Written by Cami Cox
Before noted local musician Eric Dodge takes the stage tonight to open for country star Clint Black at Dixie State University – adding to the lengthy roster of celebrities he has warmed up the stage for during his music career – he and I had a nice conversation about all kinds of things – from facing fears and pursuing dreams to dating and the difference between fame and success. This humble, down-to-earth musician was very open with his responses, which I share here with our readers.
You’re opening for Clint Black tonight. Are you excited?
I’m really excited. He’s one guy I’ve never gotten to open for or meet. I think this is great – right here where I live. It can’t get better than that, right?
You’ve been given a rather large time slot to lead out Clint Black’s concert. Tell us about the set you have planned.
I don’t even think we’re going to fill the whole time. They said to do 45 minutes, and I already know how people feel sometimes about opening acts. Although I know that a lot of my fans and my friends are going to be there, so I’m happy to be able to give them a good amount of music, but I don’t know if I’m going to go all 45 minutes. Maybe like 30 to 40; 35 minutes, maybe.
You’ve opened for quite a few famous country stars over the years. Who has been your favorite, and why?
I’ve always said I liked Collin Raye a lot. I have opened for him a couple of times. I really, really enjoyed opening for John Michael Montgomery. But last year I got to open for Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan. They’re just great ladies. They just sing so good and they’re so talented and everything they did was just amazing – to see how those legends were working that stage and performing. Lorrie Morgan walked offstage and came over, and she asked me if she could buy one of my CDs. I was like, “Whoa, Lorrie Morgan, you are NOT buying my CD. I will give you a CD, happily give you one.” She said, “I know how it is to be an artist who’s trying to make it. I’m buying a CD and you have no choice in this matter.” And she handed me money and walked away with a CD. She really is very cool and I like her and she was talented, so she’s gotta go up on that list, too.
You just came out with a new CD and a new book. Tell us about them.
So I’ve been doing this now about 10 years, and I started my music career different than anybody else – I didn’t want to be a singer, I didn’t want to be a performer. It was like the last thing I wanted to do ever. And that’s what I was saying to these kids (as a judge) at the battle of the bands at (Desert Hills) high school (on Tuesday). I said, “I’m really jealous of you guys, because you couldn’t have paid me enough money in the whole world to stand on that stage in high school in front of my peers. I wouldn’t have done it – there’s no way you would ever see me doing that.”
So, over the last 10 years I’ve learned a lot, I’ve done a lot, and I’ve lost a whole lot of money. And so I wanted to write that book about my journey and some of the things that I’ve learned, to try to hopefully save some of these kids and some of these other musicians who are wanting to make a little bit of money at this – I’d want to save them a whole lot of heartache, a whole lot of money and possibly some time. If they don’t go down some of the paths I did they could shave off a lot of years. If I would’ve known the things that I know now when I was 19 or 20 or just coming out of high school, who knows where I could have been at this point. And so I wanted to get that book out. It was something that was important to me, to try and get the word out to the different musicians and entertainers about some of the problems (in the music industry). I lost thousands and thousands of dollars in scams and things like that.
The CD is just kind of a greatest hits. I’ve done seven albums now, and I wanted to make one that kind of compiled the three Nashville country releases. Everybody kept asking me which CD had which songs, and I was trying to manage inventories with seven different albums. We’ve discontinued a few albums that are only available on iTunes, and we have consolidated my three top selling Nashville albums into one greatest hits CD, and that’s what that “Ultimate Collection” is.
What would you consider to be your “big break,” if you had to pinpoint something that’s really helped you in your career?
Well, there is no such thing, I don’t believe. I mean, some people see it that way. I heard a guy singing a song the other day about how he’d been at it 20 years and then people saw him on TV and called him an overnight success. My big break is my family supporting me. When I was in my mid-20s, standing on a little stage at the St. George Art Festival singing to karaoke tracks, here’s this grown man who doesn’t even know how to play an instrument or write a song for nothing, standing out there singing and working the stage in front of basically friends and family. Most people would just crumble and be so embarrassed they would quit, but I’m packing my own signs up there and putting my name and website on them, and I’m tossing out business cards. I’m this grown man singing to karaoke tracks. My family is there supporting me, and they kept me going and wouldn’t let me quit. I would just say determination and my family would be considered a big break, because I never quit. That’s what kept me from quitting. I’ve had little breaks here and there – people helping me and motivating me. It literally just comes down to: Those who support you are your break.
