Marty Stuart Knew He ‘Had a Lot of Work to Do’ After His First Time on the Radio
Marty Stuart began singing country music more than four decades ago. The Grammy Awards winner had a streak of hot country hits in the '80s and '90s, including the title song from his album Hillbilly Rock, which became Stuart's first Top 10 hit on the country charts in 1990.
Below, Stuart recalls where he was the first time he heard himself on the radio.
I was on the LA Freeway, and I heard a song called "Arlene," and I knew it was going to be a hit, but it made me a little bit sad because it was kind of a rockin' piece, and I wanted it to ... touch my heart. It entertained my feet, but it didn't quite get to my heart. I knew I was in business, but I had a lot of work to do.
I was excited. I was by myself, and I wished everybody I knew was with me so we could holler together. It was about 1986. That was my first attempt to get a record on radio, so it kind of worked right off the bat. And then I went completely backwards for about 10 years!
This story was originally written by Pat Gallagher, and revised by Angela Stefano.