John Rich, known for his successful career as a solo country artist and as part of the duo Big & Rich, began his musical journey in 1994 with country group Lonestar.
In a candid interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Rich reflected on the evolving music industry in Nashville and expressed his deep love for America.
“The industry was very aware of who the main, core audience was. They would communicate with that audience with the right kind of artists and the right kind of songs,” Mr. Rich reminisced.
He also noted the influence of major labels.
“You have to remember what labels are in Nashville, what those companies are: Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers. What else do those companies run? How about Hollywood?” he said.
Mr. Rich said he noticed a shift when record labels started hiring executives from New York and Los Angeles to manage Nashville labels, leading to a noticeable pushback.
“There were times when I would get phone calls like, ‘Hey, we don’t want you to do an interview with this network anymore or that publication anymore.’ ‘Hey, we don’t like what you said on social media about this subject.’”
“‘Hey, we know you really like this song you just wrote but we’re not going to push it to radio because it’s too controversial,’” the singer said, adding that he felt censored by his record label.
Despite being a three-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, Mr. Rich said he felt constrained by industry expectations.
“At what point is my freedom of speech more important to me than the liberal music industry?” he said. The constant industry pressure led him to make the bold decision to go independent.
“Slowly but surely you start losing support from the industry,” he said, reflecting on the transition from traditional labels, where he said he had no artistic freedom, to independence. “The second I gained my freedom from that system I was able to write exactly what I wanted to write in my songs.”
Mr. Rich found new support from millions of fans and what he calls “like-minded” people, largely due to his outspoken presence on social media, particularly X (formerly known as Twitter).
Industry Influence
“The music industry has a very crafty way they suppress. They make sure you are ... clear as an artist that if you step across this line or you do not back this initiative, we will no longer support you,” he said.Mr. Rich explained that record labels control everything, from songs to the artist’s image.
Generally, this is granted through a license in the contract. The artist gives the label permission to use their name, image, and likeness for promotional purposes like marketing albums, merchandise, and tours.
“It is a business contract,” he said.
He cited Jason Aldean as an example of an artist who has managed to express his views despite industry constraints.
Referring to Mr. Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” Mr. Rich said Mr. Aldean is “so big and his audience is so big that when he puts out ‘Try That in a Small Town,’ I will guarantee you that there were people at that label and in his publicity department and otherwise that were not throwing a party when that song came out.”
Mr. Aldean’s music video was pulled from “Country Music Television” after critics claimed the song lyrics glorified violence and promoted traditionally racist ideas. Mr. Aldean defended his song, insisting the song was about community and taking care of neighbors. The single reentered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 1, after previously reaching No. 35 in June 2023, driven by the reaction to its July 14 music video premiere.
Mr. Rich said he empathizes with new artists.
“They have things that they want to say and they know if they ever say them, or make that post on social media, they are not big enough to overcome the backlash that they will get from the industry,” he said.
His song “Stick Your Progress Where The Sun Don’t Shine” resonated with fans, topping the iTunes charts for two weeks.
“They can’t hurt me,” he said. “I don’t have a record deal, I don’t have a publishing deal. Nobody funds me. I have no company. Nobody tells me what to do.”
He also commented on the current sound of country music, which has begun to meld with the sounds of pop and hip-hop.
“As an artist myself, I never begrudge any other artist making their music how they want to make it,” he said. “I’ve always applauded people who had enough nerve to mix it up. Push that envelope. Ultimately the fans decide.”
He criticized the business practices in country music, likening them to “payola.”
Payola refers to the illegal practice of music labels paying commercial radio stations to play specific songs without disclosing that payment to listeners.
“There are things that artists are asked to do to earn their way to the radio stations to get airplay,” Mr. Rich said, adding that he believes these things likely break the “Spitzer rule” related to payola laws.
Importance of Faith
The singer said his faith is central to his life.“God’s given me ability, he’s given me opportunity. He’s given me, over the years, built up connections. He’s given me millions of people that, thank goodness, like what I do,” he said.
He referred to a passage in the New Testament, when Jesus said “if they persecuted me, what do you think they’re going to do to do? Rejoice when they persecute you for bearing my name.” This, Mr. Rich said, means “we spoke the truth and they absolutely hate it.”
Promoting his brand, RedNeck Riviera, Mr. Rich encouraged people to shop with their values.
“If you stand for God, country, and family, Riviera will never disappoint you,” he said. His business venture, RedNeck Riviera, includes a whiskey line, apparel, and an 8,000-square-foot live music venue and bar and restaurant in Nashville.
He reflected on recent boycotts of brands such as Bud Light and Target.
“There’s a lot of brands that have been around a long time. Generational brands that disappointed a lot of people,” he said.
He also commented on the recent news of mainstream artists and celebrities endorsing former President Donald Trump in his bid for reelection.
“Pain is a great motivator,” he said. “The more pain our country endures, the more you’re going to see people reach their threshold of pain and realize if they don’t stand up and make a move, then they’re going to lose it all.”
Unifying America
Mr. Rich said he believes President Trump can bring unity to America.“Everybody has fentanyl in their zip code. Everybody wants the border closed. Everybody goes to the grocery store and the gas pump. Everybody sees culture attacking our children. Doesn’t matter if you’re left, right, or in the middle,” he said. “Everybody is experiencing all those things and unity will happen in America when our shared pain becomes unbearable.”
Mr. Rich noted that America has faced deep division in the past, including when the Founding Fathers were writing the Constitution.
He personally supports President Trump, describing him as a “die-hard American” and saying “if there was ever such a thing as a blue-collar billionaire, it’s Donald Trump.”
Mr. Rich recently offered to perform a free concert, which he is calling “Flagstock,” for a group of fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who stood under the American flag to prevent it from touching the ground amid a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus on April 30.
Protesters had attempted to remove the flag and replace it with a Palestinian flag, and they threw bottles, rocks, and sticks at the fraternity brothers and yelled insults at them as they held up the flag for an hour.
The incident garnered widespread attention and sparked discussions about patriotism and respect for the flag.
“For every kid willing to rip down an American flag, there’s 50 kids waiting to put it right back up,” Mr. Rich said. “They just need to have the courage to step forward.”
