Three chords and the truth. That’s country music. And that is Lane Turner.
Born and raised in West Texas, country music was anything but short in supply for Lane. The story-telling and simplicity of life found in classic songs by legends like Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson resonated with him. "I thought alot as a kid. And I remember listening to "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and just being so into it and feeling the emotion. Even as a little kid, I got those songs. The simplicity of it could connect with me," says Turner. The influences didn’t stop there. "My first record was Elvis. My mom was a big Elvis fan. Of course, at the time, Elvis was rock and roll, but if you listen to it now, it fits right into the country genre. They're all story songs."
From the very beginning, music was a huge part of Lane’s life. No matter what he was doing, the radio was always on. His parents picked up on his love for music, and bought him a guitar. Lane recalls, “I would sit in my room for hours, and listen to the radio and try to play what I heard.”
Those hours paid off, and in time Lane gained confidence in his talent. In college he formed a band called Diamondback with his roommates. The band quickly gained notoriety around the West Texas area. “Before you knew it, we were playing every weekend. We played every dance, every rodeo, every bar in West Texas. Then, all of sudden, we’re opening for Brooks and Dunn, and Mark Chestnut, and Hal Ketchum.”
Music wasn’t Lane’s only interest in college. While at Texas Tech, he was named an All- American Decathlon runner. In 1990, he made the Olympic Festival team, and competed in a mini-Olympic competition held in the U.S. He trained for the 1992 Olympics, but was injured right before the Olympic trials. That was also one of the busiest times for Diamondback. “I was training for the ’92 Olympics. And that’s all I did. Trained during the day, and played with the band at night. By that time, we were playing every night. Music paid my way.”
After college, the members of Diamondback went their separate ways, but Lane still had that drive inside him to create music. He had created a name for himself with the success of the band, so he decided to test the waters outside of West Texas. "I thought, if I can go to a bigger city, and do well, then the move to Nashville wouldn't seem so scary." So, in 1994, he made the move to Ft. Worth. Within a year, he had played that circuit, had great success, and decided to take the plunge and go to Nashville.
Since moving to Nashville, Lane has experienced the ups and downs of this industry. He credits manual labor for maintaining a balance in his life. "The music business is so subjective. You can write this beautiful piece of music, and you just have to throw it out there and hope somebody likes it. So, I find this great balance in work. Physical labor, working with my hands, is such a great satisfaction. You can immediately see the result. For me, it keeps me sane."
The same thing can be said about his songwriting. “I always write what I'm feeling. It comes to me in moments, and I'll be inspired to write." One thing that never ceases to inspire him is his family. He is happily married to wife, Paula, and they have a 3 year-old son, Sam. Of his family life, Lane says, “I am the absolute luckiest person in the world. I love being a husband and I love being a dad.” No matter how great life may be, it’s not always the happy love songs that Lane is compelled to write. “I am one of the happiest guys you’ll ever meet. But, for whatever reason, there’s something in me that’s drawn to sad songs. They really speak to me. So, I tend to write more when life gets hard.” Whatever the topic may be, one thing rings true for Lane. “The key is to say something in a way that’s never been said before.”
In 2008, Lane was featured as a contestant on The Next GAC Star. His traditional heritage and blue-collar roots made him a fan favorite. As luck would have it, he was announced as the runner-up on the finale. But that’s not stopping him. “My track coach in college told me that the great thing I had was enthusiasm. I was excited. I was always there early, and I was always staying late. Because I loved it.” That same enthusiasm and love for music is going to be Lane Turner’s staying power.
