NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With the Nashville Pride celebration happening this weekend, we wanted to share this story with you. A man has just released a song that's getting attention from country music publications for the raw and honest way it handles his life story.
"Anyone who knows country music will tell you that the foundation is three chords and the truth," David Michael Hawkins said.
If we're going to tell the story behind David's song, Sin, maybe we start at a house in Goodlettsville. Well, we'll at least start with who used to own that house; Patsy Cline.
"My number one is Patsy Cline, yes," David laughed. "When women in country music were more of a token, she leaned into her own identity. Because of that, now we have all these amazing records by this powerhouse."
It was David's mom who started his love for Patsy Cline. When David was a child, his mom rented Sweet Dreams; the Patsy Cline movie starring Jessica Lange. David could not learn enough about Patsy. He finally took a trip to visit that house she owned in Goodlettsville. He's long kept something from that visit.
"This is something really, really special to me," he said, showing a little flower he's kept.
Patsy's music was a comfort when David needed a comfort. David's family supported him when as a teenager, he came out as gay. School, however, was hard.
"This is when the bullying started to take hold," David said, showing some old pictures.
He compared two of the pictures.
"I think it's interesting you can see the big smiles here, and then I quit smiling. This young man had been through many violent moments. He was not happy. This was not a happy kid. This was a kid who was just trying to survive."
When David moved to Nashville as an adult, something leapt out.
"It was really inspiring to see how robust and healthy the queer community is," David said.
David runs the My PR Lab business, representing many musicians. That drew him to an idea.
"It is impossible not to be touched by the miracle of songwriting in Nashville," he said. "I caught the bug. My truth is the fact that I'm HIV positive, and I'm a songwriter."
David has just released his country single, Sin. He's inspired by that bravery carried by a trailblazer like Patsy Cline and telling the story of what he's lived in a song.
"I get emails multiple times a day from people who have struggled with stigmatization from HIV or mental health issues from a diagnosis," David said. "I know there are people who are HIV positive people who are my friends that are huge country fans, but they've never put themselves into a country song when it comes to that part of their life. I thought, let me do country music justice and write my three chords and the truth."
David's song is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn't have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child's life. The story of De'Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone - through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.
- Rebecca Schleicher
