The Bobby Bones Show - BOBBYCAST - Chayce Beckham on the Car Wreck Before American Idol, His Elvis Vegas Wedding & Why He Took a Year Off

Episode Date: August 25, 2026

Singer-songwriter and American Idol winner Chayce Beckham sits down with Bobby for a candid conversation about the road that changed his life. He opens up about the drunk-driving car wreck that happened shortly before American Idol, why he didn’t think he had much of a future at the time, and how getting the call for the show gave him a new direction. Chayce also shares the story of marrying his longtime girlfriend in Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator, what he’s learned after a year of marriage, and why he decided to take time away from music. Plus, he looks back at the success of “23,” starting over in Nashville after winning Idol, and the next chapter of his career with his new project, Old Fashioned. Watch The BobbyCast on Netflix! Follow on Instagram: @TheBobbyCast Follow on TikTok: @TheBobbyCastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Should we go to the chapel and get married by Elvis? And ever since then, it just kind of stuck. We thought it'd be fun. I remember, like, we paid for the package, and they said, how many songs do you want Elvis to sing? And I was like, well, not really any. Like, I just wanted, I thought it was like, we walk in, do the deal and walk out. And they're like, no, well, it comes with songs. And I said, well, he could sing one song.

So we get there, he sang like 13 songs. No way. Yes, it was crazy. Hey guys, Bobby here. Today, Chase Beckham. You can know him for a lot of things. He had a number one song called 23, which crushed. Maybe you know him as the guy who won American Idol.

And he was the first person ever to win with an original song. He's got over a billion streams. Great songwriter. A reputation has a really, wonderful singer, and he's got new music. He's got a song called Dirt Floor, which we'll talk about, and he's getting ready to release his new EP, old-fashioned. He's out, he's touring, he's doing dates with Cody Johnson, he's doing his own thing. I really like this guy. And I know I say that about a lot of people, but if I don't say it, that's who you should look out for. But I do like this guy. Here he is,

Chase Beckham. Chase, good to see you. Good to see you. How you been? Been good, busy. Busy. What does that mean busy? Actually, not work-wise this year. I took a lot of time off this year and kind of been settling into a new house and hanging out with my wife and, you know, doing stuff at home. And then I'm just now getting back out on the road. Okay, let's talk just home life then. Yeah.

So you have a new house. Is it one of these houses that you bought and you have to fix everything? Not necessarily. There was some things. We bought it as is. because we got it at a good price but there was a handful of things that we had to fix.

Like what do you know how to do in a house to fix? I used to know how to do all of it. Well, I know. And your story is I definitely want to go back and talk about like, because you worked on big machinery. But like what do you know how to do inside the house if it's broken?

Basic stuff, like handyman stuff. Like I can do drywall. I can. I'm not good at electrical stuff. That stuff I still kind of stay away. from, but you know, anything, drywall painting repairs, you know, I can do stuff like that around the house. But you'll call an expert if what isn't working? I'll usually have to call an expert because I'm not, you know, if I'm on tour or something. You're home. But if I'm at home,

I'll call someone for like AC or plumbing. I can't do plumbing, none of that kind of stuff. I only know how to do things that have broken on weekends and I couldn't get someone to fix it and I had to emergency learn how to fix it. Like that's the limit of things I know how to do in a house. I, at one point, something's wrong with my washer. And I go back behind the washer. And you know, they have like the red and the blue and the little terny handles. Probably not their real names. They're actually called terny handles.

But I learned if you don't shut the water off first, it floods the house. If you just pull the hoses out. That's a tough way to learn. So I learned. So I know if it has anything to do with water, I'm calling an expert. Electrical and water, I'm calling an expert. I'm calling someone in for that kind of stuff. If I can look it up on YouTube and watch a video and if I'm like, this seems within my means, then I'll try it myself.

But we got a guy who came over and did a bunch of the stuff for me because I was still kind of in and out doing a bunch of stuff. And we were between two houses whenever we first bought the house. And we were doing a wedding. It was like there was a million different things going on. So it was just easier at that time just to have someone else come and help me out. But yeah, it's been good, man. just kind of, you know, working on everything at home and getting settled in. You'd think, like, spending some time, I'd have, like, my stuff more together.

I feel like my life is more chaotic now that I've had time at home. So it's just, it's, you know, rolling with the flow and just getting older. How long have you been married now? About a year now. Okay. Yeah. What have you learned about yourself? About myself?

Oh, man, that I talk too much sometimes. I don't know when to just quit it. Is that because she tells you sometimes you talk to you? No, that's just because I know. I'm like, there's little, I think, a little like marriage arguments that you get in sometimes. And it's just like, to me, something makes perfect sense. And I can't, you know, make that make sense to my wife. And sometimes I'm just like, I don't know why I keep on trying to die on this hill.

So I've learned to just kind of, yes, honey, you got it. But we've been together on and off for like the better part of 13 years. So we know each other extremely well. and I think us getting married and, you know, like the biggest part of that was buying a home together and kind of just like opening up this next chapter of our life. There's a difference though. Yeah, for sure. And being together for however long and on and off and actually getting married. And you know this now.

Because my wife and I lived together before we got married. And a lot of that was COVID-based because everybody just kind of moved in together. and she was living in California at the time. And COVID was only going to last a week. So she moved here for a week and ended up staying. So we lived together. And we live very tight because you can leave the house or you're going to die. You breathe that air.

You die immediately. And so I've only been married five years. And I have learned those lessons. That's about year one lessons for me too. But I think the lessons now that I have through marriage is I really pick my battles. Yeah. And I don't even need to pick battles that I want to win. There are sometimes where I feel like I'm really right, but it's just not worth it for the fight.

And that is not me at all. I'm such a challenger. I'll challenge anybody about anything. And with my wife, and I say, you know what? Underneath, I'll take the loss. And I don't even have to say. Yep. And also some stuff is just not worth fighting about.

Yeah, exactly. I think that, you know, it's definitely like you feel a strength. in the commitment for each other, like, after you do get married, it's not just like you can pack your bags and go home. Yeah, it's hard to run away. It's like, you know, we're in this together and this is, we chose to do this. But, you know, I have an amazing wife who just, you know, is loved by everybody around us. And, you know, she's often, anytime I take her somewhere, she's the favorite, not me, you know. So it's like, she's just fantastic. And I'm lucky to have her, you know, and especially having someone that I knew, you know, we started dating when I was. 17. So it's like way before any of this stuff. And, you know, she knew me through like every

phase of my life. And for some reason, we just, you know, kind of kept clinging to each other. What would she say is the best quality about you? She'd probably say, uh, I would, I would imagine she'd probably say like my calmness whenever stuff gets crazy. What would you say is the best quality about her? Her ability to put up with me. Come on. Come on. So patience is something, but what would you say it's the best quality about her? She just has the biggest heart. She loves unconditionally. And, you know, she does so much for other people. Hardly ever thinks about herself. So she's always doing things, trying to make other people, you know, make their birthday the best birthday. Or, you know, if we have nieces and nephews come over to the house, she buys them, you know, toys and presents and stuff.

