Let me introduce you to the closest thing we have to Dolly Parton here in Florida, Wiley Gaby. Hailing from the panhandle he has been to Gainesville enough I have seen him at some show and reached out to him about having a conversation.

Like what seems to be a lot of singer songwriters he got his start with music in the church, from that point he took off with it and never looked back. For someone like me, it's always amazing talking to someone who has such a clear picture of who they are and what they want to do.

Wiley told me “When I was in first or second grade, I wanted to be a country music singer, but I also wanted to be an actor, a writer and everything. I'm gonna move to New York and Vermont and my plan was to be the male version of Dolly Parton. That was when I was like six or seven years old, and there were no questions.”

We talked a bit about what it's like to put yourself out there. How it's not just about being good at something, but it's about being bold enough to step up and fail, dusting yourself off and keep going. It's also about knowing your limits and what you're willing to sacrifice. Wiley actually threw this quote at me referencing Elizabeth Gilbert’s philosophy, which I find is true. "Not putting the pressure on your creative pursuits to pay the bills, protecting them from that."

Finally I want to say that Wiley Gaby has a few things coming up. His first album which is self titled will be coming out in late August/early September. Also he will be heading to New Orleans for the Folk Alliance International conference and will also be here for our local Riverine Reunion.