Riverside Country

Brad Cotter: Fingerprints Of Faith
By: Beth Raebeck Hall

Brad Cotter sees the hand of God in everything he does. Nominated this year for the Christian Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year ICM Awards, it is an honor that still amazes him. “I am humbled by this honor and honestly don’t have a clue as to why it’s happened” he said recently during an interview for Power Source Magazine. Having been told all of his life he was “blessed with talent,” it is refreshing to find this lifelong entertainer filled with wonder at his nomination.

Cotter’s single, “God’s Fingerprints,” is the first release from his Adobe Road Records CD Continuity, and was produced by veteran singer/songwriter Gary Cotton. It’s a song that personally resonates to the very foundation of Cotter’s soul, who began his musical career as a Gospel-singing prodigy at age 9. The song was “a gift” says Cotter. He had no idea he would find such a song, one that he feels was especially written for him.

“Because of all the things I’ve been through on this journey of life and career, I felt I wanted to find a song, or songs, that would really speak to who I was, to where I was…something I could totally immerse myself in and sing with utmost conviction” he said. “It was totally an accident in finding this song because I knew all the people involved with it. The publisher, Cole Wright, is a friend of mine and when I told him what I was looking for he said, “I’ve got the perfect song.” So I said, ‘Play it for me man,’ and when he did I was just floored, absolutely floored, because it was exactly what I wanted to say, but hadn’t been able to write or find. And even funnier still, it was written by two really good friends of mine, James Slater and Dallas Davidson. Now that’s not just fingerprints, God’s hands were all over it!”

There is another component to this story that is pure Brad Cotter. “My Mom was a huge Elvis fan, so I became a huge Elvis fan by default. As most people will remember, Elvis never forgot his Gospel roots and continued to sing Gospel in addition to Rock, Country and all other kinds of music. And he sang it with everything he had, from his soul. When I remembered this, I said ‘If Elvis could sing Gospel even though he was famous for Rock, then I could sing it too, without taking anything away from my Country fans.’ I love Rock, and sang lots of it coming up on the frat and club circuit. But when you hear Elvis sing ‘How Great Thou Art’ you know he loves God, and that’s what I wanted to do.”

As the flagship artist for new independent label, Adobe Road Records, life has not always been about choosing great songs for a record project. From his tender roots as a fledgling Gospel singer, Cotter knew it would always be about hard work and singing because he loved it, in spite of all the things that make that career path choice so difficult.

Growing up in Opelika, Alabama, the son of a preacher man, Cotter recorded 5 Gospel albums between the ages of 11- and 17. Not exactly the routine life of a tween or teenager. But at 18 he decided to take a break from professional singing and go to college. He then went to Southern State University on a music scholarship but “didn’t take my classes real seriously” he said. “Even though I was not a serious student, I got back into music, playing and singing and started playing the frat parties and clubs. That was a blast, as it is for any kid that age, but eventually I got tired of singing “Brown Eyed Girl.” Cotter then began exploring the artist side of music, singing and touring with bands, knowing this was what he wanted to do more than anything else in the world.

At 25, he made the move to Nashville, signed to a record label. Like most artists, musicians and songwriters, he had no idea that it would take 9 years to actually get a record out. Even though he’d worked with such greats as The Imperials and paid his dues on the road, he found the same frustration and heartache every other star has ever found on the road to stardom.

“Life doesn’t go the way you think it will, that’s for sure,” he said. “When you’re going through a hard time, and everyone does, it’s hard to be grateful for the things you do have, and the blessings that are all around you. God is everywhere, you just have to look – at the small, glorious clouds, at the smile someone gives you – it’s the little things we take for granted. I’m so grateful to have my faith and to know that I walk with the Lord everyday. It doesn’t matter who or what you believe in, but being in touch with our Creator and having faith makes anything possible, and helps you everyday.”

Three major records deals later, Cotter signed a publishing deal at Tom Collins music for three years, EMI for four years, and Warner Chappell for several. It was during this time singing his demos and others; he sang “Good Morning Beautiful,” his first No.1 (for Steve Holy). Nashville Star began in August 2003, the rest is history. Cotter won Nashville Star. Winning the grand prize entailed recording a single for release the day after the last show, and completing an album in just three weeks. Fortunately Cotter and the team had written a number of songs and had enough to choose from, which made the recording process infinitely easier although “I wouldn’t recommend it,” (doing it in 3 weeks) says Cotter.

At first, he was off to a great start. “I Meant To” the first single from Patient Man quickly broke the record for highest chart debut by a new Country artist since 1990 entering the charts at No. 42. However, the album’s title Patient Man turned out to be prophetic when he was suddenly dropped from Sony when the label discontinued its affiliation with the show.

“I learned to pray a lot, and continue to persevere, and that no man can stand in the way of what God has planned for me. That’s all stuff that you have to learn in one way and one way only- through trial and error. I guess what I learned from the Nashville Star deal was patience, to wait a lot, and to be patient in a lot of situations. Believe me, I’m still learning patience, as I’m not the most patient person,” he admitted recently.

But as the saying goes, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Cotter’s dedication, patience and perseverance caught the attention of industry veterans Gary Cotton and Cathy Gurley who provided him his current home at Adobe Road Records. The label is excited about his debut and getting him back in front of the millions of fans he won during Nashville Star, and he is excited to be back on radio and out performing again.

Perhaps one of the sweetest rewards is the reaction of his family to “God’s Fingerprints.” His father told him “That’s the only Gospel song I’ve heard that can be played at a bar!” Brad is thrilled that his father both got it as a universal song and the fact it reaches out to everyone, regardless of his or her religious affiliation.

No matter where his career finds him, he’ll continue to lift his voice joyfully in song at Greenwood Church in Brentwood and continue to look for the hands of God at work in his everyday life. “Someday, I hope to be able to be more involved in the producing and writing side of things for others. Right now it’s hard to write a lot being on the road.” And even though he is not afforded many days off, or much down time, he admits that he’d love to have a day “Where I only worried about what fish I’m gonna catch!”

This article has been reprinted by permission from Powersource Magazine.