Chris Long shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Chris, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think that one of the most misunderstood aspects of the songwriter/musician community is that it is all about being famous or getting rich. For some that may be true, but for a lot of us it is about the love of writing and performing. There’s nothing like being on a stage with a receptive audience sharing your stories and songs.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chris Long,. I am a performing singer/songwriter based out of Northeast, Tennessee. I perform as a solo artiest all around my region of the country including: Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. My music is usually characterized as Roots Rock/ Americana, but locally we call it Appalachiacana. This year marks my tenth year focusing on performing as a songwriter. While I do perform covers as part of my sets when needed, my main focus is on writing music. My music career started in the 1990’s, performing in garage bands and regional bands, but today it is mostly a solo venture. I am constantly writing and crafting songs, so there is always something new coming. I do not really release material anymore in the traditional sense, but new stuff is always in the shows.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
The people that taught me the most about work would have to be my parents and grandparents.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I would have to say for me that would have to be when I left music after college. At that point, the pursuit had plateaued. There was a scam record deal and tour that had really took the wind out of my sails. The high point was the amazing experience of performing, writing, and recording with my dad in our band Sloe Ginn.. When that wrapped up I focused on my television career and left music for about a decade.
Around 2010, I got back into music and joined a couple local bands. Honestly, it felt like more of the same. Then I discovered that there was a local community of solo acoustic singer songwriters. Once I started down that road, I’ve honestly not really thought of going back.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yep, what you see is me.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I would hope that people would remember that I was always passionate about what I did. Be it teaching history, music, or whatever I committed to..
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrislongtunes.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BXNciX6ND/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Jerilyn Williams Long
Holly Rainey
