We recently connected with Pernell McDaniel and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Pernell, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I have been a full-time professional musician for more than 30 years. I’m originally from a small town in rural South Carolina called Salley. I began a professional music career at the age of about 22 playing in small country honky-tonks with a full band. W traveled across the state and across the south east, mostly on long weekends and I worked a full-time job during the day. I moved to Folly Beach in 1996 in search of a less hectic lifestyle and more concentrated grouping of venues. In many ways, it was an easier way to make a living as a musician, but otherwise it made it more difficult to introduce my music to a larger audience. I don’t regret the past 27 years I’ve spent on Folly Beach, but I do wish that I had spent more of that time, taking my music on the road to people in other areas across the country.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My maternal grandparents lived across the street from the E. Main Drive-in Theater in Lake City, South Carolina. It was owned by a man name Wilder Funk. Mr. Funk was a close friend of my grandfather, and when I was a small boy, we went across the street and sat in the ticket booth with Mr. Funk and chatted while watching a movie. One night before the movie started Mr. Funk heard me singing Folsom prison, blues by Johnny Cash. He immediately asked me to sing it over the loudspeakers and I did. The drive-in was full, and I could hear people applauding in the cars. Mr. Funk gave me two dollars and I spent it at the concession stand. I knew that I wanted to be a professional musician! I was six years old!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being a professional musician, and a recording artist has been the greatest blessing of my life. And the biggest reward of all is the people who have become such an important part of my life, that music brought me together with. Most of my oldest and dearest friends came into my life through music.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I met a man, many years ago, when I moved to Folly Beach. His name was Henry Glenn. He was a professional musician, and by all accounts living the life he had always dreamed of. A conversation I had with him one night in the bar caused me to reevaluate my definition of success. At the time, Henry was about my age now, and 27 years ago I was a young man with stars in my eyes and big dreams. The message that I came away with that night was that I was already successful. I had achieved my goal of being a professional, self-supporting musician. I reevaluated my goals and my mission. I decided that the music was important. And that the people were important and above all else the most important thing was making people happy through music in a sustainable way. And in that regard I had already achieved my mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: WWW.pernellMcDaniel.com
- Facebook: [email protected]
- Youtube: Pernell [email protected]
Image Credits
I own all the rights to these photos.