Parker McCollum Says Success ‘Didn’t Fill My Cup’ the Way He Expected
In a candid conversation with Tracy Lawrence, Parker McCollum opens up about success, fulfillment, and what comes after achieving his biggest dreams.
Photo Courtesy Parker McCollum
Parker McCollum is opening up about success and what actually comes after achieving your biggest dreams.
The chart-topping star appears to have it all: a thriving career, a beautiful home, and a growing family. But in a recent conversation with Tracy Lawrence on TL’s Road House, McCollum reflected on how early career milestones came faster than he ever expected, and how, surprisingly, those achievements didn’t bring the fulfillment he once imagined.
Speaking with Lawrence, whom McCollum called “country music royalty,” he was asked, “What do you feel like are some of the things about your career so far that have been a little surprising to you?”
The “What Kinda Man” singer didn’t hesitate in his response.
“Man, what a great question. One that it’s probably an easy answer because I think about it so much, but it didn’t fill my cup quite like I thought it was going to. Because I’ve been fortunate, man, everything I dreamed about, I’ve gotten to do. And then some, times a hundred. I should have dreamed a lot bigger.”
For McCollum, who grew up in Texas, some of his biggest dreams have already come true: selling out Billy Bob’s and performing to a packed crowd at Rodeo Houston.
“Those two things… I’m good. And it all happened relatively quickly and a lot quicker than I ever anticipated. And as I was younger, I just really thought once I did those things and once I had number one songs at country radio and a major record doing all the stuff of a country music career, I thought it was going to fill my cup. I thought that’s what was going to make it all okay. And that’s just not the reality of it.”
McCollum channeled those reflections into his recent release, “Big Old Fancy House,” featured on the deluxe edition of his self-titled album. He co-wrote the track with the songwriting trio known as the Love Junkies (Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, and Liz Rose) while at his home in South Texas during a weekend when his wife, Hallie Ray Light, was out of town.
It was in that moment, he explained, that he realized his happiness doesn’t come from material things, but from the people around him.
“My wife was out of town for the weekend, and we were writing songs and I kind of sitting around, missing her, being in that big old house without her,” he recently told Country Now. “I was like, ‘man, it’s nice to have nice things, but it really doesn’t mean much if you don’t have the right people around you.’”
That message runs through the song, which describes a life full of “two swimming pools,” “fancy cars,” and plenty of space, but makes it clear that none of it really means much without the right person there with you.
During their conversation, Lawrence admitted he has experienced similar feelings.
“I’ve learned over the years too that things don’t make happiness. Money don’t make happiness. Now there’s a lot of joy that comes with satisfying those dreams and I wouldn’t trade anything in the world, but you find true happiness when you get your faith right and you get your priorities right in a lot and surround yourself with the right kind of people.”
Click below for more of their conversation on TL’s Roadhouse.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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