Covington native celebrates first Grammy nomination

COVINGTON, Ga. - For the rest of his life, Covington native Drew Parker will be known as "Grammy nominee Drew Parker." And it’s an introduction that still hasn’t quite sunk in for the singer-songwriter.

"It’s crazy! The only Grammy that I’ve ever thought of in my life is my Grandma," said Parker, laughing.

The musician is nominated for Best Country Song for "Doin’ This," which he wrote with Luke Combs and Robert Williford and which was recorded by Combs. The nomination is an enormous achievement for the 2010 Alcovy High School graduate, who says he grew up dreaming of playing in packed venues, though not necessarily as a musician.

"I wanted to be a baseball player. I mean, I wanted to play for the Atlanta Braves," he says. "Music was always the next thing in line for me. It was never priority until I was probably about 18 years old. And then I was like, ‘Not gonna become a professional baseball player. But I’m playing all these places around Covington.’"

And those smaller gigs led to larger and larger ones. Along with penning huge hits for other artists, Parker is busy recording and releasing his own music. And this January, he’ll launch his first-ever headlining tour.

"I’m super excited about that, kicking it off in my favorite venue — other than the Grand Ole Opry or the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville — my third-favorite venue of all time, the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia. I’m a big Bulldogs fan, and so, I can’t wait to come down there." 

A Georgia boy still hitting home runs…in a different kind of ballgame.

For more information on Drew Parker’s music and upcoming tour, click here.