Country star Russell Dickerson on God's faithfulness, beauty of marriage
For chart-topping country singer Russell Dickerson, God’s faithfulness is woven throughout the fabric of his life — from his unlikely rise to fame to the birth of his son.
“My life hasn’t always looked the way I wanted it to,” the 33-year-old singer/songwriter told The Christian Post. “But I’ve always seen God's faithfulness even through trying times. God’s given me a dream and a vision and the strength to carry on. God has always given me the zeal to keep going.”
Raised in a Bible-believing, churchgoing home in Union City, Tennessee, Dickerson always knew he wanted to be a singer. But after years of being turned down by Nashville labels, he began to get discouraged.
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“When my wife, Kailey, and I got back from our honeymoon, I had just gotten dropped from my songwriting deal,” he recalled. “We were broke. My income had stopped. It was a big test of faith for us. We didn’t know where our money was going to come from. My wife had to start babysitting and take side jobs just to pay the bills. For several years, it was a real struggle.”
In July 2015, Dickerson posted a music video for his song, “Yours,” directed by Kailey, on YouTube. The song instantly took off, becoming one of the most-played wedding songs of the year. The success of the song led to a record deal in 2016 and gigs with country superstars like Lady A.
“Life got crazy,” he said. “I was so exhausted all the time. Life was so busy on the road, but at the same time, I always sensed God’s faithfulness."
This month, Dickerson released his sophomore album, Southern Symphony. Already, the album is a smashing success with another No. 1 with its lead single, "Love You Like I Used To." In the album, Dickerson pays homage to his southern roots, addresses the sanctity of marriage, and celebrates the beauty of family life.
“I know there's a lot of sad, depressing music out there, this is me telling my story and I hope it gives people hope, excitement, love, and zeal for life,” he said. “Hope exists. Love is real. I hope people can find joy in this album.”
The singer told CP that seven of the 10 songs on the album are inspired by his relationship with his wife, whom he refers to as “the most incredible person” he knows.
One of his favorite songs on the album is “Home Sweet,” which follows the ups and downs of married life — culminating with the couple in their "two-bed farmhouse," "staring at them two pink lines."
On Sept. 10, the couple welcomed their first child — a son, Remington. The singer told CP the birth of his son was “life-changing.”
“This song was slightly prophetic because we didn't have a baby yet and we didn't know that we'd be selling our house and moving around the same time,” he said. “The third verse really kind of laid out what unfolded in our lives before it happened. It’s such a special song to me.”
“We started trying and right around the time I was writing these songs, and ‘Home Sweet’ is kind of a representation of that. It was the hope of us expanding our family. It took us a little bit to get pregnant, and were so excited and surprised when it happened.”
While releasing an album amid a pandemic has its “challenges,” Dickerson said he’s grateful for the opportunity to “slow down” and spend time with his family.
“Now, we get to take our time and I love that,” he said. “I used to be exhausted from shows, be rolling down a highway on a bus, but now I get to take a moment to slow down."
Whatever the future holds, Dickerson said he’s confident of three things: His love for his family, his passion for music, and his confidence in God’s sovereignty.
“It's really surreal to kind of step back and look at everything today,” he said. “It was all so gradual. I’ve been doing this since 2011. And now, we have four No. 1 songs. It’s blowing up like crazy, but that’s what you hope for. I just thank God for His faithfulness.”
