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Forging his own trail to stardom, Damon’s rogue ways, business savvy, musical style and high-energy performances only hint at the entrepreneurial story behind this rising star. He credits his success to his being a self-taught talent and knowing how to lead a team, a skill he obtained working in a close-knit family business and competing on the high school and collegiate levels as a member of a wrestling team.
Damon grew up working in a funeral parlor alongside his father in Ada, a small town in Oklahoma. This extraordinary upbringing instilled in him a steadfast work ethic, taught him to respect others, revealed the value of life and, consequently, exposed him to country music.
“On many occasions, I’d go with my father to pick up the deceased… day or night,” Damon recalls. “He would do his work and I would listen to country music. I remember hearing him sing ‘The Auctioneer’ by Leroy Van Dyke as he worked.”
During these pivotal times, Damon claims he “earned good money for a little brat.” Holding down a paper route and spending his free time playing little league baseball, Damon became a focused, responsible, sports-minded individual. He understood that the value system surrounding such a lifestyle would carry him far in future endeavors.
In keeping with the tradition of teamwork and dedication, Damon pursued a spot on the high school wrestling team while most of his peers immersed themselves in the football program prevalent at his high school. Enjoying the sport, Damon dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete and having a future as a coach. He honed his wrestling skills by seeking out training partners in nearby schools throughout his teenage years and upon graduation, he attended Oklahoma State University on a wrestling scholarship (he was a member of the 1994 NCAA National Championship Team).
As an OSU sophomore, Damon received his first guitar for Christmas.
“My parents had more gifts for my older sister at Christmas and decided to buy me a guitar to make up for it,” he remembers. “I took it with me to college, taught myself a few chords and then taught myself to sing.”
Damon eventually became a performing member on the Oklahoma Opry and formed a band that entertained in and around the Texhoma region. Upon his graduation, with his guitar and a marketing degree in hand, Damon moved to Music City to pursue his musical dreams.
“I realized I wasn’t ready to compete when I first moved to Nashville. I was green and I knew I had to grow as an artist,” he said.“I also knew people would only take me seriously as an artist if I was persistent enough to show them I wasn’t joking around.”
Heeding lessons learned from being a championship wrestler, Damon’s goal first and forem ost was to assemble a credible and aggressive team of individuals to build a strong foundation to ensure a future with longevity. With an attitude rooted in dedication, persistency and excellence, Damon knew he couldn’t fail.
“I am very humble and confident in my abilities; yet, I also know I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I think this is evident in my musical production and how I run my organization overall. Throw in my small town virtues, honest lyrics that rock and you have Damon Smith, the musical entity!”
Recognizing there was more going on behind the scenes than just performing night after night, Damon delved into teaching himself how to draw a crowd, concentrating on interacting and relating to fans in a positive manner. Practicing the art of writing a believable song, he continued to expand his talents with passion and heart to entertain on the pro-level. Deciding to be more hands-on at his shows and in his business, Damon also learned to run sound, built his website and produced his own demos. Keeping in mind the ultimate goal of team success and respect from his peers, Damon drew on his past experiences for inspiration.
“Being in the funeral business, my father always reminded me we represented the family and his name. Keeping this in mind, I came to know it’s not all about Damon Smith, it’s about everyone on my team," he states. “Just like wrestling is scored as an accumulation of all its team members points, my success comes from everyone pulling together with the same goal of being successful.”
Damon has spent many years paving his own path to Music Row, weaving off the elusive yellow brick road that dead-ends quickly for many a new artist. Armed with the mantra “every day is a new day to the wise man,” he bucked the traditional “move to Nashville and be discovered” ideal and formed Nomad Entertainment for the sole purpose of managing his career. In doing so, he successfully booked himself and his band, …the beautiful mistakes, for more than 175 shows every year absent the resources of a major agency.
“I went after a career in the music industry because I didn’t feel like waiting on someone to make my dream of success a reality,” Damon states. “I started out by trying to find the music business any way I could. I went to where the music and the people were and it evolved from there.”
Damon has succeeded as well in building a dedicated fan base doing country music his way. He has graduated from small gigs on the local scene to now having top billing at notable country bars and roadhouses, and fairs and festivals across the country. He also impressed fans internationally by headlining a ten city tour in Brazil, selling out venues with a capacity of up to 10,000 people.
“I’ve been beating the road up for years – there are holes in my jeans and holes in my boots,” he jokes.
In an effort to stay close to his fans and expose his talents to those “hungry” for fresh music, Damon continuously appears at the CMA Country Music Festival. His charismatic performances and stellar reputation garnered him invitations to perform on the Chevy and Acoustic Corner stages, and in 2007, he completed his sixth and most successful year at the famed festival, greeting fans who stood in line in excess of two hours to meet this young sensation.
Besides showcasing his musical versatility as a touring artist, Damon delivers the goods as a vocalist. His flexible tenor is spirited and robust on rock injected numbers, while raw and honest on understated ballads. Infusing the influences of John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Tom Petty, and Garth Brooks, Damon truly has created a maverick image and sound which he is proud to call his own.
“I know my sound fits inside a box but I also know a lot of artists try to break in by following trends because they are scared to do anything different,” he states. “I have avoided being categorized because I am young enough to stay determined and as competitive in music as I was in sports. I am an artist of today, tomorrow and the future!”
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Damon Smith 2007. All rights reserved. Nomad Entertainment |
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