Kameron Ross – Country Music for A New Generation

What could be more terrifying than Simon Cowell cutting you off from singing on-stage…on television…to millions of people? For country singer Kameron Ross, it was coming out as gay in ultra-conservative Texas in an ultra-conservative genre of music where other, popular, out, gay country musicians could be counted on one hand. Still, there was a moment of terror when Simon stopped Kameron midway while performing Brooks & Dunn’s “Red Dirt Road” on American’s Got Talent. He wanted Kameron to sing acapella, and he immediately obliged and launched into Chris Young’s “If I Stay.” With a unanimous “yes” from the entire panel, he was forwarded automatically into the Quarter Finals and into a social media frenzy.  It wasn’t just his good looks and country boy attitude, it was also his message of optimism for his future – as an out and proud gay man, true to himself and ready to take on the world.

While Shania Twain has indeed inspired many a gay boy (and drag queens), it was seeing Shania perform at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at age 8 that immediately solidified Kameron’s dream of becoming a country music star. This wasn’t just a whim, he started singing at local country music concerts and, by 2006, released an album produced by country music veterans T.G. Sheppard & Kelly Lang titled When I’m Done Lovin’ You. In 2010, he played at the A Day in the Country music fest in Houston, opening for The Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, and many other artists. His rising success was also accompanied by a rising sense of who he was – his sexuality started to form.  Immediately after coming out, there was a slowdown in bookings and his relationships in the music industry started to disappear. He was on his own.

His appearance on America’s Got Talent would expose him to a mainstream audience and the media took note. His latest single, “If I Could Go Back,” celebrates small-town living – from the town’s donut shop to the cute boy down the street. It is a welcome breath of fresh air, whether you are a country music fan or not, and is an example of Kameron’s positive outlook on life – rather than focus on the negative of coming from a conservative background, he embraces it and makes it his own. And, sorry boys, before you scroll all over the article looking for the answer…he’s taken. 

What aspect of country music attracts you the most? 

I love the story each song tells. It’s like writing or listening to a poem in musical form.

Who were your biggest early influences in music? 

Growing up, we would always take road trips where my parents would crank up Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, and so many amazing artists. We would also have family reunions where the family would sit around a fire at our uncle’s ranch pickin’ the guitar and singing. 

You started singing early at local music concerts.  What did you learn about the music industry from those early years? 

As a kid, you think that you can start singing and then you would immediately hear yourself on the radio or TV (lol). There’s a lot of hard work, dedication, passion, and thick skin that you must have. You must be able to be told “no” over and over again before you might get one sliver of a break. Then as you get older, you realize that when you do get that one opportunity or chance in the right direction, it’s so worth it because you know you’ve worked so extremely hard for it. 

Kameron Ross

What is the reality of being a country music singer that the audience never sees? 

I feel that nothing is ever handed to you within the music industry. Let’s say a music artist gets signed by a major record label and then suddenly you start to see them opening for big names and see them everywhere. A lot of people don’t realize that it is many years building up to that point. So many tears and sweat to get there. 

When did you start to come to terms with your sexuality? 

It wasn’t until my early 20s that I started to come to terms with my sexuality. 

What is your coming out story to your family? 

I had just moved back home from college. Leading up to that, I started to feel as if I was attracted to men. After moving home, I started to come to truths of who I was as a person. I told my two sisters that I was gay before I told my parents. They were fully supportive, and I remember them telling me it does not make them look or feel about me any differently. I remember coming out to my parents and it was not the easiest thing to do. There was a bit of disbelief and non-acceptance, at first. Shortly after I moved away from home and tried to live my life. I didn’t speak to my parents much for about a year. Then one day, I remember having a conversation with them about everything. Letting them know that this is who I am, and it does not make me any more different than any other person. If they wanted me to be part of their lives that they would have to accept who I am as a person. I am happy to say that me and my family have a very tight and loving relationship. 

What is your coming out story to the music industry? 

Coming out in the music industry was so extremely hard. I found myself not wanting to come out because I knew that I would not be treated the same way in the country music industry. I remember in my early 20s sitting there thinking – do I want to live my own truth and live my life to the fullest or do I want to hide who I am and possibly not chase the dream that I have been working towards all my life? After going back and forth with myself for years, I finally decided that I wanted to be happy with who I was as a person and shouldn’t have to filter being gay. I posted on social media that I was gay and happy with who I am as a person and would still fight the fight on making it in the country music industry. 

Bookings slowed down after you came out, how did you work through that sense of abandonment? 

As people would look on my social media and ask more questions, I began to see some people fade away. In some of the small towns that I grew up singing in, the people just disappeared, and I quit hearing from them or getting responses from them. There were many nights where I asked myself “was coming out worth it? Worth losing everything that I have worked for my entire life for??” There were many tears and many conversations that took place to reassure myself that I made the right decision. 

Looking back, would you still have come out or would you have waited farther along in your career to come out? 

I feel that I would have come out sooner if I knew and felt the way I do now. I should have never been doubtful about who I was as a person. I feel that I am a good person and am and will always be the Kameron that people knew growing up. Who I was meant to love should have never been a negative thing. Living my own truth and chasing my dream is the best thing I could have ever done!

Do you think an in the closet artist has an obligation to come out? 

I don’t think other artists have an obligation to come out. When each artist feels it’s time for them to come out, they will. I feel that artists have more of an obligation to stay closeted than an obligation to come out as gay. T.J Osborne from Brothers Osborne recently came out as gay. I look up to that man so much! He’s built an AMAZING country music career!  He is really putting everything he’s worked for all his life on the line to be openly who he is as a person. 

