Sam Grow on How His Devotion to His Wife Ultimately Saved Him: ‘Jack Daniel’s Was My First Love’ (Exclusive)

Grow himself rarely records a song he didn’t write.

But when Grow first heard the beginning of the song, originally penned by songwriter Johnny Gates, the Kansas-born singer/songwriter knew immediately that “Loretta” was a song he couldn’t pass up.

“It’s just more one of my favorite songs I’ve ever heard… ever,” Grow, 36, says of the song, whose official visualiser video premieres exclusively on PEOPLE. “I invited Johnny on a writing trip with me to Muscle Shoals, and while we were writing other songs, he started talking about ‘Loretta.’ ”

Certainly, more than a year since her death, Loretta Lynn remains an inspiration to countless country music artists. And it was her spirit that ultimately breathed new life into the song Gates originally wrote in 2020.

“What a gift it was to cut this song,” Grow says of the song, which Gates originally released as a single for himself. “I got to record it and now it’s going to be a single for me, so I’ll be able to sing it every night, which makes me very excited.”

Sam Grow.

Eric Ahlgrim

Certainly, Grow says shedding light on the country legend’s legacy is also a huge source of excitement for him.

“I’m a huge Opry fan and advocate,” says Grow. “So naturally, it’s in my blood to appreciate anybody who came through that time and who kind of built the church of country music. And I don’t think you can discuss any of that without talking about Loretta Lynn.”

The beautiful new track also serves as a reminder to Grow of a time when he actually lacked true love in his life. “I’m very happy and I’m in a relationship now,” Grow says, referring to his wife, Kelsey, whom he married in November 2022. “When I was listening [‘Loretta’] I started thinking about how I would feel if something ever happened to us? That would be the only way I could describe it. It’s a different kind of longing.”

But times weren’t always this good for Grow.

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Sam Grow.

Eric Ahlgrim

“Dating a musician is not an easy thing,” says Grow, who released his first studio album Love and whiskey in 2019. “There was a period in my life when I was easily on the road 250 days a year. I went through another inevitable breakup and I was having a hard time, and I got a direct message from my now-wife who basically said, ‘Just I want you to know that I understand that you are going through a very difficult time, and I just want to let you know that God told me to pray for you.'”

From there the two became friends. And then they became much more.

“Pretty much right after I kissed her for the first time, I knew she was different than anyone I’d ever dated,” Grow notes. “So within 30 days of kissing her I bought a ring in anticipation of knowing she was mine forever.”

Grow says that love changed everything for him, including his love for anything except her. “Nothing is more important than that relationship,” he says. “And for the first time in my life, I realized there was nothing I loved more than my wife. I mean, Jack Daniel’s was my first love.”

He wrote about his battle with alcohol in an Instagram post last June while explaining the meaning of his latest tattoo.

“When my wife met me, I was a drinker.. not just occasional, not just ‘weekends’. A whole bottle of Jack Daniels became the daily norm and my closest people in my life were constantly worried about my state. I didn’t drink because it was cool, I drank to numb out,” Grow wrote alongside the photo.

“I’m SUPER sensitive to words like ‘alcoholic’ or ‘sober’ because I was a kid who went to Al-Anon sessions talking about other family members.. but it’s safe to say I had a problem and had no intention of quitting at all . In the early stages of the relationship, my wife recognized this quickly.. she said her least favorite part of my drinking was when she could watch the light leave my eyes.. that it broke her heart in half.”

He continued: “After one of my opening nights, which I usually drank even more, she said something to me the next day that was a complete game changer for me… while I was nursing my millionth hangover and taking another bath of regret . . she told me she wanted to talk.”

“She started by first saying that she would help me get through it.. I WAS capable.. and most importantly she told me that no matter what, she wasn’t going anywhere… that she would stick by me.. and in at that moment I was overwhelmed with gratitude but also sadness.. I told her how grateful I was that she didn’t run, I also told her how sorry I was for getting lost.. to which she replied.. none of that you are done things.. it’s over.. the next steps are what counts to fix things.. ‘Go baby. Always go,’ Grow wrote.

“Since then, those words have been our motto and what kept me from slipping back into bad habits.. Now I can drink bourbon to enjoy one.. and not pass out. I’m a blessed man to be in that position as I knew myself many who couldn’t and still can’t. So tonight I got this tattoo (in her handwriting) as a daily reminder that you are not defined by the mistakes you made in the past.. but you are defined by the steps you take to change.”

Grow concluded, “If you are fighting a battle right now, know that my heart and prayers are with you and please stop getting caught up in what you have done.. and start FORGIVING YOURSELF and working on what you are going to DO. I love you all 🖤”

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Sam Grow.

Eric Ahlgrim

Today, the love that Grow is now finding in his life seems to be directing the music that will soon be included on Grow’s upcoming album, Avalon Avenuewhich will be published on January 19. But there is ia place also inspiring music.

“Muscle Shoals has its own vibe and energy, and it reminds me of my first trip to Tennessee almost 10 years ago,” Grow says of recording at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

“Nashville had that feeling that you could just feel in the streets. There weren’t any big hotels or anything like that yet. It was just this creative energy. And when I first got to Muscle Shoals, I could feel it there, too. So I wanted to make this album there.”

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Source: HIS Education