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Bailey Marie Griggs music | Turning Setbacks Into Setups For Your Career
Bailey Marie Griggs is a singer/songwriter, national recording artist, and actor. She has performed across the country at legendary venues such as the Apollo Theater in NYC and the Roxy in Hollywood. She has had the honor of performing the National Anthem at professional sports events and NASCAR.
Recently, she made headlines after being expelled from school for performing in bars, a seeming setback that led to her being added to events like the Field & Stream Music Festival. Learn more about this artist and how to navigate your own setbacks.
Hello everyone and welcome to Local Music Somewhere here on rbeatz.com. Thanks for tuning in again. I have a special guest, you know always have a special guest in the studio today. It’s somebody I’ve actually known of for about three years, but we actually just met today and it’s great to have her in the studio. She is a singer songwriter. She’s been on so many different news outlets lately about a story we’ll touch on a little bit later in the program, but she’s a national recording artist who was discovered by Dolly Parton’s producer, Kent Wales. She’s performed a national anthem at sporting events and NASCAR, which we know goes hand in hand with country. Welcome to the studio, Bailey Marie.
Hi, thank you for having me.
Absolutely. It’s so great to have you in the studio. So you are a country artist and of course you have original songs. You have projects out. You travel a lot and sing in different places. You’re also an actress, and we’ll talk about that, you know, a little bit later in the program. But you started your musical journey really, really, really young. I think it was like, what, 10 years old?
Yeah, I professionally started singing when I was 10.
So how did you even get started at 10?
Yeah, so it kind of started even before that. I did a lot of musical theater and so I was like a theater kid. I started doing acting classes and I didn’t even know I wanted to be a singer just never and never like crossed my mind that you know like oh, I could actually be a professional singer, but I started doing acting classes and then I was like actually I want to see if I can try singing. I did singing classes and it’s funny because me and my mom, my dad, we went to New York City for my birthday one year. My mom saw that the Apollo theater was having their auditions for the Amateur Night at the Apollo and so she submitted this one little videos, like the only video she had of me of me singing, this super country song. She submitted it and for some reason they were like we would love to have you. I went out there and I performed at the Apollo and it was really great. That’s kind of what jump started it all and I’ve been back like five times ever since.
That’s a big and scary stage for you to start off on.
I know it was terrifying.
That’s great jump into the water situation there. So how did you like that? I mean what was the experience like being so young and making that happen?
I feel like whenever I first went I was super terrified because I’ve never done anything like that before. But whenever I finally got out there, everybody was really, really supportive and it was just a really good environment. And the last time I went out there, I like sharing the story because it’s really crazy how it happened, but I walked out there and I was kind of nervous, but I wasn’t like extremely nervous just because I’ve been there four times prior. And as soon as I touched the microphone, all of my nerves went away and it was just like a fun time.
Oh, that’s great.
And so, yeah, what was crazy was the first time I went out there and I performed, I had 102 fever the night before and I was in the emergency room and I had like a double ear infection. It was horrible, but I still made it work somehow and it was really fun.
That’s the very beginning of your journey and you’re still so young. The music industry, you already know how that works is you just keep pressing on. So many people quit way too early, but you keep pressing on, you don’t start off perfect. You know, eventually you learn to song write and even your song writing doesn’t start off perfect. It’s great if you can get help, you know, in the beginning, but a lot of people don’t in the very beginning. I’m a big believer in co -writes, you know, especially with a young developing artist. And then you go through this journey where you keep putting stuff out and you keep putting and you build this catalog. Eventually,
you know, you have that thing that stands out and your image morphs into what it needs to be and all of those things that happen. And you’re still so young, I mean, you’re still in high school. And so you’re at the beginning of your journey and you have some great things ahead of you. Who are the biggest musical influences that got you started, caused you to really love this?
I think that whenever I first started, this is kind of a funny story. I hated country music and I would not listen to it and I would not sing it. My sisters actually are like the biggest country fans and they would go on like four -wheelers and let go muddin’ and all that and I was like, you know, I’m not that. I want to go to Los Angeles and become a pop artist but everybody continued to tell me like, um, she’s gonna change and I was like, no, I’m not. A year later, I started doing country music and I think for me some of the biggest influences for me now is definitely like Kelly Clarkson. I really admire how she can sing literally whatever. I love Lainey Wilson, I sing so many of her songs. So I would say those two are Adele. I love Adele. She’s not country, she’s one of the pop people but I love singing her stuff.
