← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Jay DeMarcus-Member Rascal Flatts, Musician, Songwriter, Label Founder-Country Music Interview-Replay
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- [00:01]
Jay DeMarcus
My cousin who also grew up in Columbus, Ohio, Gary was calling me going, you know, I've been singing up here, and I think I got something. I've been winning some karaoke contests around, you know, Columbus area here, and I'd like to come to Nashville and spend some time with you and sing for you and just see whether or not you think that there's a path for me there or if I've got anything worth pursuing. And, you know, when you, when you hear from a relative that they've been winning karaoke contests and, and you're not sure what to expect, it was one of those moments that I kind of panicked and I called. I remember having a conversation with my mom, and I'm like, you know, Gary called me and said he's been winning some karaoke contest, but what in the world am I going to do or say to him if he comes and sings for me and he's terrible?
- [00:46]
Buzz Knight
Welcome to this edition of the Taking a Walk podcast with Buzz Knight. On this episode, Buzz welcomes Jay DeMarcus, legendary country artist, songwriter and producer known for his successful run with the band Rascal fl. Jerry has a new chapter in his career serving as the president of Red Street Records, an independent label based in Nashville representing country and Christian artists. Jay DeMarcus joins Buzz Knight next on Taking a walk.
- [01:18]
Interviewer
Well, Jay DeMarcus, thanks for being on this virtual edition of Taking a Walk. We'll take a walk down memory lane here and talk about what you're up to these days as well. But thank you so much for being on the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [01:34]
Jay DeMarcus
Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me on. It's good to be with you.
- [01:37]
Interviewer
So we share one thing in common, certainly Columbus, Ohio, where I spent some of my formative years in the radio business at a radio station there called QFM96. But tell me what it was like for you growing up in Columbus, Ohio.
- [01:55]
Jay DeMarcus
Man, I'll tell you what. It was a wonderful time because I spent the 80s there and what I consider to be the greatest decade ever. And QFM96 was certainly part of shaping my musical foundation for sure. I had I, I remember Sunny 95, QFM 96 and 92 XFM were my three favorite radio stations. And I bounced around between all three of those, listening to harder rock stuff on QFM 96 and more of the pop stuff on 92 XFM. So I remember it so well. And it, and it makes me smile thinking that you were part of that.
- [02:31]
Interviewer
Yeah, it was a fun place to be and Certainly the, the town was a great town to be because of, you know, the college influence as well. I gather you were a big football fan as well.
- [02:45]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah. Bleed scarlet and gray still to this day do. I grew up a few blocks from the stadium, so I used to be able to sneak in. I knew some of the security guards, they'd let me sneak in the back gate there and kind of stand on the, you know, in the, in the student section there. So it was fun. I loved it.
- [03:03]
Interviewer
The Varsity Club, remember that place?
- [03:05]
Jay DeMarcus
Oh, do I ever. Absolutely, absolutely.
- [03:09]
Interviewer
Remember when John Cooper was the, the coach very well.
- [03:14]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah. I used to spend a lot of Saturday afternoons infuriated at him because he couldn't run any better place than he did.
- [03:21]
Interviewer
But we actually did a funny promotion. We called it meet Mr. Cooper at the Varsity Club. And it was actually Alice Cooper that we brought in to, to. To meet listeners.
- [03:34]
Jay DeMarcus
That is awesome. I love that so much.
- [03:39]
Interviewer
We threw caution to the wind for sure.
- [03:42]
Jay DeMarcus
That's great.
- [03:43]
Interviewer
So what was the first band that you were in?
- [03:46]
Jay DeMarcus
I was in a band. I was in several bands, you know, in junior high and high school. But the. My most serious band when I was young was a band called Fair Warning. And it was a Christian rock band. So I had some guys that I went to church with and we played youth, you know, like lock ins and youth camps and things of that nature. So I spent a lot of my early days, teenage years there, loving some of the Christian rock bands that were coming out, like Petra and White Hart, things of that nature. And so, yeah, I spent about probably four and a half years there playing with those guys. They were all older than me at the time. Seven, eight years older. But that was my first serious band situation.
- [04:29]
Interviewer
Could you have imagined then how big Christian music would become?
- [04:34]
Jay DeMarcus
No, I couldn't. You know, it was a little. Just a little niche, niche, little genre. And I certainly followed it and loved it, but, man, it did not have the worldwide appeal that it does now. And it certainly turned into, you know, a viable business. Now.
- [04:54]
Interviewer
Production came before Rascal Flats for you, is that correct?
- [05:00]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah, I started producing some in high school. You know, I, I had the good fortune of going to a school of the arts there, Fort Hays Career center in downtown Columbus. There's. You had to audition to get in and you sort of did your academia the first half of the day and then you studied whatever art you were studying the second half of the day. And I was, of course, there for music. So I really found a really great home because I was surrounded by Kids that had the same passions and the same interests that I did, really, really took music seriously. So I was around kids that were very, very gifted people that really pushed me to be better than I probably was at that point in time. And in that studio, at that school, I started to get my feet wet in learning the process of producing and putting parts together and parts that work together to service the song. So I really started to discover my affinity for record production there in my high school years.
