Country Star Chance McKinney On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

“Don’t forget to live the experience.” All too often, we rush from one show to the next and we’re just trying to keep our eyes open and our heads above water. The past couple years, we’ve really tried hard to make shows all over the country and experience something while we’re there. From floating rivers to hiking mountains to fishing or hitting theme parks… the band and I are trying to carve out “memories” and not just shows when we’re out on the road.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chance McKinney.

Before Chance McKinney was a CMT Award Winner, before he was a million vote getter in Music City Madness, before he was on tour dates with Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Kenny Rogers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dwight Yoakam & Trace Adkins… Chance McKinney was your run-of-the-mill All-American javelin thrower, Motown Revue singer, college track coach and high school math teacher. The all-too-common tale of “teacher goes singer” is something we’ve all heard before. Everybody knows if you release an album, two weeks later you’ll find yourself opening for Kenny Chesney in your first country show. Everybody knows if you enter a contest for the #1 “unsigned” singer/songwriter in the Nation that you’ll win with more that one million votes for your self-penned tune “Be Real.” And then there’s the obvious, release consecutive albums that debut at #62 (Think About That — 2013) and #41 (Down To Get Up — 2016) on the iTunes Country Album Charts Worldwide. High on ambition, his steely determination thickening in his voice, McKinney always goes big — and never goes home. His latest, “Kill A Man” is a testament to McKinney’s dedication to the craft and talent behind a microphone.

Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

Montana. It’s a little different. We’re about 12 years behind the national “whatever” and I was good with that. We rode bikes to school for 6 miles along 2 lane roads… we got our own firewood with our dad in the woods… and sports were everything. Football to basketball to track to summer and do it again.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’d just graduated college and moved to Seattle for a job with the Seahawks when I got picked up at a karaoke bar singing one night by an all-black motown revue group. They asked if I’d ever sang in a group before. I replied “no” but they auditioned me 2 weeks later. It was cool. We toured up and down the West Coast… all throughout Canada and into Australia and the Virgin Islands.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Getting an invite to the ACM’s in Vegas. What an experience. Got to do both media backrooms where you spend about 3 hours visiting radio stations from all across the country. I remember sitting in an interview and being asked to go do a show with Brett Eldredge in CA the following week. We literally flew out from Vegas a couple days later and had the bus, trailer and band meet me in Northern, CA so we could load in and do the show.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Possibly the most uncomfortable mistake I made was landing an appointment with one of the largest radio stations in the country after recording 9 of the first 13 songs I wrote. The Program Director listened to maybe 20–30 seconds of each song and then threw the CD back across the desk and told me to “come back when you’re better.” Being a former All-American athlete, I just took it as constructive criticism. Two weeks later she called me and asked me to open for Kenny Chesney… so I kinda took that as a sign I was on the right track.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have several people I can think of that helped me along the way… “Lonesome” Steve Mitchell (who taught me how to write songs), Darren Wayne (who produced my first album and played every instrument on it), Lisa (my wife who let me do what I do) and then there’s Kevin Ray Lawson (my current producer, friend and mentor) who took me from “just some guy in the Pacific Northwest” to “that guy who won the CMT Award and made his way doing things a little different from everyone else.”

What exciting projects are you working on now?

Everything KILL A MAN right now. Interviews, playlists, tour dates for 2023… you name it, it’s all KILL A MAN right now. We’ve got a couple songs that will be in National Commercial Ad Campaigns come 2023, but those will land when they actually happen. Right now, KILL A MAN is everything on our plate.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.

I’ve answered 5 different things in the past, but ONE, in particular, has really been a priority as of the past couple years: “Don’t forget to live the experience.” All too often, we rush from one show to the next and we’re just trying to keep our eyes open and our heads above water. The past couple years, we’ve really tried hard to make shows all over the country and experience something while we’re there. From floating rivers to hiking mountains to fishing or hitting theme parks… the band and I are trying to carve out “memories” and not just shows when we’re out on the road.

In addition to this, I wish someone had told me the following:

• BE YOU
• FIND YOUR CORNER
• SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO “CAN.”

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I’d actually refer back to the “don’t forget to live the experience” answer.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I actually work with a couple different movements that are near and dear to me… 5 FOR THE FIGHT and THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES are two foundations that have made a difference in my family’s life and we’re trying hard to return the favor. 5FTF directly funds doctors that research different cancers and potential cures, whereas RMHC funds on-site (or nearly on-site) rooms for families that have to travel to out-of-state hospitals for their childrens’ treatments. Both play important roles in our lives’ and thousands (maybe millions) of other families’ lives.

What is your favorite “life lesson” or quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“God never subtracts time from your life when you’re doing something you love.” I remember this from a book of quotes growing up (pre-Instagram daily inspirational quotes… ha). Whether it was basketball, track or music, I always figured God would stop the countdown for the time spent pursuing what I wanted to be good at.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

My dad. He’s been gone 5 years now. I’d love to just sit n’ talk with him for a couple hours. Maybe find out what heaven is like AND catch him up on what we’ve been doing while he’s been gone.

How can our readers follow you online?

IG — @chancemckinney

T — @chancemckinney

FB — www.facebook.com/chancemckinneymusic

YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/ChanceMcKinneyMusic

Website — www.ChanceMcKinney.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!