Brandon Maddox
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Music
Press
It seemed like a forgotten relic sitting in the corner of his grandfather’s tool shed, that beat up old classical guitar with the crack in the body and the strings long since rotted to dust.
But Brandon Maddox, now a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, saw it as a ticket to something better. He was 11, and he pulled it out, cleaned it up and put a new set of strings on it before commencing to teach himself how to play.
“My dad played guitar growing up, so every Sunday morning he’d bring out the guitar,” Maddox told The Daily Times this week. “That day happened to be a Sunday, so when I saw the guitar in there, I’d already been thinking about learning to play it. I knew my parents weren’t going to buy me a new one unless they saw I was really interested, and I knew if they saw me playing something that was cracked, they’d buy me something better.”
His parents, it seemed, underestimated Maddox’s determination. Within a couple of months, he was playing his first song, probably something out of a Beatles songbook owned by his dad. Drawn to the pop-rock of the 1960s – the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Monkees – he labored over learning various chord progressions until he felt confident enough to take his guitar to school.
“I didn’t have a shy bone in my body,” he said. “I took it to school at the age of 13, and I’d just been playing for a year and a half. I was trying to impress the kids, and I knew I could with what little bit of learning I had. But I never really got encouragement to play music for a living.”
In college, he pursued a business degree at the urging of his folks; but the more he got into music – especially songwriting. His early exposure to the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney taught him that magic can be released through the combination of words and phrases into meaningful, thought-provoking lyrics, and he’s been on a quest ever since to write songs that touch the heart. By the time he graduated college, he’d made up his mind.
“I saw that I didn’t care to do anything else for a living, so I said, ‘I’m leaving for Nashville,’” Maddox said. “My parents said, ‘You could be making a lot of money doing what your degree is in, but if you want to do that, we’re not going to stop you.’”
They did steer him toward Pigeon Forge, where he tried for a time, in 2004, to make it as a theater musician. It wasn’t the same as Music City, but it was working in his chosen profession. However, a standing gig at the Black Bear Jamboree fell through, and that same week, he totaled his car. At that point, he decided Nashville was where he needed to be.
It wasn’t easy, and sometimes the lows followed closely on the heels of the highs. In 2008, he landed a staff writing deal at a Nashville publishing company; a year later, a housing situation fell through, and someone he trusted dirtied the waters for him among the songwriting community. But he refused to give up, and now there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel.
Oh, there’s no huge payday, no album cut by a mega-star … not yet, anyway. But he’s found some satisfaction in doing what he loves.
“I’ve struggled financially at some points in time, but I’ve never gotten to the point of giving it up,” Maddox said. “I’ve had times where I thought, ‘I don’t care to do this anymore,’ but I never thought I shouldn’t have tried it the first time. I’ve never regretted that.”
This weekend, he’ll bring his passion to East Tennessee for a gig at Asia Café in North Knoxville. And he’s bringing the best of Nashville with him, he said.
“People can expect me and some great Nashville musicians playing some of the best country songs that have been out there, from the 1960s and 1970s to current hits,” he said. “We’re playing four decades worth of great songs.”
- The Daily Times
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Nashville, TN is known as a “10 year town,” meaning it generally takes about that long for a talented persistent singer songwriter to “make it.” However, I am of course just generalizing because there isn’t any “magic number” when it comes down to it. Unfortunately common though, aspiring talents more often than not either give up long before the 10 year mark or instead they may persevere but still do not receive the big break they had hoped for. In opposition, sometimes you are introduced to a newer to town talent that simply has such a musical spark that something just tells you they are on the fast track. Want a good example of this particular scenario? Say hello to Chattanooga, TN native Brandon Maddox.
In just 2 ½ short years, Brandon has shown he is undoubtedly well on his way to enjoying a successful, long lasting career here in Music City. While it is obvious that Brandon is ultimately here in Nashville because he simply enjoys singing and songwriting and would go the long haul no matter what, I can confidently say Brandon Maddox is among the names you will be hearing more and more of. Brandon, who began singing at just 3 or 4 years old has loved music as long as he can remember. He was influenced by the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Seger, The Eagles and several other legends. He can recall leaning up against his Dad’s stereo tower listening to and being taken up with all the different melodies.
At age 11 he picked up his grandfather’s guitar in his old tool shed. After putting some new strings on this classical guitar with a crack in it, Brandon learned many songs and chords teaching himself from a “Beatles” book. Brandon practiced diligently..Sometimes 7 hours a day. At age 12 his parents bought him a Washburn DC10 guitar and he began writing songs. By the time he was 15, he had about 30-45 songs in his catalog. In middle school, he was known as the “guitar guy” and enjoyed playing on the patio for all to hear. Brandon became a fan of Ralph Stanley and interested in Bluegrass. As a result, he became part of a band in college called “Short on Cash.” During college he found himself writing more and more. One night while watching Brad Paisley perform on the Grand Ole Opry, Brandon found his love for country music. He was then influenced by other country acts such as Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Toby Keith.
What really continued to strike Brandon’s interest was Nashville songwriters. Those who were “behind the song” caused him to really explore Nashville. Nonetheless, Brandon gave Pigeon Forge a try and once thought that maybe that was where he was supposed to be as a performer. However, it soon became clear that this route wasn’t meant to be. He kept making more and more trips to Nashville until he was nearly going almost every other weekend before making the permanent move.
Brandon quickly gained interest from industry professionals from being offered single song contracts to winning a songwriting contest at “The Broken Spoke,” edging out a great deal of competitors. Brandon then found himself playing in front of a publishing company called “Faverett Music Group” which lead to him becoming operations manager for them for a time. Brandon worked with song-plugging and radio promotion. Through this opportunity, he garnered attention from hit songwriter, Chris Gantry. Chris became a friend, music mentor and co-writer. Brandon then began collaborating with some of Nashville’s most notable hit makers such as Stan Webb, Mike Ward, Vinny Van Zant of Trailer Choir and Steve Dean just to name a few. Brandon has also closely worked with and penned tunes with the talented country group Kurtis & Luckey who is currently a strong contender in the Battle of the Bands contest. You can preview their music and vote for them by visiting www.bamajammusicfestival.com
With a large songwriting portfolio and an untold amount of songs yet to be written, Brandon has recently released an Album entitled “When I am weak, I am strong.” This album contains a undoubted variety showcasing Brandon’s versatility as a writer and as an artist. Upon listening to his album you will hear lively foot-tapping upbeat country fun and inspirational gospel music wrapped all in one. “When I am weak, I am strong” intertwines a wide variety of musical styles and backgrounds bringing forth his commercial individuality. Brandon says he is “trying it all and giving it a shot while he still can.” A genuine guy with extraordinary talent, Brandon Maddox is one to keep on your radar.
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