Owensboro native Jake Holder had his dream come true a little more than a week ago when he and his fiddle made their debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Holder and his long-time friend and bass player A.D. Dunlap accompanied emerging country artist Dylan Carmichael on stage for what he described as a magical night.
Holder has experienced his fair share of trials and tribulations during his musical journey, but landing a spot in Carmichael’s road band was his first big break. He began touring with Carmiachel a little more than a year ago and has always expressed an interest in playing at the Opry.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done – a real dream come true. The Opry is the mecca, the mother church of my kind of music and to step foot on that stage and play was unreal,” Holder said. “When the Opry invites artists to play, they can only bring a few band members each time. When he (Carmichael) called and invited me, I thought he was joking.”
Holder has been playing the fiddle since he was roughly 8-years-old, so for around 24 years, but it wasn’t until his mid-20s that music “really grabbed him.” He credits his mother Belva for the endless support and motivation she’s extended him and said that determining a “plus-one” for the Opry was one of the easiest decisions he’s ever made.
“My mom is my biggest fan; she drove me during times that I wanted to quit,” he said. “She’s watching me live my dream, and she’s living it too. I’ve never seen anyone happier for me than her. She came backstage with me at the Opry.”
Carmichael comes from a long line of musicians, most notably his uncles Eddie and John Michael Montgomery. With Holder rosining up his bow, Carmichael and his band have opened for the likes of Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Brice, Joe Nichols, and more.
Until joining Carmichael, Holder’s music career lacked consistency, spanning multiple cities and a wide array of artists and bands that would invite him to join them. Those invitations ranged from a 6-month-long tour to open mic nights to a 2.5-week stint in Florida.
He dabbled in Orchestra while at Owensboro High School but never developed a genuine interest. Holder’s dad Robbie is also a musician, scoring sets across the tristate. As a veteran, he enjoys performing or fundraising for veterans.
“Orchestra wasn’t really my thing; I liked it, but I didn’t like having to play a specific note at a specific time. Reading sheet music wasn’t my thing,” he said. “My dad would have people over on weekends, and I would occasionally pick my fiddle up and join until I would mess up, and he would tell me to go practice and try again next week.”
Local artist Jarred Green randomly prompted Holder to start playing with him, which lasted for six months before he found another connection in Butch Calaway and Dan Hall led him to join the Blackford Creek Band. He said touring the tristate with them was great for “getting his feet wet” and opened up doors in the music industry.
Holder soon moved to Evansville and began booking shows with Nick Cheek when Kenneth Murray spotted him performing outside the Lure during Friday After 5. Murray managed the band Osiella, who was headlining the main stage, and invited him to join them on tours that spanned the country.
Osiella soon broke up, leaving Holder to fulfill an 18-month apartment lease by free-lancing, primarily with Cheek by his side.
“By that time, music had grabbed me, and I wanted to do something with it,” he said. “I decided that I might as well move to Nashville. If you’re a country musician, that’s where you move to make your dreams come true.”
Holder’s long-time friend Josh Merrit gave him some advice that finally pushed him over the edge despite many reservations about the move. He took that advice to heart and embraced it is as his mantra and mindset towards music.
“I was scared and unsure about moving to Nashville, but my good buddy told me something I’ll never forget,” Holder said. “He told me to ‘make the leap, and a net will appear.’ I had no connection with anyone in Nashville, and I was scared to death, but that quote hit home with me.”
After the move, he landed a full-time gig with the Wilson Brothers Band before catching his “big break,” which caught him entirely by surprise. Holder posted on a Facebook group called Nashville Gig Finder, which allows musicians to post that they are available if someone needs a “fill-in.” Performing artists will then reach out if they think they can use your talents.
“I woke up to a message on Facebook from Dylan, and I thought it was someone messing with me. It said, ‘hey buddy, if you’re interested, I may have an opportunity,’” Holder said. “Five minutes later, and my Instagram went off. I looked, and it was a verified account, so I knew it was really him and called him immediately.”
Dylan needed a fiddle player for one show and thought that Holder’s beard and appearance were the perfect fit. Once he discovered how talented he was on the fiddle, the rest was history.
Holder began full-time with Carmichael in January of 2021 and was blessed to cap off the event-filled year at the Grand Ole Opry.
“It all happened so fast; I don’t know how it happened, but it’s a dream come true,” Holder said.
