Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Channels His Love For Country Music Into An Original Song
on
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career has taken many twists and turns over the years, and it may be taking yet another as he leans toward music.
While the wrestler-turned-blockbuster-movie-star has previously shown off his singing chops in the Moana films, he’s now released an original song.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the song was framed in light of Johnson’s affinity for country music, with the song’s production as an acoustic piece highlighted.
RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Gives “Choosin’ Texas” A Bluegrass Twist – See Ella’s Reaction
See Which Country Artists Inspire Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, And Hear His Song
“At a very early age, my deep influences were Sam Cooke, Elvis [Presley], George Jones, Merle Haggard, even Johnny Paycheck,” said Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in an Aug. 11 interview with Rolling Stone. “Guys like that who just were on top of their genres.”
He even revealed that another person he looks up to, Willie Nelson, gifted him his first guitar.
Of that special gift, Johnson said:
“Willie Nelson… gave me my first guitar. You know the Trigger guitar he has? The historic one? I guess Martin only made 100 of those. As a birthday gift, ’cause I was such a huge fan, he gave me one of those. I mean, I play like dog s**t compared to him, but it’s still a cool gift.”
Turning to his song, which is titled “Your Dad,” Johnson spoke further on his passion for country music, saying, “Music has always been such an anchor for me, and very specifically in genres that I love, like country music, traditional country music.”
That love grew, in part, from his time living in Nashville as a teenager.
Now, all of that admiration and years of experience as an entertainer finds Johnson as the singer of an original song
“Your Dad” — which is co-written by Johnson, American Idol Season 21 winner Iam Tongi, and Johnny Reid — is part of the Disney album Moana: Voices Across The Ocean (Music Inspired By).
As he began thinking of what he could contribute to the album, Johnson expressed that he hoped to work with someone on writing a song, and he recalled, “I called Iam Tongi and I said, ‘Hey brother, do you have anything in mind that maybe it’s already in your brain, in your heart, that we could make mine?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I think I do.’”
Channeling his own grief over the death of his father, Rodney, Tongi co-wrote “Your Dad” with Johnson, and Johnson said that after a few days of work, he heard the song “and got very emotional,” adding, “I was crying.”
Together, they worked to make it a song that honors their late fathers, while also serving as a tribute to Johnson’s daughters.
The music video for “Your Dad” is filled with photos and video of Johnson with his daughters throughout their life, and it also finds Johnson engaging with his Samoan heritage.
Looking ahead, he said, “My thought is, ‘Oh, man, I wanna go and write and sing and explore the things that I love.'”
Watch Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sing “Your Dad,” and decide for yourself if it’s a country song, here:
Take a look back at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character in Disney’s Moana (2016) sing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s song “You’re Welcome,” here:
RELATED: Fans React To Beyonce’s Best Country Album Grammy Award Win