- [05:57]
Interviewer
So in your production resume, certainly a couple things in particular pop out to me in those early days. One was Jody Messina. And tell me about how that experience was producing.
- [06:14]
Jay DeMarcus
Jody, you know, that was great because we'd been on the road with her, so we were already friends and knew her so well and just always loved her voice. And when it came time to do that record, she reached out and wondered if Dan Huff and I would do a couple of sides on her. I called Dan and I said, hey, my friend Jody, wondering if we can do some sides on her. And it was the first chance I had ever had to work in a co production situation with Dan. We certainly have worked together on some Flats records and some other things, but never as co producers. So it was a really great experience for me because working with Dan in a different capacity and sort of learning from him and watching him and working in tandem with him, I sort of got to throw ideas out and creative, you know, everything from arrangements to, you know, coming up with parts together. It was a really great situation to learn from him and, and be able to be in a different sort of relationship with him than, than just him as the record producer and me as the artist. Being peers in co production was a really special experience.
- [07:20]
Interviewer
And how did you end up working with Chicago in the production side?
- [07:26]
Jay DeMarcus
Well, that is a. That is a remarkable story, actually. I grew up loving Chicago. Talk about the 80s and the reinvention they had there and the resurgence they had with David Foster was some of my favorite music when I was a kid. I remember coming home one afternoon and running through the front door and saying to my dad, who was a wonderful musician himself, dad, you won't believe this new song I've heard, I cannot wait to play for it for you. And it was hard to say I'm sorry. And he listened to it and he said, who is that? And I said, this is new band called Chicago. And he started dying laughing. He was like, chicago's not a new band. They've been around a long, long time. So my dad started to introduce all of the old Chicago music to me when Terry Cath was in the band. And so I developed this tremendous love for Chicago. I mean, they were. They were everything I loved about music. They, you know, they had the horns, they had a funky rhythm section. They had the best singers in the world. And then when David Foster started making records for them in the 80s, I really fell in love with that. And I was bummed out, like everybody was, I guess, when the news dropped that Peter Schterer was going to leave the band, and I wondered, what in the world are they going to do? This guy sings, you know, all of the tenor parts, and he has this extraordinarily high voice, so signature for the band. Not only that, but he plays bass. It's got to be nearly impossible to replace a guy like that. And then when I heard Chicago 18 was coming out and they were dropping the first single, which was will you still love me? And that they had found a new lead singer. I heard it on the radio, and I never will forget sort of had that moment where I stopped my car and kind of pulled over to the side, and I was like, oh, my gosh. I don't know how they've done this, but they found the perfect replacement for Peter Cetera. Many, many years later, I would have never known that Jason Schaff and I would become dear friends through the music business. He was in my wedding. We were writing songs together. I was such a fan of his in, you know, those high school years and early college years coming up, never dreaming that I would even get the chance to meet this guy someday. And as fortune would have it, and our paths would cross, we became instant friends and really, really close friends. The more that we wrote together, the more that our material started to sound like Chicago Records. I mean, you can't help but sound like Chicago when Jason is singing one of your songs. So when Chicago started talking about going into the studio to make a new album, they had not been in the studio for about 15 years working on any kind of a new project. We started to make our demos. Jason would play them for the band. And I never will forget, I believe it was Thanksgiving of 2004. I was at my mother's house. I got a call from Robert Lamb, and he said, jay, we've been hearing the things that you've been writing with Jason. It really sounds like a fresh version and a fresh take on Chicago and while honoring the past, too. And we would love to offer you the opportunity to produce Chicago 30. And, you know, about dropped the phone. I'M sure I almost passed out. It was. You know, for a kid that grew up idolizing that band then to be asked to produce a record was something I wouldn't have dreamed in a million years. So that's how that happened through my relationship with Jason, and so proud of that record. It's still one of my most favorite memories when it comes to anything having to do with music. Being in the studio with those guys who were really my heroes was just such a wonderful experience and one that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
- [11:14]
Interviewer
And what a band that is so intricate in so many areas that I think the intricacies of that band sometimes get taken for granted, don't you think?
- [11:25]
Jay DeMarcus
Absolutely do. I mean, there's, there's, there's more to that band than what's just on the surface. You know, those guys are seriously studied in tenured and gifted musicians. I mean, they know what they're doing. Jimmy Panko is one of the most brilliant brass arrangers, you know, you'll ever come across. And he's got such a signature sound. When he plays trombone, you know instantly that it's Jimmy playing that horn. And that's why he's worked on not only Chicago records, but so many other records that were coming out of LA pop scene in the 70s and 80s. You know, a lot of, A lot of those brass arrangements that you hear on things from everything from Toto to some of the Earth, Wind and Fire stuff were written by Jimmy. I mean, he's just one of the very, very best in, in that, in that field. So it was. I learned a lot. I. I was so fortunate to be around those guys and soak up so much. But they also, you know, at the risk of sounding self serving, they realized very quickly that I had studied their music and I was a student of their music. And it wasn't just some kid coming in trying to make them something that they weren't. I knew and tried to honor all legacy that was there, while also trying to make a more modern sounding, you know, Chicago record.
