Dillon Carmichael's 'Son of A': A bittersweet tale that stands out in a crowded field

With luck, Kentucky-born Dillon Carmichael has at least six more months to wait before his October 2021-released single "Son of A" hits No. 1 on country radio airplay charts.

Thirty years ago, his uncle John Michael Montgomery's single "I Swear" achieved the same success in two months.

In October 2022, the CEOs at Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group said that roughly 100,000 songs per day were being uploaded to digital devices. In contrast, six decades ago, only 5,000 new albums were being released yearly, according to Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of editorial.

In a marketplace where roughly 500 times more material is being released daily than was the case a half-century ago, the space between where Carmichael's "Son of A" sits just outside of the Top 25 on country's radio charts and the top of the countdown feels vast.

"Unique, unprecedented songs with sensitive, meaningful lyrics don't often get heard [on country radio and DSPs] these days," Carmichael says.

Moreover, the glut of material slows the sharing of more songs to the most number of listeners possible.

"I hate that it takes so long now [for a single to reach No. 1 on country radio]," Miranda Lambert told The Tennessean in a May 2022 interview. "As artists, we have so many songs on our albums. Because it takes so freaking long for one of them to do anything on the charts, we might get two singles to radio."

"Son of A" was Carmichael's third single to radio in under five years after being signed to Sony-distributed Riser House Entertainment.

Of the crop, it's his best work yet.

Notably, Lainey Wilson's "Things a Man Oughta Know" took 64 weeks to hit the top of Billboard's Country Airplay chart in September 2021. Like Carmichael, she was an artist with a decade in Nashville who had to wade through the glut of established stars to finally achieve a deserved moment in the sun.

Carmichael speaks with an easy drawl between sips of coffee while speaking with the Tennessean early on a Tuesday morning. A Zen-like calm underpins his voice when asked about what week 70 of a marketing push feels like as opposed to week 1.

"The village of support I have — radio promoters, record label marketers, the photographers at the photo shoots — they're all working hard," he says. "I'm a patient guy. I'm not on the edge of my seat or anything. I'm just going to keep the faith. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. All I know is that when this song's [trajectory] is completed, I'll know I worked as hard as possible."

Carmichael adds that Montgomery offered him some advice when he started his musical career that feels notable in the wake of the success of "Son of A."

"Look for relatable, timeless songs," he said. "The ones that pay off eventually continue to pay off for generations."

There's an argument to be made that the slow ascent of "Son of A" is tied to the unique authenticity of its subject matter. Jokes about songs with beer, love, trucks, whiskey and wives in their lyrics are commonplace in the genre.

However, "Son of A" tells the true story of a love-laden yet caustic warning from a concerned father to his now-dead son.

Add in that the father is the song's co-writer, Casey Beathard, a 25-year Nashville veteran with two dozen top 10 hits. The son in question is Beathard's son Clayton, who was fatally stabbed during a December 2019 altercation outside of a Nashville bar.

In this context, the raw, riveting power of the subject matter, when coupled with a voice that NPR refers to as a "deep, rich baritone holler," is a stunning combination.

In a video interview, Beathard discussed how Clayton was "in a prodigal spot and running off to make his name."

One evening, while "madder than a hornet" about not achieving the success he wanted, he verbally lashed out at his father and loudly slammed a door in the family home.

As a result, Beathard grounded him. Upon confronting him, he stated: "I might be a son of a b---- to you, but you're the son of a dad and mom who care."

Struck by the poetry inherent in his impromptu speech, he immediately wrote down the line, plus many more.

After Clayton's death, Beathard says he thought about "how much I loved and missed him and what I could've done differently." Then, aware that he had the song that would eventually become 'Son of A' already written, he revisited the lyrics he had already written.

What transpired next adds to the song's astounding story.

"It ministered to my family and me," the songwriter notes.

Upon being presented the song alongside another collaborator, Phil "Philbilly" O'Donnell, a four-decade veteran songwriter with numerous No. 1 singles who worked with another of Carmichael's uncles, Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery, Carmichael added his own touch.

"Because my parents are 'tough love' parents just like him, I added a line related to how my father punished me once by taking the keys to my new, used car because I ran a school bus stop sign. I don't think I've ever ran another stop sign again," jokes Carmichael.

"This song's all about those unforgettable lessons and the parents who teach them."

The melody and lyric of "Son of A" work together so well because "it's a song that's not about a contrived bunch of stuff," O'Donnell says the video.

"We bait and switch [country music listeners] with beer and whiskey songs, but we really want to lead them to [eventually talking about] Jesus," he says. "So there's some deep scripture that inspires 'Son of A,' and if you're listening for it, you'll definitely hear it."

The song states: "I always hated what he called brutal love / But now I thank the good Lord above / I'm a son of a momma, a son of a dad / Who will never stop loving me and being there."

After receiving early co-signs for the song's demo version from artists such as Jon Pardi, Carmichael's mother — the noted Eastern Kentucky-based singer Becky Montgomery — added her backing vocal to the track.

The final familial touch pushes its connectivity to an instantaneously impactful level.

Carmichael recalls a couple coming up to him at a concert and sharing the story of having not spoken to their drug-addicted and imprisoned son in two years. Upon his release, he heard "Son of A" on the radio, inspiring him to rekindle his relationship with his family and fight for sobriety.

The development of almost-hit "Son of A" gives it an impact that possibly supersedes chart-topping radio success. Moreover, it offers a road map in an oversaturated musical marketplace for how a song can and should be made to elevate the craft and the music industry overall.

"When you co-write with legendary songwriters who are also dear, trustworthy friends of good character, you can dig into conversations you typically wouldn't have in most writing rooms," Carmichael says. "'Son of A' is a once-in-a-lifetime song I'll never repeat. All of the stars aligned and we did that idea justice."