[MUSIC]
OUR COUNTRY WASN’T FOUNDED ON
HAPPINESS FOR THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS.
THAT RIGHT MAKES AMERICA THE GREATEST NATION THE WORLD HAS
GREATEST NATION THE WORLD HAS
EVER KNOWN.
>> BOOKS, I AM JOHN RICH AND
WELCOME TO THE PURSUIT.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE
THE MODERN-DAY COUNTRY MUSIC?
THERE ARE EXTREME PRESSURES THAT
COME WITH SAME.
UNLESS EXPECTATIONS TO PERFORM A
COMMAND, CONSTANTLY MOVING
GOALPOST OF SCORING THE NEXT AND
WHILE UNDER UNFORGIVING SCRUTINY
OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND MUSIC
INDUSTRY.
LET’S SAY IT’S NOT AS EASY AS IT
LOOKS AND IT TAKES A SPECIAL
TOUGH TALENT TO GO THE DISTANCE.
BRITNEY GILBERT IS THAT SPECIAL
KIND OF TALENT, SATIVA PREACHER
AND STUDENT OF MUSIC, HE MADE A
NAME FOR HIMSELF AROUND THE
NATION AS A STRAIGHTAHEAD
COUNTRY BOY WITH NOTHING TO HIDE
HIDE, NOTHING TO LOSE AND
NOTHING TO HOLD BACK FROM HIS
AUDIENCE.
HE WRITES THEM, SEES THEM AND AS
SIMPLE AS THAT.
WITH ALL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, IS
NOT ALL RAINBOWS AND ROSES.
JOURNEY HAS SEEN ITS SHARE OF
UPS AND DOWNS BUT WORK ETHIC AND
BELIEVE GOD AND DESTINY HAS
PULLED HIM THROUGH.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO SIT WITH
WHAT I CONSIDER A MODERN-DAY PATRIOT, BRANTLEY GILBERT.
PATRIOT, BRANTLEY GILBERT.
♪
♪ WALKING TO THE SHOP, SIR.
WALKING TO THE SHOP, SIR.
WELCOME TO THE HOUSE.
WE ARE BOTH CREATURES KIDS.
>> OH YEAH?
YES, SIR.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP A
PREACHER’S KID IN GEORGIA?
>> MY MOM AND DAD MET AT JOHNSON
BIBLE COLLEGE IN KNOXVILLE AND I
NEVER REALLY REMEMBER MY DAD
PREACHING MUCH, HE WAS WORKING
HIS WAY OUT OF THAT GAME WORKING
AT THE BANK.
I REMEMBER SOMETIMES GOING TO CHURCH EVEN TO THIS DAY MY
CHURCH EVEN TO THIS DAY MY
LITTLE BROTHER CAP MARRIED, HE
DID IT LIKE -- >> THANKSGIVING, LET’S PRAY
>> THANKSGIVING, LET’S PRAY
BEFORE WE EAT?
>> YEAH MY MOM WAS A
STRAIGHTAHEAD NO CUSSING, NO
DRINKING, SHE HELD TWO JOBS.
>> EVEN TO THIS DAY, YOU STILL
DON’T CAUSE.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
[LAUGHTER]
>> IT’S GOOD TO HAVE STRONG
PARENTS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE GROW UP WITHOUT
GRANDPARENTS NOW IS WONDERING WHEN YOU ARE LISTENING AS A
WHEN YOU ARE LISTENING AS A
YOUNG GUY, WHETHER LYRICS
STRONGER THAN OTHERS?
>> I COULD IDENTIFY WITH THAT, I
CAN SEE THAT, I FELT LIKE WE
READ THE SAME BOOKS AND THE
CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME, I
REALLY DID GROW UP LISTENING TO
EVERYTHING. >> REACH IN THE BOX AND THAT ONE
>> REACH IN THE BOX AND THAT ONE
SOUNDS GOOD.
SO, YEAH.
THAT WAS LIKE PRE-INTERNET.
ITUNES WAS A BOX FULL OF
CASSETTES.
>> I THINK THAT WAS MY
INTRODUCTION LISTENING TO MUSIC,
JUST ME AND THE MUSIC.
A SPECIAL BOND WHEN YOU ARE ABLE
TO LISTEN.
YOU GRAVITATE TOWARD SOMETHING
CREATIVELY YOU FOLLOW THAT
TRAIL.
>> FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW
THAT STORY, YOU ARE ABOUT 19 YOU
GOT IN A SCUFFLE AND TOOK OFF
DOWN THE ROAD AND ALMOST KILLED
YOU, RIGHT?
A CAR WRECK.
>> IT SHOULD HAVE.