- [12:42]
Interviewer
So 1999 happens. That was a very good year, I think, for you, wasn't it?
- [12:47]
Jay DeMarcus
1999? Yeah.
- [12:49]
Interviewer
Yeah, it was this little band called Rascal Flats Forms. You formed it with your. Your cousin. So talk about the formation of this band that would have 16 number one singles, be the CMA vocal group of the year from 2003 to 2008. The ACM vocal group of the year from 2003-2009. Can I keep going on Jay, man.
- [13:15]
Jay DeMarcus
I'm starting to blush.
- [13:18]
Interviewer
Inducted into the grand ole Opry in 2011 and given a star in the Hollywood Walk of fame in 2012. So how did the band form?
- [13:29]
Jay DeMarcus
Well, I had been on the road with a female artist named Shelly Wright, who was really, really coming into her own there in the late 90s. She had had a string of some hits and I was her musical director, band leader. And when I took the position as her band leader, she wanted me to hire some new guys in the band, some fresh faces. And so one of the guys to come in to audition for guitar was this fresh face, little young and named Joe Don Rooney from Oklahoma. Drove all night to come in for the audition, got up and sat in with us. Some of the guys and I were playing at a bar here in town, and he got up on stage and sat in with us, and there was a fire and, and just an energy about this guy that I instantly was drawn to and film love with him right there on the spot. Offered him the gig that night. I was like, I don't need to see anything else. You know, you, you, you've got, you've got the gig if you want it. Joe, Don and I became fast friends. At the same time, my cousin, who also grew up in Columbus, Ohio, Gary was calling me going, you know, I've been singing up here and I think I got something. Think I've got a voice. I've been winning some karaoke contests around, you know, Columbus area here, and I'd like to come to Nashville and spend some time with you and sing for you and just see whether or not you think that there's a path for me there or if I've got anything worth pursuing. And, you know, when you, when you hear from a relative that they've been winning karaoke contests and. And you're not sure what to expect, it was one of those moments that I kind of panicked and I call. I remember having a conversation with my mom and I'm like, you know, Gary called me and said he's been winning some karaoke contest, but what in the world am I going to do or say to him if he comes and sings for me? And he's terrible. So I had this fear that I was going to hurt my cousin's feelings or something, you know, because you just never know what to expect. Everybody thinks they can sing. I'm sure when they're in the shower by themselves, they all sound like Mariah Carey or Steve Perry, I'm sure. But Gary came to town, he stayed with me for a weekend. And I remember sitting down at the piano, and one of the first songs he asked me to play for him was One Last cry by Brian McKnight. And I remember when he opened his mouth, I was just stunned. I couldn't believe the gift and the voice that this guy had been blessed with. He was my cousin. We'd spend a lot of time together growing up, but I never knew he sang until, I guess, gosh, that would have been the end of 1997 or the beginning of 1998. And I was just absolutely mesmerized by the gift this guy had. The tongue was there. All the things you can't teach. The texture, the licks, the ability to sing in an incredible range, it was all there, but it was all pretty raw in the beginning. And so we sat out to sign up as many writer nights or as many open mic nights as we could find downtown. We would go together and sign up, and I would play for him and he would get up and sing. And the more we sang together, the more we developed this chemistry and the better and better he got at finding who he was. Because Gary was really great about emulating other artists, and he sang along to the radio, and he could sound like Merle Haggard or he could sound like Stevie Wonder. He was a chameleon. He could do everything, really. But during those early months with playing together, he really started to come into his own and find his own voice and his own identity and develop who he was. And it was amazing to watch. I. I now look back on it, and at the time, I didn't realize how special it was to be a part of that time where Gary Levox was becoming Gary Levox and finding himself. And the more we played together, you know, because Gary didn't play an instrument, I, more that often than not, played behind him. And finally, the owner of the Fiddle and steel guitar bar in Printers Alley came to us one night and said, if I give you guys Monday nights and some Tuesday nights, would you put a band together? And I'll. I'll build a stage on the other side and I'll knock this wall down and make it a big dance floor so you guys can kind of have a home base. And we had been working with another guitar player at that point in time named Shane, and we started playing together. The place was packed on Monday and Tuesday nights. It was. It was. I mean, you'd have everybody from Toby Keith coming in. He would sit in and sing with us. It was a great place for musicians who weren't on the road to come in. We'd get them up to sit in with us. And it just became this big family. And before you knew it, the place was packed out all the time. And the guitar player we'd been using called me one night. I know I'm long winded here, but this, this is a great story. And he said, man, I've got the flu. I can't make it in tonight. I'm so sorry, but I can't get out of bed. I can't make it tonight. So I immediately called Joe Don and I said, hey, we're in a spot. I need you to come sit in with us tonight if you can. And I'd been telling Joe Don about Gary, and I'd been telling Gary about Joe Don. And we got there that first night, Joe Don said his gear up. Gary was a little frustrated because, you know, he, he had communicated to me that, you know, he, it was going to be a long night and if Joe Don didn't know any of our songs, that I'm going to leave early because I got to work early in the morning. And he was very frustrated. And I was like, let's, let's just give us a chance and see what we can come up with here. And the first song we played together was Church on the Cumberland Road by Shenandoah. And when we hit that course, all three of us, I think you could ask either one of those other guys. We all knew instantly we had captured some lightning, a bottle, and some magic that you can't manufacture. And it was naturally there. The blend was there. Jodon's pure tenor voice was about the only thing you could imagine that could sing above Gary all night long because Gary already sang pretty high. Gary and I, of course, were family, but Jodon felt like he was family too. And from that night on, we never, never stopped. It went on from there. And I had the unenviable task of calling Shane and tell him that he had been replaced in the man.
