It’s hard to imagine Parmalee without their 2013 chart-topping hit, “Carolina.” But did you know that song almost didn’t see the light of day?
Parmalee’s Matt Thomas recently recounted the group’s earlier cash-trapped days and how his mom provided financial aid when they needed it.
“[Our initial investor] kind of tapped out, gave us a check and it bounced: $11,000. And so we were tapped out,” Parmalee tells ABC Audio. “My mom took a second mortgage out on her house, the little three-bedroom house that she got in the divorce, and loaned us a check for $11,000. We promised to pay [her] back, and we did interest and made sure she got her money first.”
Matt continues to be grateful for his mom’s generosity and how she, in part, paved the way for their first #1 hit.
“She gave us money for that recording, and she never heard any of the songs on it. She just knew we went to Atlanta, and we worked on some songs, and that we were in debt and then she helped us out,” says Matt. “Like I always say, though, she didn’t know one of the songs is ‘Carolina’ on that recording.”
“We got a new car and paid her house off and she’s retired now,” shares Matt, before giving a shoutout to all supportive parents.
“To you mamas and daddies out there believing in [us] dreamers, [we] couldn’t do it without y’all,” he adds.
Parmalee’s approaching the top 40 of the country charts with their new single, “Gonna Love You,” which they recently performed on ABC’s Good Morning America.
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