant. But what do I know - I'm an idiot.
Peace -
Tom in ATL
I think this is fantastic for you. Isn't this what you have worked so hard for? All your dreams are coming to fruition. Revel in the moment.
Ellebea
Chris, that is awesome! God is good! Thanks for sharing.
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