So when they open up the room, there's, it's like Christmas in there for them. She's, you know, always running around doing a million different things because, oh, I got to get this ready for so-and-so's bridal shower for the, you know, baby shower. And she's kind of just, you know, very selfless in that sense where she just really loves unconditionally. And, yeah, I think that's probably my favorite thing about her. Is it hard for you to be loved unconditionally? I don't know. That's a good question. For me it was.

I think with me she definitely has some conditions but like we've been through it all so there's so many things that we've experienced as a couple that we have overcame you know what I mean and decided to fight through and decided to stick it out and you know but there's definitely limits to that kind of thing

and I think with her it's just you know I'm grateful coming home and having someone that wants to spend time with me and wants to hang out, watch a TV show or watch a movie or go swimming in the pool or, you know, go take the dogs for a walk or whatever, like just having a companion somebody who, you know, she'll tell me when I'm wrong, you know what I mean? So it's not like there's like it's just all sunshine and rainbows and everything. But definitely, definitely was hard. I think, you know, I tried to be single for a little bit and it just, it wasn't something that I wanted to do. I didn't really, I couldn't find anything that I, you know, wanted to. to engage in really, you know. And so we kind of just, and I know that she did the same thing, too, whenever we split up kind of during like the American Idol time. And at one point we just got on the phone and we're like,

you want to just try this out, you know, once you come out to Nashville and we'll do it again. And then we're like, yeah, sounds good to me. So here we are. Where did you guys get married? We got married in Vegas. Oh, that's not what I thought the answer was going to be. Yeah, we got married in Vegas by an Elvis impersonator.

No way. Yeah. That's so fun. Awesome. And then we did a big reception out here in Old Hickory. So how do you plan the Vegas Elvis impersonator or did it just happen while you were out there? It almost happened one time while we were out there. And then we were like, no, let's plan it and actually like just, you know, make the time to make it cool. So our family, you know, she's like, my grandma will be so mad if I get married and she's not there.

Her grandma came out to Vegas for the Elvis Impersonnator wedding. Yeah, her grandma, step-grandpa. Our parents were there, my sister, and that was about it. Okay, so when did it almost happen? And why didn't you go through with it? It was because you got close and she's like, I want to have the wedding with my family? She was, yeah, just saying, like, if I did this, like, you know, my grandma might not speak to me for a while because she would want to be there. That morning out of nowhere?

Was it like, we should just get married? No, I think we were at dinner drinking and we were like, hey, should we go, you know, should we go to a chapel and get married by Elvis? And ever since then, it just kind of stuck. We thought it would be fun. So I remember, like, we paid for the package, and they said, how many songs do you want Elvis to sing? And I was like, well, not really any. Like, I just wanted, I thought it was like, we walk in, do the deal, and walk out. And they're like, no, well, it comes with songs.

And I said, well, he could sing one song, you know. And so we get there, he sang like 13 songs. No way. Yes, it was crazy. So I'm just standing up there, like, waiting for her to come walking down the aisle. And he's just, like, up there singing to me. and I was like, this is, I didn't think that this is how this is going to turn out. And I'm like, keep, you know, my dad's in a suit and a cowboy hat just looking at me like all serious.

And I'm just like, what did I get myself into? It was a very awkward and funny whole thing, you know, but everybody was there. It was cool. You know, it was really pretty. My wife looked beautiful, of course. And she came out and he's singing to her. She's coming out. What did he sing if she came down?

I can't help but fond. in love with you, I think. Yeah. Yeah. Wives, man. He was good, but he was doing like karate kicks in front of my face and everything. And I was like, yeah, what's going on in here, man? This is crazy. It was like in a shopping mall, too. It was like a weird little chapel. But it was really cool. We had, it was like memories that, you know, we'll have forever. And we rented a like a convertible 68 Chaville where, you know, after we got married, driving down the strip. And it was just like, you know something that you'll remember for the rest of your life that's such a fun story yeah it was a cool cool little wedding and then we did kind of a small reception out here in old hickery and uh

that was cool too just like all family and friends and close it was super tight-knit uh i think might have been about 100 120 people there and that was it all right let's go back let's go back to you did you graduate high school barely i graduated from continuation school okay tell me about that Well, I just, they didn't, they didn't like me very much at the real high school, so they sent me to the bad kid school. Why? I was just, you know, testy. I was a class clown. I like to poke fun of my teachers and make everybody laugh, which is, you know, how I am now and how I was just like totally polar opposite.

Like I'm not anywhere near, you know, thank God. But I was just super loudmouthed talking to everybody, very social, you know, and so I'd get kicked out of classes and mouth off to a teacher, say something. stupid. And then, you know, after, I think, probably like 10 or 15 visits to the principal's office, they just said, hey, Chase, you know, we're going to send you to the other school over there where you'll get more attention from the teachers. Okay, cool. So what's continuation school like? So it's a classroom. You're basically in a class, you got, I think we had like four or five periods, so our day was shorter. And you're in a classroom with like the same kids, like, all. all day long, almost, because there's only so many kids in there.

And, yeah, it was interesting, you know, I don't want to, you know, I'm sure it's great for some people. You can actually learn there. I just didn't want to learn, you know, and there was nothing that any teacher could do to fix that. I was kind of on my own little bad path. So, you know, you can get away with a lot at a continuation school. You can say things in a classroom that you probably would never, you know, you'd get expelled for saying that in another school. So, like, language wasn't off limits. They wouldn't punish you for cursing or anything like that.

So you could talk kind of how you wanted. And we had a class that we took, like, every two weeks on Thursdays. It was called smoking cessation class. So for all the kids in the school who smoked cigarettes, they would take us to the separate class. And we would learn about the tobacco settlement and all the things that the big tobacco company said about their consumers. And they would teach us, you know, the dangers of something. smoking because everybody in high school smoked. So that was interesting.

That was never at any other school I ever went to. Did it make you want to smoke less? No. No. Not at all. I thought you were going to say they let you smoke in class. No, not in class. It was a class that get us to quit smoking because we would all walk off because at lunchtime,

if you had perfect attendance, you could walk down to the Carl's Jr. on the corner and get lunch. You had 30 minutes to go get lunch and come back. And so everybody wanted, you know, to get perfect attendance so they could walk off, go have a cigarette at lunchtime and get a spicy chicken sandwich. So what was the plan for one school was finished for you? I didn't know, you know. I didn't have a plan. I was very much, I thought something was going to work out for me, you know, and that was kind of always in the back of my head.

