Ira Dean comes from a musical family. His brother is Billy Dean, but not that Billy Dean. "It's a joke because Billy Dean's royalty checks used to go to my brother," Dean mused. But his brother and father were both very much in the business. His father played guitar, sang, and even had his own radio show when he was 13, so the music business is all Dean's ever known.
"It was either make it or wear a hairnet and say, 'Do you want fries with that?'" he joked.
Dean's musical talent became widely recognized when he joined the dynamic country music trio Trick Pony in the late 1990s. Serving as the bassist and contributing vocalist for the group, Dean played a pivotal role in shaping Trick Pony's signature sound. He co-wrote some of their most successful songs, including "Pour Me," "On a Mission," and "Just What I Do."
Dean has recorded with such greats as Hank Williams Jr., Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Alison Krauss, Darius Rucker, Emmylou Harris, Mel Tillis, Jamey Johnson, Edwin McCain, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker, Ronnie Milsap, Lee Roy Parnell, and many more.
Beyond his roles as a performer and instrumentalist, Ira Dean established himself as a prolific songwriter. He has had songs recorded by Ronnie Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Trace Adkins, Colt Ford, Heidi Newfield, Jake Owen, and Gary Allan, including his hit single: "Feeling Like That". He has had seven songs cut by Montgomery Gentry, including their hit singles "One In Every Crowd" and "I'll Keep The Kids." Dean co-wrote Aaron Lewis' #1 hit "Am I The Only One" and co-produced Lewis' #1 album Frayed At Both Ends.
When he decided to write a record for himself, he turned to his usual core of guys, which included Dave Turnbull, Jeffrey Steele, David Lee Murphy, Chris Wallen, Aaron Barker, Gary Allan, and Justin Weaver.
He called them and said, "We've got to buckle down." They were like, "Who are we writing for?" "Me," he exclaimed. "It was great to be writing for myself finally."
The first song on Ira Dean's I Got Roads records is "Tele-Man." I heard this song long before I met and interviewed Dean and was blown away. Ronnie Dunn sings on it. The song is about a telecaster guitar player and features some of country music's greatest guitarists: Vince Gill, John Osborne, and Brent Mason.
"It's musical testosterone hit with a defibrillator," Dean quipped.
He continued, "I've tried for years to get together an all-star band, and top of my list was always Vince Gill. And my favorite singer in my generation has always been Ronnie Dunn."
Dean nods to the small town with his song, "I Like It Like That." Sung with David Lee Murphy, it's about not changing who you are or where you came from. He got Tom Petty's drummer Steve Ferrone to play on this, and it's a redneck rocker.
Gary Allan, known for his haunting melodies and matter-of-fact lyrics, joins Dean on the title track, "I Got Roads," which he helped co-write. The song is about the pathways of life we have all encountered.
"Me and Gary have always been kindred spirits," Dean stated. "We have always written great songs together."
Anyone aware of their past lives knows "I Got Roads" is spot on for both of them. "It's such an allegory for life," Dean confirmed.
One of my favorite female country vocalists will always be Gretchen Wilson. When I learned she teamed up with Dean for the tune "Everything," I was eager to hear it.
Dean wrote the song for his wife and performed it at their wedding. When it was time to record it for the record, he summoned his long-time pal, Gretchen Wilson, one of his favorite country music singers.
He concurred, "She's the country version of Nancy Wilson from Heart."
As Dean began assembling and composing this latest record, he is/was not sure if it would be his final record, so he wanted to get everyone he wanted to write and/or play on it. When he was ready to record "WWCDD (What Would Charlie Daniels Do)," he got the biggest patriot rocker on the planet, Ted Nugent, to help him pay tribute to the legendary Charlie Daniels.
With the words And it gets me thinkin'/ Leave this long-haired country boy alone/ and I start singin' along to that line in the song/ Sweet Home Alabama/ I hope Neil Young will remember/ A southern man don't need him around anyhow… it may be my favorite off the record which also gives a shout out to Nugent himself. And, of course, there is an outstanding Ted Nugent guitar solo to complete the song.
