Drake White Shares Grandfather’s Profound Influence on His Life

Drake White says his grandfather taught him to have the kind of confidence that can carry him through anything.

"My grandfather was a very, very strong influence on who I am as a person today," White says in an interview with his record label, BMLG. "He was a preacher, but he was [a] super cool preacher like really, really fly dude that he just had this way about him."

White grew up singing in church, and that influence is in evidence in the music that he makes today, including his current single, "Makin' Me Look Good Again." He included clips of his grandfather's sermons woven into his debut album, Spark, but more than the musical influence, White credits him for instilling in him the values that he lives by today.

"He taught me how to hunt and fish and how to appreciate nature and how to appreciate the spiritual realm of things," White says. "It taught me to ‘quieten’ in my soul and ‘quieten’ myself and really I’ve carried that with me and it gives me a confidence that you can’t really shake. You know, nobody can touch it because I know that I’m from a higher power and I know that I’ve got a purpose, you know, with this music and purpose with everyday’s life."

White was one of the artists featured at the 2017 Country Radio Seminar's New Faces of Country Music show, which is considered one of the most coveted performance gigs in Nashville as it has a consistent track record of launching future stars. "Makin' Me Look Good Again" currently sits at No. 33 with a bullet on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.

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