Jimmy Wayne
“Sara Smile” is more than another hit record for Jimmy Wayne. Much more.
“For 13 years, I have been singing that song,” he explains. “I sang it on the prison yard when I worked at the prison. Even though I didn’t write it, I sang it at writers’ nights in Nashville. It is the song that taught me how to play the guitar. In 2002, I sang ‘Sara Smile’ for Scott Borchetta, and he gave me a record deal. This song has had a major impact on my life.”
Jimmy Wayne’s remake of the Hall & Oates pop classic is now the centerpiece of an album that showcases his formidable talents as both a vocalist and a songwriter. His soulful singing permeates every note of such soaring, powerful ballads as “All the Time in the World,” “Belongs to You” and “Counting the Days.” He rocks splendidly on “There’s a Memory” and “Things I
Believe.”
As a songwriter, Jimmy Wayne is uplifting and inspirational on “Just Knowing You Love Me.” He is soft, romantic and dreamy in “Just Look at You.” “Elephant Ears” is touching and tender. In “I’ll Never Leave You,” which he wrote alone, he finds a new way to explore a loving relationship.
Wayne will be on the Summer Motion stage July 6. The JaneDears will play before him.
Wayne's new album caps what has been an extraordinary year for him. “Do You Believe Me Now” soared to the top of the country charts, was No. 1 for three weeks and became one of the biggest hits of 2008-2009. He toured with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley and played Madison Square Garden. Nashville Lifestyles magazine named him one of its “Beautiful People of
2009.”
“It’s been amazing,” he says gratefully. “It just goes to show you what perseverance can do. That, plus having a great team.”
In 2008, Jimmy Wayne’s career was stone cold. “Do You Believe Me Now” turned him into one of the greatest comeback stories in modern country-music history. Adversity is nothing new to this gifted artist. As his fans know, Jimmy Wayne survived a turbulent, abusive childhood. His father abandoned the family. His mother went to prison, and he was shuttled to a series of foster homes. His stepfather tried to murder him. He was a homeless teen, living by his wits on the street.
“I became very independent. I had to depend on myself. Folks ask me why I don’t drink. It’s because I needed and wanted to be very conscious of what I was doing at all times. That’s what helped me to survive.”
A North Carolina couple named Russell and Beatrice Costner took him in and encouraged his evolving love of music. At the time, he was singing and writing in a variety of styles, rock, country and even rap and opera.
