Meet Tanner Sparks | Country Music Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanner Sparks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanner, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always loved music. As a kid, I remember hearing a George Strait or Tim McGraw song on the radio and I would imagine being on stage entertaining a sold out crowd. I grew up in a musical family. I have two older brothers that sing, and play instruments as well. At a very young age I learned to play guitar. My brothers and I would write songs and perform at our hometown “Pioneer Days” event. I also grew up in church. My brother and I led the youth group band on Wednesday nights, and would perform for the Sunday congregation on occasion. Throughout high school I would play in a band with my older brother. My brother moved off to college when I was 16. I started to write my own songs, and I began performing at open mic nights all over Texas. I graduated High School in 2016, and formed my band shortly after.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started taking music seriously in high school. At 16, I would travel around Texas and perform my original music at open mic nights. I also picked up a gig at the local restaurant/bar playing for tips on Friday nights. I graduated high school in 2016, and formed The Tanner Sparks Band. By this point I’d written 3 songs, and I thought we were ready for a gig. We played our first full band gig at a tiny little restaurant in East Texas for probably $100. Later, that year I released my first single “How Sorry I Am”. In 2018, I released my first EP which led to opportunities to open for bigger artists such as; Deryl Dodd, Zane Williams, William Clark Green, and more! Also, in 2018, I took part in the inaugural sailing of the Texas Country Music Cruise, and I’ve been on every sailing since. In 2019, I continued to perform with my band at honkytonks and dancehalls all over Texas. I won the New Emerging Artist award at the 2019 Texas Country Music Awards, held by the Texas Country Music Association. We were gearing up for our biggest year ever in 2020, until the pandemic hit. I released my first album on New Years day, 2021. The world started opening back up slowly and I was taking whatever gigs were available. By the end of 2021 we were back to playing pretty frequently. Since the pandemic ended we’ve pretty much picked up where we left off in 2019. We had a heavy road schedule in ’22, and I capped off the year by getting married to the love of my life! This year we’ve been hard at work on a new full length album that we plan to release very soon! I’m super proud of the team that I have working with me. We’re playing a ton of shows, making great memories, and spreading the joy of music!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s a ton of great places to visit in DFW. The Fort Worth Stockyards has a little bit of something for everybody! You’ve got to swing by Hooker’s Grill for a big greasy burger! I also love a good chicken fried steak from the Star Cafe. You can catch some of the best up and coming artists at Rhinestone Saloon, The White Elephant, or Filthy McNasty’s, or visit the World Largest Honkytonk Billy Bob’s Texas!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s so many people I’d like to shout out! Firstly, my band, and every member of my team that I have behind me. They keep everything going. I couldn’t do it on my own. My family; my mom, Lisa. My amazing wife, Sarah. My late great grandparents, Dorothy & Boyce. My brothers; Zac Stokes & Tyler Stokes. Without these people I wouldn’t be who I am today.

There’s been so many people who have helped me through the years, and I appreciate every single one of them.

Website: www.tannersparksband.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tannersparksmusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tannersparksmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbPi0WhYPSMyhwagvUNngjg

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/54e8QEJepTRkt2f79QnGhb Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tanner-sparks/313384500

Image Credits
Greg Roach – Greg Roach Photography Rock Williams – Rock360 Media Doc Herrick – NottaFilm Haley Cravey – Haley Cravey Photograhy