Friday night, Kenny and I went to Raleigh to see Needtobreathe and then on to the NC Pickle Festival on Saturday and I got burnt! Big time. Redheads… So on Saturday night, we decided to relax and we watched the Rockie Lynne documentary, “Where I Belong” on Amazon Prime. I have followed his career since the early 2000s, interviewed him several times and have seen him in concert multiple times as well, but I realize now that there is a lot that I was unaware of with Rockie Lynne’s life and career.
Rockie Lynne Documentary “Where I Belong”
“Where I Belong” focuses on three subjects: Rockie Lynne’s career in music, his non-profit “Tribute To The Troops,” and his search for his biological parents. A funny note to add, as Kenny and I were watching the 1st part, about Lynne’s career, Kenny was all “he plays like Steve Vai.” Me, being the guitar idiot that I am, was all “Who’s Steve Vai?” and NO LIE, one of the next guests on the documentary started talking about how Lynne plays like Steve Vai. Well. I like to think I know a good bit about music but apparently I could always learn more.
Rockie Lynne is a phenomenal guitarist. I will give him that. But he also seems to know EVERYBODY in Nashville. Having the right connections definitely doesn’t hurt. When Byron Hill popped up as part of the doc, I told Kenny how he was once in the studio with myself and JD Higgins during my radio days. Nashville really is a small town. Then I got to school Kenny on how Byron Hill wrote George Strait’s “Fool Hearted Memory,” along with many, many other massive country hits.
The part that struck me most about the documentary was his search for his biological family. I won’t spoil too much for you but Rockie Lynne was a part of the North Carolina foster/adoption system for a while. He was literally LEFT AT THE DOORSTEP of a foster home. Let that sink in. Earlier this year, I read Jimmy Wayne’s autobiography, “Walk To Beautiful.” He, too, was a product of the NC foster system, though his journey was far different than that of Lynne. It’s sad to know what both of these gentlemen experienced in their youth. Having said that, it’s also inspirational to see what they turned that heartbreak into in adulthood. As small as Nashville is, I hope these two know each other as I feel they could find a lot of common ground.
It struck me how calm, humble and thankful Lynne is, given everything he has experienced. Many people have had easier journeys, yet still turned out bitter, feeling as if they were shortchanged, with a chip on their shoulder. Not Lynne. He seems sincere in his gratitude for both his adoptive and biological families. He doesn’t appear to harbor any grudge about the life he could have had and instead comes off as appreciative of the life he was granted and the many blessings he has been afforded.
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