Becoming a dad has been a wild and rewarding ride for Parker McCollum — one that’s taught him more than he ever expected. The country star recently opened up about life with his 10-month-old son, Major Yancey Tyler McCollum, calling fatherhood “the greatest thing ever” and admitting he’s learning more each day.
“I feel like it’s a million lessons and you’re still learning them in real time right now. And it’s like as soon as you get over one obstacle, it’s just another ridiculous obstacle to overcome. But it’s just been the greatest thing ever,” he told Country Now and other outlets.
Major’s Latest Milestones
At first, McCollum admits that in the first six months of being a first-time parent, he and his wife Hallie Ray Light had “no idea” what was going on and experienced something new with each day. Now that Major is getting close to hitting the one-year mark, he’s started to achieve a few small millstones like recognizing faces, crawling and even saying a few words.
“He recognizes me when I walk in the room and lights up, and that’s a really, really good feeling… He crawls really, really fast. He can pretty much, I don’t know if you would call it getting down off the couch, but he gets off the couch dangerously, not safely at all,” he said with a laugh. “But yeah, I mean, he says ‘Dad,’ he says ‘ball.’ And Hallie does the patty cake thing with him where you do the roll it thing and now every 30 seconds, he’s just doing that. It’s just good.”
Becoming a dad has brought Parker McCollum a fresh perspective on life and a whole new kind of joy. He went on to say how the experience has been both overwhelming and unforgettable and his fellow country artist and new father, Koe Wetzel, agrees.
“Everything that people said about having kids is a thousand percent true. Koe and I were just talking about that this morning. He’s a dad now, and that’s what we were talking about…I didn’t know what it was going to be like. I was mind blown when the day he came into this world and just had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
Now that Major is starting to show more of his personality, the “What Kinda Man” singer has learned that his little one is “cute,” “rowdy” and is growing bigger and bigger each day.
“I don’t know. It’s the greatest thing ever,” he restated.
Has Fatherhood Impacted McCollum’s Songwriting?
Before becoming a father, Parker McCollum predicted that this new chapter would not directly impact his songwriting and so far, that seems to still be the case.
“It hasn’t changed it at all really. I mean, I’ve noticed guys that have had kids and their songwriting changed and everything changed for them and I just, man, it’s two separate completely different things for me,” he explained. “I just don’t think about it much. I’m still out there running, still out there chasing it. I always say, still trying to make it. And I don’t think that’ll ever change, regardless of how many kids I have or how much success I have in music. I think it’ll always be just that kid in me that’s still trying to write great songs and that every time I sit down and pick up a guitar, that’s what shows up most of the time.”
He feels like this new role of raising a child is the “coolest,” “most ridiculous thing in the world” and it has shown him a whole new perspective on life, however it hasn’t taken over his creativity.
“From a songwriting and creative standpoint, man, I still feel like I’m 21 years old living in Austin with no money and trying to play at the Saxon Pub.”
Keeping Family And Life On The Road Separate
Aside from his life at home, Parker McCollum is currently preparing for the release of his new, self-titled album dropping June 27 while performing select stadium shows with fellow Texan, George Strait.
On June 26, he will launch the Parker McCollum Tour with special guests Ashley Cooke, Corey Smith, Hudson Westbrook, Kameron Marlowe, Laci Kaye Booth and Vincent Mason on select dates. The trek will wrap in October.
McCollum says he plans to spend most of his upcoming shows without his family by his side as he’s learned that trying to mix family life with life on the road doesn’t always work. For him, keeping those worlds separate most of the time has helped him focus on work and his family get the must-needed rest without the distraction of the backstage chaos.
“I feel like trying to have your family on the road, it’s like you’re only giving half of yourself to your work and you’re giving half of yourself to your family while you’re on the road,” he admits. “I think it’s much more beneficial and much healthier for them and for me to keep family at home and keep work on the road. I just think for the longevity of it and for your sanity, that’s probably the best way to go about it.”
That being said, he still expects his wife and son to come out to at least a few special shows throughout the year.
The post Parker McCollum Says Being A Dad Is ‘The Greatest Thing Ever’ As He Reflects On First 10 Months Of Fatherhood appeared first on Country Now.
