Isn’t it funny that we don’t discover many of our talents until much later in life? I never knew I could sing like Pavarotti and play guitar like Jimi Hendrix until I tried.
I’ve always liked to sing, and fortunately the Good Lord blessed me with a loud, booming voice. More than anything, I like to make loud, joyful noises. Hey, that’s what the Good Book tells us to do! I like to sing just about everywhere: in the shower, in my truck, in the duck blind, on the front porch, and in the bed. I especially like singing at church. Singing at church always fills me with peace and si-renity. There’s just something about praising the One who made us that calms our souls.
Now, I’ve never claimed to be a great singer, but I like to think I’m pretty entertaining. Like everything else I do in life, I try to have fun while I’m singing. I know my voice is far from polished. It’s more of a work in progress. In fact, my vocal range is kind of like a mutt—it’s a mix of bass, baritone, tenor, and alto! When I sing inside the house, Christine tells me to be quiet because our windows aren’t insured.
Over the years, I’ve figured out that singing is kind of like locking myself out of my truck—I can never find the right key! In fact, there have been more than a few times in church when the sweet little lady sitting in front of me has suddenly stood up, stuck her fingers in her ears, and walked out of Sunday morning service. Hey, I know my voice isn’t for everyone! It’s kind of like unsweetened tea—it’s an acquired taste.
Though I started singing when I was very young, I never learned how to play the guitar, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m a big fan of legendary guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, B. B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. When I was in the army and stationed in Vietnam, I liked to listen to the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. That’s the kind of music we listened to during the 1960s. Later, rock bands like AC/DC and Van Halen were popular. I’ll tell you one thing: I’m far more interested in a Stairway to Heaven than a Highway to Hell. You know what I’m saying, Jack?
Isn’t it funny that we don’t discover many of our talents until much later in life? I never knew I could sing like Pavarotti and play guitar like Jimi Hendrix until I tried.
Anyway, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play guitar, but never had the money to buy one or the time or patience to learn how to play it. Not too long ago, I was invited to attend a charity concert in Shreveport, Louisiana. Chris Cagle, a country singer from DeRidder, Louisiana, was the main attraction. Chris grew up in Texas and moved to Nashville, where he paid his dues to become a big-time musician. He waited tables and even worked as a nanny while mastering his art. Eventually, he signed a recording deal with Virgin Records and released five albums. Some of his hit songs include “I Breathe In, I Breathe Out” and “Laredo.” My personal favorite might be “Wal-Mart Parking Lot.” Hey, who doesn’t like cruising in a Walmart parking lot?
Before the charity concert, I met Chris and he invited me to come on stage and sing with him. He told me he was going to hand me a guitar when I was out there.
“What are you going to do with it?” he asked me.
“I’m going to let it rip,” I said.
“I’ll give you a guitar and it won’t be hooked up to an amp,” Chris said. “We call it air guitar. Just follow my lead.”
When I walked out onto the stage, the crowd went nuts. One of the roadies handed me a guitar, and I watched Chris and his bass player and followed their lead. I was going crazy with the guitar, and the fans actually believed I was playing it! One of the guys backstage told my buddy Phillip McMillan: “Man, I didn’t know Si could play a guitar like that.” Phillip said: “Oh, he can skin it.” I played a couple of songs with Chris and his band, and then the crowd wanted an encore. I went back onstage and played three more songs with them.
Needless to say, the excitement and rush from that night had me hooked. I’d never felt so much adrenaline. I had to learn how to play guitar! I told Phillip to find me a guitar instructor as soon as possible. Once I started my lessons, it didn’t take me long to figure out that plucking duck feathers is a lot easier than plucking guitar strings. In many ways, marriage is a lot like playing guitar. It looks pretty easy until you actually try it! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out how to play a guitar. I always seemed to be out of tune and learning the chords was nearly impossible for me. Do you know the difference between a John Deere tractor and an electric guitar? You can actually tune the tractor, Jack!
After a few weeks, I was pretty discouraged. My teachers were even more frustrated. Two of them actually walked out on me and said I was a lost cause. I have to admit: I was beginning to think the music industry and I might not be a good match. I needed a duet-yourself kit, if you know what I mean. I knew that with my voice, I could become a pretty good country-and-western singer, if I could only learn how to play a guitar.
Fortunately, the Good Lord sent me an angel. Travis Perry was a real estate agent in Dothan, Alabama, until the housing market crashed. Then he opened a music store and started teaching guitar lessons. In 2010, Travis invented a device called the ChordBuddy to help his daughter learn how to play guitar. You might have seen him on ABC’s Shark Tank not too long ago. The ChordBuddy is a magical, color-coded device that attaches to the neck of a guitar. Travis says the ChordBuddy has a 90 percent success rate and allows students to learn how to play guitar in only a few weeks.
