Jamming, drawling, wailing, and praising, singer and songwriter Erin Fitzgibbon doesn't so much perform as he opens himself up and frees whatever tune is demanding the most attention within.
"I describe my music as 'on the fence' or 'the middle of the road' type music because I've got such a wide, diverse style. It's usually depending on what I'm going through at the time. It could come out rock, it could come out Christian, and if it comes out country, it comes out. I usually let songs write themselves."
The first post of this fence was stuck into the soil of in Joplin, Missouri, where he grew with the guidance of his mother and grandfather. It was quickly built until it stretched its way along to Miami, Oklahoma, where he discovered his love of music and talent for rock, practicing up to 10 hours a day. He joined a band and soon his music became known for getting the crowd hopping... sometimes on each other.
"It seemed like we never played a single show that there wasn't a fight. Actually, we were playing in a party of like 450 people and there was about 16 kegs of beer, and they went pretty fast. A huge riot broke out. It was almost like something you'd see on TV. I went out and tried to break it up like an idiot, should have stayed where I was.”
His fence, however, was soon to be strung with razor wire as he joined up with the U.S. Army at age 20, which contrary to what one might think, mellowed his sound.
"When I was in the military, I wasn't able to bring my amp and electric guitar everywhere. So acoustic was just easier. I started writing a lot of softer songs and just kind of developed a style leaning more towards country. The military taught me discipline, organization, dedication and to adapt and overcome just about anything," he recalls to us, his passion for those in the military is evident.
He played everywhere from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to Macedonia and Korea during two four-year tours. While stationed in Kosovo he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement award for boosting troop morale by the mayor of Hollywood.
"I was actually commissioned by Kevyn Major Howard to write a song for a non-profit organization out of Burbank, California. He's restored a '63 and a '66 Nova to mint condition and stenciled all the names of all the fallen Marines. He takes it around the country. He calls it a mobile memorial. What he's trying to do is raise the funds to do it for every one of the branches. He's trying to do the Army, the Navy, The Air Force, The Guard, every branch that's been over in Iraq that's lost troops. Just trying to raise awareness and raise money. His ultimate goal is to raise 200 million dollars for the families of fallen troops. So I wrote 'Fueled by the Fallen.' Before that I had written 'God, Please Send Your Angels'. That song just wrote itself in like 30 minutes. It tells about what's really going on over there and the real emotion these people are feeling. Whether they lose somebody, or just have to spend a year or some of them have been over there multiple times, they’re really losing out on a lot of their family life. That was pretty close to me."
He returned home after his first tour of duty to continue his education and pursue his career in music. Chance would have it that he was to meet future guitarist and harmony singer for Rascal Flatts, Joe Don Rooney. Together with Erin's brother, Greg, they formed the band, Uncle Thumbtack, that was later awarded second place at the Philadelphia Music Conference. The fence was destined to branch off, however, as the band eventually went their separate ways and after another stint in the Army, Erin took the domestic path.
"I always wanted to live the rock star dream and move out into Nashville or L.A. to pursue music, but I was married and raising a family. Ashley (16), Bradley (15), Aries (6) and Avin (4) are my everything! Then I got a divorce and just decided, 'I'm not getting any younger, so, I better make a move now and come out and give it a shot, or else, I'll always regret it'. I just loaded my truck up with my clothes and music equipment and that's it. It was a gut wrenching decision, yet, I knew that when I headed this way I would make something of myself regardless of how slim the chances out here may seem. I taught my kids to never give up and I quickly remembered those words when I felt the struggle was getting to me. This is who I am and the reason I made the choice. It's a hard road. I have learned from it, and I will gain so much more than just the music side of things. My kids keep me pressing on everyday so the choice to leave Oklahoma wasn't an easy one, but I would not trade this for the world. I would do it all over again... the hard times, good times and even the scary times."
Having seen such times all about the world, and knowing what so many face, he hopes his songs can give strength, despite life's load.
"I have different messages for my different songs. If I can, like with my Christian songs, just move somebody to make a change for the better in their lives. With my passionate songs I love, if I can save a marriage or two. I write to try to touch and help a lot of different people and make them think differently about the world."
The fence Erin Fitzgibbon sits upon may not be the highest or the grandest, but many are the gates he has built to swing open and allow others to gaze into his soul.
| written by Joshua Schrader
