NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Today, most country music lovers are familiar with Nate Barnes. He’s been gaining popularity in recent years with hits like "You Ain’t Pretty", "Right About Me" and "Ain’t Got A Shot." But this West Michigan native hasn't always been in the spotlight. In 2019, he was working for Palisades Power Plant in Covert, Michigan.
“I did that for 12 years,” he said. “You have a lot of time to dream and think about your dreams but not a lot of time to make those dreams come true.”
But his dreams did come true, following a trip to Tennessee.
“I was on my way to Gatlinburg, a little over two and a half years ago, just for vacation,” Barnes said. “It really wasn't anything special, but I stopped in Nashville for a day, for one day, to hangout. That's when all these people came into my life—a hit songwriter named Jason Sellers, a huge executive label owner Benny Brown. I just randomly met these guys, and I had no idea what was going on.
"I played them some songs, and at the time Benny Brown was starting up another record label called Quartz Hill Records, and he said, ‘Nate, I want to sign you.’ He said, ‘Man, if you really want to do this, you have to make a decision. So you’ve got to go back home and figure that out, then come here.’ So I literally had a week and a half.”
That was all the motivation Barnes needed to make the move to Nashville.
“I told the VP of my power plant, ‘Hey, I'm going to leave,’ and I told a couple people in my family,” he said. “Then, I took me and my dog and my truck, and moved into a hotel here for a year.”
Barnes said one of the reasons he will always remember that transition is because no one tried to stand in his way.
“It was really amazing, all the support,” he said. “All my family and friends and everybody at the power plant, they all stood by me and they still (do). I would not have been able to do it without that.”
Barnes, who’s been performing most of his life, said he continues to pull inspiration from his West Michigan encounters.
“Truly, the most fulfilling thing for me is being able to share the stories about the people who made me who I am today,” he said. “That fills me up more than anything and being able to do that for a living and telling stories, it's incredibly humbling.”
Barnes now travels the country, performing with the biggest names in country music. His music video for "You Ain’t Pretty" has more than 1 million views online.
“I don't think it has truly hit me yet, to be honest with you. I still feel like that same old country boy working in a power plant, doing my thing, and working on blueberry farms in the summertime,” Barnes said. “That all really and truly prepared me for where I'm at today in my life. If I didn't go through all that, and if I didn't overcome a lot of things that I overcame, there's no way I would be able to do this. I would have too much fear.”
Barnes will be back in West Michigan this June for the B93 Birthday Bash, performing alongside Toby Keith and a whole lineup of country music stars. He also has a new album coming out later this year.
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