Country Music Singer, Curtis Grimes Talks Music, Fans and Faith
To hear Curtis Grimes sing is to take a trip through the heart of country music. A Texas native, Grimes was raised on a steady diet of George Strait and Alan Jackson, and he possesses the everyman charm of both his heroes; along with a refreshingly mature voice that truly stands out. After a successful career as a collegiate baseball player in 2011 Grimes was given a chance to appear on a new reality TV show called “The Voice” airing on NBC. Having nothing to lose he auditioned for the show and ended up finishing in the top 10 under Coach Ceelo Green (no, not Blake Shelton).
Seele Magazine: What part of Texas are you from? And what makes Texas unique from other states?
Curtis Grimes: I was born and raised in Northeast Texas, the small town of Gilmer. Texas has so much land area that it covers many different regions and each one has their own unique ways of life, with a common thread rooted in agriculture, food, music & sports.
Seele Magazine:Do you incorporate the Texas lifestyle into your music lyrics? If so, how?
Curtis Grimes: Absolutely. Most of the content and stories are based on things I have personally experienced growing up.
Seele Magazine: How did “The Voice” prepare you for your current career in Country Music?
Curtis Grimes: During the process, I learned so much about the music industry and what goes on behind the scenes to make or break a career.
Seele Magazine: How did you stay positive at the beginning of your music career when you didn’t have as many followers as you have now?
Curtis Grimes: I never based my progress or success on the amount of followers, my goal was always to make great music and be the best entertainer that I could.
Following success from the show, Grimes hit the ground running releasing new music and performing shows all across Texas and other states in the region. In 2014, Grimes and his hit single “Home to Me” was picked up by national salon chain “Supercuts” and placed in the mainstream spotlight. Not only was the song featured, but Grimes got the chance to put on his acting boots and star in the National Campaign. That same year Grimes started to see the hard work pay off when he was awarded “New Male Vocalist of the Year” at The Annual Texas Regional Radio Award Show.
Seele Magazine: How do you stay humble with all the #1 songs, followers and concerts that you have?
Curtis Grimes: I never take anything for granted and I appreciate everything that I have been blessed with.
Seele Magazine: What other types of music genres inspire your music? Who are some of your favorite artists outside of Country Music?
Curtis Grimes: I listen to a lot of Christian music and would have to put Chris Tomlin at the top of my list.
Seele Magazine: What do you have to say to your fans in other parts of the world?
Curtis Grimes: I love you all and I appreciate the support you give me through listening to and sharing my music!
Seele Magazine: On your Instagram you say that “God is in control of this journey and I put my faith in Him.” When you hear the name Jesus what comes to mind?
Curtis Grimes: Love and forgiveness from the best friend anyone could even fathom. I'm thankful that He came into this world and lived the perfect life and made the ultimate sacrifice to give us eternal salvation and life through Him.
Seele Magazine: How are you able to balance being a husband, father, musician, and other relationships in your life? How do you keep God number one in your life?
Curtis Grimes: It's all about priorities and making a point to keep God first in all that I do. Prayer, reading my bible and going to church regularly are a must to help me stay on track. Everything else in life follows suit when you keep those priorities in check.
Fast forward to 2016. Grimes now has a handful of #1 songs under his belt and has played hundreds of shows across the US. His most recent album “Undeniably Country” was released in November of 2016 and debuted at #16 on Billboard Heatseekers.
Seele Magazine: How are you planning to wrap up 2017 with your music?
Curtis Grimes: We recently sent my new faith-based single "Born to Die" out to radio, which opens up a new avenue for me to spread the story of salvation over the radio waves. We are also prepping to record a traditional sounding gospel album early next year, so I'm pretty excited about both of these and looking forward to what the Lord has in store!
Photo Credit (Cover Photo)- Micah Kandros Photography