LOOKING AT THE PICTURES THE WAY
EVERYBODY SAID IT WENT DOWN,
IT’S NOT WHERE THEY SAT DOWN AND TOLD ME MEMORY LOSS OR ANYTHING
TOLD ME MEMORY LOSS OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT, THINGS ARE A LITTLE
HAZY AND IT COMES BACK FROM TIME
TO TIME.
>> AFTER THAT WRECK, I THINK YOU DID WORK TRUE COUNTRY ARTIST
DID WORK TRUE COUNTRY ARTIST
DOES, YOU TAKE SOMETHING AS REAL
TO YOU AND TURN IT INTO A SONG,
PATHWAY TO HEAVEN.
HOW LONG AFTER THE WRECK DID YOU
WRITE THE SONG?
>> THAT WAS ONE FOR YOU PAINT A
PICTURE OF THE MOMENT, NOT
NECESSARILY LIGHT AND ANGELS ARE
COMING OUT OF IT BUT MORE LIKE
THE LIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES
FLASHING AND I ALWAYS HEARD THAT
A MILLION TIMES.
THE LAST THING I REMEMBER IS
LOOKING OUT AT THE PASSENGER
SIDE OF THE WINDOW AND SEEING A
LIGHT AND THINKING THIS IS IT.
ALL THE STUFF I’VE DONE AND GOT
AWAY WITH IT.
>> YOU ARE 19, A KID.
>> I’D LOVE TO SAY IT TAUGHT ME
A LOT OF LESSONS AND WOKE ME UP
BUT BEING A PAIN COMING OUT
RELATIVELY UNSCATHED COMPARED TO
WHAT THE TRUCK LOOKED LIKE, KIND
OF GOT AWAY WITH SOMETHING.
IT IS KIND OF A REPETITIVE THING
IN MY LIFE, I’M DRIVEN AND
HONEST PATH, WIDE OPEN AS LONG
AS YOU’RE NOT GOING AFTER --
>> THAT’S AN INTERESTING COMMENT
BECAUSE YOU WONDER IF PEOPLE CAN
EVEN BECOME SUCCESSFUL OR DO BIG
THINGS LIKE YOU’VE DONE IF THEY
DON’T HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF I’M
GOING TO GO ALL OUT BECAUSE I’M
NEVER GOING TO HURT.
WILL YOU EVER ACCOMPLISH
ANYTHING.
>> EVEN IF IT’S NOT SOMETHING
THAT HITS HOME HARD, YOU MAKE IT
IT, YOU MAKE IT YOUR STORY IN
SOME WAY OR FASHION, YOU FIND A
WAY IN GRAVITATE TOWARD IT,
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS IN THESE
SONGS.
SOME WRITTEN TO ME ABOUT TWO
VERY SPECIFIC PEOPLE.
♪
THE ONLY WAY TO GO ♪ ♪
>> I HEARD SO MANY STORIES, HOW
PEOPLE RELATED TO IT, IT OPENED
MY MIND UP IT TOOK ON NEW
MEANINGS FOR ME SEVERAL TIMES WE
WERE PUSHING FOR NUMBER ONE, THE WEEKLY QUESTION NUMBER ONE, MY
WEEKLY QUESTION NUMBER ONE, MY
GRANDFATHER DIED, A WAR TO FIT IN I’LL NEVER FORGET WHEN THAT
IN I’LL NEVER FORGET WHEN THAT
HAPPENED, IT WAS LIKE WOW.
>> SAME THING, I REMEMBER, THE
SECOND I GOT THE CALL.
HE PUSHED FOR NUMBER ONE, FOR
THAT RATTLE YOUR FOCUS OR
FOCUSING MORE?
>> , HUNTING MEN SO I WALKED ON
THE PORCH WE HAD AND SPENT A
MINUTE BY MYSELF AND I REMEMBER
SITTING OUTSIDE PLAYING, THIS IS
A SPECIAL SONG AND IT MEANS A
LOT TO THE GUYS I WROTE ABOUT IN
THEIR LEGACY AND THEIR FAMILIES
NOW REMEMBER E-MAILING THE RADIO
TEAM SAYING I JUST WANT YOU TO
KNOW I APPRECIATE HOW HARD YOU WORK ON THIS SONG.
WORK ON THIS SONG.
MY GRANDFATHER JUST PASSED AWAY
AND IT TOOK ON A NEW MEANING FOR
ME AS WELL.
>> THEY LATCHED ONTO IT THAT
MUCH STRONGER WHEN I HEARD THAT.
>> YES, THERE WAS NO WAY.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY IN THAT
MOMENT THOUGH, IF IT DOESN’T GO