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He’s been called a scruffy Brad Pitt and a guy whose face is made for cameras, but....

“To tell you the truth, I don’t pay attention to what any of that means,” said country music artist Andy Griggs who performs at 8 p.m. tonight at the Greeley Independence Stampede. “It kind of goes through one ear and out the other. I read everything but I believe nothing.”

Griggs is more than just a pretty face. He has a powerfully edgy, smoldering voice. He is a proven songwriter, having co-written several of his debut album’s tunes including the title cut, “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely.” Best of all, Griggs is one of a handful of Nashville newcomers whose grittiness, self-assurance and independent attitude may spark creativity and innovation in a genre often criticized for playing it too safe.

Griggs moved to Nashville in 1995 with new wife Stephanie, daughter of gospel singer Jerry Sullivan. It took Griggs almost three years to get a record deal and his first album was released in April 1999. “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely,” the title cut, was a No. 1 single, making Griggs the first male country artist to hit No. 1 with a debut single since 1995. Griggs’ second release, “I’ll Go Crazy,” was a top 10 hit and his third single, “She’s More,” recently reached No. 2 on the Billboard country charts.

Griggs has toured extensively and played a wide spectrum of venues since the album’s release, often opening for such acts as Alan Jackson, Wynonna and Hank Williams Jr.

“There’s all kinds of extremes,” Griggs said. “You have the honky-tonks, you have the fairs, and then you have arenas and theaters. You need them all because they’re apples and oranges. Honky-tonks give you a personal, intimate venue. At fairs, you have a more rowdy, summertime kind of show. The big auditoriums give you the fun and excitement of numbers.

“You never want to lose one. It’s almost like they’re your children. After you go a month without playing a honky-tonk, you miss it. After you go a month without playing an auditorium, you miss it.”
All the touring has left Griggs little time for other activities.

“When was the last time I sat down and, for once, did absolutely nothing?” Griggs asked. “When’s the last time I went fishing? When’s the last time I flew a kite? I love to fly a kite.”

Griggs did take time out to reward himself last fall. To celebrate his musical success he bought an out-of-state hunting license and made a trip to Colorado. He spent four days camped in the mountains with his bow and arrows, re-energizing and reflecting on his success.

“Colorado is one of my favorite states,” Griggs said. “There’s places in Colorado where I think I’m the only one on the planet and that’s what I like.”

Griggs has always considered himself an outdoorsman and recently contributed a song from his album to Tracy Byrd’s Wonders of Wildlife CD. Proceeds from that album will go to organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation that are dedicated to preserving and restoring wilderness areas and wildlife habitat.

“We’ve been wanting to take a stand for quite a while to both protect our rights and help out in any and every conservation effort there is,” Griggs said.

Griggs seems to be an artist comfortable both with who he is and where he’s going. He uses his favorite quote, “A man without vision perishes,” to guide his life.

“I apply it in everything. It’s great to have a goal and it’s great to achieve goals. Everything’s a race. It’s not about never achieving what you’re after. It’s about having a vision ahead of you. If I reach my vision, then I need to build another one.”

Andy Griggs Photo Album

Mountain West Music 2002