There might be a little “dust on David Lee Murphy, but don’t let it fool ya about what’s inside.”
David Lee, 59, scored the second No. 1 single of his career this week with “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” which features vocals from Kenny Chesney. The tune topped both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart.
“When Kenny asked me about making a record, I thought that sounded like a whole lot of fun,” says David Lee. “I love to make music, just as much as I love writing songs. So, we went in without expectations, and I wouldn’t have imagined this. But it sure feels good.”
David Lee, who’s probably best known for his 1995 No. 1 hit, “Dust on the Bottle,” hadn’t scored a hit—as a singer—since 2004’s “Loco,” which reached No. 5. But over the last dozen or so years, the Illinois native has stayed busy as a songwriter, penning hits such as “Big Green Tractor” (Jason Aldean), “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” (Thompson Square), “Anywhere With You” (Jake Owen), “The More I Drink” (Blake Shelton), “’Til It’s Gone” (Kenny Chesney) and more.
“It feels good,” says David Lee. “To know my music is hitting this kind of place in people’s hearts . . . that’s the reason I write these songs: to make people feel something about their life. So, the response when I play it live, now with the No. 1, is everything I could hope for, and I am so grateful to the Reviver Records team for believing, and to country radio for letting this music be heard. That’s how the dots get connected.”
photo by Kristin Barlowe