So it sounds like you like power singing females.
Yeah I was trying to pick some people that were you know females and closer to you know my realm of music. But I would say I listened to it’s just crazy because I said Lainey Wilson and I love Riley Green and Bailey Zimmerman. And it’s crazy how I’m literally gonna be performing with them in like a couple months.
Yeah, and so that came out of nowhere. We’ll talk about that. But yeah, that came out of nowhere. Just to be able to be on stage, you know in this same vicinity as people that have influenced you it’s pretty great, but how did you get the attention of Kent Wales? One of the things he’s best known for is he produced Dolly Parton’s, I believe it’s the Better Day album, if I’m not mistaken.
Yeah, I think he’s kind of been Dolly’s producer for forever.
Yeah, I just think that was one of the standouts for sure. So how did you two come into contact?
Yes, so whenever I first started, I was traveling out to Los Angeles and I was working with a producer out there, Andrew Lane. But whenever COVID hit, I couldn’t travel out there anymore. So I was kind of stuck at home, Just kind of you know posting on social media and that’s kind of where Kent found me. We kind of hooked up through social media and I remember we had a zoom call. I’d never been to Nashville before and so I went out to Nashville I had a meeting with them and I loved everything that they were doing and I loved Kent and I loved all of all of his production. As soon as I met them, I was like, okay I want to do I want to do production with them because they’re amazing people and Kent’s an amazing person. So yeah, that’s kind of how we got hooked up and it’s been that way ever since.
Wow, that’s very cool. And so with Nashville, what was the vibe like? First of all, I can’t believe it’s been that recent. I thought it was much longer ago that you had been in Nashville, but I guess that’s about the right time frame. But what was your experience like in Nashville?
Yeah, I think the first time that I went to Nashville, it was like very much more like home because I was so used to the scenery of California which is completely different than North Carolina. I mean I liked it but whenever I went out to Nashville, it was like you know kind of more laid back. Especially in like the outskirts of not downtown and all of that which I really loved. I love seeing all of the beautiful horses out there and the scenery was really cool and I just felt like it was more like home.
Country music has always been known for being a family scene Yeah, and it really is like I’ve known so many artists over the years and it’s you they don’t change as much. When they grow into the artists, they’re still those people very family -oriented and you have such great conversations on the back of the buses, you know stuff about home and things like that. So I think that’s a great ground for you to get started. How many projects have you done so far?
I think like original songs that I have, I have over 70 original songs that I’ve written myself and also co -written with people. I have a lot of fully produced songs that I’ve kind of just been working on writing songs and not really putting much songs out. But I have like 20 fully produced songs.
Wow, that many already.
Yeah. I have so much more just writing and I’m continuing to write. I go out to Nashville every month and I continue to write with other people.
Have you been working with people on actual performance? Cause something that I’ve noticed about you that’s great to see in somebody so young is of course you play with your band, you have great band, and then you’ll have these acoustic things that you do. And even if it’s an acoustic performance with a band, you have a great way of emoting with the songs. Is that something that’s carried over from maybe musical theater or is it something they’ve really worked with you on in Nashville? Because artists that listen to the program, they think they have to start off being perfect in that and it’s not the way it goes sometimes.
I think for me whenever I kind of first started singing. It was really super shy. I actually ended up having to like the girl I was and the girl I am now is like two totally different people. You wouldn’t even notice that I’m the same person if we put them side by side. I feel like music kind of really helped me come out of my shell a little bit and I think musical theater definitely helped you know the stage presence and you know relating to the song. I also feel like the scenery around you can help a lot because, you know, if you’re singing somewhere that you’re not really feeling the vibe is right, then, you know, I don’t feel like you can relate to the song and like connect to the song as well. But if you’re singing somewhere, you know, that’s super supportive and there’s a lot of people and the vibe just right. I feel like it helps you relate to the song more.
It does, especially if you’re remembering that and when you get up and perform just knowing what they did just to get there. You know, to see you perform and you put that focus on them. And they love of course when you put the focus on them and they reward you by serving up the applause and when I have seen you perform it has definitely been that it’s like you are in the moment. You’re not thinking about the 20 things that you have to do after you get off stage. You’re right there and you’re in the moment with those people. Who else have you been working with?
