Ridin’ with Rymer Episode 4: Singer-Songwriter Javier Colon

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Ridin’ with Rymer Episode 4: Singer-Songwriter Javier Colon

The stunning PineHills Course at Myrtlewood Golf Club is the venue for Episode 4 of Ridin’ with Rymer. Charlie is joined by the talented singer-songwriter and winner of NBC’s “The Voice” Javier Colon

Show Transcription

Charlie: Today in Myrtle Beach, I'm with the man who has the sweetest voice on the planet, Javier Colon. I'm Charlie Rymer and this is Ridin' with Rymer. What do you say, Javier?
Javier: What's up, Charlie?
Charlie: I am so happy to see you.
Javier: Good to see you too, man.
Charlie: Which one of these is more precious to you?
Javier: Man, that's a really good question. It depends on the day, but this one's pretty precious.
Charlie: All right. I got a good golf course for us today. We're at Myrtlewood. They got 36 holes here. We're playing the PineHills course, I think you're going to like it a lot.
Javier: I've heard it's awesome. I can't wait.
Charlie: Let's roll.
Javier: Let's do it.
Charlie: Javier, what was it that triggered you to come to the golf course the first time?
Javier: For me, it was my producer that I was working with on my first record deal. He always told me, "Javier, when you come out here to make your record, you should come out and play some golf with me." I'm like, "Okay. Sure. Fine." I ended up going and from that moment on, I was hooked. I went to the pro shop, I bought golf clubs that day, and I went back to that golf course the following 28 out of 29 days and I was absolutely hooked.
Charlie: Well a few years after that, you moved the entire country, emotionally, with your win the first year of The Voice.
Javier: To be able to have the support of the country, it was an amazing feeling that I will not soon forget. I'm so appreciative to everyone who voted because they literally changed my life. Not only my life, but the lives of my wife and my kids and I will be forever grateful for that.
Charlie: Adam Levine helped to coach you up to your win in The Voice.
Javier: Sure did.
Charlie: You returned that favor by getting him his first set of clubs and introducing him to this game. So, you introduced him to torture for the rest of his life. Is that how that works?
Javier: It's something like that. I don't know if it was his first set, but I had had some connections at Nike through one of my previous record deals and had played a lot of golf, and they came through with a bag with his name on it, a gang of clothes, and it was pretty awesome to see his face. I don't think he was expecting that, at all. It's fun when we do get a chance to play, when we get a chance to see each other, we pick up right where we left off. It's always good.
Charlie: All right, so tell me about this device you got.
Javier: It's called a Swing Caddie and it's basically a launch monitor. You put it behind you on the driving range and it tells you your swing speed, your launch angle, your total yards, your carry yards. I'm a nerd when it comes to this stuff.
Charlie: Is it vegan?
Javier: It is. It is completely vegan.
Charlie: Come on, let's head over here.
Javier: Let's go do it.
Charlie: So that felt pretty good. Let's see what the lady says.
Swing Caddie: 279 yards.
Charlie: 279 yards, that will work, right?
Javier: I'll take that all day.
Charlie: He loves this game. The first time that I remember meeting you, it's been about 15 years ago, we were doing something at Kiawah Island. You got up and sang and I was sitting with Darius Rucker and Darius is like, "You're not going to believe this guy." And you started singing and the whole room went silent, and Darius was brought to tears. And I was just like, "That's the coolest thing, the man brought Darius Rucker to tears with his voice." And I just thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life.
Javier: Oh man, I remember that day. It was fun and it's always an honor. Darius, he's a good friend and I love that he loved that performance and that song that I sang that day for that. I feel it's my job as a storyteller, to try to evoke some sort of emotion out of people and I feel like if I can't do that, I feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
Charlie: In music, if a performer is on or you're going to listen to something, who fills that void for you? When you look at them and you're like, "Man, I really love this thing that they do." Who is that?
Javier: Singer songwriters, it doesn't get better than James Taylor for me. He's one of my biggest influences, especially the way I write songs, or the way I try to write songs and the way that I play the guitar, specifically. But I had the opportunity to go to James Taylor's house where he has his-
Charlie: Name dropper.
Javier: I'm sorry. But we were talking about him, so I figured... But I got to get up close and personal one day, I'm friends with his background singer Arnold McCuller and he invited me to come to James' house. I got to sit there and watch him and his entire band record a song for one of his albums. It was the most amazing thing to get to sit there and watch him through the glass in the studio picking and singing and just his work ethic and how he does his takes. It was just the most amazing day, I came home and as soon as I opened the door, my wife said, "How was it?" And I just cried.
Charlie: Man, you're tore up with his golf thing.
Javier: Man, I am. I love the game.
Charlie: Oh that's way gone. You want to hit another one.
Javier: I do.
Charlie: He wants to hit another one, then another one and then another one after that, then another one.
Javier: And then chase him and play him and hit him again.
Charlie: So your kids, are they already playing golf?
Javier: They are. My ten year old girl and my six year old boy, they will come out to the golf course with daddy and hit some balls and have a great time. It's a great game that I know we will get to play forever. So, I'm excited that they love it and I'm just not excited that their swings look so good already.
Charlie: That day's coming, when you get beat.
Javier: I'm telling you, they hit more fairways than me already.
Charlie: One of the things that's really neat, a lot of people don't know it, Myrtle Beach is very kid friendly. That's something, for a lot of people, that really made golf a lot more attractive.
Javier: It sure does. The golf is awesome for the kids and there's also so many other things around Myrtle Beach that are great for the kids, that they love. It's like Disneyland to them. They just absolutely love coming here and when they heard that I was coming here without them, I got some stares.
Charlie: So Javier, we're in a beautiful place, a beautiful time of day.
Javier: Yes sir.
Charlie: I need to work on my rhythm a little bit. Will you play me a song while I blast a few brand new balls off into the wilderness?
Javier: Yeah, I think I can help you with that. I'm going to play you one of mine, it's called Come Through For You. One, two, three.
Javier: (singing)
Charlie: It's almost like you know what you're doing. Well Javier, we had a beautiful day here at Myrtlewood, PineHills. Great hanging out with you.
Javier: Awesome man. Thank you.
Charlie: Appreciate the conversation. I really appreciate the song.
Javier: My pleasure, man. Glad I could help the rhythm a little bit.
Charlie: Well Javier, appreciate you Ridin' with Rymer and you come on back to Myrtle Beach anytime you want.
Javier: Let's do it, man. I can't wait.
Charlie: Book your next vacation and get a customized quote at myrtlebeachgolftrips.com.
Charlie: You've got some precious cargo. What's more precious for you?
Javier: It depends on the day, but I should say, dang it. I actually just recently started doing some theater.
Charlie: You know, around here that's theater?
Javier: Theater. So, I'm doing some live theater.