Country veteran John Conlee to perform at Tift Theatre

TIFTON — Despite his signature hit and a musical career that’s now closing in on 40 years and counting, country music legend John Conlee’s life has not been one that’s been viewed through rose-colored glasses.

Conlee grew up on a working Kentucky tobacco farm, and as anyone who’s ever done that kind of work will attest, there’s nothing rosy about that labor-intensive process. In addition to chopping and cropping tobacco, Conlee worked with livestock on the family farm, did custom machine work and helped tend a garden that fed the family.

When he left the farm, Conlee eased into a slightly less labor-intensive but no less harrowing line of work. For a period of seven years, he was a licensed mortician.

“Farming and that job at the funeral home taught me more about life than just about anything else could,” Conlee, who is set to perform most of his 29 charting singles at the historic Tift Theatre here Feb. 23, said in a telephone interview. “In those two jobs, I was able to learn all the basics of life. I wouldn’t change the experiences I got on the farm and at the funeral home for two or three college degrees.”

Conlee wedged his foot in the door of the music business when he landed a job as a DJ at country music giant WLAC in Nashville circa 1971. As he started penning his own tunes and shopping them around Music City, he gradually earned an opportunity to “see what it’s like on the other side of the microphone.”

Conlee’s career, which took off with the release of “Rose-Colored Glasses” in 1978, experienced the meteoric rise that comes with an out-of-the-blue hit. He reached the top of the country charts seven times — with “Rose,” “Lady Lay Down,” “Backside of 30,” “Common Man,” “I’m Only in It for the Love,” “Got My Heart Set on You,” “In My Eyes” and “As Long as I’m Rockin’ With You” — and reached the Top 40 29 times.

The smooth-voiced veteran took some time off from a schedule that still includes up to 70 shows a year to talk with The Herald about his career and his performance, sponsored by WTIF Hometown Country 107.5 and 99.9 Real Country, in Tifton on Feb. 23.

ALBANY HERALD: Best New Male Vocalist of 1979. Named a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1981. It’s 2017 now. Did you see yourself doing this almost 40 years later during those early days?

JOHN CONLEE: Well, the goal, once you start getting some of those achievements, is to have a career with some longevity. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to produce a body of work that’s allowed me to have success over a pretty long period of time. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of folks come and go just as quickly.

AH: Does it seem, as the years roll by, that it’s been that long a period of time since you released “Rose-Colored Glasses?”

JC: You know, it really doesn’t. But when you do the math, it comes out the same every time. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 40 years since this thing got started, but I can say that I have been truly blessed to have the career I’m having. It’s a lot more fun to sing now. As I’ve aged, my voice has mellowed a lot, so much so I’m thinking about redoing some of the older songs in the voice I have now. Some of them actually fit this voice better.

AH: Let’s go back to when you first started singing on that farm in Kentucky. What got you started?

JC: The thing I remember first being attracted to was music that was playing on TV. I’d stand in front of the TV set and pretend I was conducting. I even had a toy baton. Later, when I was around 8 or 9, I decided I wanted to learn to play guitar so I could accompany myself.

AH: Was there ever a time, a specific point, where you said, “Hey, I was born to do this?”

JC: No, not really. I never really thought (early in life) that this was something I’d be able to do as a career. In fact, when I moved to Nashville in 1971 (to work in radio), the only reason I moved there was that I had started writing songs. I decided that was the place I should go to pitch my songs. I kind of figured it might take three or four years to evolve into any kind of decent offer.

AH: Was there always music at your house growing up on the farm?

JC: My dad always listened to country music, while my mom and my grandmother both played the piano, mostly hymns. I also got involved in our music department at school. So I was introduced to all kinds of music, not just country.

AH: What specifically did you listen to during that time?

JC: I listened to a little bit of everything. The first artist I became a real fan of was Ray Charles. I also grew up in that folk era where artists like Peter, Paul and Mary were very popular. I listened to a diverse bunch of artists.

AH: Your greatest acknowledged gift is that once-in-a-generation voice. Did you have to develop it as an instrument, or were you born with it?

JC: My voice kind of evolved on its own. My voice before I got into radio, when I listened to it on tape, it was totally different. It was much softer. That’s when I just basically used it to speak. When I got on the radio, that was definitely an influence. It helped me put some oomph to my voice.

AH: Country music has changed pretty dramatically over the last few years. You’re of a generation that would be called more traditional country. What do you think of today’s country music?

JC: I do miss the kind of country music that I grew up on. There were so many distinctive songs and artists during that era. But there are some folks out there — Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson are two — that give me hope.

AH: Do you think proper reverence is paid by younger artists to people like yourself who kind of paved the way for them?

JC: Yes, I really think they do. Especially the young artists I meet at the Grand Ole Opry. They show respect, and that gives me hope. See, a lot of people say you have to resist change. But that’s not healthy. Change is a part of life. I don’t think music has to be “new” or “traditional.” It doesn’t have to be one thing or the other, it can be what it is.

AH: Back in the early ’80s when all those hits started coming one after the other, what was that experience like for you?

JC: It was definitely a life-changing experience. I had seen my life from the other side of the microphone in radio, and all of a sudden I got on this great ride. One of the things that I regret is that you lose all of your free time when something like that happens. Everyone wants you to do something, and you’re always in demand. I regret that I didn’t take the opportunity to enjoy and remember all the things I was getting to do then.

AH: When you have that kind of fame and success, does it change your perception of yourself or your career?

JC: It definitely changes everything. When you get on a run like that, you quit doing things like trying to write the songs like you’d always done and spend your time trying to be successful. And, anyway, all the best writers are suddenly throwing their best stuff at you. I got to the point where I didn’t care where the song came from, so long as it had the right sound.

AH: Why, when someone like you could rest on your laurels, do you keep going out there and performing? Is this part of who you are now?

JC: I feel like I’ve been called to this. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing. God gave me this voice, and as long as it remains true, I’ll keep singing. I’ve read the Bible through two or three times, and retirement is nowhere in it. I just don’t see me doing that.

Tickets for Conlee’s show, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at the downtown venue, are available at the the WTIF Hometown Country and Real Country 99.9 studios at 114 Kent Road in Tifton, online at www.itickets.com or by calling (800) 965-9324.