Bobby Bones Shines His Own Spotlight on New Stars

Country radio DJ Bobby Bones of the nationally syndicated Bobby Bones Show isn’t afraid to think outside of the box and throw new ideas out to the world. Some may be unconventional, like “Serious Interviews in Silly Costumes,” and others strive to make the world a better place, such as his “Pimpin Joy” campaign that promotes paying it forward and helping those in need.

But there’s one initiative the Arkansas-native has that sets him apart from the rest: Finding new artists and maintaining those relationships by promoting their work to his listeners across stations from coast-to-coast. Bones has helped rising country musicians such as Kelsea Ballerini, Cam, Lindsay Ell and so many more get their foot in the door by taking his role as the spotlight on an award winning morning show and shining it on to the music he believes in most.

“I wish I had a great story about finding new artists but I just listen to a lot of music, I love music,” Bones told Sounds Like Nashville prior to hosting the non-profit Musicians on Call event to celebrate Lady Antebellum in August. “And so if I hear something I like, I just throw it on the radio. And for a while there it got me into a little bit of trouble, but now it’s kind of what I’m proud of and what I’m proud of being able to do.”

There’s no big secret in his star-searching method but fans of country music have all reaped its benefit. Bones was an initial supporter of the Chris Janson hit “Buy Me a Boat,” and the exposure gained from the show sent that single blazing to the top of the iTunes country charts the day of its release.

Music is a thrill for Bones and that is his motive for exposing new artists, sometimes even before they’re ready.

“For me it’s just about hearing it and going this is really good, I want other people to hear it and see if they get the same feeling I got,” the 36-year-old continued. “If it’s a Tucker Beathard who wasn’t even ready to go on the radio and I put his song out there and he was like ‘What are you doing?’ But for me it’s exciting, music is really exciting.”

So if you’re ever in the search for new music, you may not need to go much further than your local country station or Bones’ Snapchat. But if he can vouch for them, they must be worth it.

“I love exposing new artists and I love giving people a shot that maybe they wouldn’t get a shot so quick, or people wouldn’t want to take a chance on them,” he concluded. “But I’m a little different, because people took a chance on me.”