Styles Haury Premieres 'A Man That Didn't Know Nothin'' Song Inspired by His Father

The musician's father sold his Corvette to fund his son's trip to Nashville and is repaid with a sentimental song

By

Published on September 30, 2021 05:10 PM

Styles Haury's dad told him that if he couldn't be on time for work, the country singer couldn't live in his house. Haury had a union job as a pipefitter, but he also helped his father, Mark Haury, with other jobs, too. When he told his dad he wanted to pursue a career in music – his father had one rule. He had to move to Nashville. His father sold his Corvette to ensure Haury had enough money to chase his dreams.

"My biggest thing is if you've still got your dad, go give him a hug," Haury told PEOPLE. "The good ones are going fast these days. Don't forget where you came from. And if you have dreams, chase them because you never know what can happen."

Haury, 26, paid tribute to his father and his upbringing in the new lyric video for his song "A Man That Didn't Know Nothin.'" In the clip, premiering exclusively on PEOPLE, viewers see photos and video footage of the singer as a child. The small toe-headed boy grinned from ear-to-ear as his dad taught him to hunt, fish, ride motorcycles, drive heavy machinery and more.

Continued Haury, who welcomed daughter River Eve with wife Brianna in April, "Being a father myself, it hits home. Every single thing you put them around, it's going to affect them down the line. It's very heavy, and it makes you feel a thousand emotions."

"It's really cool to reflect back on all that and know I'm doing all of the same stuff today," he said. "It explains why I am the way that I am, and I'm just very thankful that my mom always had that camera in her hand because it helps me connect the dots."

The singer, whose childhood was split between Medina, Ohio, and Richlands, North Carolina, co-wrote the song with Jeremy Bussey and Bobby Hamrick. His first memories are of watching a band practice in his father's shop, and he said the experience "lit a spark." Haury started his first band in the fourth grade. His family moved from Ohio to North Carolina when he was 13 years old, and it was the little town's bluegrass pickers who taught him how to play guitar.

"They would have these big jam sessions, and I would try my best to play along," Haury said.

He moved back to Ohio in time for high school and formed another band. Haury earned an opening spot for a touring act in his hometown a few years later, and the singer told him he should go to Nashville and record. He passed Haury Kenny Royster's telephone number, a man known for his recording work with Luke Combs. Haury called him for an estimate and was stunned at the price tag. His dad offered financial support, and Haury and several of his friends moved to Music City in 2018. His goal was to support himself by playing music without having to get a traditional job.

Haury made friends in the songwriting community, and when he co-wrote "A Man That Didn't Know Nothin'" with Bussey and Hamrick, Jon Pardi put the song on hold to record almost immediately. While Pardi's interest in "A Man That Didn't Know Nothin'" was exciting, it also meant that Haury couldn't record the song as an artist.

"I was bummed out of the gate that I couldn't put it out, but it came full circle, and now I can hang my hat on it," he said. "I connected with it immediately because it reminded me of my old man and what a big impact he had on my life. I think when people hear this song and the rest of the record, they're going to know what I'm all about."