Just like the majority of his fellow Country musicians, Dillon Carmichael got his big break after working long, hard hours on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. However his shifts looked a little different than most of his peers.
LISTEN NOW: Dillon Carmichael details his journey from security guard to superstar
While most musicians scoop up the on-stage opportunities and songwriting sessions presented throughout Music City, Carmichael was checking IDs at the honky tonk doors. “I had to wrestle grown men on Lower Broadway,” he shared of the security job he had before signing his record deal.
“I will never forget the conversation with my boss [giving 2-weeks notice], who I’m still friends with today,” Dylan laughed. “He was like, ‘Is it April 1st?’ And I was like ‘Yeah, man. I signed a record deal.’ It had to be sudden because I didn’t want to say anything until it was complete… I literally waited until the moment I signed the deal to tell ‘em.”
While the news might have seemed abrupt to those he worked with, a record deal was something that had always been a goal or Carmichael, he just didn’t tell many people due to his shy nature.
“I’m a quiet guy… I’m just that way, I’m introverted so I didn’t say anything about it [my music] to other musicians down there,” he said. “I was just checking IDs all the time and one day, the front door guy that checks IDs — me — disappears. And they’re like, ‘Where did the front door guy go?’ And they’re like, ‘He got a record deal.’”
While he may not have said much about his music aspirations to those around him, he shared they were always inspiring him whether they knew it or not. “I got inspired to write and do music in general because I was around it all the time,” he said.
Hear more about Dillon’s security job, fear of heights and more by checking out his full interview from Tortuga Music Festival 2023 with Audacy’s Rob + Holly.
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