Mickey Guyton is a country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material subsequently incorporates elements of contemporary country and R&B music. In 2011, she would later sign a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville, moving to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2015, the label released Guyton’s debut EP, Unbreakable.
Guyton has been in the industry for a decade now, and as recently as last year, she has released some great new music. She has had to overcome many challenging obstacles, and she still sadly faces the backlash for being a black woman in the music industry, but she never let it take her down. Now, she’s one of the greatest, most talented country singers of her generation, and she inspires countless people worldwide. Here are some lesser-known facts about this talented singer.
She considered giving up music.
Near the end of 2020, Guyton released her latest EP titled Bridges. Still, before she started writing and recording those songs, she was seriously considering giving up music because she didn’t feel like she could handle the pressures of the industry anymore. Guyton said that her music felt too personal and that she wasn’t in the right place to allow herself to be that vulnerable. Thankfully, with the help of therapy and putting aside some bad habits, she managed to create and share great new music.
She struggled with racism as a child.
Racism affected Mickey’s education, her parents’ work situation, and practically every other aspect of her life. In an interview with NPR, Guyton talked about how she internalized these experiences as a child, saying, “My dad going to work two hours earlier than everybody, just to solidify his space. Him working overtime to keep us in a private school, because the neighborhood we lived in, they didn’t want black kids to go to that school.” In her song, “Black Like Me,” Guyton applies familiar tools of country storytelling, a small-town backdrop; poignantly down-to-earth scenes of class disparity; admiration for a parent’s hard work to aim her anguish at dehumanizing encounters with racism toward sparking broad empathy.
She auditioned for American Idol.
"American Idol" missed out on one of the most talented country musicians of the past decade when they rejected her. Guyton auditioned for the 8th season of American Idol but was cut out before the live shows.
She has a YouTube series.
Guyton’s music is beautiful, but it’s also amazing to learn about its meaning and inspiration. Insert her YouTube series, Life & Lyrics. Her YouTube series explores her feelings behind the songs, details of her life, special performances and covers, and many more things that people wouldn’t know otherwise. While discussing the series, Guyton said, “We are all going through life one step at a time. And I want to let people in on that journey.”
She loves Dolly Parton.
If there is an icon for country music, that’s Dolly Parton, and Guyton has said on numerous occasions that she is one of her greatest inspirations. She listened to her from a very early age through her family, and she’s one of the reasons she became a country singer. During an interview with Gayle King, she mentioned how much she loved her, yet she’d never had the opportunity to meet her. That’s when Dolly Parton appeared to surprise her, making one of Guyton’s biggest dreams come true.
She was part of a songwriting camp.
Every fan has wondered how their favorite artists come up with such amazing songs and would like to know their songwriting process. Well, Guyton made sure to answer that question for her fans. In 2016, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum organized a festival with multiple influential country singers that hosted signings, performances, and classes for people to attend. Guyton did a songwriting camp in which she shared her secrets and gave valuable advice to young, aspiring artists.
She struggled with finding her place in country music.
Guyton was at a disadvantage when she first started her career. White males mainly dominate country music, so she didn’t feel entirely at ease as a black woman during her first years. She said that people told her, “make sure your songs sound really country because listeners might think you’re being disingenuous. Don’t make your songs sound too R&B. You need to be more authentic.” When she stopped trying to meet other people’s expectations, she felt freer and made some of her best music.
She was discovered in Los Angeles.
Guyton moved to Los Angeles to attend Santa Monica College after high school, where she worked multiple jobs while pursuing her music. While she was there, a friend introduced her to Julian Raymond, a very important producer who was immediately impressed by Mickey’s incredible talent. He then introduced her to Gary Borman and Steve Moir, two executives who have launched the careers of some of the greatest country musicians like Faith Hill. She moved with them to Nashville and began her career.
She was pregnant during quarantine.
As most fans probably know, Mickey became a mother for the first time a couple of months ago. And while she is delighted to have her child, that also meant that she was pregnant during the quarantine. Pregnancy is always complicated, but the circumstances Guyton had to endure were even more challenging. However, she said her pregnancy gave her joy during the tough times. On the birth of her son Grayson, Guyton said, “My life completely changed in an instant. Literally, nothing else matters. I’m so excited and terrified all at the same time. I have no idea what I am doing but am so thankful that God chose me to be this baby’s mom.”
Guyton’s road to fame may not have been easy, but she fought past the negativity and made music to inspire the masses. Guyton has been afraid to speak up about specific issues for much of her career, but she has since had a chance of heart. In an interview with NPR, Guyton said even if her music goes nowhere, she wants to empower people to use their voice.