I wanted to be a musician of some sort. So I went through several phases of that. When I was 19, I started my first band. right after I got out of high school and started playing shows. And I was working just like regular jobs. I worked at like a snowboard surf skate shop for maybe like a year or two. I don't know how long. I did handyman stuff.

It's in California? Yeah, roofed houses, all kinds of odd-end jobs just to get by. So I didn't want to take on a real job because if I did that, then I wouldn't be able to go play on Friday and Saturday nights. you know. Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor. Eating well shouldn't be complicated, but somehow it turns into recipes, prep, clean up, and half your Sunday gone. Factors solves all that. These are fresh, ready-to-eat meals designed by dietitians, delivered to your door, and ready in just minutes. No prep, no cleanup, no excuses.

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So when did you first start to play music at all? Were you doing that in high school? Any? Yeah. Yeah, I started. I picked up a guitar. I was a big kid. But when I was about three, three, four years old is when I started becoming obsessed with guitars.

And I just, I got one when I was, I think I was about. three years old when my grandmother got me the first one and um it was a small little you know small body nylon guitar and uh i took it took it home and just never put it down i was just fascinated by it you know and then as i got older i would listen to the radio and as songs would come back around on the rotation i would oh i kind of learned a piece of that one and so i'd pick up my guitar and try to figure out the rest of it as the song will go on because you know this was before youtube and you could watch a video on how to play a G chord and stuff like that. So I just kind of figured it out and taught myself how to play guitar.

And I'm still like, I got pretty good at one point. And then I just, I've never honestly got better. I'm still right there at that one point. But yeah, that thing was like my best friend whenever I was as young as I can remember almost. Were you the kid that played music when you were 12 years old? Do they know you for that? I was just, I was a good guitar player. But people knew you play guitar.

Like other kids in school knew you like guitar. Yeah, like I played at church and stuff like that. So was the goal then to play music for the rest of your life? I'm not saying do what you're doing now, but just somehow play music forever? Yeah, I thought that that, you know, I was always into, I failed every class in high school. That was another reason they kicked me out. But except for English and history, those were the two classes that I always excelled in really well. I would do bad, you know, with homework and stuff, but I would always pass my SATs by benchmark.

Because I did pay attention. I just didn't turn in the work. And yeah, it was just something that, you know, I knew I loved writing and that I liked creating stuff and making stories up and creating, you know, I love reading books and watching movies and all that stuff fascinated me. So, you know, I wanted to be a movie star like Johnny Cash or like any of those guys who I really looked up to. I was fascinated by all that stuff. I knew that I wanted to do something like that. I just didn't know what it was going to be. Did you ever play any shows while you're in high school?

No. So that party you didn't exist yet, where you're out hustling a little bit. No, that was just, you know, I played with the church a little bit, and I played in my room. So you finished school and you start to play some shows. You're also working full-time. What are the first gigs that you get? Bars and backyards, you know, like people would go play someone's party for free, you know, and that stuff wouldn't pay it or nothing, but we would play,

At the time, my girlfriend worked at a bar called Callahan's in Irwindale, and it's kind of like it's a dive bar just like right off the highway, right off the 210. And we were able to get in there as not being 21 because my girlfriend worked there. So we'd go play shows there, and, dude, we'd get a bunch of people to come. And so as soon as we started making some good money for that bar, they'd call us back like every. month and hey you guys want to come back and play again so we did that kind of stuff uh played all over orange county um you know and just you know a lot of alleyways backyards just random you know but i didn't even know when i went to american idol i didn't even know what in-year monitors were or that uh people played shows with monitors facing back at them as we were playing just speakers

going out and i couldn't hear myself sing you know and so uh that's kind of where i cut my teeth was just singing as loud as I can and kind of got that raspy voice from doing all that, I think, and from drinking and smoking and partying. But it was definitely trying to holler over these speakers. Every night I'd lose my voice, wake up the next day and couldn't talk.

But, you know, some of the best times in my life. Was there ever a point 19, 20, 21, 22, whatever, that you stopped playing music for a while because you had the thought of, I have to do the mature thing and just focus on a job? No. And at the time, too, like, you know, that was hard too, like maintaining my relationship with Ashley at the time because I didn't want to commit to like, you know, going and working a real job and taking P tests and doing all those kinds of things that come along with it. And so I put it off as long as I could. And, you know, it was really just focusing on going out and playing my music for people and going to rehearsals and scraping up money for, you know, rehearsal spaces. That was always a big deal. trying to find enough money so we could go play somewhere in practice.

But it never really left my mind. Not at any point that I think it wasn't going to happen or it wasn't going to work out. And it happened in a way I didn't expect it to at all. But I think there was a lot of points along that road where people around me were kind of like, all right, you know, like go get a job. Well, it's such a pipe dream. Anything creative. Anything in the arts at all should actually never happen for anybody if you're just looking at the odds.

This is a numbers game. because everybody wants to do it because it looks fun. Yeah. And it's not always the most talented people that make it. It's people that have the ability, either very much learned or some innate talent, but it's also people that just don't stop. Right. Like you have to have the screw loose inside of you to not stop whenever the 73rd bad thing happens to you.

Right. Whenever the 102nd rejection happens to you. So a screw's got to be off. Everybody I sit with and talk with, and myself included. Something is off just a little, but it's got to be the right thing that's off. Right.

Because all of it's got to mix. There's got to be the right desire, tenacity. There's got to be a willingness to adjust and kind of, and also to continue learning and not think you know everything. Because I think we've both been in this age. We've got to figure it out. Right.

Yeah. You're like, I got it. Yeah, I got to figure it out. How am I not bigger than I am? I got to figure it out. Were you guys trying to make it out? as a band when you're in California? Yeah.

Did you ever feel like you were getting close? Yeah, I did at one point, because at that point, we were kind of like a rock and roll reggae band, you know, and I was playing like reggae music. We played this one big show with a bunch of the guys from like, like Sky Opio Ortiz, who's from Long Beach Dub All-Stars, but he was like the artist for Sublime. We opened up for them, you know,

and he's the dude who tattooed that big son on Bradley's back. On the cover of the album? Yeah, and he drew. He drew all that. And so we opened up for them. And like, when we did that, I was like, man, like, we must be getting, you know, we're knocking on something. And the band kind of just self-destructed, you know. And then I had to, like, recreate, you know, with new people, try to keep this thing alive.

And then it just never, it never really worked out. And at that time, I had taken on a job at a different company, like a full-time job. And doing what? The machinery stuff. That's when all that kind of started out. What was that job exactly? So I worked for United Rentals, and so we would supply construction sites with all kinds of machines, stuff that they need to build, you know, hospitals, apartments, houses, whatever. So my first job there was running all the equipment on and off of the trucks.

