Often spending months on the road, while Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw don’t see their fathers every day it doesn’t lessen their bond. Both artists talked with CBS Local and filled us in on the impact their dad’s have had on their career while Darius Rucker shared his idea of a perfect Father’s Day.
Colbie’s father, Ken Caillat, is a well known music producer and engineer and won a Grammy for Album of the Year for Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. He’s had a major impact on her music and produced all three of her albums.
“My Dad has had a huge influence on my career,” Colbie said. “My Dad was a producer, engineer and had a record label so I was always around it and always being taught different things.”
Colbie also has her dad to thank for her songwriting talents.
“Really, my parents showed me the importance of learning how to play an instrument and writing my own songs,” she recalled. “My Dad was like, ‘Honey, you have to be a songwriter too. That’s where it’s at. You can have a whole career in that business.’ So when I was 19 I wrote my first song.”
She further reflected that she wouldn’t be the artist she is today without her father.
“For people around the world to be able to relate to my songs and sing back to me onstage every night is really fun,” she said. “Working in the studio with my dad and him giving these amazing ideas on song production and different styles and directions to take the songs that I write, it’s been really fun being able to work with my parents.”
A father himself, Darius shared his idea of a perfect Father’s Day gift.
“My favorite gift is just a day to hang out. My life is so busy that as soon as I step off the bus at home I’m a dad,” he said. “That’s not something that someone makes me [do], that’s what I want to do. I want to be with my kids until they fall asleep.”
While Gavin will be on the road touring this Father’s Day, he said he’ll make a point to reach out to his dad.
“I’ll be on the road and so I’ll be on the phone with my Dad, unless he wants to Skype me,” he said. “He’s in Nashville, hopefully I’ll be able to get home to him. He likes to busy himself so I’m sure I’ll call him and he’ll be in the middle of something, [but] he always makes time when he can.”
Gavin raved about his dad, “I have a good Dad. I got lucky. He deserves loads of respect.” He then shared his favorite memory with his father: “Listening to Willie Nelson with my dad in his pickup truck on the 8-track. Just driving around,” he said.
- Annie Reuter with additional reporting by Shannon Carlin, CBS Local
