Carlisle County native Devin Cates, 21, was discovered while performing in Mayfield’s Froggyland Idol competition three years ago. Since then, he’s performed all over the place, including locally at Downtown After Dinner and Hooper’s Paducahpalooza. Today, he has a CD and a new band, and he’s well on his way in theNashville Star competition!Devin Cates, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! And now you’re fixin’ to be famous! When did you realize you could sing?
During my junior year in high school. My best friend and I sang It’s Your Love, a Tim McGraw and Faith Hill duet, at FFA camp, and we got a standing ovation and people were taking pictures with us. I thought that was really cool!So I started singing the national anthem at basketball games. And I sang in the little bitty choir we had – there was no music program at our school.
Where was this?
Carlisle County. I graduated from Carlisle County High School in 2005.
And that’s it? FAA camp and basketball games, and now you’re on your way to stardom?
I was in some competitions, too. There was a little competition in Mayfield called Froggyland Idol in April of my senior year. I just thought I’d give it a try. It was the first time I ever sang in a competition. About 300 people auditioned, and I got fourth place. I thought, “Holy crap!” I had no idea.
A woman in the audience connected me with Teresa Smith (right), who’s now my manager. And we started working together. She gave me vocal coaching lessons, and it just took off.How do you describe your sound?
It’s contemporary country along the lines of Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. As I started developing my voice and trying to figure out where I fit in best, I realized that I could connect with country music much more than anything else. Any song I sing, I can feel it and put myself in the song because I’ve lived through a lot of experiences that many country songs talk about.
Is that what makes you different from other country artists?
I think so. A true artist makes you believe what is being sung, makes you make a connection yourself. And that’s what I do. And that’s why I think I’ve had so much success.Plus, I’ve got awesome stage presence!
You have awesome off-stage presence, too! Tell us about the West Tennessee Idol contest.I was so excited! That contest had about 1,000 people. I made the final 20 and got to record a song that was played on the radio. Listeners then called and voted for their favorites! That’s what put me in the final 10.
The finals were awesome because the judges were very important people, including Deborah Allen, a great country music artist. They gave me some incredible feedback, so I was really blessed to be a part of this competition. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a pre-contest of American Idol.
Are you going to do American Idol?
Well, I’ve thought about it, but my manager and a few others advised me not to. There’s a lot of politics and legal issues that we really don’t want to deal with.
Tell us about your CD!I released You Get Me in July 2006. It was amazing. I worked my tail off, recording eight songs with Max Abrams of the Muzik Mafia and Aaron Shannon, an engineer for many Nashville superstars. He had just finished with Toby Keith. It was a dream come true.
I recorded in Rak-N-Roll Studios, the studio where Rascal Flatts recorded their very first hit and where Lee Ann Womack recorded I Hope You Dance.This CD was what was really getting all the attention and getting me all the gigs. I opened for Emerson Drive last November at Eastern Kentucky University. And when I was in West Tennessee Idol, I got to open for Bucky Covington.
And now you have a new band!Yes, when I opened for Bucky Covington (left), this band, 45 South, heard me and asked me to be their lead singer. They are a very successful band and have played with many great stars like Brad Paisley and Sugarland. So I’m working on a few things with them right now. We’re still working on a new name for the band.
So you’re performing a ton?
And meeting with record labels and making a ton of connections on MySpace. My manager knows almost everyone in Nashville, so she is promoting me and trying to set up meetings to discuss my career.We’re working on a Showcase in Nashville where I’ll perform for about an hour in front of representatives from several labels so they can see what I have to offer live.
Do you ever get nervous on stage?
Good Lord, I get nervous every time. Especially when it’s a big deal. Right before I go on stage or I compete, I’m so quiet and in a zone. I’m nervous, nervous, nervous! Every time. I don’t know why. But once I’m into the first song, I’m good to go. I don’t get nervous anymore. I’m in a different zone on stage. I want to do it. It’s what I love. I dig it.
And you’re in school, too?
I was going to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green to study broadcasting/television Journalism, but I’m moving to Jackson, Tenn., soon to be closer to my manager and closer to Nashville. I’m not dropping out of school, but I’m taking classes online.
Well, Devin Cates, you are just darling. How do you fit a love life into all of this?I don’t really. I’m not really worried about it. I’m not trying to be tied down to something that is going to hold me back from what I want to do. Everybody understands that. They want to see me make it. I’ve dated and what not. When the time is right, it’s going to come. I’m just going with the flow.
So what’s next?
Just keep your eyes and ears open because we’ll have more stuff coming, and hopefully the right person will hear me at the right time. We have everything here – it just needs to come together.
Music a tough business, isn’t it?
It’s one of the hardest things to get into.It’s frustrating because we think we’ve got something, and then it doesn’t pan out. It’s all about who you know, the connections you have and how lucky you get.
We’ve got the connections, it’s just got to get together.It’s right at our fingertips. I can smell it. Teresa and I are working harder than ever. I can taste it. I’m really excited about it. It’s there and I know it’s going to happen.
Then it will happen, no doubt about it! Congratulations, Devin Cates! We’ll most definitely keep our eyes and ears open for your cute self!
