Over the past five years, he’s matured from being a cute little kid with an impressive voice to a handsome young man with an incredible voice.
And along the way, he’s added a fiddler for duo shows, and his very own band. Yeah, that’s right, Gage Joseph has become a bit of a big deal.
His dream, of course, was to earn his high school diploma and then run off to the honky tonks of Nashville once he and his mates were finally finished with all that growing-up stuff.
Well, Gage was graduated from Shadyside High School last year, but his grand plan has changed. Instead of running off to Tennessee, the young man has started the nursing program at Belmont College. That’s because the 19-year-old Joseph now plans to follow his mother, Heather, into the local health care industry while continuing to chase his dreams in the entertainment business on the stages of the Upper Ohio Valley.
It can happen. It has happened. And if anyone can make it happen again, it just might be that young man with that impressive, incredible voice.
What country singer made you want to be a country singer?
It was definitely a mixture of Brad Paisley and Chris Young. I love the bluesy voice and feel to the music along with the guitar playing and chicken picking that is found in the Paisley era.
I’m really trying to focus on improving my guitar skills, and I hope one day I can play lead guitar with confidence.
What made you realize that moving to Nashville after high school was not the best move for you at this stage in your life?
When I realized that the local community college was a great option for me to be able to pursue my musical dreams and afford to pay out of pocket for my education. I don’t want the weight of student loan debt.
If all goes as planned, I’ll graduate at 20 as an LPN.
If I want to move out of the area after, I’ll be in a better place financially.
What three songs do people always want to hear you perform?
Hands down the number one song is “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” With Wyatt Kidd in the band, people want to hear that fiddle.
As of recently, people have been liking Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange,” as well. And it’s always a safe bet to expect a Chris Stapleton song to be requested during an event.
I try to have a wide variety of music to help everyone in attendance have the best experience I can offer.
How do you like to perform the most – as a solo act, as a duo, or with your band?
I don’t have a favorite, and it is more important that you have the right size group for the gig. I’ve had people tell me they prefer band shows for the energy, and I’ve had people say they like solo and duo shows cause they can hear the individual instruments and voice.
Good thing is I play both.
What video game that you played as a kid do you still play today … and why?
MLB the show is probably the one I’m on the most. That or Madden.
Growing up, I was a two-sport athlete so sports have always been a part of my day-to-day. I cannot live life without them.
