thedrifter
06-07-07, 06:51 AM
Rising country singer gets break at CMA Music Fest
By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
June 07, 2007
Rising country star Stephen Cochran is one of the new faces appearing in this year’s 2007 CMA Music Festival, which officially kicks off today.
“It’s like a dream come true in many ways,” Cochran said. “I’ve always thought about playing at the festival, and always wanted that to be a centerpiece of my career. Now it’s finally happening.”
Indeed, his appearances at tonight’s Fuel concert and at the Acoustic Corner at the Convention Center on Sunday mark the start of a hectic period for Cochran. His self-titled new CD will be released June 26, and next month he’ll appear at the enormous Jamboree in the Hills concert in Morriston, Ohio — an annual event is billed as “The Woodstock of Country Music.”
“They’ve told me that on that Saturday show July 21, I’ll be appearing before 80,000 as one of the acts opening for Toby Keith,” Cochran said. “Now that’s something that can make you nervous, even though I don’t think there are too many times in my life I’ve been nervous on stage.”
In fact, Cochran’s been involved with country music his entire life. His father Steve Cochran’s pedigree as a songwriter is quite extensive, and the young Cochran met such greats as Del Reeves and Bobby Bare when they visited the family home. Though he always loved and admired music, Cochran admits he didn’t really take it seriously for quite a while.
“I didn’t even really tell my father that I was interested in music, even though I was always singing and blasting Garth Brooks songs,” Cochran said. “I won a karaoke contest as a 15-year-old, and a little later my father approached me and wondered why I never told him I was really interested.”
“I really went to school watching him dealing with the business and learning from him,” he said. “He instilled in me taking pride in what you do and having high standards. Later when I met an English literature major in college named Mark Malone who was also into bluegrass and country and we started writing together, things just really started clicking. I was really concentrating on songwriting and performing, getting ready to make my mark.”
Despite having a label deal on the table in 2001, Cochran’s life changed drastically after 9/11. He joined the Marines’ light armored reconnaissance division and was subsequently sent to Iraq. Later came another overseas tour to Afghanistan, and more life-altering events that included witnessing the death of a close friend to enemy fire and suffering a devastating injury — a broken back.
Yet through everything, including grueling surgery and rehabilitation, Cochran was determined not to abandon his dream of country success.
“I saw other people lying there in much worse shape,” he recalled. “There was one guy who was in bed talking about going home and buying a new car and he didn’t even have any arms,” Cochran said. “Once I saw that, I knew it was time to stop moping around and feeling sorry for myself, and get back to writing.”
He made it through the tough rehabilitation, and was up and performing some six months after surgery despite doctor’s warnings to take it easy.
“Over the last two years I think I’ve probably slept less than I did in the Marines,” Cochran said, laughing. “It’s really been full speed ahead.”
He turned down overtures from major labels and signed with the new independent Aria Records. His first single “Friday Night Fireside” has already had significant airplay on both XM and Sirius Satellite radio and the forthcoming video was a show at a Nashville farm directed by Blake McClure and Potsy (better known as “The Brads”).
But that’s only one of several high-powered originals on Stephen Cochran. There’s the defiant “Leave My Country Alone,” a musical reaffirmation of his decision to avoid major label affiliation, plus the historically flavored “Four Chords & Seven Beers Ago” and the flashy honky-tonk saga “Thinkin’ I’m Drinkin.’”
Still, the song that is generating widespread reaction is “When A Hero Falls,” a story based on watching his good friend get killed in battle.
“My friend Ron sacrificed himself to save someone else,” Cochran said. “He was under cover, but he diverted fire to allow another man to get to safety and then he was killed. I don’t ever want anyone thinking that I’m trying to use my time in the Marines to help my country career, but I do want people to know about the sacrifices that our soldiers are making.”
“Any stardom that I might achieve or any stature I gain in the industry at some point will be used to help our fighting men,” Carter continued. “I don’t ever want to pull off an Interstate ramp and see a sign where someone who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan is begging for food. If I can encourage someone to get help or therapy, because they helped me deal with making the transition, then I’ll be glad to do it.”
