Story Behind the Song: LoCash Cowboys - "Best Seat in the House"

The LoCash Cowboys are back at country radio with the second single from their self-titled debut album. "Best Seat in the House" is a personal and moving song penned by the duo's Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, along with Aaron Barker, about Lucas' father. Check out the story of the song here!  

The LoCash Cowboys are back at country radio with the second single from their self-titled debut album. "Best Seat in the House" is a personal and moving song penned by the duo's Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, along with Aaron Barker, about Lucas' father who passed away in 2011. Lucas knew he would eventually write a song honoring his father, but wanted to wait until the time was right.

"My father used to call me everyday in between 6-7PM," Lucas tells Roughstock. "He did not miss a day! I remember always getting frustrated ... everyday he would ask the same questions: How's it going? What ya doing? How's the career? Anything new? And I would say, 'It's the same as yesterday, Dad.' I would do anything to get that call again, because now I realize he just didn't want to get off the phone. He wanted to be with me, and let me know how much he cares and believes in me. You find that out when you have a child of your own and realize the type of unconditional love between a parent and a child. 

"There was one more thing my dad would ask me at least three times a week ... 'Did the Grand Ole Opry call yet?'" adds Lucas with a grin. "I would laugh and say, 'Come on, Dad ... it just doesn't happen like that.' He would reply, 'I know they will someday, and I can't wait to see you guys on there.' Well, the Opry did end up calling LoCash and asking us to debut, but unfortunately my dad had passed three months prior. When we got to stand on that stage, it was Mother's Day weekend, and our single at the time, 'Keep in Mind, had just broke the Top 40. It was a bittersweet moment. I was happy, yet I wished Dad could've seen me. I remember pointing up and dedicated our performance that night to him. I still believe he was there holding my back bone because I don't know how I kept it together."

It was from the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry where Preston Brust noticed his duo partner make a gesture and comment that would become something very powerful down the road.
 
"I remember seeing Chris point up to the sky and dedicate the song to his dad," notes Brust. "Although there were no empty seats at the Opry that night, I felt like his dad had the best view of all, looking down at us from the best seat in the house!" 

"After it was over," Lucas recalls, "I remember finding a quiet spot backstage to cry a bit and try to get out all the emotions I was going through. Preston came and found me. He knew what was wrong, and he put his hand on my shoulder and told me, 'Chris, I know your dad is here tonight ... he has the best seat in the house!' When Preston said that, I remember looking back and asking him, 'What did you say?' We knew at that moment we had a title of a song. In the midst of everything going on, it clicked in both of our brains, kind of like Dad had given us something ... something that could change our lives and possibly help others."

About eight months later, Lucas was finally ready to write "Best Seat in the House" with Brust and Aaron Barker. "It took that long to really to give my nerves up and feel strong enough to tell the story of my father and me," Lucas says softly. "Aaron Barker was the perfect person to write this song with. It just felt right." 

"There were a lot of tears in the room that day we wrote this song," adds Brust.

"I know what they mean when they say something took blood, sweat and tears, because it all in this song.," Lucas says. "The thing about being a songwriter is you have the opportunity to put yourself in someone else's shoes and vicariously write about a situation or emotions. Well this one is totally about my life with my father, true as true. While writing this, we wanted to put my story on paper, and when we were finished and read it back to us, we realized we had a song that can touch not just me, but anyone who has lost a significant person in their life. I also believe with the emotion behind this song, it can put the listener in my shoes, even though they may not have lost that person yet. They can imagine and understand what it's like, and how lucky they are to still have that beautiful part of their life."

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