So they have these big dovetail flatbed trucks, and they got a ramp that pops up off the back. And so I'd be driving, you know, like big old forecliffs, back hose, skid steering. excavators, all that stuff. And, you know, running it, making sure that it was good and everything worked on it, changing out the attachments on them, you know, and then I'd stick it on the truck, strap it down, and send the driver on his way. So I did that for a while. And then at one point, I was driving around in a truck, a small, not like a Class A truck,

but I was driving around like a small flatbed truck delivering equipment to job sites and stuff. And I worked behind the counter there. I was a counter sales rep. So I kind of, I did everything over there at one point. Did you ever get Forklift Certified? Oh, yeah. Yeah, you have to be. I was a forklift certified.

There's respect for somebody who's forklift certified. We got that certification walks in because not everybody's certified. Only a few people get in the forklift. Yeah. When I moved to Nashville, I was forklift certified, aerial lift certified, and CPR certified. Those were my three certifications. My stepdad drove for forklift for 30 years. Yeah.

I do miss driving them. Like, that part was fun. Yeah, he was one of the only few that was certified at his job. at the mill or in his department at the mill. So, I mean, a lot of people could have probably got in the forklift and forked the lift. Yeah. But you had to be certified. Yeah.

And so they kind of treated them. Got precious at times. Oh, yeah. So to me, it's funny because I never get to talk about a fork club certification. But when you're talking, I was like, I wanted to taste a forklet certified. That's what you did. Yeah. No, they're a big company.

So, yeah, everything's very much so by the book there and safety courses and all that. And if you're doing anything unsafe, like, you can get fired. You know what I mean? So it was like, you knew every day someone could be watching you from the office. So everything that you did, you try to, you know, be really careful about how you did it. But we had this old, old forklift that was awesome. It was a deuce on. And it had, you know, you could move the forks apart up and, like, tilt them and do everything.

It was like the most maneuverable forklift. And, like, it was a piece of crappie. But, like, everybody loved it so much that we just kept it running. and that was like the one that I was on all the time. I miss it. I had to get my CDL once. Really? Yeah, I knew you'd be impressed.

Yep. That's tough. Yeah, my dad's a truck driver. Yeah, it's, it was the hardest thing. Not only to get it, not only to do the written part of the test, that's hard. Why did you get your CDO? I'm just a dude that does dude stuff. Why else what I?

Look at me. Is there anything more dude than a guy in way too expensive tennis shoes and a cardigan? And this didn't know if there was like an opportunity arrives where you had to have it. Yeah. There was. I had a show on Nat Geo. When I left Idol, I went to go do the show on Nat Geo, same company, Disney. They said, we got the show for you. And so I went over and I had to get a CDL because I had an episode where I had to drive an 18-wheeler across the city and deliver. And it was the most pre-work I've ever done because you don't just show up and get your CDL.

Right. Yeah, no, that's a lot of... I had to study the book for weeks. And I'm good. I'm studious. I love it. I love studying. But I didn't even know what some of that stuff meant. I never even been in. one. When I took the written test, I'd never been in an 18-wheeler. And then you have to take the actual test where you're driving. Crazy. And then I had to drive. I had to drive through Chattanooga one side to the other. It's insane. I'm going to tell you what I learned about that. People don't respect truckers as much as they should. No, yeah. For two reasons. It's a tough gig. One, our country doesn't run without goods being delivered. Absolutely. From one side of the country to another. We just go to Walmart and get our stuff and go home. Yeah. Not knowing.

It just magically appears on the shelves. Right. So that's number one. Number two, at any moment, if that truck veers into you because you did something stupid or you hit it. Oh, yeah. You know who gets hurt real bad at the car and people are just, woo, one, won't cut in the, and so I'm nervous because I'm driving this massive machine, but I'm not the one that's going to get hurt. These stupid cars cutting me off. They're going to lose. And I don't want them to lose. Yeah, it's like, No, just don't do it. Dude, like respect the truck driver. Those things are massive.

They're huge. My butt's never been more puckered, and I've done some crazy stuff, but driving a semi through a city in rush hour. Yeah, that's nuts. I wouldn't even want to, no, I'm good. Nuts. I hate driving anything, to be honest, that's too big. I don't even like driving my truck through a drive-thru.

I feel like I'm going to take out the building. Whenever check out a place splits in two, I get nervous. In an SUV, I'm like, oh, God, my lane's tight now. Yeah, so imagine me in an 18-wheel. Yeah, that's insane. So you and I have a little bit of history that I met you on American Idol. I was working on the show when you came on the show. And they give us a little brief before you meet the person.

But for me, I never wanted to spend time with anybody until we were on camera. Right. Which is how I even I do the show. Heck, it's how we did this. Yeah. I don't really like to do a lot of talk before because I feel like you get a lot of like real stuff that gets thrown to the wayside whenever you're just waiting. Yeah. Instead of being like, oh, no, no, save that.

Yeah. Yeah, and I don't want to have to be like save that. Exactly. And so we got into a pretty good rhythm on that show. And I really enjoyed my time there. And I remember when you were coming on. And we were like on a farm or, I mean, not a farm. We were somewhere the first time we met where there was like a pond and a fence.

And we're like standing on the fence talking about one forkl driver to one CDL driver to another. And but I. Just two certified guys. Just two certified dudes. Just being men. But I remember them talking about you and they said, man, this guy's real good. And I said, okay, you told me that about every single person. And they said, no, but this is different because he doesn't know he's as good as he is.

And also, he doesn't know how to control it yet, meaning how they had described you was you're so good, but you've just kind of been wild out running, doing your own thing. Like you said, you didn't know, you never use any ear monitors, and that you had a great voice, but that you were just 100%. Yeah. And I remember hearing you sing the first time, and I was like, they're right in both ways. It's like, this dude's awesome and, oh, he's going to kill himself. Yeah.

If he keeps going this hard all the time. Because when you're just doing shows and you're hustling like you are, you have to go hard. Yeah. All the time. Absolutely. And you came on that show and you kind of took the wind out of a lot of folks because you were also just so different. And that's what we talked about. The first time we talked was like, you had a real job.

And did your dad die right before the, or were you going to, or were you in a wreck? No, I was in a car wreck. Was it you that was in the car wreck? How close to the show were you in that car wreck? So from the time that I audition in Ohio, that was about two weeks before. It was that recent? Yeah, which is why I thought it was crazy for me to go. I told my parents, because at the time...

Is your dad still alive? Yes. Oh, that's on tape. Hey, Chase's dad, sorry about that. Got it confused? No, no. Yeah, we're good, right? Okay, good.

