As I sat down to enjoy an evening of music with singer-songwriter Kurt Thomas, one thing became quite apparent – he has star quality, that certain something that brings people back night after night to hear him sing. And, it doesn’t hurt that in addition to being a great talent, he’s hot. Kurt puts his heart and soul into his music, and this passion shines through with a voice so delicious it makes you hunger for more. His approachable stage presence coupled with his quick wit, warmth, and humor, are the perfect potion for a perfect evening.
Kurt is from the small town of Dahlonega, Georgia, where he learned the importance of storytelling. He reflects, “Telling a good tale is what I do and who I am. I used to work at an old country store called Pierce’s, where all the farmers would hang out in the morning and spin their yarns. They’d share everything about their lives, their loves, the weather, or their war days. Every time I think about those days at Pierce’s, it makes me smile.”
“I like to write what I call ‘feel good music’,” Kurt continues. “I can’t say it’s just rock and roll or country. It’s a blend of both, and the songs make you feel good. When people are tapping their toes, singing along, and just having fun, that’s what I like. I’ve always told the band, ‘if you’re having a good time playing music, then the crowd is going to pick up on that and have a good time, too!’ There is nothing cooler than that.” Judging by the exuberant reaction of his fans, Kurt is giving them plenty of what they want.
Kurt has received high levels of recognition for his talent: In 2008, Kurt won Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star contest and opened for Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Sammy Hagar, LeAnn Rimes, Gary Alan and Sugarland. After opening for Chesney, Kurt went on to win CMT’s Music City Madness, a nationwide contest that lead to Kurt’s Unplugged Studio 330 session on CMT, as well as a mentorship with Grammy award winning singer, Randy Travis. Kurt has also opened for Joe Diffie, Little Big Town and Blue Country. He has recorded three CDs: “Kurt Thomas and the Small Town Band”, followed by “Enjoy The Ride” and “Turn Up The Radio” both solo CDs. The success hasn’t ‘gone to his head’ and this is apparent, by his low-key, down home, honest to goodness Southern charm.
“I’ve been playing and writing music since I was 19,” Kurt says. “It all started with my high school graduation when I heard a local, hometown music hero sing; a guy named Jay Drummonds. He played the song, ‘Small Town’, by John Cougar Mellancamp. It touched me so deeply when I watched him perform, that I knew then, that music was what I had to do. So, I went out and got an $80.00 guitar and eventually started my own band and named it ‘Kurt Thomas and the Small Town Band’… kind of remembering that moment listening to Jay sing ‘Small Town’ at graduation. I can never forget that feeling or where I came from. It’s all about that.”
Kurt absolutely stays true to his roots. He still has a lot of family, friends, and fans in Dahlonega, who are delighted when he comes home to play once or twice a month. “I played a show there last month out in the park, and it was great. We had about 700 people.” Kurt laughs and adds, “that’s about half of the population of our town.” When I spoke with a long time fan about his concert, she painted a Norman Rockwell type of scenario and gushed, “You never would have believed it. Everybody turned out to see Kurt. It’s the biggest crowd we’ve ever gathered. He’s our local hero.”
When asked about his goals, Kurt says “Somebody once told me that if you get to the point that you’re making a living at ‘making music’ then… You Have Made It. That is so true; there are so many artists that don’t get to do this. If you work a day job and play a few nights a week, that’s great. But, if you can play 4 or 5 nights a week and make a decent living, then you’ve done well!”
Hearing Kurt in concert, it is apparent that his songs ring true to his fans – they captivate his audience and trigger emotions that everyone feels – some funny, some sad, but all real. Kurt laughs and says, “I wrote a song titled, ‘I’ll Be Happily Ever After’ (When Your Gone) and it gets a lot of giggles and gasps from the fans. I’ve had people say they want to send this song to their ex’s. It speaks to them and for them. I like making an impact. My songwriting influences are artists like Van Morrison, James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Jimmy Buffet. The great songwriters from the 60s and 70s are usually the ones that inspire me – like Elton John with Bernie Taupin. That’s the music I listened to the most. You just can’t top those guys for songwriting brilliance… they are incredible. Also, my music influences come from my parents. They raised me on the music of FOX 97 Classic Rock and I’m glad they did. That’s what I listened to all the time, and grew to love.”
What is Kurt working on now? He gives me a secretive smile and confides, “I wrote a song that I’m really proud of called ‘Follow Your Lead’ and it’s the one that I submitted to the Music City Madness competition. It’s going to be on my next CD. I’m really proud of this song; it’s profoundly personal. All three verses tell a different story. There were a lot of good songs in the Music City Madness competition, but I noticed that my song was the only one that really told a story. That was a definite plus for me.”
“My new CD, ‘Six Strings and a Prayer,’ is coming out Spring 2010,” Kurt enthusiastically exclaims. “It includes what I call my signature song, ‘Kick Back.’ There’s also a song I wrote about my hometown called, ‘I’m Just Country.’ It’s about my town and the way I grew up. I think that ‘Kick Back,’ ‘Follow Your Lead,’ and ‘I’m Just Country’ will be the strongest songs on the CD, although I’ve got some cool, fun songs, too. One I call ‘Mary Kay Cadillac’ is a story about stealing my mom’s pink, Mary Kay Cadillac, and driving around in it. Hey, I didn’t really do that,” Kurt adds, “but I was driving around and saw a pink Cadillac one night and thought, there has gotta be a song in that”!
Although he performs as “Kurt Thomas”, Kurt believes in giving credit where credit is due. He says, “I always have some of my awesome buddies playing with me. I have Taylor Conley on percussion, Travis Wall on acoustic guitar, and often Jimmy White or Dewayne Pinion playing lead guitar. I perform with lots of my friends, but most of my songwriting, I tend to do alone.”
What does he want for the future? Kurt smiles and answers, “All my ambitions are what we musicians call the ‘holy grail’ to make it Big Time, that’s what all of us shoot for. We write and hope that… somebody catches on to the beauty of our songs. I know that people believe in me, I just want to keep having opportunities to write and perform my songs, and to make people feel good.” I don’t think Kurt has to worry about that. It’s amazing how he makes first time comers feel like lifelong fans. If you are in the Atlanta area, you can see for yourself in the Upstairs Attic Bar at the Old Vinings Inn. This is where Kurt plays every Wednesday and Thursday nights and most every other weekend. You can sample more of Kurt’s music on KurtThomasMusic.com.
