First, he was The People’s Champ with the most electrifying move in sports entertainment. Then, he pivoted to acting and became one of the go-to action stars of the 21st century. Now, The Rock is looking to be the most electrifying man in… Nashville?
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the multi-hyphenate born Dwayne Johnson talked about “Your Dad“, a tender guitar-driven song about fatherhood from Moana: Voices Across The Ocean. He co-wrote the song with 2023 American Idol winner Iam Tongi. Working on the record awakened an old passion for Johnson: a love for country music.
The Rock recalled spending time in Nashville after his family got evicted from Hawaii when he was a teenager. Already in love with legends like Merle Haggard and George Jones, he quickly became acquainted with the culture around him. One day, he was perusing the local country grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, when he started singing the Hank Williams Jr. song “Old Habits”.
A random woman spotted him and startled him as he was trying to steal little snacks. Immediately, she was taken aback by his voice and told him to pursue singing. “She goes, ‘You should go down to Broad Street. That’s where you can go get a gig,’” he told the publication.
The Rock and his Long-standing relationship With Country music
Rock desperately tried to follow the lady’s advice, but being 15 years old trying to sing at bars didn’t exactly mix. Consequently, that dream died a quick death. Now, he sees the opportunity to try again but with his Moana project.
“I have such reverence and respect for all music, but especially in Nashville,” The Rock said. “Because of how I came up there, and you see all these artists coming up. So I wanna approach this project, whatever it’s gonna be, with that level of respect. Like you said, if it’s an all duets, but just where, hey, here’s my heart and my love, and here’s how deep my country roots go. It’s like, oh, I’d be honored to sing with you guys, you know?”
Right now, he’s just “exploring,” but it wouldn’t be the first time The Rock has made music. His first start was in 2000, teaming up with Wyclef Jean for “It Doesn’t Matter”. Most famously, he sang “You’re Welcome” as his character Maui in Moana. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the song has amassed billions of streams on YouTube and other streaming platforms.
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Disney
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