My grandpa died a little bit before. He was kind of also, you know, like very much. a father figure to me, but, uh, no, I, I'd gotten that car wreck and, uh, it was, uh, you know, a big legality thing for me because, uh, you know, I was drunk driving. And so I, you know, got arrested and lost my license. I had to call, you know, United Reynolds and tell them, hey, I can't come to work. Were you already going to be on American Idol when the wreck happened? I think I did a, uh, I did a regular, like, online audition right before it. And then they had called me afterwards, after the wreck, and said,

hey, we want you to come and do an actual audition for the real judges. And I sang for the producers. Did you have to tell them what had happened? Yes, because after you get a golden ticket, so this whole thing was crazy. I'd gotten in the wreck, went home, you know, because me and Ashley at the time had just broke up, so I was going through it.

You know, we'd been seven years strong at that point. We were living down in Huntington Beach. and I was back up at my mom's house and my stepdad's up in the desert in Apple Valley and living there again. And there's nothing worse than going home, you know, like tail between your legs. Like it didn't work out and I need a place to stay kind of thing. And my parents were like, well, as long as you're working, you know, you always have a place here and you can stay here. And so my band was kind of not happening anymore. And I didn't know what was going on.

I didn't know what was going to happen for me. I was waking up at 4 a.m. to go to work and, you know, working until 6 o'clock in the evening and getting home at 7.30. And just I was pretty miserable at that point of my life. And, you know, being without Ashley and just kind of going through it, you know, and young and stupid. And so I went out one night and did what I did and, you know, totaled my truck and was pretty brutal. but made it out alive. And my parents, when I got back, we got that phone call, you know, and I'd spend a couple of days just in my room kind of just like hiding away.

I didn't want anybody to know. You know, I didn't want my dad to know. I didn't want my friends to know. I was like, nobody can learn about this. This is so embarrassing, you know. And they came in there one day and they're like, hey, you know, we got a call or email or whatever from the people at American Idol. And they want you to go do the audition for,

Luke Carrey and Lionel. And I was like, no. I was like, I blew it, guys. Like, you know, this is my, it's, I was like, I don't, I'm just a bum. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life. But that's not what it's going to be. And my stepdad sat me down and he was like, Chase, if you don't do this, he's like, you're throwing away like such a good opportunity to put this behind you and just change

your life, you know, and go do something and make a name for yourself. He's like, I believe that you can do it. I was like, I'm not going to win that show, Terry. You know, it's not possible. I was like, you hear, I heard. I heard the other kids singing in the audition waiting rooms, you know, on the Zoom calls and stuff. And I was like, I'm nowhere near these guys. Like, you know, I can't sing that well.

And he was like, no, I think you can. Like, you just need to trust us. He's like, we'll rent a car and your mom will drive you up there and just go do it, you know, and just see what happens. And he's like, if it doesn't work out, he's like, we will figure all this other, you know, stuff out whenever you get back. And so you go and sat there all day waiting. and I was just nervous as can be. And I was like one of the last 10 people to go in that day. So you kind of sit in like this grass field all day just waiting for them to call your name.

And so it was just nervousness building up all day. And I went in there and I got three yeses and a golden ticket. And I remember in my head to me that was like this tiny little crack in the door that I had been trying to kick down my whole life. And I finally saw like a little bit of light. And I was like, you know, I'm going to wedge my foot in here and I'm going to get in. And so I called my step down. I was like, can you believe this? Like, you know, I made it.

I got a gold ticket. And he's like, yeah, I told you that you could do it, you know. And he was like, this is what I've been trying to tell you, you know, just have some confidence and stuff. And so then they pull me after that and they take me into a waiting room. And they say, you have to talk to a psychologist and a lawyer, basically. And they just kind of make sure that you're not crazy, you know, before they. they put you on national TV. And so one of the questions they asked is they say, have you ever been arrested?

You know, and I'm sitting there like, there goes my shot. And I was like, yes. And they're like, when did you get arrested? And I was like two weeks ago. And what did you get arrested for? Do you I? And I'm like, oh, wow. And okay, I finished asking the questions.

And then a producer came over to me after that and said, hey, would you be like willing to open up about that kind of stuff? for, and so me, I'm just trying to save that light, that little crack in the door. Yes, sure, absolutely. I'll talk about it. And so I was surprised that they let me keep going on, you know, because I had all this other stuff going on in the background. But yeah, that's kind of how that whole experience was for me is I was like, this is my chance to finally get away from, you know, all these stupid things that I've done and make something, you know, for myself and be proud of it. And so, yeah, I just every week just prayed that I would make it one more week, one more week, one more week, you know. And then I got down to the end and it was Willie and Grace and I was like, yeah, I'm not winning.

So I was blown away whenever it kind of all, you know, played out the way that it did. The Bobbycast, we'll be right back. I like to eat well. But after work, after errands, after everything else, cooking just doesn't happen. That's why I started using Factor. Factor delivers fresh, never frozen, ready to eat meals. Designed by dietitians for balanced nutrition that actually fits my life. No prep, no cleanup. Just heat, eat, and move on.

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I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that. There was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them.

There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsesives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed.

From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby.

If you know me, you know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover those things together through meaningful conversations with fascinating people. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. You have something in your guts. You go with it. And Sean Johnson recalled the moment she realized her now husband, Andrew, was the one.

He was just so unapologetically himself and knew nothing of Hollywood. He hadn't been on a plane before without his family. It was so pure. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Bobbycast. I really enjoyed the show at that time because it was way less about Hey, this is American Idol

It was more about everyone knew That just being on the show longer Built a platform for themselves And that's what I was trying to do Yeah, and I think everybody even knew that There was an understanding of you just You stay on the show Not to be the next American Idol

Whatever that means You're staying on the show Because you have 7, 8 million eyeballs watching you And every week that you last is another week that you get people to see who you are and see your music. So that's 100% how I thought it was going to go. I said, if I could just make it to these live shows where, like, I'm on the live tapings.

I get to play with the band live and stuff. I was like, if I get to do like one or two of those, like maybe somebody will see me and I'll get a phone call and like, hey, we want to sign you a record deal of this and that. So that was my goal, you know, and even though that was a pretty childish thing to think was going to happen. But I just wanted to make it and build a platform and get some people to see my music. music. And that's why it was kind of important for me to sing some of my own songs on there and do stuff that I had written because that's what I felt like I was good at. I was like, I'm not a great karaoke singer. So all the covers that I had to do, I was kind of just like, all right, how can I make this work for me? But they were kind enough to let me sing a couple of

my own songs on there, which I feel like really made the difference for me. Oh, yeah. It's why you won the show. Yeah, getting to connect with people with stuff that I do well. You know, like 23 started on Idol and why I'd written it, you know, months before all that. But I didn't, and I had no idea how big of a hit song it was going to be. But whenever they asked me, hey, have you written any of your own music? Yeah, absolutely. Here, I sent them a file. And they were like, man, some of these are great.

