PRINTDierks is more than a little bit country
Courtesy of Capitol Nashville
Dierks Bentley is the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry. He plays the Hearnes Center Friday.
November 8, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST
With fame and fortune usually come big-screen TVs, fast cars and a distaste for enthusiastic fans, but that’s not Dierks Bentley’s style. From his enthusiasm for interacting with his small-town fans to touring across America sans television, Bentley sticks to his roots as a traditional country star. He is headed to the Hearnes Center Friday, and many of Bentley’s fans are ready to see him perform at a large venue.
Originally from Phoenix, Ariz., Bentley headed to Nashville, Tenn., at 19 in an attempt to hoist his music career to a more serious level. But before he began humming to Tennessee bluegrass, Bentley admits in a personal bio from his Web site that the first genres of music he explored were ’70s rock and disco. Yet, after a good friend introduced him to the powerful song “Man to Man” by Hank Williams Jr., 17-year-old Bentley was transformed.
Once devoted to country, Bentley spent eight years in Nashville transforming his style and teaching himself the basics of country music. He studied the ways of legends such as Willie Nelson. Bentley began filling a three-ring binder with notes on what he learned about music as well as transcribed lyrics from the artists. While learning the ways of country, he also made time to play at local bars, both big and small.
Doing his best to avoid chasing labels, Bentley eventually gained popularity after he cut his first album with the help of a few friends from other Nashville-based bands. Upon noticing his drive to succeed, Capitol Nashville offered the then 23-year-old Bentley a record deal. His first single with Capitol, “What Was I Thinkin’,” quickly rose to No. 1, giving him the status he needed to reach country fans.
Mid-Missouri is no stranger to the world of Dierks Bentley — or country music for that matter. Aaron Boland, assistant manager at FYE, says CD sales show country music has a clear presence in the Columbia music scene. “I can’t tell you how much we’d lose in sales if we didn’t have country music,” Boland says. “It’s a money-maker and an asset to our store.”
Employees of Streetside Records have seen their share of country madness. “Artists like Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks and Gretchen Wilson sell out concerts in as little as two or three hours,” says Nick Soha, assistant manager of the store. “I don’t think Dierks Bentley is at that magnitude yet, but it’s still early in his career.”
Bentley’s music can be described as traditional bluegrass fused with modern-day country. Using his acoustic guitar and smooth voice, his music also features the bass guitar, drums, fiddle and even the mandolin. Some describe Bentley’s music as a no-frills style of country absent of the sometimes cheesy-pop element that tops current country charts. “He doesn’t do any of the ridiculous ‘save a horse, ride a cowboy’ thing,” says Matt Grosdidier, a fan of Bentley’s. “He’s more mainstream, an easy-listening type of country that’s not geared toward men or women. It’s music for everyone.” His is a type of country that works at staying rooted in its Nashville base.
Brittany Shockley, fan and MU student, says “Long Trip Alone” is one of her favorite songs. But she appreciates more than a few of Bentley’s songs. “With a lot of country artists, I don’t like their entire CD — only parts,” Shockley says. “With Dierks, I listen to the whole thing through. I really enjoy him as an artist.”
Bentley does his best to reach all of his fans, whether that be a 20,000 person audience at the Memphis Pyramid or a fraternity house basement in Mississippi. This sometimes includes three-hour autograph signings. Bentley says he enjoys the emotional experience of connecting with fans, which is apparent to those who have attended his performances.
“He has one of the most loyal fanbases I’ve ever seen because he stays connected to his fans on a very different level than other artists,” says Stephanie Lanham, fan and member of a Dierks Bentley Facebook group. “He doesn’t take anything for granted, and I think in the end, that’s what will make him stick around for a long time.”
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