Ry Rivers (Courtesy of Rivers)
Up-and-coming LGBTQ+ country artist Ry Rivers may be from a small town in Florida but he has performed at the Country Music Awards this past summer and sang the National Anthem at the Miami Dolphins game this season.
“I think for me, one of the biggest and coolest things about being from Florida is just trying to represent country music that comes from Florida,” Rivers shares. “It’s just such a diverse and amazing state.”
Rivers grew up on a farm in rural Florida, which instilled in him a strong sense of pride. Raised between the small beachside town of Pompano Beach and his father’s farm in Okeechobee, he spent his formative years in school practicing piano, singing, and songwriting. As an adult he decided to pursue his dreams of becoming a musical artist and starting finding his sound.
In 2018, Rivers begun his recording career and started out on the pop side of music before fully embracing his southern background and moving into country music. He collaborates with his manager to develop ideas and achieve his artistic vision.
“My manager and I make a really good creative team; we’re always on the same page and pair with each other really well in terms of bouncing ideas for creative decisions off one another,” Rivers says.
Raised by supportive parents who nurtured his passion for music, he was always encouraged to express himself freely and explore his creativity.
“My parents were my biggest musical influences, and my mom was a lot of the pop, soul and jazz side, while my dad was a lot of the country and classic rock,” Rivers says.
Influenced by country legends like the Osbourne Brothers, he found inspiration to embrace his true identity and immerse himself in country music. He released his debut country single “Kiss a Cowboy” this past year, filming the music video in his hometown on his parent’s farm.
View it below:
“I’m just so happy with it because it’s literally where I grew up and all of the places where I was born and have filled so many of my memories in life so far,” Rivers remarks.
Rivers takes pride in staying true to his roots and expressing his genuine self. Drawing from his southern upbringing, he blends creativity and passion to craft heartfelt music that reflects his innermost feelings.
“It’s just about being authentic to myself and who I am, and I always told myself, if I was going to do this, I was going to do it as myself,” Rivers shares.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Rivers believes that genuine representation stems from embracing authenticity in all circumstances. He prefers not to be defined primarily by his sexuality, instead wishing to be recognized for his artistic skills and talent.
“This is who I am, I’m not going to change for anyone, I’m gonna live my life the way I want to live my life, and you can take it to leave it,” Rivers says.
Ry Rivers is working on releasing more original music and covers. Check out his music and updates on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
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