This 23 songs is great. You should save it. Don't release it, you know, on socials or anything until you make it to the top seven. You can record this, you know. You're going to go and do like a little recording session. And that's how I met Ross Copperman was he was the producer out there. That's crazy because Ross is one of my dearest friends here. Yeah.

Like dearest, dearest friends. Yeah. He was out there. He was producing. In Los Angeles. Yeah. Yeah. It's Sound City, I think it was.

How all this stuff ends up getting strung together is so weird. When you won the show, I was surprised not because of how good you were because you were very unconventional. That's usually not the most unconventional show. And I can tell you so behind the scenes drama that was happening is that you were singing originals because you did a couple of originals. I'm not sure how many you did. I can think of two, I think it was two. Could have been three, but I think it was two. Since you were doing it, everybody else wanted to do it.

And they wouldn't let everybody do it. Yeah. You kind of had to have something about you. And they wanted to hear their music first. And I just remember everybody being upset, even asking me off camera, like, how do I get to sing an original? And I just kind of wanted to say, well, do you sound like Chase? Yeah. And they didn't.

But that says something to even who you were as an artist and you had put in all those hours playing all those backyards and bars and rehearsals. And I always wrote my music. We rarely, if I played a show back then, I didn't do covers, you know. So I was singing, because if I wrote something, I was proud of it and I wanted to play it for people

and be like, hey, what did y'all think about that one in the middle of the set? You know, do you think that was a good song or, you know, and if nobody liked it, then I throw it out and write a new one. And so I was like a writing machine back then because I was having to come up with stuff for my band to play. And, you know, when my band kind of dissolved and me and Ashley had split up and, you know, my whole life kind of went south, that's when I kind of leaned into the more country, you know, red dirt stuff is what I was listening to. Like early Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers and Colton Moore and The Clever Few, Picos in the rooftops, guys like that were all like in rotation on my playlist.

And so that's really what inspired whenever I was sitting down. I wrote 23 was all those guys that I was listening to then because I was like, you know, why don't I've been trying this thing and it's not working? And I thought, how crazy would it be to go country and do country music? And, you know, I grew up listening to country music. My mom's from a small town in Oklahoma and all of my whole side of the family, you know, over there. That's, it's all very much you get anything from trailer trash to high-class redneck. But there's a lot of that was influenced on me when I was a kid.

And the reason I didn't think it was cool in California was because I remember everybody used to one time a year get all gussied up in their boots and go to stagecoach. And everybody was. And I remember I just hated that for some reason whenever I was younger. And it kind of turned me off of country music. And because whenever I was younger, everybody was like, oh, country's not cool. Like put on rock and roll radio or whatever. and but I loved it and that's what I grew up on

so I found myself falling back in love with all these old songs that I listened to when I was a kid hearing on the radio like George Strait you know Tim McGraw and Keith Whitley and stuff like that and yeah I was like you know what I'm gonna try it out

see what happens I sang a Hank Williams-Jinger song for my mom and she was like you have to do it she's like you absolutely have to do it she's like I think you sound great doing it and I was like really. So it was kind of a wild thing for me to do. You know, I still feel like on the show they wanted

to classify me more as like a rock kind of guy or like alternative between. But what I wanted to sing was, you know, mostly the country music and stuff and play with the steel guitar on stage. And yeah, like that was kind of my goal the whole time I was on there. I didn't know how it was all going to shake out. Who does? Who does? Like literally. I don't know how it's going to shake out next week. Yeah, exactly. So when did you move to Nashville? weeks after winning So it's kind of a You're at the high

You just win this show Everybody's congratulating backpats for everybody You get here and nobody cares Yeah And not just you Yeah well you get on the road and you get humbled real fast Show up, play for 50 people in a 500 cap room And you're like

That was awkward Yeah you're starting over The good thing about you is that you you aren't starting over from doing a television show. You had already been doing it. You had all those years of experience. To me, the television show isn't the biggest part of your story. To me, the biggest part of your story is you learn how to do it, doing it,

and then you just waited for an opportunity to take advantage of, to get more people to see what you could already do. That's what I think about when I think about you. I definitely don't think you're a product of a TV show, even though you won the freaking show, which is crazy cool. I don't think you're a product of the show. I think the show just gave you a lane to show what you had been working towards for so long. Yeah.

You get to Nashville. What's that like? It was crazy, man. Meeting a lot of people who seemed like they wanted to meet me. You know what I mean? So it was, you know, going to meetings and stuff and, you know, bumping into people and just getting introduced to this exec and that exec and this guy does this and this guy does that. I didn't know what any of these jobs were, you know, before I, like I, you know, I was driving forklifts.

I didn't know the structure of a record label or how all that stuff works or how publishing works. Yeah, or the manager or an agent and how they're different or a business manager. Like all that is baptized into this place and you're expected to act like you know until you figure it out. Yeah. And so it was a little overwhelming, but I met Kerry. She came to one of my... Was your manager. Yeah, by manager.

She came to one of my first performances. I did a whiskey jam. and she had, we'd gotten in touch through my stepdad called her and was like, hey, I want you to represent my stepson. Hold on a minute. Your stepdad called one of the most powerful managers in Nashville and said, I want you to represent my stepson, straight cold call. Is that about how it went?

100%. Yeah. And so what's the story you heard about how that went? No, that's what I was. I wasn't a part of that conversation. What do they say in the office? I don't. Well, he left me a message and I was like, oh my gosh,

because I obviously was on set with another client during the whole show of American Idol. So the whole time I was bought in to Chase. Oh, yeah, she kind of knew who you were because we were on Idol. Yeah. So when he called the office and then. I thought you down was just calling major managers going, you represent my son. He literally Googled who manages Luke Bryan. And he found Carrie and then just started dialing numbers and then finally gets in touch with her.

And he calls me and he's like, hey, I just talked to Luke Bryan's manager. She wants to manage you. I was like, what are you talking about? I was like, that's crazy. I was like, okay, sure, Terry. And then, you know, sure enough, when I first flew out to Nashville just to visit and kind of meet everybody at BMG and everything, that's whenever she came out to one of the performances I had. And she was just doing everything like the first time I had ever met her. She came out and was like organizing the lines to the meet and greet and taking people's phones and taking pictures and everything.

And she just handled the whole thing. And me and my mom were both there kind of just like, you know, this had never happened to us before. We got, you know, 200 people standing in line wanting to take pictures after I get done singing and stuff. And so we left that night and I told my mom was like, I think that lady might be my manager. I'm not sure. I was like, but I feel like that's how this is going to work out. So we went to dinner, you know, later that week and then, you know, had a great conversation. And then kind of just ended up, you know, she called me and she's like, hey, I'm down to do this if you're down.

And I was like, yeah, absolutely. She was the only manager I met with. I didn't go meet anybody else. Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor. I like to eat well. But after work, after errands, after everything else, cooking just doesn't happen. That's why I started using Factor. Factor delivers fresh, never frozen, ready to eat meals.

