For award-winning Country artist Chris Young, music has always been a way to share stories and connect with people. The Tennessee native has seen immense radio success throughout his career, but the praise that has come from his radio hit “Famous Friends” with Kane Brown holds extra importance to him as it shines a spotlight on his hometown friends, some of which even make an appearance in the music video.
“These are all real people,” Young shares of the Platinum-certified song, which has won ASCAP’s 2022 Country Music Song for the Year, as well as Collaborative Video of the Year at the 2021 CMT Awards, among multiple other award nominations. “I mention people that I grew up with, and to be able to write a song like that and for it to resonate with people like that the way it did is just incredibly special,” explains Young of the song that was his tenth No. 1 song as a songwriter and twelfth as a recording artist.
Many times radio hits tend to be more universal in order to be relatable and shy away from details that are too specific to the songwriters and artists, but Young and his cowriters Corey Crowder and Cary Barlowe decided to take a risk, writing a song that was personal to Young. “…I had no idea it would have this kind of reach, and it has been incredible to see other people connect with this song…A lot of the times you wonder, ‘Should I make a song more ambiguous where it’s not individual names of people so that other people can connect with it?’ and this one was kind of the opposite of that where I was like, ‘Man, maybe I went too personal, but we’ll see what people think about it,’ and it ended up being really, really successful, so it was cool to see.”
While Young seeks to connect with people and touch them with his music, he also knows that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the help and encouragement of others, so he places great importance on lending a hand whenever he can. Young has been a strong supporter and advocate of The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project, which works to assist veterans of the United States Armed Forces with various needs after their service. Co-founded in 2014 by the late Charlie Daniels and his manager David Corlew, The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project partners with other organizations with similar missions to provide aid and services to veterans that “do the most good, with the least overhead.” Young is continuously involved in helping the organization aid in the transition back into civilian life for former servicemen and women by using his time and talents to raise funds for the cause. He’s worked with the organization to raise more than $1.2 million since the spring of 2021.
In January 2021, the organization honored Young for his work by establishing the Daniels/Young Veterans Scholarship at Young’s alma mater Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where the on-campus Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center provides services for veterans and their families, who are transitioning into civilian life post-military service and their families. The $10,000 donation to the scholarship in both Young and Daniels’ names assists veterans who are pursuing a degree in the university’s Department of Recording Industry. “Charlie was not only an influence on my music but was a mentor too,” reflects Young. Of this scholarship, Young says he is “extremely honored to help continue his [Daniels’] legacy” through it.
In addition to his music and philanthropic efforts, Young keeps busy with his podcast “The Quad,” which he co-hosts with his friends Josh, Haley, and Ryan. “We call it ‘The Quad’ for two reasons: one, there’s four of us, and two, it’s four topics…Music, movies, a ‘Hot Take,’ and sports…” explains Young. He describes a ‘Hot Take’ as a category in which they discuss “anything and everything,” including the age-old question, “Is a hotdog a sandwich?”. “It’s just something that’s been a passion project for me,” he says of the podcast. “We do it every Monday. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Starting 2023 strong, Young released two new songs in January, “All Dogs Go To Heaven” and his recent radio single “Looking For You” off of his upcoming album, which is set to be released this year. “Looking for You,” which he describes as an “up-tempo love song,” was one that came quickly in the writing room and that he “had a whole lot of fun making.” Written with hit songwriters Chris DeStefano, Emily Weisband, and James McNair, it was the first time he’d written with this group of songwriters. “I think that song is going to be something special,” shares Young of “Looking For You.”
For updates on Young’s music, visit ChrisYoungCountry.com, and to learn more about The Charlie Daniels Project, visit TheCharlieDanielsJourneyHomeProject.org.