Three years ago, Brandon Davis was a loving husband and a father of three who went to work every day as a design engineer at River City Fire Protection. It was a good life, but he had a dream, one that he rarely shared with people. And then Destiny intervened, literally.
In February of 2019, he had a car wreck that nearly took his life. Instead, it gave him a new one that now includes a soon-to-be-released eight-song album of original songs and a 17-city tour opening for Tim McGraw starting next month.
The car crash lacerated his liver and damaged his colon. During his recovery, he and his wife, Destiny, took stock of their lives and realized that pursuing one's dreams should involve more than just talking, or dreaming, about them.
"How can I teach my children to chase their own dreams if I don't chase mine?" he said of his thoughts at the time.
The couple have four children: Maleah, 7, Brantley, 6, Granger, 4, and Easton, 2.
Familiar with TikTok and Instagram, Destiny used her phone to record her husband singing while they were headed home from Dollywood on Father's Day, and she posted it to TikTok. Fans responded in a big way, and a career in music was born. Davis quit his day job in 2021 and at the end of November, he got a call from McGraw asking if he would be interested in going out on tour with him.
"It was unbelievable," Davis said, "and it's been all for the better and an explosion and a roller-coaster ride."
@brandondavis_music Better than any Alexa. #MakeSomeoneSmile #artistchallenge #challenge #country #singer #songwriter 4237082608 for exclusive content - Brandon Davis
He recently completed work on his album of originals, recording the tracks with several producers in Chattanooga, Atlanta and other places around the South. The album is on Nashville-based Yellow Dog Music.
"My wife figured out how to use Pro Tools, and we did some vocals here at the house," he said.
The title track, "Hearts Don't Rust," was released in February. The second single, "Something's Better Than Nothing," is set to drop along with the album in mid-April.
In the meantime, Davis has been performing in regional venues. On March 18, he'll be at The 107 in Chattanooga, and on April 9 he'll play the Bacon Festival in Cleveland. He'll join the McGraw tour on April 29 in Rogers, Arkansas, along with other rising artists Russell Dickerson and Alexandra Kay. The tour concludes June 4 in Mansfield, Maine. The closest stop will be Alpharetta, Georgia, outside Atlanta, on May 13.
Photo Contributed by Chris Shupe / Rising country singer Chris Shupe is drawing attention to his first single, "California Sky," with a billboard in downtown Nashville.Davis said he's been working with the tour team to get ready.
"It's been jam-packed, and it is looking better and better," he said. "It was already an incredible opportunity, but now with a new record, it's a chance to get my music in front of people."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Follow him on Twitter @BarryJC.
In Other Local Music News
- Local R&B singer Jimmy Allgood has released a remake of the Hall & Oates classic "Sara Smile" that will be part of his new EP, "It's Allgood: Moving On," set for release on March 26. That's the same day the second single, "Moving On," will be released as well. Allgood said he recorded both tracks in Atlanta.
Allgood will perform March 18 at Ziggy's on Cherokee Boulevard. He will have a release party and signing for the new album 3:30-5:30 p.m. March 26 at WPTP, 701 Hooker Road.
- Chattanooga-based Come Clean Entertainment recently released the world premiere of "When Jesus Comes for Me," the last "singing sermon" by minister, singer and musician Rance Allen, who died in October of 2020.
The track was released on March 4, 2022, and is available on all major streaming and download platforms.
Known for his extremely wide vocal range and powerful singing voice, Allen was revered worldwide as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning The Rance Allen Group.
Come Clean Entertainment is an entertainment company whose mission is to bring families together through music.
- Local group Call Me Spinster, featuring sisters Amelia Graber Jacobs, Rachel Graber and Rosie Graber, will embark on a mini-national tour that will include two shows in Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest this coming week. SXSW is a film, music and interactive media festival and industry conference.
- Chris Shupe is a North Georgia native who started busking on Broadway in Nashville several months ago. He drew enough of a crowd that several club owners started to pay attention to him and have him play at places like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Alan Jackson's Good Time Bar. He released his first single, "California Sky," in mid-January.