Pat Green to headline telethon Saturday
Nearly six years ago, Pat Green's "Wave on Wave" climbed up the country music charts, taking the Texas music artist to the No. 3 spot on the national charts. For the young musician from San Antonio, it was a heady experience.
"I was full of myself," he said in a telephone interview from his Fort Worth home. "I was young, and it was my first real success on the radio. I'd never had a song on the radio for 37 weeks."
Green headlines the West Texas Rehabilitation Center's Telethon this Saturday night. Dan Huggins, donor relations director, said the local response to Green has been "outstanding." Huggins said he hopes the Texas singer/songwriter will help the Rehab top last year's record $1.26 million raised for the center.
Green has experienced more than a few milestones since his momentous appearance on the national charts. He and his wife welcomed their son five years ago and their daughter three years later. Green recently changed labels and record producers.
"Before, I was much more of wing-it, let-if-fly guy," he said. "It was a great time, but now I'm focused on making it smarter. I've always lived in the moment. One of the things I like about my life is I don't live in the past, I'm not dreaming of the future. My bills get paid by me playing my guitar -- that's really fantastic."
Although raised in Texas, country music wasn't always his thing. It wasn't until after high school, when he became familiar with Texas artists such as Robert Earl Keene and Jerry Jeff Walker. Music legends Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard all influenced his early music.
In the late 1990s, Green wasn't interested in taking the Nashville track, and frankly, he said, Nashville wasn't much interested in him. He said Nashville is a different place now, a much better environment for singer/songwriters. Green mentioned Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum as artists with whom he identifies.
His latest album, "What I'm For," hits the stores on Jan. 27. He said the album reflects his life now as a husband and father. The first single off the album, "Let Me," had climbed to 18 on Billboard's Hot Country list as of Saturday.
The new release marks his first album with producer Dann Huff, after a trio of albums Green did with Don Gehman. Green said the two men are both fantastic producers but have very different styles. Gehman wants the artist to feel out the song, while Huff takes the raw materials, studies them, makes the arrangement and "that's what he wants, ad infinitum," Green said.
Green's satisfaction with the album can be heard in his voice as he speaks about it. He sees "Footsteps of Our Fathers," which he wrote with Brett James, as one of the best pieces on "What I'm For."
"'Footsteps' is a very strong song; I'm not going to deny my pride about that song," Green said. It's a song that is open to interpretation; it could be about biological fathers, the founding fathers or a spiritual father. "Wave on Wave" shared that same ambiguous nature. When people asked Green if it was about faith or about his wife, he simply said, "Yes."
With another song climbing the charts, Green said he hopes his music has changed -- because he's changed.
"Writing music is about telling the truth of the moment," he said. "If you make that your focal point, the audience is going to hear you."
Looking at the performers who preceded him as telethon headliners, Green said it was good to be included in that number.
"I was thinking how fantastic that a guy can stand up with a guitar and make money for people who need it."
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