How have you changed personally from coming out? 

I was able to discover who I was after coming out and coming into the more outgoing and fun-loving version of myself. I am so happy to have found myself like I have as I know not everyone does. 

What was the audition process like for AGT? 

Auditioning for AGT was nerve-racking, my audition took place the day production decided not to have a live, in-person audience so it was just me on stage in a giant auditorium with the 4 judges watching me closely. It was a moment I had waited a lifetime for without realizing how crazy it would feel to finally be there on that stage. 

What are some of the realities of filming AGT that we don’t know about? 

There are a lot of talented people that audition and do well that don’t ever make it to TV. There just isn’t enough time for them to show everyone. Also, most people don’t know that when I was on and made it to the live Quarter Finals, they flew my partner and me out a couple of weeks before my performance. We were quarantined to our hotel room and were asked not to leave the hotel or leave our room without permission for weeks. They brought our meals right to the door for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were going to the gym and pool every day until production found out and asked us not to. It was tough but I understand them wanting to keep everyone safe. 

How did your DMs change after appearing on TV?  Lol 

After appearing on TV there was a massive increase in messages. People expressing that they appreciate me telling my story. Parents and children that told me I inspired them to come out or accept each other for who they are and their sexuality. I have received thousands of very sweet messages. Every now and then, I will get a very thirsty message from someone and the occasional mean messages, but we are grateful for even those … they keep me humble.

What is your advice to a musician performing on a reality TV show? 

Never give up! You might get no after no but all it takes is one yes. I auditioned for American Idol, Nashville Star, The Voice, X Factor, and America’s Got Talent over a course of 15 years, and on my 15th year of auditioning, I finally got a YES! An amazing “Yes” from Simon Cowell, a man I grew up watching since Season 1 of Idol. 

You have become a bit of a sex symbol for the gay community.  Your IG gives us a blend of music and sexy.  Do you think being a sex symbol overshadows your music at all? 

I work hard for the body that I have. Saying that, I feel like I still have plenty of work to do and personal goals I want to accomplish. But I don’t see an issue with showing it off some. If being shirtless in a photo makes someone enjoy my music a little more than they would if I had a shirt on, then who am I to take that from them?

How do you think we can build better bridges with the conservative community?  

You know, I have had some of the most conservative people take an interest in me because of my music and I find that to be a beautiful thing. I think we all have common passions and interests. And even though we have a lot of differences, if we learn to communicate and love each other because of our common interests, then we can work on the tougher subjects and help people see things from a different perspective. 

Has homophobia in the country music industry changed at all? 

There are people within the country music industry like Kacey Musgraves, T.J. Osborne, Brooke Eden, my buddy Ty Herndon that have helped pave the path for folks like myself in the country music industry. I feel as if people are becoming more accepting be we still have a lot of work to do. 

How do you maintain a successful relationship while being in the entertainment industry? 

My partner is my best friend! We are very like-minded but different enough at the same time to balance each other well. He has his own baking business and has had his major success after being on a competition show as well (Sugar Rush on Netflix). We are two very driven and ambitious people, and it works well with our relationship. We are constantly helping each other out sitting up until 11 pm or 12 am on a weeknight doing what we must do to get stuff done. We’ve always got each other’s back. 

What message do you have for your fans? 

I could not do what I do as a country music artist without my fans. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much for all the love and support. 

What would you like to say to those bookers who stopped booking you after coming out? 

Open your mind and grow. The future is going to be great and change needs to happen. Are you going to be on the right side of that change? You might have taken an opportunity from me, but you can always help make things better for someone else by giving an opportunity to an LGBTQ artist in the future. 

Your latest single If I Could Go Back is a bittersweet look at small-town living and loving.  What do you miss most about your hometown? 

Although I was born and raised in a big city in Texas, my neighborhood had a very small-town feeling, I grew up in Oak Forest which was a neighborhood in Northwest Houston. I spent almost every weekend in a small town whether it be to perform or spend time with my dad and grandpa at the ranch we leased. I live in Dallas now and I just haven’t found that small town feeling yet. I miss being able to go to the local hangouts. I miss it when I was in the small towns with friends hanging out on the truck bed at a Whataburger. There’s always a comfort in my hometown neighborhood and the small towns I grew up in that puts your mind at peace. 

What life lessons has coming from a small town given you? 

There are a lot of things you learn when spending a lot of time in small towns. The biggest is respect for your elders. Always say “yes sir” and “yes ma’am”. These are things that some of the kids I went to school with didn’t learn the same way that I did so it has stuck with me my whole life, so much that Simon Cowell had to get on to me for calling him Sir and not Simon. [Laughs]

What advice do you have for LGBTQ youth living in a small town?  

Find the beauty in where you are. Focus on the things you love and find passion in. Remember that even if you feel that someone hates you because they don’t accept you that the hate they have is taught. If someone can be taught to hate then others can be taught to love, choose to teach others to love. 

If you could go back, what is one thing you would change? 

I would probably be more patient with my parents. Figuring out who I was and coming out was hard on me and hard on them. At the time I didn’t realize how scary, new, and different having your child come out to you can be. But seeing some of the craziness in the world I know now that they were just as scared as I was, all they wanted was for me to be happy and keep me safe. 

In “If I Could Go Back” you talk about going back to that corner donut shop.  Girl, you expect us to believe you eat donuts?     

If only you knew how much I love donuts! I grew up blocks from one of the original Shipley’s Donuts. I would go there almost every day before school during the week and then on the weekend. When I go back home to visit my parents, I still go back to the exact same Shipley’s Donuts location. 

Head to https://www.kameronross.com/ for all things Kameron Ross.