Designed by dietitians for balanced nutrition that actually fits my life. No prep, no cleanup. Just heat, eat, and move on. And just like that, I get my time back. No dishes, no poor choices, no dinner stress. I don't have to plan. And somehow, I'm still eating meals like grilled salmon, creamy shrimp pasta, and flavorful chicken bowls. Food that tastes like I worked for it, even though, well, I didn't.

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When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced.

But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsesives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story.

I'm obsessed. As someone says. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See you between the pages. I'm Hoda Kotbby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotbby. If you know me, you know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover those things together through meaningful conversations with fascinating people. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space.

You're hired to fill the space with you. You have something in your guts. You go with it. And Sean Johnson recalled the moment she realized her now husband, Andrew, was the one. He was just so unapologetically himself and knew nothing of Hollywood. He hadn't been on a plane before without his family. It was so pure. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast.

or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back on the Bobbycast. Did you think you were going to get here and be famous immediately? No. I thought we were going to take one of my songs to the radio a little faster than we did. Because it was doing great and I thought it would have been a hit. And then the funny thing is, is two years later, that's the song that we took to the radio and got a number one with.

But, no, I didn't expect instant. You know, the way I looked at it was I've been competing against all. these fantastic singers, you know, and great musicians too. But now that I'm here, I'm competing with Luke Combs, Morgan Wall and Luke Bryan, you know, everybody, Jordan Davis, Parmally, all these guys who are crushing it on the radio, I was like, I have to figure out how to get my songs past theirs now. Like, and that's a whole new level of competition. Not that I think about it competitively or anything, but that's kind of just, I was like, you're with the big dogs now, and it's definitely not going to be, it's going to be harder.

You know what I mean? It's going to be a lot harder. So I knew what I was in for whenever I started out. Did you have any moments while you were here early on that you thought maybe this place was too big for you? No, no, not at all. You always believed it was going to work. That's wild. Even back, even through all this.

I still believe that, you know, like my best time hasn't happened yet. Like I still believe that something else is going to, you know, go off. Yeah, I thought you should. That's not crazy. Exactly. Yeah. But it's like I still just, you know, anticipate. And I don't expect, but I try to put the work in and believe.

leave in it. Where does that come from? Where's the positivity come from? Or the optimistic outlook, I should say, more than positivity. Where does the optimistic outlet come from? It's just hope. But who? What, what, what, somebody in your family? I don't know. It had to live this way and instill this in you. Yeah, I had a cousin who wanted to be a singer. It never worked out for him. Was your, were your parents, optimist? Did they, they tell you things are going to work out? No, no, not in that sense. They definitely were. pretty realistic with me at some points of time. But the idle thing was, you know, kind of like them telling me not to give up on my dreams

and that they knew that I was capable of it. I just needed the right opportunity. And, you know, for some reason, that all unfolded right in front of me just the way it needed to. And at just the right time, you know, it saved my life in a way because it's like if I kept doing whatever I was doing then, man, I don't know, you know, where I'd be right now. or if I would even, you know, be working, like, everybody, what would you be doing? You know, I'd like to say I'd be working blue collar, you know, doing construction or working heavy machinery. And, but I don't admit, you know, if I was doing what I was doing then, you know, that I could either be dead or in jail or I don't know.

And there was a time whenever I was young at that age, I thought turning 30 was never going to happen. Like I was like, you know, and I was cool with just being wild and free. And I was like, oh, you know, if I smoking and drinking, if I die early, whatever, you know. And now I'm 30 and I'm like, dang. You know, wish I would have taken care of myself a little bit better back then and would have saw some of this stuff. But then at the same time, if I didn't have those experiences and do those things, I wouldn't have been put into that position to be where I'm at now, you know. And so it all just kind of happens. I don't believe that it's all going to work out the way that you want it to, but I do believe that everything is going to work out the way that it.

should, you know, and if you, you know, have a good heart and good faith and, you know, like I lean on on my Bible and my family. And that's kind of, you know, where I get any of my optimism from. So. Well, that's the answer then. Yeah. Just family and faith and just hope and pray. Old fashioned is the name of the record that's going to be coming out. Why, why did you choose that? So it was kind of just like, I didn't know. what I wanted to name the EP as far as I didn't have like a theme or anything like that and it's one of my favorite songs

on there and we've been promoting the song on the road for like a year and a half and so I just figured it deserved its time as, you know, having itself as a title. But it's one of my favorites on there. I think it's a very cool self-explanatory song about me and my values and what I love. What about dirt floor and song?

Yeah. that one it's kind of like I think the most obscure one that's on there It's just a little different It's got like this different Smokey Western feel to it And it's different than anything

I've ever done I feel like But And it's a moody song But it's a love song You know what I mean And it's like something that normally You'd be singing on that kind of a melody Would be more of a breakup kind of feel

But it's about falling in love with someone And so I think it's just very different from anything that I've done in that sense. But yeah, I wrote that with John Pierce and Brandon Kenny. And those are two, they're common themes on every cut that I have. I'm writing with those guys all the time. So we just wrote it on the bus. I think we're opening up for Parker McCollum that weekend when we wrote it or it might have been something different. Might have been Warren Ziders. But yeah, I wrote it, recorded it, and just loved it, fell in love with the way that it sounded.

It's the opening song on our set right now. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. What's the final song on your set? 23. Yeah, I figured it better be. It kind of has to be, you know. It's like...

Where you could play at the beginning and the end? Yeah, but I'm not a fan of that. I like the show to be a full experience of, you know, music from one end to the other. I've seen people do that. I've seen people play. I like the people do that. I've seen someone play their hit three times. I don't mind that.

I'm be honest. I don't mind it. I love it. Yeah. Once, this is way, way, way back in the day. So before your time, however, you will probably know the band because you're pretty knowledgeable. But there's a rock band called Seven Mary Three in there from the 90s, and they have a massive

song called Combersome. Yeah. And so there's this video, these guys, and they're playing in a small club. And there's a guy in, like, the second row. There's not a lot of people there. And he's like, play Combersome. And so they're like, okay. they play another song.

He goes, play cumbersome. And the singer goes, dude, that's our hit. We're going to play cumbersome. But you got to wait a minute. I've said that exact same thing. You think we're not going to play cumbersome? So yeah, 23 has become like my free bird. It's like that's what I hear at the whole dang show.

