For Mo Pitney, music was a family affair. He picked up the drums at six and guitar at 12. “I learned how to play with a cast on my arm by laying a rag over my dad’s guitar so it wouldn’t get scratched,” shares Pitney. “Johnny Cash At San Quentin was my introduction to playing music. I learned the whole album.” Two weeks later, he played two Cash songs at an open mic night – his first public performance. “After I played, I saw a guy backstage playing banjo, so I picked that up for a couple years. By age 15, I grabbed the guitar again, playing lead acoustic. My brother played bass, and we had a friend who played mandolin.” His affection for bluegrass led him to Keith Whitley. “When I heard him sing, it helped me bridge over into country music. I started hearing great country songs, songwriters, and singers…and I just fell in love.” Encouraged to move to Nashville by a songwriting friend, Pitney was the uncommon arrival who received early interest from record labels. He signed with Curb and began working on bringing his songs and sound into alignment with his musical vision.

 

Released in October 2016, Pitney’s first album, Behind This Guitar, debuted at #10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart. He was selected as a “Breakout Artist” by iHeartMedia’s Bobby Bones, and has garnered international fame, touring through the U.K. and Ireland in Fall 2017, and performing at the U.K.’s C2C Festival in March 2018. Pitney made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2014 and has stepped into the sacred circle more than 40 times since.

 

“I just love music. It has never been about praise. Playing the Grand Ole Opry was an amazing experience, but I have just as much fun sitting on my bed playing along to an old record. It’s always been that way… People who have done this for a long time think there’s a place for my music, and I hope that’s the case. My eyes are set on being successful, but success is not number one for me. If I can make a comfortable living and have a career making music and keep my head on straight, that’s my goal. And I think that I have a great opportunity to do that if I don’t get ahead of myself.”