I think I have to first off start off by saying the guy that literally has been with me my entire music journey his name’s David Ryan. I mean, me and him have such a good, like it’s like a best friend in the music industry. I’ve been working with him ever since I was like eight years old. The song that I was saying we submitted to the Apollo the very first time was actually, he did that song. Yeah, and so it’s he had taught me to play guitar. Me and him have wrote some really good songs. One of my favorite songs me and him wrote together, I’d have to say he’s been like one of the biggest helps. Another another person I kind of want to shout out is Bo Stroop. He was the first really vocal coach I ever worked with and I mean I still talked to him to this day and you know he’s just a really good connection that I have. Whenever I was out in California last summer, I couldn’t accurately say what it was for but I remember me and my mom we did a FaceTime call with him and we stayed on the call with him for like an hour and a half just talking about everything, just, you know, kind of just getting through the day. And I would say he’s been really good in my music career as well. And of course, Kent Wells, Andrew Lane. Yeah, all of those people have been really awesome.
And what has your year consisted of as far as live events so far?
I mean, Starting off strong this year, I played at Amos’ South End back in January and then, you know, I played at Goldies.
Which Goldies is one of the new great places to try to get in. I was surprised that I had seen you there.
Yeah, um, it was really crazy because I never have played there before and whenever I showed up I wasn’t really expecting how amazing it was. Just because you know, it was new and I know I’m really—
Primarily a rock place.
Yeah, and um, I also don’t know how people are gonna take like me being so young and being a female artist, but it was really amazing the crowd was awesome. I got Coyote Joe’s coming up, which I’m like super excited about. That’s gonna be August 9th.
Yeah, that’s a legendary Charlotte.
That was insane whenever I booked there. I remember whenever I got told I was making it, I was like, are you serious? Because like I have grown up and you know, I have older sister and they would always say ‘hey, you’re going to Coyote Joe’s’ and like talking to their friends and like me being able to perform there, it’s like really great. I mean then we got the Field and Stream Festival.
Yeah, we’re definitely go touch on that one towards the end of our interview today and You’re not just a singer -songwriter. Oh, that’s a great thing in itself. There’s a lot to do there. And you’ve done that very well. I mean, you’ve, you’ve really focused and making your writing great. And you’ve really focused getting the right performance out of your voice and emoting properly during the song and touching base with the audience with that. But you’re also an actor, what type of things have you done so far?
In acting? Yeah. So like I said before, I started acting before anything. I started acting classes when I was like nine and I did some shows for like, I was a backup and it was kind of just like an extra. I feel like one of the biggest shows that I’ve been in the first one that I really hit was Swagger, which is on Apple TV. I actually had a singing role in that show and so I play Mary Ann, I play her. It was such a cool experience. I feel like being on set is like so like surreal and just cool and that’s like the only way I can describe it cuz I mean I’m just this girl from North Carolina then I’m out here going to Atlanta and you know filming on these sets and stuff. I feel like that one like a really kind of launched for me and then I found my acting manager from that. From there, I actually booked a TV show on HBO Max called Staircase. That was so fun to film. I remember it was me and my mom. We went out to Atlanta and we filmed that and I play a girl named Ashley and it was just like really fun and seeing everything come together and then being able to actually watch the show is just really great.
Yeah, I know with so many artists especially today, acting has helped their branding and the other things they’re doing. It’s great social proof, number one, it shows you’re doing things, but it also helps cross -brand you and people that have developed acting careers, they you know the the people that are just doing the music thing only.
Yeah I kind of feel like they go hand -in -hand with each other.
If it’s the right artist you know I’ve seen some that’s not the right artist but when you have an artist, first of all you had the background for it but the other thing is you have the understanding of the facial expressions and you have the understanding of the emotion that has to come out. Also that presence on stage to make you memorable as an artist and to make you memorable as a brand and and that’s why you you’ve kept people’s attention on social media for quite a while now. I mean, you started that pretty young as well and and I’ve like I said I’ve known of you at least three years from that alone. And we actually, at the end of this program, we’re going to be able to hear you perform a couple of songs. We’re going to take a quick break and we come back, I want to touch on a situation that you’ve recently been in the news for and then talk about a very important event that came as a result of that. So, we’ll be right back after this.
Welcome back to Local Music Somewhere. I’m your host Terry Hudson here on rbeatz.com and on Local Music Somewhere, we cover both local artists and people that are on the national scene that inspire the local artists. So artists and fans have something to tune into here. Our guest today is kind of a little bit of both. She’s local to the studio here, but she’s traveled as a national artist and her songs have been out everywhere. And her name is Bailey Marie and she’s been all over the news outlets for something that we’re just gonna touch on here. And Bailey, I’m gonna let you just lead into it. Just tell us what happened and why you’ve been on the news and then we’ll roll from there.
