George Dearborne has been a honky tonker for almost as long as he’s been alive. He’s frequented honky tonk stages since the late 1970s, and although he took a two-decade hiatus from gracing those stages in the mid-90s, his love for honky tonk music and crowds continued to burn inside of him. So more than two decades later, he went back to feed that flame again.
With his 2020 debut album, Old Brown Bottle, Dearborne made a triumphant return to music with an album chock-full of honky tonk tunes. 2024 saw him return once again with the aptly titled Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left in Me, an album that serves as a love letter for the dancehall life that has never, and will never, leave him.
We chatted with Dearborne all about Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left in Me, as well as his early musical roots, making his return to music, winning awards and more!
Pro Country: Your bio mentions that you launched your music career as a drummer in the late 70s. When did you realize you wanted to, and had the talent to, step to the forefront and sing lead? Was it a tough transition at first?
George Dearborne: When I realized I couldn’t play the drums [laughs]. There was a local group here that had been together for several years when the drummer up and quit. I had been dabbling in music a little bit. One of my buddies in the band asked me to play the drums. I told him I’d never played the drums, but that I’d give it a try, and I played the drums and sang for about six years. Eventually, I was ready to go up front and give it a try. It was a pretty smooth transition.
PC: In your early days, you had the opportunity to open for artists like Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd, among several national touring acts. At that early stage in your singing career, what was it like seeing artists from your home state being able to have the successes that they were having and seeing the blueprint that success was attainable?
GD: It gave me drive. There was a place at the time when those guys were coming up called Cutters, and I’d get up and sing with them. Chesnutt got his record deal, then Tracy got his deal, then I moved in to playing there. The magnitude of artists from the Beaumont/Port Arthur area was pretty amazing. There’s so many great artists and well-known songwriters from this area.
PC: You released your debut album, Old Brown Bottle, in 2020. Having been involved with music for so long prior to that release, what did it mean to you to have a full album of songs to release and available to the world? How do you look back on that project four years removed from it?
GD: I quit music altogether in 1994 for 22 years. I didn’t sing, hum or play the guitar; I got out of it. Coming back has been rewarding so far. When I first got started back, I had a local couple that approached me to back the record, so I was fortunate enough to get a crew together in Nashville to record that album. I thought it came out really well. There’s some really great music and songs on there. It humbled me a lot to be able to do that.
PC: You released the single “Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me” at the end of May, which was your first new release in nearly four years. After that layoff, how excited were you to get the song out into the world and kick off your next musical chapter?
GD: I was very excited, and I still am very excited about it! It’s doing very well so far. The album of the same name has gotten some great reviews as well. I’m so thankful for all of the support I’ve gotten and seeing new people listening to my music. It’s quite humbling.
PC: As lovers of sad songs and ballads, “How’s That Working Out For You” is one of our favorite songs on Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me, and was written by your producer, Jimmy Richey and Pam Tillis, who also sings on the track. Can you talk about what it was about the song that drew you to cut it?
GD: When I was listening to songs for my first album, that was one of them. I really wanted to cut it, but I held back on it. When the opportunity to record this new album came, I immediately went back to that song. Jimmy and Pam are really good friends, and he said he would ask if she would sing the backing vocals on it. And of course, I thought that would be pretty cool!
PC: “By George” has been the top-streamed song on Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me so far, and is a song that pays homage to George Jones and George Strait.
GD: I’m loving it! It’s pretty cool to be on stage and seeing people singing along word for word as they’re dancing. It’s pretty cool to witness that.
PC: With that said, what are your favorite songs by Strait and Jones?
GD: As far as George Strait goes, every now and then, I get roped into doing karaoke with friends [laughs], and my favorite song that I’ve always done by George Strait is “King of the Mountain.”
With George Jones, one of the songs I love to do at shows, and we do it quite often, is “The Grand Tour.”
PC: Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me features performances by A-list studio musicians like Brent Mason, Larry Franklin, Glenn Worf and many more. What was it like working with and collaborating with so many high-level musicians on the album?
GD: Once I was able to close my mouth, it was an experience to sit back and watch the process [laughs]. Those guys had never heard this music before. Brent Mason would chart the songs, and they’d listen one time and go in and play it. It’s one of the greatest musical experiences that I’ve been involved in.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me after listening all the way through?
GD: I’m an old honky tonker. I hope that people who have never experienced that type of thing go check it out and give it a chance. I’ve played at a lot of really cool honky tonks, and they’re great meeting places for friends, places you can meet new friends and places to hear great dance music. It’s a sound that’s coming back. I’ve seen a lot of younger people coming to the shows, and that’s a really good sign to me!
PC: You’ve been named the Artist of the Year in 2023 and 2024 by the CMA of Texas. What do awards and recognition from within the industry and your peers mean to you?
GD: There’s always been great, unknown and unheard artists out there. Now that we have these new platforms where you can hear hundreds of new artists that you’d never have heard before, it’s an honor for me to receive things like that. I’m totally humbled. To have these awards under my belt is an achievement for me. I’m really thankful for it.
PC: You have a bunch of shows lined up through the summer and going into the fall. How much are you looking forward to staying busy on the stage and bringing Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me to fans all over Texas?
GD: I’m looking forward to it more than I ever have. We have a lot of traction with this new album. We’re getting all these new people that want to hear my music. I’m stoked about it. We’re ready to get out there and keep burning it up!
PC: You mentioned early that you took over two decades away from music. What was it about music that brought you back a few years ago, and with Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me under your belt, what keeps you moving forward?
GD: When music is in you, it’s in you. You can’t get rid of it. It never did for me. A lot of people don’t understand that, and I think unless it’s in you, you don’t understand how people can be so passionate about it. For me, music is a great escape. Once I’m on stage, I can be who I want to be.
PC: With Lotta Honky Tonkin’ Left In Me out into the world, what do you have planned for the rest of 2024 and going into 2025?
GD: This record is going to be named the Album of the Year by the CMA of Texas. I’m thankful to our supporters that show up to support the music and dance the way they do. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. I’m stoked about these upcoming events that we have. We look forward to it each and every weekend!
Pro Country 
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