Billy Dean Country Music's Hottest Devoted Dad Grammy Winning Country Music Star Sings About The Joys Of Fatherhood On Top 10 Single

“Let Them Be Little,” The Title Track From New Curb Album

Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter Currently On “The Guys Night Out Tour” with Craig Morgan

True to the heartfelt lyrics of the hit title track on his hot new Curb Records release Let Them Be Little, Billy Dean will have a lot to celebrate when Father’s Day rolls around June 19. In May, he married Stephanie, his great love of five years, who has been a wonderful stepmom to his children, Eli (age 12) and Hannah (age 10). The singer/songwriter wrote the tune—which recently hit #8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart—as a reflection of his love for his kids and the challenges he faced being a single dad for many years. It’s a song that continues to resonate with both single and married fathers the world over.

The inspiration behind “This Is The Life,” Let Them Be Little’s second scheduled single, perfectly sums up his current optimism about his new family and, of course, his suddenly hot again career. Last year, after several years without a record deal, the Grammy winner took a grass roots plunge back onto the charts with a self-released version of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” rekindling the industry’s interest and leading to a new deal with Curb.

“I woke up one day, looked over at Stephanie who I love, thought about Eli and Hannah and how well we were doing since my divorce, and about my small house in this little neighborhood of Nashville,” he says. “It’s so different from when I lived on the proverbial Ponderosa, but that was okay. Suddenly, I realized, it’s just great to be here. This is the life and I love it. I’ve arrived.

The 6’4” hitmaker is loving the fact that both kids are clearly following in his musical footsteps. Hannah sings and plays guitar, while Eli has been learning studio engineering while also playing electric guitar. As he teaches them the ropes of making and recording music, Dean has also come a long way on the domestic front. When he first got divorced eight years ago, he asked longtime nanny Willie to step aside so he could be more hands on.

“I acted all confident, but when the kids got sick, I wasn’t sure I could take care of them,” Dean recalls. “I mean, they saw me as a great playmate, but dealing with the nasty stuff like the flu? It sucked at first. I gave Eli too much of this one medication and he threw up all over the place. They still remember that. But it’s going great now. I say there’s two choices--you can have an awesome career and screw up your kids, or you can have your kids love and respect you even if you don’t make a dime.”

The success of Let Them Be Little finds Dean enjoying the best of both worlds, with the title track—a tune he originally wrote with Lonestar’s Richie McDonald for that band’s album Let’s Be Us Again—perfectly reflecting what he’s learned as a father over the years.

"That was the key thing," Dean says. "I’ve always had this big kid at heart thing going on with tunes like ‘Billy The Kid’ and ‘Young Man,’ but then I had to grow up. Part of the process involved the kids parenting me. Like, if I was fighting with my ex-wife, my little girl would go, 'Well, why don't you just not fight?' And I'm like, 'Uh … yeah! Why do I get suckered into fighting like this?' These kinds of things made me listen to my kids in a new way. That's where that line comes from in 'Let Them Be Little': 'And now you're teaching me how only a child can see.' I’m really having the time of my life with them now, and they’re excited that dad’s back playing and singing again.”

Putting his money where his lyrics are, he’s already back on the road, co-headlining with Craig Morgan as “The Guys Night Out Tour,” which will pick up steam this summer. Dean’s looking at three TV pilots, is writing music for a new musical based on the writings of “Yankee Jones, The Briefcase Poet,” and has big plans to stop at numerous Tower Records and Wal-marts throughout the U.S. in support of Let Them Be Little.

While his early career was highlighted with major hit ballads, Let Them Be Little, appropriately enough, finds Dean cutting loose and tearing it up with more raw energy than ever before. “The best part of coming back is doing it on my own terms, against the normal plans of the music business. My voice is better than ever, too. If I only get one moment back in the spotlight, I’m proud of being able to share my story, my great love of life and the investment I’ve made in my kids.”

For more information please visit: BillyDean.com.