Charles Esten’s Long Road to Nashville

About Charles Esten

Charles Esten was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to Virginia with his mother and his sister after his parents divorced. After college, he played Buddy Holly in a long-running UK stage production before becoming a member of the casts for both the UK and US versions of Whose Line is it Anyway? Eventually, he landed a role on TV’s Nashville as troubled songwriter Deacon Claybourne, where he got to show off the musical skills he’d been developing since childhood.

What Charles Esten Talks About In This Episode

• Moving to Virginia
• Attending William & Mary for college
• Playing Buddy Holly in a long-running stage production in England
• Landing a role on Nashville
• Playing music since he was a child
• Recently releasing his first album, Love Ain’t Pretty
  
• Southern hospitality at Grand Ole Opry
• Working with Connie Britton
• The community in Nashville
• His mother's influence

Quotes From Charles Esten

"John Denver has a line where he says, 'Coming home to a place he'd never been before.' That's exactly how I felt about Nashville." - Charles Esten

"[My experience] was 'Welcome, welcome.' And that, 'Welcome, welcome,' is at the heart of what the Southern experience is to me. Sitting around a campfire, gathering at the Grand Ole Opry, doing a guitar pull where we pass the guitar around, it's a long answer, but that's most of what it means to me." - Charles Esten

About Biscuits & Jam

In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road.Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Charles Esten on Apple Podcasts,  Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.