Country Music Artist - Perry Ashley


Singer - Songwriter
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Bio:
Perry Ashley is a young country singer from Florida who remembers back when, as an eight year old with five dollars in his pocket, he made a decision that would change his life forever. One day at a yard sale with his mother, Perry laid his eyes on a guitar marked for sale for five dollars.

A youthful business decision came to Perry’s mind that was strongly influenced by countless other yard sales attended with his mother and grandmother. He bravely offered to take the guitar off the sales lady's hands for three dollars. After pausing to think it over, she nodded her approval and Perry gave her a big smile feeling he had made a great purchase. Unknowingly this "yard sale" lady set Perry on a journey that was to take him to Nashville and his dream of recording.

It wasn't quite so direct and easy as that however. The other two dollars were required for Perry to purchase guitar strings. Along’ with this purchase, came his parents love and belief in their son and his mother suggested that Perry take guitar lessons. The guitar purchase and the lessons have been indelibly set in Perry’s memory and he now realizes it was a major step in symbolizing his dedication to a career in music and songwriting.

As a young boy, Perry can recall the impression made on him by listening to great music from Alabama, Eric Clapton, Credence Clearwater and the Beatles. Perry got his first professional music experience performing old rock and roll music as a guitar player with his Dad and life long friend, Alan Barenklau, who taught him how to play. This developing music career combined with his non-music passions of fishing and attending rodeos made his life very enjoyable on every level. During this time he gave up football so he could split his days and nights between working hard during the day and playing music at night.

At fifteen years of age he began to dabble in writing songs although he never felt comfortable calling himself a writer until others began to comment that the songs were good. He says, "Having others like my music and having them react to the songs in a positive way gave me confidence and I am glad that there were family members and friends to give me encouragement. It wasn’t until around seventeen years of age that Perry recalled that this was something he could do for a living and a lifetime.

Perry's entire family is important to his career. He comments, "My brother, Frankie, played the drums and has always been a real inspiration for my dreams of success. Both my Mom and Dad have believed in me since before my first guitar and their love of music has carried me along with a feeling like I represent a musical family and not just me singing for myself.

For Perry things started moving quickly when a demo he recorded made its way to Nashville. He is enthusiastic on remembering that session. "Making a demo for Nashville made me start to believe even more that I could move my music from Florida to the rest of America."

The demo came to the attention of music industry professional, Steven B Riley, who called Perry and moved him one step closer to fulfilling his dream. He drove to Nashville for a meeting with Steve who arranged for a demo session to feel out the material and give him some Nashville experience. The results were met with approval and it has led to a full set of Nashville sessions for his first CD. Steve, on behalf of his Conquest Media Group enlisted Mel Shaw, a Juno Award winning producer, to consult on Perry’s material and assist in the development of some of Perry’s strong original songs that will be included in his first CD.

There are now plans for a video, and in-person dates in Tennessee, Florida and Canada in the months to come. It seems not that long ago that Perry was first playing guitar and drums at local Florida gigs. Now his mind is filled with the music and songs he has been composing and recording.

Perry’s original songs are drawn from either personal happenings in his own life or from his heartfelt viewing of what is happening in the lives of others. Of the songs he presented in Nashville the subject matter ranges from his day-to-day work as expressed in the song, "Roughneck", to the emotional look at how divorce affects children in, "Two Little Boys. "Where Do I Go" is a fun look at the problems that face couples in love. Perry’s other original songs run the emotional roller coaster from sensitive and compassionate to the rowdy side of life.

Perry now feels at home in his Nashville recording situations and while singing at local Nashville clubs. It's all second nature to him and he wants more of it. Perry has completed his first album and is now looking forward to recording his second. Making videos and performing dates all over the USA and other countries as well. He feels his musical life has taken off in a busy schedule of writing, photo sessions, recording and travel.

For Perry, it's a long way from the dreams of a young eight year old boy in Florida who made his way from a yard sale with a second hand three dollar guitar to a million dollar dream. As he reflects back, he can see that first step started the journey and has taken him full circle. With his sights firmly set on a career in music, he states that "it all started with the purchase of a small used guitar. My investment of three dollars has proved to be the best investment I could have ever made. 

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