Adam Gregory Interview

The Facts

Name: Adam Thomas Gregory [born Adam Dahmer]

Birth Date: July 12, 1985

Birth Place: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

His Big Break: Debut album The Way I'm Made [2000]

Did You Know: The Way I'm Made was released when Adam was 14 and became an instant hit

Although you have a record deal going and you’re starting on a major tour, do you still attend a regular high school class?
Adam Gregory: Yes I do. I got to Jasper Place High School. It's here in Edmonton. I'm as normal as a kid as anyone. I just have a singing job as my career.

What grade are you in?
I'm in grade 10.

Do you still find it hard then to make time for your music while doing your school-work?
Not really, because I spend so much time on homework, then I spend the rest on school work. It works itself out pretty well.

What's your best subject?
My best subject? I'd have to say math. I'm doing the best in math.

Many country singers began their roots in country, but decided to do crossover songs that'll hit the pop market to increase their exposure. Do you think that you'll write a song or two that might cross over?
Well, actually, for my second single, we did make a remix on it — a pop version.

Has it been released?
It's on Power 92 and a few other stations. I can't remember all of them, but yeah, they actually picked up on it and we're very excited.

Yeah, that sounds cool.
But I'm always gonna stick country. I'm never gonna change my roots. This was just to reach a bigger audience.

What would you say that your greatest musical influence has been so far?
My greatest musical influence…I'd have to say when I went to Nashville last summer. I had the opportunity to sing with Vince Gill and Rodney Coral, which was quite an experience.

Wow. Were you overwhelmed when Vince walked into the room?
I was really overwhelmed! We went downstairs in the building and Vince was stading there and he’s like 6'3". He's very tall. And he looked at us and smiled at us and said "Hey man." He's a very down-to-earth guy.

Many of our online readers might not have heard who Adam Gregory is. How would you describe yourself in a few words?
I'm a country singer. I'm 15 and I live in Edmonton.

Have you always lived in Edmonton?
I've lived in Edmonton my whole life.

Do live right in downtown Edmonton, or are you in a suburb?
Actually, we live on the west end of Edmonton.

Everywhere I've been is memorable. Just the crowds, the applauses and stuff, everywhere we've been.

I actually live just outside of Toronto. I imagine it's pretty much the same with the big city.
Yeah. So do you like Toronto?

Oh yeah!
We've been to Toronto like, twelve times already!

Do you like it?
Yeah, it's like a second home to us.

Don't you feel safe there?
I feel really safe. We have people there who take care of us, so it's really nice.

You know how you wrote the song The Sky's The Limit from your latest CD — do you think that you're going to continue in that direction and do more songwriting?
Well, I definitely practice and practice and get better on it. Maybe in a couple years or something like that, me and Dave Martin [the songwriter for Horseshoes] might go down to Nashville and write with some songwriters down there.

You've already released a couple singles off your CD, and they've been pretty successful. Do you think you'll release another one?
We're thinking about another one. If you're familiar with No Vacancy, it's the third track on the CD. That's in our minds as being a possible third single. We're just gonna…

How do you decide that? Is it just feedback from fans, or is it kind of at the conception of the CD that you decide, "We'll release this one first, this one second"...?
Some of it comes from what the fans like, but between me and Sony, it's 50/50…oh, what's the word I'm looking for…well, I get to pick a song, and the song we pick is usually their second song or their first song, so it works out.

So your creative stuff is done 50/50 with them?
Uh huh.

Do you think that one day you'll say "I think I'll take it from here?"
No, I'm never going to get too in charge.

Well, it's good to have professionals, too.
Yeah. They know a LOT more than we do!

Are you nervous about the upcoming tour you're going to do with The Wilkinsons?
I'm totally pumped! I can't wait! It's going to be sort of a challenge, because I won't have my family with me this time. We have a close and personal family friend, Taylor Reins, who'll accompany me on the tour.

Are you an only child?
Actually, I have an older sister. She’s 18.

What is your most memorable performance so far?
Most memorable? Everywhere I've been is memorable. Just the crowds, the applauses and stuff, everywhere we've been. To feel the power [of the crowds] coming back to you…it's pretty cool!

Have ever had any really embarrassing moments during a performance?
Well, when I did the YTV Achievement Awards [YAA], I did the press conference and my guitar strap let loose and I broke my guitar…in front of the press and in front of everybody. That was sort of a shocking moment which I took extremely well, I think.

How do you feel about being called a "teen heartthrob"?
Hey, that's wicked people think of you like that. [Laughs] I don't see it though.

You’re probably too down-to-earth to get all big-headed about yourself.
I'm just me, and my family thinks of me as just being me, so it's pretty cool that people think of you as a teenage heartthrob.

I wonder how the girls at your school who two weeks before you were on TV didn’t notice you and now are going "Oh, yeah. I've seen him in the halls…"
Well, I think some of them recognize me a lot more than they used to. [Laughs]

Now they're probably going around, going "I know him you know!"
Yeah! [Laughs]

What would you say is the future for Adam Gregory? A year from now, what do you think you'll be doing?
A year from now, I'd like to travel, just always be doing what I do — sing. I'll just keep with it for as long as I live. No matter what, I'm always going to be singing. I'll be an 80-year old man and I'll be [Sings] Ringin' those horseshoes… [Laughs]

I read that you're planning on going to Europe…
I'd LOVE to go back to Europe. We went there when I was about six…

You were performing then?
Oh, no. We went on a vacation with my grandparents, my parents, and my sister, and me. That was the first time and we went for a month and I haven't been back since. I'd love to go back!

I can only imagine that if Sony said "Hey, let's go to Europe, you'd be all for it."
That'd be totally cool!