NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/
Big & Rich Website) - Big Kenny, of distinctive country act
Big & Rich reveals his personal rags-to-riches story behind writing the hit country radio single "
Last Dollar (Fly Away)" and the struggle it took to climb to the top. Recorded by multi-platinum recording artist Tim McGraw, "
Last Dollar (Fly Away)" is the first radio single from McGraw's latest release Let It Go.
The song's origins began on New Years Eve of 2002 when Big Kenny (Kenny Alphin) set off for Las Vegas with manager and friend, Marc Oswald to open the "Alabama Farewell Tour". With only $200.00 to his name and credit cards maxed out at $140,000, the meager income of a struggling artist just weren't enough to pay the bills. "I had spent all of my money to make our records and just to live until we would 'finally be good enough' to be the ones on the big stage," Kenny says. "That $200 had to cover my entire trip, food and all!"
With the ever present worry of not being able to pay rent, Big Kenny decided to hit a black jack table in hopes of making it big. After winning nearly $1,000 dollars, Kenny put all of his chips in, only to lose everything except $21.00. Leaving the dealer with a generous $20.00 tip, Kenny took the last dollar that he had to his name and left the casino.
"That night as I looked down at the sole breaking off of my shoe it hit me like a ton of bricks," Kenny says. "But with that realization came the freedom of knowing that I also had nothing to lose."
That realization also became the driving force behind Big Kenny's powerful songwriting and dedication to his artistry. After "She's a Butterfly", written by Big Kenny and long time friend John Rich was cut by country icon Martina McBride, Big & Rich landed a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records a few months later. Big & Rich's first record, Horse of a Different Color (2004) reached No 1 on Billboard's country music chart as well as Billboard's national chart. The hit single "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" from their debut release garnered the duo amazing radio success, reaching No 11 on country radio as well as being featured by ESPN commercials promoting the 2005 World Series of Poker and a live performance on National television at the closing of CMT's awards show.
In 2004, Big & Rich joined Martina McBride and Tim McGraw on a sold-out, major market stadium tour and co-headlined the American Revolution Tour with Gretchen Wilson and other members of "MuzikMafia", an organization devoted to music without prejudice founded by Kenny Alphin, John Rich, Jon Nicholson and music publisher and industry executive Cory Gierman.
"I'll never forget the day I played him (Tim McGraw) the song, Kenny says." "We were at Blackbird Studio and Tim was making a new album." As we sat together in my truck, I played him a couple of the songs that I was recording. The second song I played was "Last Dollar." He looked over at me and said, "Are you gonna' let me record that?"
"About 6 months ago, Tim called me again to come by his home and he played me "Last Dollar," Kenny remembers. "When I heard the kids at the end of the song, I nearly lost it. That moment of reflection in Las Vegas all that time ago gave me the hope to keep going and now 5 years later, that hope is a hit song for my friend Tim McGraw. Thank you, Tim for believing! We are all gonna' fly away from here one of these days."
