When James Pond first played this new song for me, he asked: “Who does this guy sound like?” “A young George Strait!” we both concurred. For awhile, we were convinced that this kid must be George’s son, Bubba, using a phony name. 

Actually, the singer’s name really is Easton Corbin, and he’s no relation to George that we know of. His smooth voice and catchy first hit got me wondering: “Who IS this guy???” So I started Google-ing away. 

Easton, who hails from Trenton, Florida, knew he wanted to be a singer when he was just three years old. His interest in music began when he fell in love with the Mel McDaniel song, “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On.” He spent much of his childhood on his grandparents’ farm, watching shows like “Hee Haw” and “Opry Live.” Finally, when he was fifteen, he was able to take guitar lessons with a Nashville session musician. When he wasn’t doing farm work, Easton would practice playing the instrument for hours on end. 

Easton joined a local band as lead guitarist. They were too young to play in bars, so they hit all the local fairs and festivals they could find. The band won an opening slot at a big music festival, which paved the way to bigger opportunities, like opening for Janie Fricke, and the very guy who’d first inspired Easton: Mel McDaniel.

While this was all very exciting, the group wasn’t ready for the big time. They disbanded, and Easton was off to college, earning a business degree at the University of Florida. In 2006, he got hitched. He and his new bride moved to Nashville. Easton worked at a hardware store during the day and attended writers’ nights. Over the next three years, Easton made connections in the music business and ultimately caught the ear of Joe Fisher, an A&R guy at Universal Music Group Nashville. He landed a deal with the label earlier this year.

No word on when a full album will be available; right now there’s only a 4-song EP available for digital download for three bucks and change.

Check out Easton Corbin’s debut single and video, “A Little More Country Than That.” 
 
Links:

www.eastoncorbin.com

www.myspace.com/eastoncorbin

www.umgnashville.com/eastoncorbin/about 

Take it Easy, 

Cricket 

Listen to “The Morning Splash” with me & James Pond, weekday mornings on Froggy 97! (97.5 FM). We also stream live at www.froggy97.com.  

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