Ellie
By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
June 07, 2007
Rising country star Stephen Cochran is one of the new faces appearing in this year’s 2007 CMA Music Festival, which officially kicks off today.
“It’s like a dream come true in many ways,” Cochran said. “I’ve always thought about playing at the festival, and always wanted that to be a centerpiece of my career. Now it’s finally happening.”
Indeed, his appearances at tonight’s Fuel concert and at the Acoustic Corner at the Convention Center on Sunday mark the start of a hectic period for Cochran. His self-titled new CD will be released June 26, and next month he’ll appear at the enormous Jamboree in the Hills concert in Morriston, Ohio — an annual event is billed as “The Woodstock of Country Music.”
“They’ve told me that on that Saturday show July 21, I’ll be appearing before 80,000 as one of the acts opening for Toby Keith,” Cochran said. “Now that’s something that can make you nervous, even though I don’t think there are too many times in my life I’ve been nervous on stage.”
In fact, Cochran’s been involved with country music his entire life. His father Steve Cochran’s pedigree as a songwriter is quite extensive, and the young Cochran met such greats as Del Reeves and Bobby Bare when they visited the family home. Though he always loved and admired music, Cochran admits he didn’t really take it seriously for quite a while.
“I didn’t even really tell my father that I was interested in music, even though I was always singing and blasting Garth Brooks songs,” Cochran said. “I won a karaoke contest as a 15-year-old, and a little later my father approached me and wondered why I never told him I was really interested.”
“I really went to school watching him dealing with the business and learning from him,” he said. “He instilled in me taking pride in what you do and having high standards. Later when I met an English literature major in college named Mark Malone who was also into bluegrass and country and we started writing together, things just really started clicking. I was really concentrating on songwriting and performing, getting ready to make my mark.”
Despite having a label deal on the table in 2001, Cochran’s life changed drastically after 9/11. He joined the Marines’ light armored reconnaissance division and was subsequently sent to Iraq. Later came another overseas tour to Afghanistan, and more life-altering events that included witnessing the death of a close friend to enemy fire and suffering a devastating injury — a broken back.
Yet through everything, including grueling surgery and rehabilitation, Cochran was determined not to abandon his dream of country success.
“I saw other people lying there in much worse shape,” he recalled. “There was one guy who was in bed talking about going home and buying a new car and he didn’t even have any arms,” Cochran said. “Once I saw that, I knew it was time to stop moping around and feeling sorry for myself, and get back to writing.”
He made it through the tough rehabilitation, and was up and performing some six months after surgery despite doctor’s warnings to take it easy.
“Over the last two years I think I’ve probably slept less than I did in the Marines,” Cochran said, laughing. “It’s really been full speed ahead.”
He turned down overtures from major labels and signed with the new independent Aria Records. His first single “Friday Night Fireside” has already had significant airplay on both XM and Sirius Satellite radio and the forthcoming video was a show at a Nashville farm directed by Blake McClure and Potsy (better known as “The Brads”).
But that’s only one of several high-powered originals on Stephen Cochran. There’s the defiant “Leave My Country Alone,” a musical reaffirmation of his decision to avoid major label affiliation, plus the historically flavored “Four Chords & Seven Beers Ago” and the flashy honky-tonk saga “Thinkin’ I’m Drinkin.’”
Still, the song that is generating widespread reaction is “When A Hero Falls,” a story based on watching his good friend get killed in battle.
“My friend Ron sacrificed himself to save someone else,” Cochran said. “He was under cover, but he diverted fire to allow another man to get to safety and then he was killed. I don’t ever want anyone thinking that I’m trying to use my time in the Marines to help my country career, but I do want people to know about the sacrifices that our soldiers are making.”
“Any stardom that I might achieve or any stature I gain in the industry at some point will be used to help our fighting men,” Carter continued. “I don’t ever want to pull off an Interstate ramp and see a sign where someone who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan is begging for food. If I can encourage someone to get help or therapy, because they helped me deal with making the transition, then I’ll be glad to do it.”
Ellie