About This Event
A son of country music royalty, a teenaged Baptist preacher turned addict and actor, Payne sings about fathers and sons, faith and addiction, recovery and renewal with devastating clarity. His character-rich collection harks back to a way of telling stories in song that revealed kept secrets and promised mystery. Over his years, Payne has felt the terrible power secrets can hold and learned the transformative value of releasing them. Finally, hes in a place where he can harness that power to create transcendent work. Payne recorded Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me primarily at Southern Ground Nashville, a converted century-old church building just off Music Row that once housed Monument Studios. Paynes mother, country singer Sammi Smith, cut her iconic version of Kris Kristoffersons Help Me Make It Through the Night at Monument. When Payne recorded his vocals, he says, I stood in the same spot she stood and sang while she was pregnant with me.