It's just, you know, I play 23. I'm like, I just started. We're going to play this song. I got an hour and 15, hour and 20 up here. We'll get there, I promise. Is it exciting to have a whole bunch of new? music coming out? Yeah, it is. Like I said, I took a little bit of a hiatus. Like last year we put out, I only put out two songs last year, you know, and that was because we were so busy touring off

of 23 and bad for me. So it was so hectic, you know, doing Australia one year, Europe, the next year, Canada, every state you can think of. And I played every state in the continental United States. I played everywhere about Hawaii, you know, so it's like, I don't know if that's ever going to happen. But it's been, it's just been a crazy, you know, journey of touring and being different places and learning things on the road. And then kind of just got sidetracked from like, oh, you know, actually I need to go to the studio and record some music. I need to get back to Nashville and write some songs. But I was hardly ever home, you know, so I only put out two songs last year. And then got married, you know, bought a house and me and my wife moved in.

And a little bit before that, I'd been going for about two and a half years, like nonstop, like January to December touring. And towards the end of last year, I called Kerry and my booking agent and was like, hey, I can't do January or February or March. I was like, I just need some time to just be at home. And so, yeah, I just took some time at home, cut this music in December, you know, and went in the studio and cut it in December with Bart. Butler and then just worked kind of on mixing it while I was at home and going through all the production side of things. And yeah, finally got it mastered and then finally got, you know, back out on the road and then just really excited to finally be getting to put it out. I've felt like I've been working on it for a long time. So we ask people to come in and bring music

that means a lot to them, an album that means a lot to them. And I see you have a vinyl here. Would you mind hold that up for the camera and showing them what it is? This is Jim Crocey. This is one of my favorite records of all the time. It's one of my wife's favorite records, too. One of my... This is, like, so this is after he passed away, they put together this record. I have one of the original releases of it.

That's what I was, you know, playing on. Actually, I do have two of these because I bought one at a garage sale a couple of years ago. But this one, it's got all of his best hits, but my favorite is Operator. That's actually good. So I'm a massive Jim Croce. fan. Yeah. My wife got into this because I got into it.

One of my aunts in Oklahoma gave me the record whenever my grandma had passed away. She's like, Chase, you like this. He's an old hippie. And he sings all these great songs. And I was like, okay, cool. And so I took it home and played it. And it's like, man, like, I'd never heard, you know, I'd heard some of his songs in movies and stuff, but never really dove into him as an artist.

And, yeah, this became like one of my most prized possessions. What about him as an artist as a songwriter? or do you think that you resonate? He was a phenomenal songwriter, and just the way that he talked about life, you know, talked about driving trucks, the way that he talked about people around him, like Bad Bad LeRoe Brown or Roller Derby Queens

and just America, you know what I mean, just the way that he saw it. And I just was fascinated by how well he could play guitar and sing at the same time. I think that's a tremendous skill. If you can play well and sing at the same time, Like, that is something that not a lot of people, even people in this industry can do. You know, it's a hard thing to do.

Such a groove on bad, bad, Larry Brown, the baddest man in the whole day in town, better than old King Kong. I mean, it's like, it's, it. I got a name. There's so much soul in his voice, even when he sings up-tempo songs. And that's hard to do, because that tempo songs, you're just, you're flying through. There's a melody you're flying through.

So my mom died at this point, 15 years or so ago. But I was speaking at her funeral. She was a big Jim Crocey fan, which is why I like Jim Croce. And I got up to give the eulogy. It was very hard for me because as much as I speak, it's really hard to speak when your mom dies. I still wanted to do it because I felt like

that was my superpower, my weapon, and I wanted to say some stuff about what she meant to me and to everybody that was there. And I get up and I can't talk because I'm crying so hard. Yeah, that's rough. And it's so hard on me. And I've talked during really emotional things, but it's different because I'm trying to talk about my mom. She's no longer alive. These are people that loved her. And it's hard for me to breathe. It's one of those where you're going. And so I have a written out because I also know that if you're going to be emotional, good or bad, always have it written out because you can focus on the paper and read through. I couldn't even focus on the paper because I had tears in my eyes, right? So hard and everybody was quiet. And I had paused for

what felt like hours. Really, it was probably 10 or 15 seconds in eternity. And somebody's ringer in their pocket goes off. And it's one of those. We had ringtones, 15 years. years ago. It was bad, bad. That's cool. It was one of my mom's favorite favorite songs. That's awesome. Playing on someone's, and they're going, oh, God, sorry, sorry, sorry.

And all of that happened in about five seconds. Yeah. But after I heard that and how much she loved that record, him, that song, hearing that that in that moment, I dried up and delivered the whole thing. It meant it all. That's awesome. That's what I think about whenever I think about Jim Crocey now. Yeah.

Is that guy's ringtone going off and getting me through my mom's jewelry? Yeah. And Bad Bad, Leroy Brown was playing. That's awesome. Yeah, I'm a big fan. That's a great record. My wife, we used to live in this tiny little, it's like maybe like 400 square foot duplex, you know, studio-ish apartment thing.

And she'd wake up in the morning and put this rank. record on and crank it up loud. And that meant that we had to get up and clean. So if I was sleeping in, she'd go to the record player, put it on and turn it all the way up. And I'd just hear, dun-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-ta-da. I'm like, oh, God. I got to go to launder today.

Yeah. You don't spit in the wind. You don't pull the mask off to your lone ranger, and you don't mess. Boobo do, do. Yeah. He just had so much salt with tempo. Yeah. And then you can do like, what, time in a ball?

Exactly. If you can do that, that's crazy. So that's also, you know, the playing, the lyricism, and the way that he was able to do the fun stuff, and then also just sing a song that would absolutely just rip your heart out. You know ball. You know ball. You know ball when it comes to music. If you're a Jim Crocey fan, you know ball chase.

Jim Crocey's great. It's one of my favorites. Congratulations on having this record ready to go. when this comes out, the record won't be out yet. It'll be on September. People, they watch these things forever. So the record might already be out to some folks who are just watching it. So we got old-fashioned, name of the record.

The last song is dirt floor. Right, last song was dirt floor. I think we put dirt floor at the end, yeah, because we released it already, so we figured we'll just stick it towards the back. I'm rooting for you, man. You don't need my roots. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.

Yeah, I'm rooting for you. You're for sure a real one. And here's what I like. is that I know it's with some people there's a sensitivity about talking about their time on a television show. It can be any of them. Yeah. I wasn't going to go there. If you didn't go there, I wasn't going to go there. Oh, I'm an open book. But you went there, but it wasn't like you, you were just telling your story. Yeah. I don't know. It was out. I liked it. It was refreshing to hear you talk about it, not like it was painful for you to talk about, but also not like,

hey look at me. It was like, in my journey, this was one of the things that happened. I just so happened to get to be there with you in that journey because we were there at the same time. But congratulations, man. Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Yeah, you've got a bunch of music to play on the road now. That's got to be fun to play new songs. Yeah, it's been a great start. We've got a whole new set and it feels really good. I'm really proud of it. All right. There he is. The great Chase Beckham, everybody. Thanks for listening to a Bobbycast production. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them.

I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home.

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