Today we’d like to introduce you to Floyd Blackburn.
Hi Floyd, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My origin story really begins in southeastern Kentucky. I was born and raised in Pikeville, Kentucky, and lived there until I was 18. I was blessed to have grown up in a very rural area and had the benefit of a close community, being surrounded by lots of family, and being able to play in the mountains. To this day, a natural environment feels like home to me. It was on my great uncle’s porch that I sang my first song at the age of 4. It was Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker.
I never really sang publicly for years after that (outside of church and school functions).
I attended Kentucky State University, a historically black college in Frankfort, Kentucky) for my first three years of college and then transferred to the University of Kentucky to complete degrees in Applied Math, Civil Engineering, and Liberal Arts). I was also fortunate enough to spend a semester abroad in Cambridge University, where one of the classes I took was classical guitar.
It wasn’t until I moved to Cincinnati in 2000 (because of an engineering job and a girlfriend at the time) when the singing track of my life would take roots.
I was working as an engineer during the day and bartending and serving at nights in Mt. Adams at The Pavilion. It was a vibrant area that had a really great nightlife, and I was wrapping up my last night of working there at the end of the summer. The place had officially closed for the night but, as was the typical custom
There during that time in early 2000’s, the other servers and I hung out and drank a while.
I was walking through the bar to go home, and one of the bar managers, that I had only met that morning, was strumming a song on a guitar he borrowed from the band as they were packing up. I remembered the song from my early high school days.
It was Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison. For some reason, I stopped while passing by and told him I knew that song. He said something like… ”Let’s hear it”… and in the middle of that completely packed room of people that were still drinking and partying…I started singing.
I remember noticing the room getting quiet when I started singing….and then when I got to the chorus, everyone sang along.
I woke up the next day and started laundry while fighting the fog of a much too intense hangover. I found a handwritten note with “Let’s Jam” and the manager’s phone number in my pocket. The manager would end up being my sole guitarist for nearly five years. I called him a little later that day, and we soon had our first gig at an iconic Main Street bar called Jefferson Hall. We were booked every Monday night for about 9 months, and from then on, I was hooked with singing. This relationship would eventually lead to my first six-piece band named Abel 5. Abel 5 was together for about five years and played almost every Friday and Saturday night in Cincinnati. The beginning of members starting families had an impact on the band and eventually, we went our separate ways, but we all stayed in contact.
This was when I was 28 years old when I started the acoustic gigs, and ironically, I remember telling a friend at the time that if I didn’t make it big by the time I was 30, I’d get out. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve found that a road is a road, and most of the time, if we really look deeply, we are the reason it is smooth or bumpy.
Most of my bumpy decisions were due to alcohol. I struggled with the nightlife, taking advantage of free alcohol and all the bad decisions that being in the spotlight can bring. I’m lucky enough to have realized this though a number of years ago. Quitting drinking six (6) years ago really helped the majority of everything (including my health) that caused my road to be bumpy.
My road is much smoother now, and I’m really enjoying what that means for my life, my music career, and especially being able to be the best father I can to my three wonderful kids.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Live performance has been in my life since then, and though I took a short two-year hiatus at one point in 2010, I got back in and have never looked back.
This is now my only job, and I’m truly blessed to be doing something that I love to do and love the fact that I get to bring happiness to people of all walks of life every time I play. I’m also very thankful to have been able to surround myself with very professional and talented musicians that I call friends.
I am the owner, manager, and lead singer for Floyd and The Walkmen. We are a 5-Piece band that plays cover songs from the ’70s-today. We deliver an energetic show and there is always a lot of dancing and fun at every show. We play a lot of private events (parties, weddings, corporate events, etc…), but we also play publicly a few times a month in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.
I also have an acoustic duo that plays most other days (Sunday-Friday). We play covers from 1940s through today and play songs from every decade and most genres. We also can take requests and even create themed nights for parties and events.
My 3rd project is based on the MTV Unplugged series of music. Currently, we play Pearl Jam & Nirvana’s unplugged albums, but there are plans for more.
How do you think about luck?
I really don’t believe in luck. I’ve found that being prepared and saying “Yes” to opportunities is what brings things into your life and career that can be beneficial for your future. Having a willingness to fail and learn from that failure is also a big key to success. A lot of people are scared to fail because of embarrassment. I think if you never fail at something (eventually), you may not be challenging yourself enough.
I’ve been blessed that I have stuttered since the age of 3. Stuttering can range on a very large spectrum and can be as slight as a small stammer or so severe that people will not even try to talk because they can’t say one word clearly, if at all.
My family surrounded me with love and patience and treated me like everyone else. My friends did the same. This did not mean I didn’t struggle. I was, of course, bullied as a child in school. But I don’t hold any animosity towards anyone. I knew that they didn’t understand it, and their ignorance wasn’t going to dictate how I spoke or felt about myself.
So, I worked through therapies and just kept talking. I’ve held many sales jobs been in many leadership roles where I spoke and trained people all day (thank you, Vector Marketing) all while stuttering. This means a lot of people had to tolerate me, but I think they did because they knew I was being sincere and believed in what I was doing (and probably also because I was giving them a paycheck… 😉
I guess what I’m saying is that YOU are usually the only barrier to your success, and when you get out of your own way, cool things can happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: floydandthewalkmen.com
- Instagram: @floyd_walkmen
- Facebook: @ Floyd and the Walkmen
- Youtube: @ Floyd and the Walkmen
Image Credits
You Me Picture
