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Nathan Lee at 12th & Porter
Piano rocker Nathan Lee has one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever heard. And it’s far from over.
Lee grew up in New Jersey, and began playing in piano bars while still in his teens. Wanting to pursue a career in music, he did what many young artists do… moved to Nashville and started a band. He played in bars here, and even signed various publishing deals and record contracts… most of which fell through.
During his twenties, Lee held several side gigs to make money. One was painting houses, and one was working for World Vision. World Vision had started a music division, and Lee started out being a stagehand for some of the concerts they would put on. After a few years, the organization wanted to step up its music division, and Nathan Lee stepped up into a producer’s role. He donned suits, and oversaw the production of large-scale live shows. He was spending his time pushing other artists’ work, and didn’t think he’d ever go back to doing music.
After a year and a half, though, he wasn’t sure if he should stick with his career. He was feeling anxious. He thought about what to do, and decided to pray. Within 30 days, he’d lost his house, his job, and a lot of the things that job had bought him. He realized that all those things hadn’t made him happy, anyway. He felt that this experience was God’s way of calling him back to the life of a musician.
So Nathan Lee started playing piano and writing songs again. At first, he wrote angry music, because he was angry! Many of his friends from his previous life thought he was crazy and irresponsible… this grown man living in his car and wanting to be a musician.
He started a weekly residence at the Rutledge, which lasted for over a year. And the music he’d been writing brought new people into his life. The songs of brokenness had found their audience. And he would proudly display his life’s motto – risk everything – on his piano for every performance.
Eventually Lee’s live performances led him to another record deal, and a recent feature on the PBS series Legends & Lyrics (alongside Kenny Loggins and Richard Marx). Lee’s upcoming CD, which is aptly titled Risk Everything, is now finished and waiting for a release date. For the fans who can’t wait, however: the acoustic tracks he recorded last year, for an unreleased project entitled West Tisbury, have made their way to iTunes.
In February, Lee did a series of concerts that benefitted a different charity each night. Similarly, Lee’s next big project hits Nashville this weekend, as he kicks off six weeks of Give a Damn Sundays at 12th & Porter. The cover is only $5, and World Vision is matching all money earned. Proceeds will be used to build clean water wells in Ethiopia. The shows will each have an opening act at 7pm, followed by Kyle Wyley at 8pm, and Nathan Lee at 9pm.
What: Give a Damn Sunday, $5
When: July 5th, July12th, July 19th, July 26th, August 2nd, and August 9th
Where: 12th & Porter
Nathan Lee's segment from Legends & Lyrics:
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