09/21 2025
Russell Dickerson, professional song and dance man, pop country singer from/to the heartland --- most importantly dad and husband --- just released his new record Famous Back Home. Honestly, it is pretty good in the sense that a romantic comedy and six beers on a Friday after a terrible week at work is pretty good. It's bad for you and you know it but it's there for a reason, and it works for a reason.
That might feel like a backhanded compliment, but it's really not. I promise. Do you trust me? ... Fine, fair enough. But here's the thing, the music is modern pop country. Catchy as all hell, lyrics are tacky, mostly, and then you end up at the title track, and you have this:
Yeah, I had a big dream of bein' somebody
Somebody someone back home can look up to
Make a name, make a killin'
Make one hell of a livin'
I look around and I guess I went out and did it
'Cause now it's
"Hey baby, can't wait to kiss you"
"Look, daddy, I lost my first tooth"
Around here, a charcoal sear and the blessing's how I'm known, it's
Paper planes and tire swings spinnin'
A slow dance alone in the kitchen
A little hallway Hall of Fame with four faces framed in gold
I'm livin' the dream, yeah, I'm a household name
Yeah, I'm famous back home
Clever? I mean, honestly, the reversal of expectation is almost bordering on it1. But hell if it's not endearing. There's something about the notion of one of Country's most popular artists right now making a new album, and have the focus be others and not how he takes a truck with a girl in skinny jeans next to him to the riverbed to drink a sixpack of Busch2.
Now, I'm not that naive to not realize it's most probably some form of defense. If you make it such a huge part of your identity, there's probably a reason for why it's the only thing3 you are showing to others. What happens behind closed doors? I suspect only Russell knows.
Getting off topic. The title says in defense of Russell, not the defense of Russell. Every good post starts with a personal anecdote, which is why I have it towards the end. I was in Nashville on the 4th of July when Russell was performing on the main stage. It was ridiculous, and tacky, over-the-top, but hell if it wasn't entertaining. There is something about a performer just being a performer and taking it so seriously. It reminded me more than anything of, well, a dad doing embarrassing at his own expense to make his kids happy. Got me thinking, what if he's the real deal? What if he's just a performer who just happens to be a kooky dad? If you look at the album like that, as somebody doing things for his wife and kids, I don't know. If it's true it makes the album quite charming.
Is it true? Seeing as it's show business, there's a good chance it isn't. But just like the romantic comedy on a Friday, sometimes I think we have to pretend it is. And I think Russell knows that very well.