- [20:02]
Interviewer
Great story. My God.
- [20:04]
Buzz Knight
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [20:10]
Jay DeMarcus
Have you ever listened to those true.
- [20:11]
Interviewer
Crime shows and found yourself with more questions than answers?
- [20:15]
Jay DeMarcus
And what is this? How is that not a story we all know? What's this? Where is that? Why is it wet? Boy, do we have a show for you. From Smartless Media, Campside Media and Big Money Players comes Crimlyss. Join me, Josh Dean, investigative journalist, and me, Rory Scovell, comedian, as we celebrate the amazing creativity of the world's dumbest criminals. We'll look into some of the silliest ways folks have broken the laws. Honestly, it feels more like a high level prank than a crime. Who catfishes a city and meets some memorable antiheroes? There are thousands of angry, horny monkeys.
- [20:54]
Interviewer
Clap if you think she's a witch.
- [20:56]
Jay DeMarcus
And it freaks you out. He has X ray vision. How could I not follow him? Honestly, I gotta follow him. He can see right through me. Listen to crimeless on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [21:13]
Podcast Host
Who would you call if the unthinkable happened? I just fell and started screaming. If you lost someone you loved in the most horrific way, I said, they.
- [21:22]
Jay DeMarcus
Were shot 22 times.
- [21:24]
Podcast Host
The police, right? But what if the person you're supposed to go to for help is the one you're the most afraid of? This dude is the devil. He's a snake. He'll hurt you.
- [21:36]
Jay DeMarcus
I got you. I got you.
- [21:38]
Podcast Host
I'm Nikki Richardson and this is the Girlfriends Untouchable. Detective Roger Galupski spent decades intimidating and sexually abusing black women across Kansas City, using his police badge to scare them into silence. This is the story of a detective who seemed above the law until we came together to take him down. I told Rodriga Lupski, I said, you're gonna see my face till the day that you die. Listen to the Girlfriends untouchable on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, we always say new year, new me, but real change starts on the inside. It starts with giving your mind and your spirit the same attention you. Hey, everybody, it's Michelle Williams, host of Checking in on the Black Effect Podcast Network. And on my podcast, we talk mental health, healing, growth and everything you need to step into your next season whole and empowered. New Year. Real you listen to checking in with Michelle Williams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [22:56]
Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History. We're going back to the spring of 1988, to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control. 35 years.
- [23:10]
Jay DeMarcus
That's how long Elizabeth Senate's family waited for justice to occur.
- [23:16]
Malcolm Gladwell
35 long years. I want to figure out why this camera for as long as it did. Why it took so many bizarre and unsettling turns along the way. And why, despite our best efforts to resolve suffering, we all too often make suffering worse.
- [23:32]
Jay DeMarcus
He would say to himself. Turn to the right to the victim's family and apologize. Turn to the left. Tell my family I love him. So he had this little practice. To the right. I'm sorry. To the left. I love you.
- [23:43]
Malcolm Gladwell
From revisionist history, this is the Alabama Murders. Listen to Revisionist the Alabama murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [23:55]
Podcast Host
Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean in cold water. Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it, even in cold butter. Yep. Chocolate ice cream. Sure thing. Barbecue sauce. Tide's got you covered. You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be Tide.
- [24:27]
Buzz Knight
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [24:29]
Interviewer
How do you sort of grasp the difficulty of keeping such a band with a great run like that together for the length of time that you did? Do you sometimes sort of step back from that and kind of look at that differently now?
