In
an era where the song is often more important than the singer, few voices
stand out like that of Daryle Singletary. His warm, expressive baritone
cut through the clutter of sound? Alike '90s newcomers and made him an
instantly recognizable new voice. Songs like "I Let Her Lie" and "Too
Much Fun" brought an enthusiastic following and made him a real presence
on record and video.
His great grandmother was a fiddle player, and his parents
were part of a gospel group. Daryle won his first talent show in fifth
grade, and he was winning them regularly in high school. He had his own
band in 9th grade, which was about the time the older girls on choral
bus trips were asking him to sing for them. Daryle was quickly sold on
singing as a career possibility. A local print shop worker named Allen
Baggett urged him to move to Nashville. Daryle was doing odd jobs for
a tractor company and playing in a band in Camilla, Georgia, when he called
Baggett.
"I've
swept enough of this shop," Daryle told him. "I'm ready to come
to Nashville."
After
a brief stint as a roadie for Tanya Tucker, Daryle got some side work
singing demos and poured his heart into the talent shows that dot the
Music City landscape. One, at the Broken Spoke Saloon, paid $100 to the
winner, and Daryle took that money home for ten weeks in a row.
Baggett
was by this time working for Randy Travis, and that led to a chain of
events that found Daryle being managed by Travis's wife/manager Lib Hatcher.
"Both
were big supporters who also helped me keep my feet on the ground,"
says Daryle. "They made me work a little bit harder and dig a little
deeper."
After
a time of answering phones in Lib's office, selling merchandise for Randy
on the road, and singing demos on the side, Daryle landed a deal with
Giant Records.
The
hits followed, but the late '90s were not the best of times for traditional sounding
singers. He and his label parted amicably after four hits in a climate
where true country stylists like Daryle often found themselves losing
ground to a lighter pop sound. It was a situation enhanced by label staff
changes. Nevertheless, it is often disconcerting for artists who end up
between deals.
Daryle,
though, with encouragement from producer Doug Johnson, stiffened his resolve,
and his hard work and determination have helped lead him to Now And Again.
The song that sealed the deal for both Daryle and Audium was "I Knew
I Loved You," originally a hit for Savage Garden.
"A
great song is a great song," says Daryle, "whether it's sung
by a country artist or by a pop artist." The fact that he can branch
out in that direction and still embrace the straight ahead country that
brought him to Nashville is part of what he cherishes about this new venture.
"They're
allowing me to be myself," he says. "That's why I'm so excited
about this project. This reflects my musical outlook more than anything
I've done." That, of course, is great news for Daryle's fans, who
haven't wavered despite his months between record deals.
"The
fans have been wonderfully supportive," he says, "telling me
all along that they knew bigger things were coming."
Daryle
has continued a busy touring schedule, and he has enthusiastically embraced
his relationship with the Grand Ole Opry, performing there frequently.
The Opry has become, in essence, the musical family he has gathered around
him as he releases Now And Again.
"I'm
working with a down to earth group of people who believe in me as an artist
and as a person," he says. "It's a great feeling."