Forty-seven-year-old Shane Bates cannot believe his luck. A year ago, he was working at the Brownsville TVA plant on fire watching duty and today he is a reputable song-writer with two songs recorded.
Bates, said his parents, Big Sandy residents, Jerry and Paulette Bates, were instrumental in making him fall in love with country music. “My dad played in a country band and my mom always listened to country music, still does. I have just always loved it.” He turned that love of classic country hit makers like George Jones into what he hopes to become his career.
Bates said at the insistence of his fiancée Michelle Hunt, he started penning thoughts that “popped into his head. For instance, I started thinking about my grandparents and the words started pouring out. I just put the words into my phone when the inspiration hits.”
The “inspiration” he speaks of hit with a song entitled “Ghost” recorded by country music artist, Rob Georg. “The song can speak to everybody,” Bates insisted. “Ghost tells about losing a loved one through death or other circumstances in life.”
Bates’ first song to be released, dropped on April 26 and has been gaining momentum on country music radio. He just received word that his second song, “This Old House” will be released in January of next year, also performed by Georg.
Bates said he hopes to have a long career as a song writer and looks forward to what the future holds for him in the industry. Bates beamed, “I just can’t believe how lucky I’ve been so far. In a year, I have fulfilled so many dreams and I am just getting started.”
The singer, Rob Georg, currently sits at #6 on the National Radio Hits AC Top 40 for the week of May 8, beating out Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Jonas Brothers.