- [24:48]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah, I think I appreciate it a lot more. Now that we've been, you know, dormant for the past four years. I really can look back on it with clearer vision and realize that it was so good. But being in the middle of it and sort of watching it all go by in a blur, it's hard to appreciate it when you're in the middle of it. And for me, we didn't do. We did a. A good job of this, but we weren't always great about it. Sometimes it's easy for three guys that have different opinions, different. Different points of view about things. It's. It's hard sometimes to put your own personal selfishness aside and do what's always good for the band and good for the whole. We did a pretty good job of doing that most of the time. And I will say this, we rarely fought. I mean, just like any other brothers or any other band, of course we had disagreements and we. We fought a couple of times, maybe two bad times, but for the most part, we always made a commitment to each other to try to put each other first in the good of the group first. We wouldn't do things that competed with Rascal Flats if we had outside interests or outside hobbies, we tried to keep that away from the plants so that we served Rascal Flats first. And I feel like overall we did a pretty good job at that. The one thing we did not do a good job of was managing our time well. We got on a vicious Cycle of touring, doing a new record, doing press, and then touring again for 20 plus years, we never took a break. And I think the only thing we didn't do right was taking a breath and sitting down and going, we need to take a year off. We've got to refuel ourselves. We need some time away from each other. We need some time to do some things individually that we haven't had a chance to do because all of us are going down the same path 90 miles a minute. So I wish that we would have been a little smarter at one point to look at each other and go, hey, no matter what the label wants to do or management is telling us we should do another tour, we need to draw a hard line in the sand and say, hey, we need a break. We need, we need to refuel ourselves, we need some rest and we need a break.
- [27:05]
Interviewer
Do you think if you did that the band would still be around?
- [27:09]
Jay DeMarcus
It's hard to say. You can't predict. I mean, you know, Covid was such an anomaly and that it just ruined a lot of things for a lot of people. But I think it would have at the very least given us maybe a little more fuel in the tank to not have run as ragged as we did toward the end there. 2019 was a really tough year. We toured really, really hard. Joe Don had decided at a certain point that he had had enough. Of course there were other contributing factors there that we had no knowledge of. He was dealing with a lot at home. We were all a little bit frustrated because the band, I think, was coming to an end and we were supposed to do a farewell tour and it made the end of 2019 even, even harder. So I think, I think it might have given us a boost of energy. You know, a much needed rest would have helped in a lot of ways.
- [27:59]
Interviewer
Would we ever see Rascal Flats in any other incarnation come back, even for a short run?
- [28:06]
Jay DeMarcus
You know, I think you remember when the. Some of the Melissa McCarthy and a couple of other gals remade Ghostbusters a few years ago. I think Rascal Flats is going to come back as three girls in a couple years and they'll remake a new version of Rascal Flat. You know, I. I hope and pray that there's a day in the not too distant future when we can take care of some unfinished business. I feel like we were robbed of being able to say goodbye to our fans that have been so good to us over the years. And I feel like, you know, one of the things that makes me very, very sad Is thinking about March of 2020 of being on stage together for the last time, not realizing it was the last time. We were so worried about COVID because the world was shutting down, that all we wanted to do was get back home to our families, and rightfully so. But that last time, that last night, we didn't realize it was the last time. And I would love to give it the honor and the respect that it deserves and to give our fans another chance to at least come see us and say their farewells and their goodbyes. Maybe it won't be a farewell tour, who knows? But I certainly would hope that there's a time that exists that we can be on stage together again.
- [29:32]
Interviewer
So what were three sort of quintessential songs that you would say made a great impact on you musically and professionally?
- [29:42]
Jay DeMarcus
You know, my earliest memory of my dad playing music and playing piano, the song Daniel by Elton John always sticks out to me because my dad played and sang that song. And I remember being a little kid and that song being really, really impressionable to me because my dad sang it. I watched him play it on the piano. And it's always been one of those songs that has stood out to me as one of the first songs that captured me, you know, that made me stop to think about what the song was saying and the chord progressions. So that was. That was my very first time that a song like made me stop what I was doing and pay attention to it, I guess is the best way to say it. You know, some of the. Some of the other songs. This is a tough question because there's so many songs that have influenced me over the years, but one of my life changing moments I've already covered was hearing hard to say I'm sorry on the radio for the first time. There was something about that production and about that sound coming off the radio waves that just, you know, consumed me. And it was another one of those moments. I remember sitting in my. In the. I wasn't driving at the time, but I Sitting in the car, the person I was with, just like stunned and mesmerized and trying to take all of this audio experience in. And it was life changing for me. I knew from that moment on that that's, you know, I wanted to write songs and be a part of music that changed people the way that song changed me that day. And so that really, that song right there really, really stands out as one of those moments for me. And you know, quite honestly, one of the other ones was he stopped loving her today. That's when I really, really developed an affinity for country music in the way that it was written and how well you could craft a lyric to hit so hard and be so heavy and be delivered by such a vulnerable, transparent vocal. George Jones was one of my daddy's favorites, and I certainly loved and grew up loving him as well. But when I heard that song and I heard how great country music could be and how powerful it could be, it, that changed me forever. And I was one of the lucky ones. I was. I was surrounded by everything from gospel music to R B. My daddy was a rock and roller, but he also loved country. My grandfather played in a bluegrass band, so I loved bluegrass growing up. I had it from all sides. And I so grateful now, I didn't even realize it at the time. What a treasure that was to have, you know, to be surrounded by all of those different kinds of musical influences was. Was remarkable.