Eric Dodge, right, and his brother Andy Dodge.
You are very close with your family. What role do they play in your music?
(My brother) Andy is in my band, and he’s part-owner of our record label and he helps me record. He’s really way more than just a band member – he’s my partner in crime. He’s the guy that helps me keep this going. We do great. My other brother helps do my bookings and my sponsorships, and my parents will sell CDs, and my sister does a lot of my posters and advertising. It’s really a family affair for me. That’s how it’s been so good for me, because if I didn’t have their help and they weren’t here to help me I wouldn’t be doing this anymore, that’s for sure.
What are your hopes and goals for, say, the next five years?
I’ve been meeting with some schools and I’ve been doing some keynote-style musical events for schools and youth. I hope to get my message out more. I hope to speak more to schools and I hope to speak more to youth. I hope to do more clinics for up-and-coming musicians. I want to give back more over the next five years. The last five years have just been out there fighting and traveling and crowded with the band and staying in motels all over the country and putting hundreds of thousands of miles on our vehicle. That’s been a lot of fun, and I’m going to keep doing concerts. But I really hope to sort of live more of the purpose I want to live, and that’s giving back to others – groups of people, youth and schools. In my book, I talked a little bit about some of my bullying experiences growing up, and I’ve had a really great time speaking to schools about that.
You mentioned fear of performing was an obstacle when you were younger. What has helped you overcome that fear?
Sometimes I’ll ask people, “What are you scared of?” And if they say, “Well, I’m scared of this, this and this,” then I’ll say, “Then you need to go do it.” You need to face your fears and chase your fears. You’ll find out so much about yourself, and you actually will live a more purposeful life. If you’re always hiding from your fears you’re going to become reclusive and depressed, and that’s exactly what happened to me.
What factors are important in pursuing a music career?
Right at the end of my book, I said, “There’s an entire level of success underneath stardom that people don’t realize is there in the music industry.” They think you’re either not making anything or you’ve got to be a superstar. Look at Macklemore. He’s one of the most famous artists now. He made it without anybody, really – just himself. That’s how you’ve got to do it. You’ve got to run a business, build a fan base. Every one of your fans has connections, and those people will help you if you’re friendly to them and you give back to them.
You’re a local celebrity who happens to be single. Are you actively “out there” in the dating scene?
My music is my marriage. I’m not doing this to find people and make connections as far as single girls and things like that. I am really, really into my purpose and my message and what I’m here for. It actually frustrates some people, some of my friends, because I am so one-track-minded about my music and what I’m trying to do, and it really drives people crazy and they don’t understand why I’m not out living the life and having fun and doing all this stuff. I’m really loving (my music); I’m busy with it, and I want to see it through.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t talked about?
The only thing I would say is just thank you to you guys, The Independent. The Independent has been so good in supporting music. We just need more of that, and just having somebody like you right here in our own town that supports independent and local music is awesome, and that’s something I thank you guys for doing.
THE INDEPENDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
What’s your favorite food?
Are you kidding? I love everything! My favorite food is food.
What would you like on your tombstone?
That’s a great question. Oh my word. I would love something more to the fact of, “He was kind and giving and he made it; he succeeded.” Something to that effect. Life’s tough. It’s a battle every day, and I just want to make it to the end. I just want to know that I made it and I lived a good life and I left a legacy and I was a good example.
What would you like to accomplish in the next year?
Give back more to my friends and fans.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I just want to see myself healthy, happy and still doing what I love.
If you could be anyone else in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Besides my grandpa or my parents – they’re all amazing; my family’s amazing – there are so many people I like, but I really liked Ronald Reagan. That guy was a cool guy. He was well-liked by most – he had an 80 percent approval. He was an actor, and he followed his dreams. Henry Ford is another great example. He didn’t let the rules of society mold him. He just lived his purpose and lived his dreams; he did exactly what he wanted to, and he succeeded, and that’s how Ronald Reagan was. He could be the star of any movie and also run a country.
SEE RELATED STORIES:
Clint Black comes to St. George, Eric Dodge to open
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Clint Black will be ‘Killin’ Time’ in St. George on Feb. 12
