Mitch Rossell is not likely to forget his 28th birthday. In fact, if anything, he'd be more likely to be convinced he dreamed the whole thing, except there is video footage to prove it did indeed happen.
After all, how many people get to not only share a stage with country superstar Garth Brooks, but have the concert audience sing "Happy Birthday" to them? But that is exactly what happened in Dallas on Sept. 23, Rossell's birthday.
"I'd say that that one is beyond anything I could have dreamed up," he said. "Everything that has happened with Garth is not something I would have imagined. In fact, it's so out there, I would never have even thought to dream of it. It's too bizarre."
Rossell is a Silverdale Baptist School graduate who moved to Nashville in 2011 to pursue a career in country music. Through some mutual friends and business acquaintances, he sent Brooks some some songs he'd written, hoping the singer might include them on his next album.
© Matt Andrews Photography | www.nashvilleweddingphotography.com"He emailed me back and said he liked what I was doing and my artistry and told me I was in the top 1 percent of people in this town and that I was a rare breed," Rossell says. "We kept talking and he invited me to his studio to hang out and chat. He helped with some meetings in town."
Brooks would eventually invite Rossell to his house where they talked "about everything from the business to love and life, just everything." Their friendship grew and eventually they started writing songs together. When it came up that the birthday of Brook's wife, Trisha Yearwood, was coming up on Sept. 19, Rossell mentioned that his birthday was Sept. 23.
"I said, 'Man, I might have to come out to Dallas and watch you play for my birthday,' and that's when he asked if I'd like to play on stage with him. I said 'Absolutely.'"
At the concert, Brooks stopped the show after the second encore to bring Rossell up front and said, "This guy is one of the young singer/songwriters in Nashville and I was lucky enough to get to hook up. I kept hearing some stuff that had his name on it that just killed me. I finally called him up and he was very sweet on the first call and we've kind of gotten together."
Brooks also noted that Rossell is from Chattanooga, then asked the audience to sing "Happy Birthday."
"It was amazing," Rossell says. "I spent six days out there with him and the band and the crew. Just an amazing experience."
Rossell is finding success in Nashville, playing regularly at Rippy's Bar & Grille, writing songs and taking meetings with agents and record-label types. He's had a plan and a specific goal since moving there and says he feels like the pieces are close to falling into place.
"It's about finding the right fit with everything, record labels, publishing deals, anything. It's not like I haven't been approached, but it's about finding people who align with our morals and business compass. There are a lot of factors that go into it.
"But my goal has always been to make the best music I can and to make a good living. I don't have to be super-rich or famous. That'd be great, but it doesn't have to happen that way."
He's met and worked with Nashville celebrities before and has played and recorded with the guys in the Zac Brown Band, but Brooks is different.
"He is a normal guy, but in an abnormal way," he said. "He has so much energy and enthusiasm for his craft and people."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-413-6354.