- [32:37]
Interviewer
So let's do a little segment that we like to call famous firsts here. First time you knew that you loved music.
- [32:47]
Jay DeMarcus
Well, that. I mean, I think that the first time I knew I loved music was. Was early on as a. As a kid, probably five or six years old, listening to my dad's band and listening to them rehearse and watching the drummer and just, you know, I couldn't get enough of it. I was, you know, playing my first little drum kit that was bought at a garage sale when I was six or seven years old, and I'd put headphones on and play, you know, it's in my favorite records. And that's how I started. And I. I knew I loved it. I knew there was something in there that wasn't going to leave anytime soon.
- [33:23]
Interviewer
First time you heard one of your.
- [33:24]
Jay DeMarcus
Songs on the radio, that would be in my Christian band, East to West. In the early 90s, we were visiting, you know, doing a radio tour. My college roommate and I had had a band called east to west, and we were signed to Benson Records and we had six number ones. We were together for about four and a half years. So much fun. But they would have been at the radio station when they played our single on there for the first time. I heard welcome to the Next level, which was our first single. And I never will forget what an amazing experience that was, carrying your record over the radio airwaves.
- [34:00]
Interviewer
Your experience when you got your first number one.
- [34:05]
Jay DeMarcus
Oh, man, I think we were on the road at the time. There was a chart back in the early 2000s called the G2 chart, the Gavin chart, and technically praying for Daylight was a number one song, but it was only a number one song on the Gavin chart. And I think it was a number three on Billboard and at that time, R and R. So our first bona fide number one record was these days. And I think we were on the road at the time and we celebrated backstage after one of the shows that night. And that was a remarkable time. Really wonderful memory.
- [34:39]
Interviewer
I'm sure you had no idea you would continue to repeat that experience many times.
- [34:45]
Jay DeMarcus
Well, we felt very lucky to have one, to be honest with you.
- [34:48]
Interviewer
I dare say. I bet it never gets old.
- [34:52]
Jay DeMarcus
No, it's always, you know, it sounds so cliche to say, but it's always a wonderful, great feeling to know that you've got a number one song. I mean, it never gets old.
- [35:04]
Interviewer
First album you owned that would have.
- [35:07]
Jay DeMarcus
Been probably, gosh, Chicago 16. Yep.
- [35:14]
Interviewer
And your first concert experience?
- [35:17]
Jay DeMarcus
Dolly Parton. My mom took me to see her at the Ohio State Fair. I never will forget it. That's when I fell in love with live music. I saw the light show and the stage show and how tight her band was. I was probably 10 or 11 years old at the time. It was remarkable. And I remember looking at that stage going, I don't want to do that for the rest of my life. Somehow I want to figure out a way to be on that stage and do exactly that right there.
- [35:45]
Interviewer
Did you have one of those big funnel cakes while you were there?
- [35:49]
Jay DeMarcus
Probably so. Or a corn dog and a steak or something. I'm sure I did.
- [35:55]
Interviewer
My father in law and I ate our way across the Ohio State Fair one time. I swear to God. We must have put on £10, easy to do. And the funny thing is we had to go out to a dinner with the family after and actually leave room to eat. And we were so full.
- [36:12]
Jay DeMarcus
It's easy to do, no doubt about it.
- [36:16]
Interviewer
So 2018 Red Street Records is formed. Tell me about the. The formation. What was behind starting a label?
- [36:28]
Jay DeMarcus
I think I always wanted to, in the back of my mind, be in a place where as I got older and my career was, you know, settling in more and the Flats coming to the point to where we weren't touring as hard and life wasn't as crazy. I always wanted to be in a place to help other artists. I've always had a heart for other artists, being an artist myself. And it seemed like a natural thing to sort of start out small and see if I had an affinity first, first of all, and to see if I was any good at it. So I Started out with a buddy of mine, Jason Crab, and another. Another group called Avalon, signed a couple of Christian addicts. And the more I did it, the more I got into it, I discovered quickly that I did love it. And I learned that I brought some value to them. Having done, you know, been in the business for, you know, 30 plus years myself, I. I had things to offer them that. That conventional label heads don't possess. So my view is very, very unique in that I can give them some advice about being an artist and about trying to achieve their goals that. That not a lot of other people in town can. And so I realized that that had value. I realized that there was a place for that. And the more I did it, the more I fell in love with it, the more I loved being able to, like, pass on any knowledge that I had to new artists. And also passing the torch on to a younger or the next generation of country music stars was really, really exciting for me. So in 2022, we opened up a country division, too. And now we have just signed Chris Lang. We've got Neon Union, a really wonderful duo, and Ryan Larkins, who is incredibly gifted, and Ryan Griffin. So we've grown a lot in the past three years, and it's been remarkable to see how all the dots have connected and how the good Lord has really put us in a place and set us up for success. And I'm so grateful and so honored by the fact that so many artists have trusted our careers or trusted their careers with us. It's a really, really wonderful thing to be a part of.