Travis came to my house and worked with me for a few days. He showed me how the ChordBuddy worked, and I was strumming six strings before too long. Hey, I still have a long way to go. I’m not actually making music yet, but I’m making plenty of progress. My momma and daddy didn’t raise a quitter, Jack! Travis asked me what kind of music I wanted to play. I told him I preferred country and western, but I thought I might broaden my horizons once I mastered the guitar. I could even see myself singing a cappella or opera one day.
Travis and I became good friends, and he invited me to Dothan to perform with his bluegrass band last summer. I didn’t play the guitar with them, but I sang George Jones’s hit song “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” and Willie Nelson’s “Seven Spanish Angels.” Later that night, Travis asked me if I wanted to go see one of his buddy’s bands play at a dance hall. His friend Jeff Gordon had a very good singing voice and was a heck of an entertainer. As I watched him, I thought to myself, I can do this. After a few songs, Travis asked me if I wanted to perform with Jeff. “I think he knows George Jones,” Travis said.
As soon as I heard “George Jones,” I jumped up on stage with Jeff. I sang a few songs with his band, and the crowd went crazy. Jeff’s band started playing Don Williams’s hit song “Tulsa Time,” and he asked me if I knew the lyrics. “No,” I told him, “but start singing it, and I’ll catch up with you.”
“You’re crazy, Robertson,” Jeff told me. “You act like you’ve been up on stage forever.”
One day, I might hit the road with Travis and his band. We already have a name for our band—Si Robertson and the Si-clones. That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
A few months after I met Travis, Avery Michaels, a country-and-western singer from Jena, Louisiana, did a show at my nephew Willie Robertson’s restaurant—Willie’s Duck Diner in West Monroe. I got to perform with Avery, and we had a real connection on stage. Avery’s actual name is Avery Michael Belgard, and his father, Harvey Belgard, is also a very accomplished musician. His dad turned down a recording contract in 1953 because he didn’t want to move his family to Nashville. He wanted to stay in a small town where he could raise his five children in a church. I’ve been to Avery’s father’s house and picked on the porch with him. His father is so talented that he can make the sounds of a harmonica—without actually having the musical instrument in his hands! I’m telling you, when the Good Lord designed the human body, he spent extra time on the vocal cords. It’s absolutely amazing what a voice can do.
Avery and I have played together a few times over the past couple of years. We performed at the Duck Commander warehouse on the Fourth of July in 2015. When I learn how to play the guitar well, I might even go on the road with him.
In only a short time, I’ve made a lot of great memories in music and played with many talented musicians. I was fortunate enough to sing “Wagon Wheel” with Darius Rucker and my daughter-in-law, Marsha, who is married to my son, Scott. I’d previously appeared in one of Darius’s music videos, and he’s such a great guy. I also played with the Mauldin Brothers outside Rippy’s in Nashville.
In 2013, my family released a Christmas CD called Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas. I sang “Hairy Christmas” with Luke Bryan, my brother Phil, and my nephews, Jase and Jep. I also sang a few others songs, such as “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “The Night Before Christmas.” It was a lot of fun and the CD received mostly positive reviews. I even recorded a song with Kix Brooks from Brooks & Dunn on the CD.
Now, the highlight of my music career occurred on November 14, 2015. On that night, I had the unbelievable honor of performing with Billy Dean and Billy Ray Cyrus at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. When I walked on stage with Billy Dean, he could sense that I was very nervous playing on country music’s most famous stage.
“Hey, brother, I’m right there with you,” Billy told me. “It happens to me every time I sing here. It’s kind of like a dream for people in the business. It’s when they can say, ‘I’ve made it.’ ”
I couldn’t believe I was standing where George Jones once stood and sang. Not only him—all the legendary singers in country-and-western music have performed there, and I now had the same honor. I looked down at the eight-foot wooden circle on the stage that came from Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry’s home from 1943 to 1974, and took a deep breath. I knew there were men and women in country music who would cut off their arms to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. I knew how truly lucky I was. Marsha and I sang “I Miss Billy the Kid” with Billy Dean, and “Some Gave All” with Billy Ray Cyrus. It was a night Marsha and I will never forget.
One thing I’ve learned about the music industry is that it’s a tough business to make it big in. I’m fortunate in that I get to sing and play guitar without needing the money to pay my bills. I’d hate to have to do it to make a living. Everything has to line up perfectly for someone to hit it big in Nashville.
I enjoy singing and playing guitar and it’s a good way for me to unwind. I’m confident music is going to be my future. When Duck Dynasty goes down the drain, Silas Merritt Robertson is going to hit the road. I’m going on tour, and I’ll be back at the Grand Ole Opry one day.