How did you get started in the art or music world?
My dad was a bluegrass, singer/songwriter, and pastor. I grew up in his church playing bass guitar and singing on the worship team. As a local firefighter, I continued to write and perform music.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I’m a singer/songwriter who tends to write uplifting, wholesome messages, unpacking everything I’ve been through. I measure all the pain against what I’ve learned, to convey the hope I still possess inside.
What is your favorite medium?
I’m influenced by many genres of music, Country, Americana, Rock’n’roll, and CCM/AC.
What motivates you to create?
Life, love, God, and family are my main inspirations. A hearty laugh and a smile that fills the whole face, that will always get my artistic juices flowing. My kids would tell you I’m an idealistic cheerleader. It’s because I’ve seen the darkness, so I choose to set my mind on the good things in life. Whatever is praiseworthy.
What was the inspiration behind the piece selected to be featured as an ArtPop?
At first glance, I had the All-American dream! A firefighter with a song getting radio airplay nationwide. I was being developed by a management agency on Music Row in Nashville, working with a Grammy Award winning producer and negotiating an offer from a major record label. No one knew that I was a “Left Behind” parent and my two youngest children were missing. Yes, I had private investigators looking, but they had vanished with their mother. Then, I got that dreaded phone call! My daughter was in a Montana hospital suffering from severe injuries. I flew to Montana and she and her brother were placed into my custody. It was heartbreaking, traumatizing and soon I realized that I needed to step away from music to focus on raising my kids. I felt they deserved a father who would sacrifice everything and put them first. So, I walked away from the record deal and the management agency. It wasn’t an easy pill to swallow, but my kids became my sole focus. Today, my children have grown up into beautiful human beings and the drive to pick up my music has returned. So, I’m going after it! This time, with a little less hair.”
When Angels Cry -- I had just finished washing my car and was detailing the interior. My 2-year-old daughter snuck out of the house and crawled through a mud puddle. She climbed on top of the car, leaving muddy footprints all over the hood and windshield. She just wanted to say ‘hi’ to dad. A week later she and her brother were gone. Their mother took them out of state and disappeared. Those footprints were all I had left of my children. I couldn't wash the car! Months later, after exhausting every means of finding them, I was driving along an old highway and it started to rain. Panicked, I swerved to the side of the road, jumped out and stood over the footprints sobbing, trying to cover them with my hands to prevent them from being washed away. I lost the battle and upon returning to an empty house, I wrote this song.
My hope is to raise awareness for “Left Behind” parents and their children. This song goes out to everyone with missing children.
How can people find you?
Website: www.kenyongrey.com
YouTube Channel: Kenyon Grey - YouTube
Facebook: Kenyon Grey | Facebook