- [38:33]
Interviewer
There's so many intricate aspects of running a business like that. Obviously, the publishing side and the A and R side and the airplay side. And it seems like you've certainly, with the success of the label, reinvested pretty regularly. Is that true?
- [38:52]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah, it's very true. I've got a wonderful partner, Dan Crockett, who came alongside in 2020 during the pandemic, because I'd started in 18 and I'd hired about six or seven people, and I was doing it all myself. And I got to the point to where, you know, the Farewell Tour was going to be canceled. And I'm sitting around going, gosh, I've just gotten this off to the ground. What am I going to do? I called my dear friend, he jumped in, and he's been a magnificent partner and sort of, you know, given me the ability to realize all of my dreams and hire the people I wanted to hire. We've got about 20 folks, and to your point, about so many intricacies in running a label. I've been able to really hand pick some people that have a whole lot of experience and know things about the music business that I don't know. They've got. You know, I've got some remarkable people like Alex Valentine, who's our general manager, and Mike Kraft, who's our cfo. We got a wonderful A and R department headed by Kelly King, who's been working with me since the day Rasp Flats started. She helped find, you know, some of our biggest hits. So there are nobody's ears that I trust and instincts that I trust more than Kelly's. So I've got myself surrounded by this trusted group of people that really help me figure out the things that I don't instinctually know about the music business. I'm very, very creative, and I know how to do the creative very well. But some of the more administrative, managerial things I leave, I leave that to the people that know what they're doing.
- [40:21]
Interviewer
How were your leadership skills shaped?
- [40:24]
Jay DeMarcus
You know, I think being in a band, it really put me in a good place to learn a lot and learn how to deal with different personalities. You know, when you have band personnel that you deal with and crew personnel that you deal with, it really without even knowing, it puts you in a place to where you're able to deal with multiple different personality types. So when you get thrown into a situation to where you're working in close proximity with different personalities all the time, it's not always going to be perfect harmony. You've got to be part counselor, part cheerleader, part coach. And I think all of those things are developed over time. But I didn't realize how, you know, what a wonderful education I was getting being on the road for as long as I was and sharpening those leadership skills because, you know, the three of us were the leaders of our company and our business, and we had to make those decisions. It's not always easy, and people don't always love what you have to say, but at the end of the day, your responsibility is to do what is best for the company first. And so I really, really enjoyed being in a place to where I feel like I can use the skills that I developed without even really even realizing that I had developed them over time.
- [41:39]
Interviewer
I mean, your reputation is stellar. How did you learn the importance of reputation?
- [41:48]
Jay DeMarcus
I think that started early on in college. The guy that brought me to Lee University, his name is Danny Murray, and he was always like a second father to me, and he taught me the value of relationships. And I think that's where it starts first. If you're not a good steward of your relationships and you're not a person that is honorable to your word and you're not a good friend, that will catch up with you over time, People will find out what you're made of. And if you can't, Vince Gill told me one time, he said, you know, the thing that I tell all artists, and I'm fortunate to be dear friends with Vince, and this is advice that everybody could use. If you're not gracious on the way up and gracious on the way down, it's gonna. It's gonna reveal what your character is really, really, really fast. And I've always tried. Nobody's perfect, but I've always tried to be cognizant of the fact that I'm blessed and have been very blessed to do what we've done over the last 20 plus years. And I'm one of the lucky ones. So few get to be where we've been, and I feel grateful and humbled by it. And so I really tried to communicate to the people that have been cheerleaders of mine and friends of mine and business associates of mine over the years. I've tried to be consistent and communicate the fact that I appreciate that they worked so hard for us or that they had our backs or that they were such a good friend to us. I've tried to be consistent in that because I believe, like I said at the beginning, that relationships in this business mean everything. I really do.
- [43:24]
Interviewer
When you look at Red street now, where do you want Red street to be a couple of years from now?
- [43:32]
Jay DeMarcus
You know, I want us to be successful. I want us to be consistently great at putting out great music, compelling music. I, you know, we're. We're such a young company still, and we've got momentum, but, you know, you don't. We haven't proven anything yet. You don't prove anything until you have a hit. I want us to have some hits. I want to have the kind of artists that we build long, sustainable careers. I believe that we have some stars in the making on our roster, and my desire for them is that they get the, the credit that they're. I believe that they're due. So I just want us to carve out a little space for us. I think there's enough room for all of us in this town, and I think that Red street can do really, really great business. But with every business in the music business, you need a little luck. You Got to have it. So that's what we're praying for every day.
- [44:21]
Interviewer
How did you get the acting bug? You've been in a few. A few shows. Csi, Crime Scene Investigation, among others.
- [44:30]
Jay DeMarcus
How.
- [44:31]
Interviewer
How did you get the bug?
