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On the Rise

Singer songwriter Drew Parker calls Gallatin home and continues to climb the country music ladder

Article by Emma Balkenbush

Photography by Provided

Originally published in Gallatin Lifestyle

On any given Saturday night, you can find Drew Parker performing in stadiums around the country as a supporting act on Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour. It’s a surreal feeling for the 32-year-old Georgia native, now living in Gallatin, who says he fell in love with music at a young age.  

“I was always a music fan and grew up singing in church, and that’s where I really discovered my passion for it,” Drew says.  

Drew also had an early love for sports; at one point, he thought he might play college baseball, but an injury made him rethink his future. Soon after, and after graduating high school, he met and befriended a promoter who helped him start booking shows – an early foreshadowing moment to his future musical endeavors.  

“That ultimately led to me opening for a guy named Luke Combs in 2014 who nobody knew at  the time,” Drew says. “Me and him hit it off. We met at a bar in Rome, Georgia, and he had just moved to Nashville. He was the first person to invite me to Nashville to write songs.”

Those early moments in Drew’s career really set the tone for his success and spring boarded him into the throes of the Nashville country music scene. He spent nearly a year going back and forth between Georgia and Nashville writing songs with Luke Combs. In 2015, he and his wife decided to make the permanent move to Nashville to chase his dream of writing and performing music professionally.  

Since that time, he hasn’t looked back and has fit right into the area. When he’s not on stage or writing music, Drew says he and his family live a fairly normal life and love calling Gallatin home. Gallatin has just the right mix of family atmosphere with the perfect amount of charm that reminds Drew and his wife of the town they grew up in and their early childhood memories in Covington, Georgia. Living in Gallatin allows Drew to be close to Nashville; being able to stay close to his inner circle that helped propel him to where he is professionally is an added bonus.

“We love being in a town [Gallatin] that has so many local things to offer, and it’s so close to the music; it really is the best of everything we could ever dream of,” Drew says. “We’re looking forward to having our kids grow up in a place kind of similar to how we did.” 

During their free time, he and his family love trying out different restaurants in the area, playing golf, hanging out with friends and attending their church.  

Drew has co-written several popular Luke Combs songs and received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song for the song “Doin’ This.” He spends most days writing with the hopes of other artists recording his songs while also working on music for himself. He’s looking forward to putting out new music this year that he hopes to hear blaring from the car next to him at any given stoplight very soon.  

“My hope is really just to grow as an artist to where people hopefully one day know the songs I’ve written,” he says. 

Drew says it’s been a lifelong dream to be able to provide for his family by doing music, and it’s hard to describe the feeling of his success. As the saying goes, “success brings more success.” Drew continues to build on the foundation that has been laid since he began this journey.

“It’s definitely made everything that has led up to this point worthwhile. Betting on myself along the way is worth it to finally be getting to do what I’ve always wanted to do and to do it at this level,” Drew says.  

When reflecting back on his music career and the work he’s put in over the years, he says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the support of his family and wife.  

“She bet on me years ago and has supported me along the way. She knows how much of a dream and passion it is for me to do music,” Drew says. “We’re still figuring out how to navigate this life, because there’s no handbook on the industry. We’re learning every day and  finding support in friends and family.”

Drew hopes his music will reach as many people as it can, and he continues to look for as many touch points as possible, connecting with fans through his music and in person.

“My main goal is to continue to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing while I’m doing it,”

Drew Parker
Singer | Songwritter


Hailing from a small town in Georgia, now living in Gallatin, Drew found his passion for music at a very young age, captivating small church audiences with his voice since age three. Inspired by country legends like Keith Whitley, Travis Tritt, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, he taught himself guitar at 14 and later mastered piano. In 2015, and with the encouragement of close friends and family, he made the leap to Nashville, where he ultimately inked a publishing deal with a record label in 2017. Notably, he has co-written hits like Luke Combs’ "This One's For You" and Jake Owen's "Homemade". Known for his authenticity and heartfelt lyrics, Parker embodies the essence of true country. With a genuine spirit, amazing musical talent and an admitted old soul, he continues to rise in the country music world and his name is becoming synonymous with the success of both his own, and those with whom he collaborates.

"Betting on myself along the way is worth it to finally be getting to do what I’ve always wanted to do at this level."