Big Kenny has certainly come a long way. First, he recorded Live a Little for Hollywood Records which didn't even see the light of day until 2005. Then he recorded two indie albums in the band luvjOi. Then he teamed up with former Lonestar bassist John Rich to record three albums as Big & Rich. Now that Big & Rich is on hiatus, it's time for Big Kenny to try tackling things on his own again.

Big Kenny certainly has a reputation for weirdness, as evidenced by Live a Little, some of Big & Rich's songs, and Tim McGraw's "Last Dollar (Fly Away)". However, "Long After I'm Gone," his first solo single release, finds him sounding very mature and confident. Even more surprisingly, it works quite well. The song's lyrics touch on such overused platitudes such as counting your blessings, loving your wife and children, and wanting to leave something behind after you're gone. However, Kenny's beefy yet friendly baritone injects charisma and passion into every single line. It's very easy to tell that he believes what he's singing, even if you aren't aware of Big Kenny's longstanding charitable efforts in Darfur.

The song is helped along even more by a gently rolling melody which seamlessly progresses into a punchy chorus full of unusual chord patterns. In fact, it doesn't sound too far removed sonically from some of the ballads on Big & Rich's debut. While it may not have quite the same emotional punch, "Long After I'm Gone" shows a side of Big Kenny that maybe not too many have seen before.

You can win a copy of Big Kenny's personal iPhone.  To enter in the contest All you have to do is download the single (click here) from his website.  Even if you don't win the iPod you still win by having your own mp3 of this song.

Watch the music video for "Long After I'm Gone" by clicking here.

Check out Big & Rich lyrics and chords by clicking here. Big Kenny lyrics can be found here.