Today we’d like to introduce you to Greyson Turner
Hi Greyson, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in Spartanburg, SC, I garnered a love for music at an early age. Spartanburg has a rich musical history and is home to old blues legends like Pink Anderson and southern rockers like the Marshall Tucker Band. My parents, Gregg and Tonya, taught me to appreciate that history at a young age, and raised me on other classic “oldies” artists like Elvis Presley, Bob Seger, and the Rolling Stones. Listening to these artists at a young age gave me a certain respect for bluesy, raspy, powerful vocals. I began emulating this style as I would sing along to the car radio with my parents at 5 years old. Though neither of my parents were musical people (aside from their love of listening), singing was something that just came naturally to me. I would get up and sing with bands on stage when we vacationed in Myrtle Beach, I would do karaoke every Saturday at our local Mexican restaurant, and I started taking lessons and performing in talent showcases/festivals around the Carolinas. My love for performing even brought me all the way to Las Vegas where, at the age of 10, I spent a stint playing Young Elvis in Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” show. Around that same time, I was learning to play the guitar as well, and shortly after my time in Vegas I wrote my first song.
Back home in South Carolina, I continued working to improve my skills as a musician, singer, and songwriter. I began playing shows for local restaurants, bars, and other events, beginning my life as a gigging musician. I focused on learning music across a variety of genres, ensuring anyone listening could find something they liked. I continued playing shows and writing music as I also balanced graduating high school and college. After getting a degree in accounting from the College of Charleston in 2020, I moved to Austin, TX to pursue my Master’s Degree at UT Austin, which I received in 2021.
When I was deciding where to go to grad school, Austin was high on my radar due to its reputation as one of the best live music cities in the country (after living here and being in the music scene for four years I can definitively say it is the best). After a few months here trying to get my foot in the door of the still recovering from Covid music scene, I started playing gigs at bars, restaurants, and private/corporate events. I found a local rock band, American Megafauna, that I began lead singing for. We released 6 singles and played shows all over the greater Austin area. Within my first couple of years living in Austin, I knew the city was the right place for me to thrive musically, as the opportunities continued to come to me.
At the start of 2024, at the age of 25, I decided it was time for me to get back to recording and releasing music as a solo artist. My last release, aside from my work with American Megafauna, had been in 2018. I knew it had been too long since I had focused on building myself as more than a gigging musician, but also as a solo recording artist. I refocused on writing music for myself, and started spending time at Studio 601 right here in South Austin. There, with producers Mike Ingber and Eric Harrison, I have been crafting songs in the singer/songwriter genre, sonically influenced by artists like Hozier, John Mayer, Sturgill Simpson, and Jason Isbell. My first single in what I’ve deemed the “new era” of Greyson Turner is called “Half A Man”, and it releases to streaming platforms on November 8th, 2024. This will be followed by song releases monthly over the rest of 2024 and the first half of 2025 as I build my catalogue of music.
My musical story started at a young age. 20 years later, it feels like it is starting again with a renewed energy and focus.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life as an entertainer can come with many highs and lots of lows. Disappointment is something you have to get used to in the world of music. I got a taste of this at a young age; I mentioned previously that I was cast as Young Elvis in Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” show in Las Vegas at the age of 10. After moving to Vegas with my mom and my younger brother, and rehearsing the show for nearly half a year, the creator of Cirque du Soleil decided to take the show in a different creative direction. “Viva Elvis” was meant to be one of the first Cirque du Soleil shows that featured dialogued acting, and singing performances in addition to the acrobatic spectacles the company was known for. This idea was scrapped very shortly before the show was supposed to debut, and all of the actors/singers in the show, including myself, were let go.
I was heartbroken and for a short while was unsure if I wanted to continue making my way through the entertainment industry. In hindsight, it was probably good for me to get a taste at a young age of how cutthroat and fast paced life as a performer can be.
Another struggle came a few years later, when I was 15 and auditioned for Fox’s “American Idol”. There, in front of Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban, I was given a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. The excitement was short-lived, as during the Hollywood Week auditions phase, I was cut from the show in the group auditions round.
Again, I tasted disappointment but my spirit was not defeated. On the plane ride back from California, I wrote a song called “Lightning in the Sky” that captured the highs and lows of my American Idol experience and my sense of never backing down, even after a struggle.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer, songwriter, and musician.
I specialize in writing soulful, moving songs that showcase the power and range of my voice. Aside from my original music, I am also known for my versatility and prowess as an entertainer. I love to include cover songs in my sets and I cover a variety of genres, meaning there is something for everyone to enjoy. In my 10+ years of gigging I’ve learned a massive repertoire of songs and often will take requests from the audience. I put my own spin on songs that I cover, leaving the audience feeling like they’ve heard something familiar and new at the same time. I am proud of my ability to entertain people from all walks of life who are fans of all sorts of different musical genres. I love hooking someone’s attention with a cover of a song they love, and then making a real fan out of them when I play an original song.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
While I feel like I still am just starting out as I renew my career as an original solo recording artist, I think I have enough experience in the entertainment industry to say this: if you have a drive in your soul to create, and to show the world the things you’ve made with your talent, do it. Never stop doing it. If you’re like me, and like most creatives I know, there is an innate feeling that your art is what you are meant to do on this Earth. For me, I don’t know what my purpose would be if I didn’t have music.
That can be a scary feeling. I often question “what if this doesn’t work out? What would I be then?” I think these feelings and misgivings are natural when you are on this path. I try my best to not let them get the best of me by always holding on to a true belief in myself and my creations. My mantra is “it will work out.” As a creative, I think that has to be your mindset. There are going to be highs and lows along the way, and most of us have no clue when all of our work will pay off (whatever that means to you). But if you keep the faith in yourself and in your art, and never stop working and improving, good things will happen for you.
Pricing:
- Prices negotiable for live music performance depending on size of band, length of performance, and other factors. I can work with any budget
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/greysonturner
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greyson_turner/profilecard/?igsh=c2hlY2U0NnRvZnVl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/Y1kXpu3dRbTgwehC/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@greysonturneratx?si=e8T5PHS6EXsOiqZp
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gY67rSdoMhEngwwKjVCTu?si=QjHeFwNgSeuSk8myQ3qrfw
Image Credits
Zachary Salas
