Dustin Lynch Admits He Was Scared By His Early Success

When Dustin Lynch's debut single, "Cowboys and Angels," landed in the Top 5 on the country charts, Lynch was concerned that he'd end up a one-hit wonder. Even after scoring his first No. 1 hit two years later, with "Where It's At (Yep, Yep)," Lynch admits he was afraid it would all disappear.

"I was so scared, with the success of "Cowboys and Angels," and even up through "Where It’s At," I was so scared I would lose it," Lynch shared with The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event. "I was just nervous and scared that it was going to go away."

Fortunately, now, with four No. 1 hits to his credit -- including his most recent, "Seein' Red" -- Lynch says he is finally starting to relax and "really enjoying the ride."

"I think that now that we’re on a pretty good roll here," the Tennessee native says, "and the goal is obviously to keeping that going."

Like many successful artists, Lynch got his start by playing bars in downtown Nashville, hoping he'd get his big break. Even though those days are, thankfully, long behind him now, Lynch says the experience still taught him plenty.

"It was all about learning how to entertain a crowd," Lynch explains. "You’re up against a hundred bands down here at one time, and these country music fans can go to any bar they want to. There’s no cover charge, so you have to figure out the tricks of the trade to keep them at your stage and keep the bar busy [and] keep the beer flowing. And obviously the end goal is to fill the tip jar up with some dollar bills.

"Doing that for four hours, without a pee break, a couple times a week, you learn to hold your own onstage," he adds. "I think that really helps me, still to this day. When we’re playing a festival with 60,000 people, it’s still kind of the same thing."

Now that Lynch is comfortable in his role as a country music star, he knows exactly what he would say to his younger self if he could turn back time: "Don’t second guess yourself. Stay true to who you are."

"I moved here in ’03. I think I signed a deal in ’09 or ’10, so that’s seven years of trying to do something and be somebody, and it finally happens. Stay your course, believe in yourself," Lynch admonishes. "I think, no matter what anybody does, there’s always second guessing. I always second guess everything I do. That’s why I don’t sleep well. But that would be it."

Lynch is currently serving as an opening act on Brad Paisley's Weekend Warrior Tour. A list of all of his upcoming shows is available on his website.