My experience performing at Tootsie’s and Legends in Nashville might be a little different than the artists you typically hear about. Stars like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton already had their place on the Grand Ole Opry. For them, sneaking through the back door of Tootsie’s probably felt like stepping into a memory—back to the time before they were famous.
For me, that time was my present.
In 1997 my brother and I had just moved to Nashville from Augusta, Georgia. We landed the opportunity to play at Legend’s Corner thanks to our dad, who hustled to promote us and get us a shot. What we didn’t know at the time was that Warner Brothers came to see us perform. Looking back, I’m not sure whether it was better that we didn’t know—they said we were strong singers, but lacked stage presence.
Here’s what many non-musicians don’t understand about performing on Broadway versus being a signed artist.
We were still learning, still finding ourselves. But on top of that, we had to memorize hundreds of songs—maybe close to a thousand by the time our 20-year run ended. When you’re consumed with remembering lyrics and chord changes, stage presence suffers.
A signed artist might only need to master 20 to 30 songs for a tour—often performing the same setlist for years. Even by the end of their careers, most might know 100–200 songs. We had to know that many just to survive on Broadway. With every new release, we added more to our ever-growing mental playlist. It never stopped.
Tootsie’s was different. While we only played Legends a few times, Tootsie’s became our second home. We learned to be ourselves there. We built a following. We played clubs all over the city. By 2007, we had stage presence. We had momentum. But we were also getting older—ready to slow down, settle down, live lives that didn’t end at 3 AM.
I loved performing in Nashville. I still do. But a record deal was never in the cards. Maybe if we had played more songwriter nights or focused more on our own music than covers, things would’ve turned out differently. The money wasn’t great. The hours were worse. But the experience? Priceless.
If you’re an aspiring artist, here’s what I’d say.
Covers are great for learning—but don’t let them be your whole career.
Develop your own voice. Write your own songs. Play them even if no one listens at first. The stage will teach you, but your own songs will define you.