Yeah, so kind of started off, you know, I’ll just kind of say it. I got kicked out of my school for, you know, being a singer and performing in places that serve alcohol. I was at the beach and my mom got an email from the school basically saying that I’m not allowed to go back there just because I’m singing in places that serve alcohol even though I’ve been attending the school for six years.
And just about every restaurant serves alcohol.
Right? I have been doing it for as long as I can remember but I was kind of a shock because they’re having a problem with it just now. My mom ended up posting about it on her personal private Facebook and everybody was kind of going crazy over it. And, um, then the Gaston Gazette kind of reached out and they did a story on it. And then I think every news station.
I saw you on everything.
Yeah. And then it kind of blew up from there. And so I remember that whole week that everything was like really, really blown up. I did a news interview, I think like every day, maybe even twice a day. And so I remember my mom, she, I was doing something, she said, “I had really did a deep dive in how many people did articles and like it’s amazing how many people like have heard about this.” But I mean, I do want to put it out there. We did not expect for it to happen at all. Like it wasn’t for publicity, it wasn’t for anything like that. I mean, it was just very out of, out of the blue.
It was kind of unwanted publicity at first for you because, you know, of course you want publicity as an artist, but that’s not the publicity, you know, you want it at the time. And I could tell you were getting, you know, interview tired. And so I was like, you know, Bailey, I have this show and I know we’ve you know known each other through Facebook a while but I’m not hearing as many people talk about you as an artist. I went back and I watched a few interviews and something that I saw that really impressed me about you is that you did not slam the school. And I think everybody was trying to bait you, it seemed like. I’m not talking bad about the news anchors ’cause they’re good and they’re doing their job and they were covering you and giving you great publicity, which led to some great things we’ll talk about. But there were people at home and you see them on the comments on different feeds. They wanted you to slam and you didn’t. That takes so much courage, courage as an artist.
I feel like I was I didn’t get a chance to look at every comment under everything because I feel like it’s impossible. I feel like every comment that I did look at you know a lot of people are being extremely supportive and also,
I feel like people are kind of take the situation and they made it so much and you know. It’s really supportive and everything. But I feel like for me, I didn’t need to slam the school for anything. I mean–
No, they had a policy.
Yeah, I mean, and my friends are still gonna continue to go there and people are still gonna continue to go there and I’m just not. And I’m gonna have to move on with everything. I mean, I was really, really hurt at the time. And I remember my mom, when she got the email, she called me because we were at the beach. It was like the first day of our beach trip, which kind of like sucked the rest of the beach trip. But I was playing ping pong and she called me and she said, I need you to come back because we need to talk about something. And she took me on the golf cart and she didn’t even know how to tell me because I was so excited for my senior year there and like with my best friend and I’m sure all of the news put this in there, but I was the captain of the cheer team. And like I was just extremely excited. And whenever I read the email, I started literally crying and like first person I called was my best friend and second person was a cheer coach just because like I was extremely excited.
And I mean, just because they told me I can’t go back there, I mean, do I think the situation was handled, you know, the best it could? Probably not. But again, it’s not really something that I need to bash them about I mean, I hope that they do good things and I hope that my friends have a really good senior year and I hope that everybody you know does good stuff there.
I grow up a preacher son and I’m a Christian myself, and looking at this to me the whole point would be going into places where people would need that light and I’ll even touch on that in a moment, but with God, you know, in our lives, and we feel that he would be in control, you just didn’t have that. You had some fear because,
you know, it brought you to tears. It was very disappointing, but you knew what’s that old adage to, you know, when God closes a door, he opens a window or whatever it is, and you hear these preachers say, ” A setback is a setup for a comeback.” But it really is true. I mean, those things happen, they’re beyond our control. And when we have patience and watch how something like that can transition into other things,
first of all, when it comes to being that light in the places you play, because you go in there and you bring great lyrics and music to people, but you bring you to people. And you have been a light. Like, I’ve watched you. Something I learned when I was actually doing a lecture on grief. And I noticed when I was studying that, that I found that the way your eyes adjust to light. And when you go out from your house, let’s say you’re leaving your house and it’s completely dark outside and you’ve been in the light. If you walk outside, of course you will trip and fall because you can’t see anything, right? So what they suggest, the way your eye adjusts, you’re supposed to cut off the light for about five, sometimes ten minutes. And then when you walk outside, your eye is looking for little particles of light. And that’s how you, you know, you see through the darkness. And there are people that are at your shows and they are walking in such darkness, whether it’s been something that happened to them as a child, something that other people did to them, very disappointing things that happened, losing their job, whatever it is, they walk in there and they’re looking for those little particles of light, something that helps them navigate the darkness better. And when you can be that light and you can be it in the right way, you not only help them navigate in the darkness, but you also help them eventually walk into light you know where their their lives change and music does have that power and of course your presence have that has that power. It’s way more than lyrics it’s even way more than the music, it’s the person that’s bringing that out and I think you’ve done that. I think it’s great that you’re in these places.
