John Rich: Son Of A Preacher Man

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John Rich strums a Gibson guitar with “Made in the U.S.A.” written across the front. He writes songs that speak directly to the core country music fan—the fan who believes in the music’s truths and rewards artists with a loyalty that other music genres lack. You may not consider yourself a country music fan, but if you believe in the power of the American song, you should at least acknowledge the brilliance of one tune that is rapidly rising in the country charts: Rich’s “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” from his first solo album, “Son of a Preacher Man.”

You might have seen John Rich as half of the group “Big & Rich.” Or maybe you heard him singing “Raisin’ McCain” at the Republican National Convention last summer. Some of his songs that became hits by other artists include “Hicktown” (Jason Aldean), “Redneck Woman” (Gretchen Wilson), and “Like We Never Loved At All” (Faith Hill with Tim McGraw). But now that he stands alone, his songs are even more powerful. This is his first solo album, and since he doesn’t share the stage with “Big” (of “Big & Rich” fame), Rich doesn’t hold back on the personal.

Core American values have always had a place in the lyric of a country song, and this song is no different. “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” hits a nerve with American country music lovers—and when a good a country song does that, there’s no stopping it. It’s a song that reminds us to embrace the roots of our national psyche. John Rich sings the opening track in a clear, easy manner that perfectly fits its no-nonsense message.

The song was born out of anger as Rich watched as the CEO of Merrill Lynch took $1.2 million of his bailout money and remodeled his office with it (including a new toilet that cost $40,000). Rich started playing “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” in concert and saw the outpouring of emotion with which audiences responded.  It wasn’t even on the album initially, but he decided to add it after witnessing the reaction.  He has been asking fans to download it, make an mp3, attach it in an email, and send it to political representatives to express how they feel.  How refreshing is that in this world of corporate music?

For Rich, who grew up poor in a trailer park in West Texas as the son of a preacher, country music is a voice for the hard-working Americans who all too often feel frustrated by the politicians they elect. Its placement on the album (track one) is a gutsy move that says something about John Rich as an artist. The song bears little relation to the personal material that follows it, but that doesn’t stop him from putting it front and center.

This album is not noteworthy for its production values. It is an album presenting personal points of view that deserve display. “The Man,” a song about Rich’s grandfather who received six purple hearts from WWII, and the haunting “Why Does Somebody Always Have to Die?” are examples of solid country, from the phrasing to the strumming. John Rich wrote or co-wrote every song on this album. In doing so, he reminds us that the essence of a true country star is usually found in the emphasis on the country, the unabashed, corny, you-know-right-from-wrong themes.  The little secrets that are often answers to the questions we ask as a nation.

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