In 1973, Robbie Holder’s mom ordered him a guitar out of the Sears catalog. The Owensboro native began making music at the age of 13, and he’s still at it 50 years later.
Holder practiced and taught himself how to play over the years. He listened to and drew inspiration from the stories by some of his favorite singers — such as Jim Croce, John Prine, and even Hank Williams.
“Now you listen to Hank Williams and you’re like ‘what the heck, man’ but when I was 7 years old that dude was talking to me,” he said.
Eventually, Holder served some time in the Navy. The one thing he always had in his hands between tasks was his guitar.
“You’re on a ship and when you’re not working or sleeping, if you play music it’s a good release,” Holder said.
So, he played music in his downtime as a chance to bond with everyone and to give himself a chance to relax. After the war, he continued playing at home eventually found a solid community and began his journey with SESAC in Nashville.
Holder met then-Vice President Diane Petty, who took him under her wing. Using lessons learned from Petty and his friend Greg Moore, Holder made well over 150 songs with SESAC.
Through each of the songs, he aims to connect with people the same way his childhood artists connected with him.
“To me, music is my message. Not everybody is going to get it and some people will get it in different ways. That’s what you want to go for. You want to put a story out there that not only is familiar to you but that [someone else] might hear, and that’s my goal,” Holder said.
Through his music, Holder has traveled to numerous states and he aims to connect with the audience at each show.
In each of the shows, he also tries to give back to the veteran community — two shows alone raised $60,000 for wounded veterans.
As he enters his 50th year as a musician, Holder has tours scheduled for this year. He said he plans to go to Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas in the first quarter of the year.
“I have no slow down man,” Holder said. “This is my legacy.”