I know that one thing that people were really concerned about throughout this whole situation is like oh what is this relation to what is this doing with this relationship with God? Like, is she turning her back on God? And I feel like throughout the whole thing, I have actually gotten closer with my relationship with God just because I saw how he took a bad situation and turned it into something really good. And it also helped that I literally, this happened one week and I went off and I went to a camp and I didn’t have my phone and so I didn’t get all of the notifications and all of that and I was really just working on my relationship with God. That whole time, I mean I feel like now it’s been closer than ever and so I mean I feel like for the people that are worried that this is a slander with my relationship with God, that’s not true at all.
No it’s not true and what a lot of people don’t don’t know is for instance the gospel music industry these kids that grew up driving their parents, you know, gospel bus or their family gospel, they’re actually bus drivers for these big tours now. And Hemphill Coaching, which was, you know, the first big coaching company that all these tours use, those were brothers, you know, that were from a gospel music family. And so that’s how that happens. There’s there are Bible studies and things like that. They go on the back of buses. I’ve seen it so much in Christian music. And you going into a family atmosphere like that, you will do great things because you have the resilience and you walk through some things. And that door that is open in this situation has been something that we touched on a little bit earlier but something that came out of nowhere for you. I was shocked when I saw it, like I saw these stories happening with this situation. And then the news came back in to say, hey, by the way, the person that we were covering, this local artist or this young artist, something else has happened. And that is that you got added to the amazing Field and Stream Music Festival. I’m not sure what the website is. We’ll have to, if we can find that,
if we can put it up. But I think it’s Field and Stream Music, is it festival .com, maybe?
I couldn’t tell you.
So tell us about that festival and how that came about.
Yeah, I mean, whenever I found out that I was going to be performing at Field and Stream, I thought it was like, you know, I was going to be put on— because I really am very humble when I come to stuff like this and I really was thought that I was gonna be on one of like the smaller stages. On a stage that nobody really knows about But as soon as they sent me like a whole press release saying like Bailey is singing with Lainey Wilson and Eric Church I was like, oh my gosh.
I saw your picture on the poster. Yeah, with these guys and ZZ top and Skynrd.
My name is under all of these people and I was like there is no way this is real right now and I feel like whenever I posted this on social media, everybody else saw the same thing. Everything was so like swarmed with me getting kicked out of school and whatever and news articles and and then I post this everybody’s like oh my gosh, like this is so… Like I mean there is no other other scenario than, you know, it’s so God given because I mean, it was such a bad situation and then it turned to good because I remember I got connected with some of the people from Field and Stream a couple of months ago and I, you know, we really didn’t hear anything much. And then they said, Hey, we heard your story and we think that you would be great. And I was like, really? And so, I mean, I feel like I’ve never really had a story. ‘Cause, you know, I grew up, I have my mom and my dad and my family.
Very supportive family.
Yeah, but really, very supportive. Yeah, dad, if you’re watching, I know you are. Mom, you’re probably watching too. So, I never had a story that was, you know, anything other than good. But I feel like this now is my story. It took a bad situation and made it good, which I’m extremely excited about.
I believe a lot more good is gonna come out.
Yeah, and so just being able to post that like I’m gonna be performing with all of these people that I look up to is like insane.
Yeah, and do the people that are doing this festival just absolute hats off to you and bringing this young artist on.
Yeah, I know all of the people that have talked about me, including the people from the festival, they have been so nice and I’m just so thankful that they have enough support in me and have enough faith in me that I’m gonna do good at this.
You are, you’re gonna do great. And everybody watch out for this artist Bailey Marie and I love watching what’s happening to you.
Thank you.
So glad to see it. And when we come back, are you ready to perform?
Yeah.
Okay, when we come back, we’re gonna hear a performance of a couple songs from Bailey Marie, thank you very much for being on the show today.
Yeah, thank you.