Ahead of Buffalo debut, country singer Larry Fleet holds on to blue-collar roots

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Larry Fleet wasn’t an overnight success. He worked hard to get where he is. He made his living pouring concrete. He drove his own “tour bus.” He played everywhere he could in a years-long effort to build his fan base.

One thing’s for sure — when it comes to his success, he’s earned it.

Hours before a midweek gig in Indiana, near the tail-end of his headlining Earned It Tour, the chart-topping country singer took the time to chat with me about the 38 years of life that brought him where he is.

“Just a concrete worker one day, the next day you’re singing country music,” Fleet told me. “It’s wild.”

But getting a record deal wasn’t a quick ticket to fortune and fame. It was a huge risk.

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About six or seven years ago, Fleet quit his blue-collar job to become a full-time musician. Still just a local name, the songwriter was newly signed and trying to make some money. Even though it didn’t amount to much in those first few years, he thankfully had plenty of support at home.

“If it wasn’t for my wife, we wouldn’t have eaten,” Fleet said. “She still works, she kept food on the table for the first few years before I really made any kind of money.”

A record deal didn’t mean a free ride on a fancy tour bus either, so Fleet brought his own.

“Out touring on the road, I drove my own bus,” he said. “I say bus; it was a big Winnebago, but it was the same size as a bus.”

Ok, but the crowds had to be huge, right? At Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, Georgia, which holds 175 people, he sold 27 tickets.

“If it wasn’t for my songwriting, I wouldn’t have made any money,” he said.

It would have been easy to give up at this point, but Fleet had more stories to tell. His admiration for legends like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Marvin Gaye drove his music and made him want to be like the great storytellers. So, he kept telling his story.

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Eventually, it began to work out. By the fall of 2022, Fleet was headlining (and selling out) rooms that held hundreds. He credits “Where I Find God” off his second record as a major elevating factor. The following Spring, he and his band went out to do it all again.

It’s a long way from driving a Dodge truck pulling a trailer with five people inside it. Being on the road isn’t a cakewalk, though, and it can be emotionally trying for Fleet to be away from his wife and two young kids. Nowadays though, with a couple of tour buses and a lot more financial flexibility, he can bring his family out on the road to visit.

Touring has given Fleet the opportunity to step into numerous new cities. This week, Buffalo’s going to be one of them.

Although he’s never performed here before, he already has a lot of good to say about making music up north after playing dates in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The White Bluff, Tennessee native says he appreciates how attentive northern crowds are, how they soak in the stories behind his songs and fearlessly dance and cheer. They love it. Fleet loves to see it, too.

“They’re just as country, if not more country than most of the people in Tennessee,” Fleet said of his northern fans.

Now his full-time job, touring “never really ends,” according to Fleet.

“You kind of just change the name,” he said, sharing that after The Earned It Tour wraps up, he’ll be heading off to open for Billy Currington. Other stars Fleet’s opened for include Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker and even one of his idols, Willie Nelson.

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But before the current tour concludes, he’s got a Saturday night date at Electric City, one of Buffalo’s newest music venues. Opening the 8 p.m. show is Austin Williams.

Fleet promises a fun and family-friendly show. He’s ready to share his stories, which nowadays include a bit more joy than some of the past.

“I’m happy in my life and I think it’s coming out through my music, you know?” Fleet said.

And although he might be writing different kinds of songs than he would have years ago, he hasn’t forgotten who he is.

“I always kind of say, ‘I have the gift of saying what other dudes want to say. They just don’t know how to say it.’ That’s pretty much what I’m doing,” Fleet said. “I’m just writing songs that I relate to, that everybody else can relate to cause they’re just like me. I might play music, but I’m still the old construction worker at heart.”

Tickets for Fleet’s April 13 show at Electric City are on sale for $22-80. You can get them here.

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Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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