Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Ladale.
Larry, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My grandmother was 1 of 9 children. Every year on family reunion weekend, her and the siblings would convene and sing together at church. Harmonizing. No practice. I said, “I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I want to do THAT!” I’ve sung my whole life, was just scared to death to sing in front of others. So my parents forced me to in the kids’ church choir. I didn’t get a guitar until high school when a wrestling teammate got tired of me talking about wanting to play and let me borrow his. He wouldn’t take it back. “Let’s just say you can borrow it forever.” I still play it today.
College is where I was really able to hone my craft; AKA fail a lot!! I played midday campus lunch gigs, open mics, talent shows, anything I could get my hands on, knowing I was mediocre at best. I didn’t even know enough music for an hour-long set but managed to fill it by telling jokes and fabulously wasting time in between songs. I knew to get better, I had to do these shows. People would ask me, “How did you get over your fear?”. I’d respond, “By getting on stage, scared like hell and making it through. It gets a little bit easier each time.”
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No way!! The past two years have been writing, practicing, booking gigs, networking. But there was a time I thought I’d never get to do music again. After college, I was actually in a music group called Vocal Trash. It was a musical theater to be honest. We traveled all over the U.S. and Canada, playing recycled instruments, singing, dancing and doing skits. This was my primary job for about six years. Pretty cool.
In 2014 I was admitted to the hospital for chest pains and not permitted to leave. The doctors knew it was bad but didn’t know exactly why. After a week-long stay, that Saturday morning, I collapsed in my hospital room and had to be revived. 3 CPR attempts didn’t work. The shock pads initially didn’t work. While the nurses prepared for the 2nd attempt, I opened my eyes, so they say. I came to in the ICU and had to be told what happened in the previous 6 hours.
I had surgery a few days later and they put an ICD in my chest (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator). This shocks me when my heart gets out of rhythm. NOTHING!! has been the same since I got this. Had to get off the road and recover. I had to give up a local band I was in. Rugby, Pro Wrestling, touring… gone. When your whole life is shut down, you have a lot of time to think about everything: life, death, God, the future. NEVER take your health for granted. Since then, every sunshine is a precious one. I laugh whenever I can and tell people I’m close to that I love them. Trying to get folks to notice you and your talent is a constant grind. But just being alive to be able to perform and enjoy it, is a blessing. God is good.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Music is literally what feelings sound like. It lets me say things that are otherwise harder to say in normal words. This is essential in the songwriting process. Also, everything is positive. That is what I convey in everything I do; uplift, encourage, inform and advise. Our generation is filled with artists who promote vulgarity and being ratchet. I’m switching it up.
I am also proud of being a fan of many different genres. I love everything from Kirk Franklin to Megadeth. R&B singing and rock guitar riffs over funk drum beats. In my cover shows, I’m singing country, 80’s, rock, oldies, even Tejano. Original music? The single “Sing Your Song” is a pop-rock ditty, while another “Let’s Talk” is a funky, R&B track. Right now, I play acoustic guitar and sing with a loop machine. Full band shows are coming soon.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Survival and perseverance. Period. With everything I have been through, hard work is all I know. I love music so much and see myself playing and singing in some capacity until I die. Someone is bound to notice that passion and love. The goal is that folks see this and transfer it to their own lives. Hopefully, they see miracles and mercy in a physical form and do all they can to preserve their dreams, joy and sanity.
The message is simple; God is real and miracles happen. There is hope in the darkness and when the sun finally shines, bathe in the light.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://larryladale.com
- Phone: 682-251-3635
- Email: LarryLadale@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larryladale/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LarryLadaleMusic/
Image Credit:
Braxton M. Boggs II, Baleigh Kathryn Photography, Drewlio Photo
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