'I'm not done dreaming': Brown lands song on Strait's new album

While growing up in Maceo, Marty Brown had his eyes set on becoming a musician.

“I had a dream, and I believed in God and believed in myself,” he said. “I would take my trips from Maceo to Nashville as soon as I got my driver’s license … and go down there and try to get somebody to listen to me.

“It wasn’t an overnight thing, but I kept going.”

Now at 58, Brown, who resides in Franklin, continues to keep the dream alive as his songwriting talents made its way to Grammy Award-winning country superstar George Strait, who will be releasing Brown’s song, “To The Moon,” co-written by Steve Clark, as one of the tracks on his upcoming album, “Cowboys and Dreamers,” produced by fellow Grammy winner Tony Brown.

After getting signed at the age of 24 by Tony Brown, then-president of MCA Records, in the early 1990s, Brown came onto the music scene with his first single, ‘’Every Now and Then,” in 1991 off his debut album, “High and Dry.” That led to appearances on the former Nashville Network, a segment on CBS’ ”48 Hours” and on videos that aired on Country Music Television (CMT).

Brown continued his career with the release of three more records and touring with country artists and groups like Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr.

He also performed at the Grand Ole Opry multiple times and the Ryman Auditorium.

“I was just thankful back in the 90s, you know?” Brown said. “I lived it, I breathed it; it’s all I wanted to do.”

But after touring for a decade, Brown decided during a show in the mid 1990s to put his performing career on hold indefinitely.

“I was opening up for Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks,” he said. “I’d already played my show and was up on the bus with Garth … while Brooks & Dunn were doing their part, and I looked at Garth and I said, ‘Man, I’m thinking this is about as far as I’m going to take it. I’m just gonna go back home and write the hit songs …,” Brown said. “(Garth) said, ‘That’s what you need to do then.’ ”

Brown eventually bought his own horse, a goal of his for years, and began riding and writing songs following his departure from the stage.

One of those songs, “I’m from the Country,” was a track Brown felt confident in and brought it to Tony Brown’s attention.

“I really thought it had a real good chance,” he said. “So I put my ol’ floppy cowboy hat on, walked into Tony Brown’s office (in Nashville) and said, ‘I got one.’ ”

The song became a crossover hit for country artist Tracy Byrd, peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 63 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 all genres chart in 1998.

Brown continued his songwriting career, penning songs like “It Ain’t Me if It Ain’t You,” released by former tour mates Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins’ ”When I Stop Loving You” and Kevin Fowler’s “I Pulled a Hank Last Night.”

“I tell everybody that God is my invisible co-writer because He’s with me on every song,” Brown said of his songwriting. “All I do is hold the pen; He just gives me the idea.”

But in 2013, Brown reemerged in the public eye as a performer after appearing as a contestant on the eighth season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” where he received a standing ovation from judges Howard Stern and Howie Mandell after performing his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”

Months before his episode aired, Brown and his wife, Shellie Brown, took a day trip to Nashville under the guise of having a “romantic lunch” at Amerigo Italian Restaurant, before finding out his wife signed him up for the television show, which was holding regional auditions nearby that same day.

Brown progressed in the competition with versions of Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All” and Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” before being eliminated in the semifinals after his performance of Rascal Flatts’ ”Bless the Broken Road.”

Even though Brown didn’t win, he found the show gave him a second chance back in the spotlight.

“You know, I did the thing in the 90s and everything as an artist and stuff,” he said, “and then (with) ‘America’s Got Talent,’ when I went on there, it brought new fans.

“It’s kind of a neat thing.”

Since then, Brown has resumed his music career releasing the album “American Highway” in 2019 and began touring again as an artist.

He was also inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2022 alongside late bluegrass musician Pete Goble, late fingerstyle player and guitarist Paul Yandell, Grand Ole Opry background vocalist Norah Lee Allen, pedal steel guitarist Tommy White and Grammy Award-winner Carly Pearce.

In December, Brown inked an administrative publishing contract with Universal Publishing.

But Brown still has kept up his songwriting chops, eventually writing “To The Moon” for his wife, who he’s been with for nearly three decades, before sharing it with Tony Brown via email.

“I thought, ‘You know what? It’s a beautiful love song’ and I said, ‘I need to send that to Tony Brown,’ ” he said. “But first, I went to Nashville and made my record of it, and recorded it and it sounded wonderful … (before sending it out) for other artists.”

Brown said he received a call from his former producer “immediately” upon sending the track, with Strait on the other line.

“We’re on a three-way call and Tony said, ‘Marty, I love that love song.’ He said, ‘It’s got me back with George Strait. We’re gonna go in and record that thing. Oh, and by the way, George is listening,’ ” Brown said with a laugh. “George (came) on and said, ‘Marty, I love that song. I want to record that song.’

“That’s every songwriter’s dream, to get a song recorded by George Strait.”

Brown had the opportunity to attend the album listening party, where he heard Strait sing the lyrics with a 26-piece orchestra.

“I’m really excited (for the release),” Brown said.

Regarding his continuing career, Brown has no plans of slowing down just yet.

“I’m not done dreaming,” he said. “I feel blessed and fortunate that God loves me this much; God loves everybody, and I love Him, and I thank Him every day for the life that He’s given me.

“You shoot for the stars in this life, and if you don’t try, you’re not gonna do anything.”