- [44:33]
Jay DeMarcus
You know, I've always kind of had it. I was in musical theater in high school and. And dabbled in it. And I think the more actor friends that I started to have along the way and meeting through Rascal Flats, obviously one of my dear friends, Billy Zabka, who's Johnny and the Karate Kid, and, you know, living vicariously through him and hearing his wonderful stories about working with other great actors kind of really piqued my interest in it. We did the CSI episode, and the director, Ken Fink, I don't want to say he took an interest in me, but he. He paid more attention to me than I expected. And we had a couple great conversations in catering, and he was like, you know, you've got. You got a knack for this. The camera likes your face, and you've got some natural ability. If this is something you wanted to do, you know, as time permits, I would encourage you to do more of this, because I think you could do it. So that was all I needed to hear. I was off to the races and I got an agent and started doing headshots and going out for different parts. And I've done some television and gotten some. Some little roles and some films here and there, and I've also scored a couple of films. So I really. I have a desire to do it more. I'm trying to be really, really good at where I am right now at Red street, and not have too much on my plate that distracts my focus from here. But I would really love eventually to be able to do more.
- [45:56]
Interviewer
Well, in closing, you seem like a continuous learner. What haven't you learned that you wish you still can learn?
- [46:06]
Jay DeMarcus
Patience. I really wish I could learn how to be patient. I am a person that wants things done yesterday. And when it comes to something like this and Red Street, I mean, I want success. Last year, you know, being patient sometimes and letting things play out the way that they need to and letting things just happen is really tough for me to learn because I. I think my bandmates would tell you this too. I have a really a propensity to be very controlling. I want. I want the outcome to be exactly the way I want it to be. That also comes from, I think, producing records and being, you know, being in charge of so many different moving parts and making sure that everything sounds the way that it's supposed to and all the right parts are on there and it all sounds right in the mix. It's just part of my personality that's hard for me sometimes to to put the reins on. So I'm working every day at being more patient. But I appreciate you saying that because I do feel like I learn something every day. I try to keep my mind and my heart to things that I need to learn.
- [47:15]
Interviewer
Jay DeMarcus, an honor to meet you. Continued success on all the paths in your tremendous career.
- [47:23]
Jay DeMarcus
I appreciate that. Thank you for your time and thanks for having me.
- [47:27]
Buzz Knight
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcast.
- [48:25]
Jay DeMarcus
It's only getting every customer's order right. It's only a point of sale system connected by Spectrum fiber powered business Internet, helping you track hundreds of secure transactions. And it's all backed by 24, seven US based customer support and local technicians. It's only everything get business Internet advantage free forever. When you get four mobile lines from Spectrum, visit spectrum.com freeforlife to find out how restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas.
- [48:55]
Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell here This season on Revisionist History. We're going back to the spring of 1988 to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control.
- [49:05]
Jay DeMarcus
And he said, I've been in prison 24, 25 years. That's probably not long enough. I didn't kill him.
- [49:12]
Malcolm Gladwell
From Revisionist History, this is the Alabama Murders. Listen to Revisionist History the Alabama murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [49:25]
Jay DeMarcus
Hi, I'm Radhi Devlukia and I am the host of a really good Cry podcast.
- [49:29]
Podcast Host
This week I am joined by Anna.
- [49:30]
Jay DeMarcus
Runkle, also known the Crappy Childhood Fairy, a creator, teacher and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods.
- [49:40]
Podcast Host
Talking about trauma isn't always great for people.
- [49:43]
Jay DeMarcus
It's not always the best thing.
- [49:44]
Podcast Host
About a third of people who are traumatized as kids feel worse when they talk about it, get very dysregulated.
- [49:50]
Jay DeMarcus
Listen to a really good cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever.
- [49:53]
Podcast Host
You get your podcasts. The show was ahead of its time to represent a black family in ways that television hadn't shown before.
- [49:59]
Jay DeMarcus
Exactly. It's thelma Hopkins, also known as Aunt Rachel.
- [50:02]
Podcast Host
And I'm Kellie Williams or Laura Winslow. On our podcast welcome to the Family.
- [50:07]
Jay DeMarcus
With Thelma and Kelly. We're re watching every episode of Family Matters.
- [50:11]
Podcast Host
We'll share behind the scenes stories about making the show.
- [50:14]
Jay DeMarcus
Yeah, we'll even bring in some special guests to spill some tea.
- [50:17]
Podcast Host
Listen to welcome to the Family with.
- [50:19]
Jay DeMarcus
Telma and Kelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [50:24]
Interviewer
I didn't really have an interest in being on air. I kind of was up there to just try and infiltrate the building.
- [50:30]
Buzz Knight
From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creatives who built a cultural empire, the Atlanta Is podcast uncovers the stories behind one of the most influential cities in the world.
- [50:41]
Jay DeMarcus
The thing I love about Atlanta is.
- [50:42]
Interviewer
That it's a city of hustlers, man.
- [50:44]
Buzz Knight
Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with Ludacris, Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama, and more. The full series is available to listen to now. Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [51:03]
Podcast Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [51:05]
Jay DeMarcus
Guaranteed Human.