You could say that Brandon Davis’s life has changed significantly in the past year.
And as it is with most things in Brandon’s life and career, it was Destiny that set the wheels in motion.
How Destiny intervened
Brandon’s wife Destiny had grown familiar with artists promoting their music on platforms like TikTok in hopes of going viral.
She had a similar vision for her husband Brandon, a design engineer for a fire sprinkler company who’d decided to chase bigger things after a 2019 car crash.
His first viral video was posted shortly after returning home from a Father’s Day trip to Pigeon Forge.
The viral video with almost 14 million views
That video, which has now amassed almost 14 million views, features Destiny challenging her husband to an impromptu concert in their kitchen where he rotates through a playlist of hits, showcasing his undeniable talent, without missing a beat.
“It blew up,” Brandon said. “I went from having no one who knew my name to within a few weeks, we had 300,000 followers and a video with 13.9 million views.”
And they kept it up.
“That expanded to her putting me on the spot at any given point during the day. So, from doing the dishes to mowing the lawn, to coming in the door, she’d say ‘concert challenge’ and I’d jump up on anything I can find around and grab whatever I could find to use as a microphone and hope that it works,” said Brandon.
The man is basically a walking jukebox. And the internet has taken notice.
Many of his viral videos feature popular attractions in the Smokies, where the Chattanooga-based duo vacation often, including Ole Smoky, The Island and even Dollywood.
It was the latest stunt that happened to catch the eye of our staff at TheSmokies.com, in the parking lot of Beyond the Lens.
Brandon’s concert challenge at Beyond the Lens
It all happened during their latest trip to Pigeon Forge.
Destiny told the people in the car parked in front of them what was about to happen. She got permission for Brandon to use their trunk as a stage.
Then, she ambushed her husband.
“Concert challenge,” she hollered, pointing him in the direction of the trunk and beginning a countdown.
Brandon scrambled into position and – using a Lemon-Lime Gatorade as a microphone – began belting out an acapella version of the song he’d written about their life, “Destiny,” for the traffic rolling past.
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That video, along with a few of his other hits, has been reposted below.
A country music career is born
Fast forward to present day.
Brandon has accumulated 1.4 million followers on TikTok, has gigged across the country from Tennessee to California and played vacation destinations like Jamaica and Cancun.
And it’s all been done without the help of major label backing.
To put those numbers into perspective, Jason Aldean has 266,300 followers on the platform, and Tim McGraw has 2 million.
And through all that, his fans are now demanding more than just covers. They’re asking for his original tunes as well.
“It’s been crazy, the music has exploded,” said Brandon. “It’s been a blessing beyond what I ever thought it could be and it’s growing every day without fail.”
Usually, it’s just Brandon and his guitar but he does occasionally put together a full band.
He’s even teamed with a couple of hard rock acts out of Michigan to produce a fiery cover of the Garth Brooks song “The Thunder Rolls” (music video below).
“We do have a studio,” Brandon said. “It’s a master bedroom closet with blankets hung up on the wall. You’ve got to make a sound booth somehow.”
The secret to Brandon’s viral success
Above all, Brandon says the key to his success as a songwriter is finding a way to connect with the audience.
Whether that’s through telling the story of his life with Destiny, or about blowing off a little steam with a few beers or a party. A song won’t work without that connection.
“It’s finding where the people relate to you,” he said, citing his original tune “Step by Step,” a song about Brandon and his relationship with his stepchildren.
“So many stepparents, Godparents, foster parents or grandparents who stepped up to raise their grandchildren, they all have reached out and said, ‘Look you don’t know how much this song means to me.’ That’s the goal of every song we release. I want to find some way that someone says ‘This describes me. This is how I feel right now.’”
“Country music is the best avenue, in my opinion, for that.”
Brandon grew up singing in a family band and has a healthy love for Texas-inspired country music. Certainly, the influence is obvious.
“I love Texas Country,” he said. “George Strait himself lived down there.”
For now, music continues to be a sideline for Brandon, but he’s hoping to be a full-time musician soon.
Of course, it will be a big transition for the Davis family and their five children. But Brandon has hope. And he also has Destiny.
“I’m thankful that I’ve got a wife that drives me and supports me and makes sure that it all happens,” he said. “If it wasn’t for her, y’all probably wouldn’t be talking to me right now.”
Where can you find Brandon’s music?
Today, Brandon has nine original songs available on digital music platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
And of course, you can also follow him on TikTok.
In order to learn more about Brandon’s music and upcoming events, visit his website.
What do you think of Brandon’s Smoky Mountain performance? Let us know in the comments below.