Ashley McBryde might have scored a nomination for “Female Vocalist” for the upcoming 55th CMA Awards, but the budding songstress has been on Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s radar for quite some time.
It’s no secret that the music industry is challenging to break into, and at some point in time, an aspiring musician might hear a soul-crushing “no.” While climbing the musical ladder, the Arkansas native has rubbed elbows with naysayers who did not hesitate to share their thoughts on her talents.
In true songwriter fashion, McBryde took the harsh words that did not discourage her from backing down from music and turned it into a top-charting track, “Girl Going Nowhere.”
It wasn’t long until country music legend Garth Brooks started to perform his own rendition of McBryde’s smash hit. As he performed the track off of McBryde’s label debut album in 2017, he changed the title to “Boy Going Nowhere” while still keeping the song’s integrity.
His rendition quickly became a fan-favorite and encouraged the “Friends In Low Places” singer to add the cover to his live album. “We didn’t think he was gonna put it on the record,” shared McBryde with The Boot in 2018. “So, it was really cool when he called and said, ‘Miss Ashley, can put “Boy Going Nowhere” on my record?’ I was like, ‘Yes sir, you can.’”
McBryde continued to have pinch-me moments after she received the groundbreaking call from Garth. In fact, after Yearwood listened to her debut album, Girl Going Nowhere– she fell head over heels for her heartfelt “Bible and a.44” ballad about her father.
“When I heard ‘Bible and a .44,’ I just was like, ‘I want to sing that,’” shared Yearwood. “It’s about her dad, but it was so about my dad for me. We cut it, and then I just kept hearing Patty Loveless. She was kind enough to come sing on it,” she adds.
After getting busy in the studio with Patty Loveless, she included her very own rendition to her award-winning record,Every Girl.
The following year, Brooks confessed that McBryde is ‘wise beyond her years’ during a podcast interview featuring Garth and McBryde. “When you talk about a true songwriter is, you have her standing right here,” says Brooks. He went on to share that her talents are rare and unmatched.
Come September 13, Garth and Trisha Yearwood will be joining Luke Bryan and Luke Combs at the legendary Grand Ole Opry House. Ashley McBryde is currently on the road with the “South On Ya” singer and breakthrough star, Drew Parker. Eager country fans can purchase tickets to the star-studded affair here!