Another song written about his wife is "Wreck Me," which features Jeffrey Steele. Dean confessed, "She still knocks me out as much as she did the first minute I saw her. Girl, you get me out of control." They recorded it to have a Tom Petty vibe.
Even though Dean has been sober for many years now, the biggest party song on the record is "1 to Hank," a tune that was birthed from his longstanding friendship with Hank Williams, Jr. Dean was always talking about all the stuff he and Hank did back in the day. His best friend Chris Wallen said, "We need to write that." Uncle Kracker joins Dean on the track.
One of the two songs that Dean didn't help write is "Amen To That. " The song's lyrics are, "You raised hell, but that ain't where you're at." It applies to many who have passed.
Dean's wife is the muse for many of the songs he pens, and "Redneck Girl Like Mine" is one of them. He explained, "My wife is anything but a redneck with her Prada shoes and expensive purses. But when she wears a ballcap and jeans and one of my T-shirts, I love that look on her. She's become a lot more redneck now that I'm in her life."
The song "I Get High" features another great female vocalist, Shelly Fairchild. It can be taken two ways.
Dean recalled, "I used to get high a different way. Now, I find a rush from a woman who walked into my life. And Shelley Fairchild, who does the background vocals, is a singing fool."
The song has a Bob Seger, 'Down on Mainstreet' feel to it.
The biggest anthem on the album is "Raised On It." Hailing from the small town of Gardner, North Carolina, Dean was brought up bass fishing in a pond and deer and turkey hunting. Now, he lives in the rural town of Ashland City on the outskirts of Nashville.
The emotions mount when Dean proclaims, We were raised on it. Red dirt, American Pie/ Backwoods where the eagle flies/It's who I am and I don't ask why/ We were raised on it/ Same roots as that big ol' tree/ Round here the roots run deep/ Just like me to the day I die.
While a few may not relate to the song's sentiment, the majority, especially the country music fans, certainly will.
The pedal steel soars on the most serious song on the record, "Missin' How It Used Be." It captures the bittersweet ache of simpler times, recalling an era "when it took hard work and Jesus to get what you needed/and a quarter to make a call." It's Dean's favorite song from this collection.
Written alongside some of Nashville's finest songwriters, I Got Roads is a songwriter's dream album. Dean likens each song to a chapter of his life. The record is a powerful and personal collection that captures the raw honesty of Dean's life, past and present.
It's traditional country with some southern rock and a little Tom Petty thrown in. Produced by Grammy-winning engineer Noah Gordon, I Got Roads isn't just an album—it's Dean's life. It's an album rich with grace, grit, and authenticity.
You can follow Ira Dean on his website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.
I Got Roads Track List:
- Tele-Man – Ira Dean & Ronnie Dunn (feat. Vince Gill, John Osborne & Brent Mason) (Written by: Tony Mullins & Jeffrey Steele)
- I Like It Like That – Ira Dean & David Lee Murphy (Written by: Ira Dean, David Lee Murphy)
- I Got Roads – Ira Dean & Gary Allan (Written by: Jeffrey Steele, Gary Allan, Ira Dean )
- Everything (feat. Gretchen Wilson) (Written by: Ira Dean, Dave Turnbull)
- Ted Nugent Introduction
- WWCD (What Would Charlie Daniels Do) [feat. Ted Nugent] (Written by: Jeffrey Steele, Ira Dean)
- Wreck Me (feat. Jeffrey Steele) (Written by: Ira Dean, David Lee Murphy, Justin Weaver)
- From 1 To Hank – Ira Dean & Uncle Kracker (Written by: Chris Wallin & Ira Dean)
- Amen To That (Written by: David Lee Murphy, Jessi Alexander, Ben Hayslip)
- Redneck Girl Like Mine (feat. Jeffrey Steele) (Written by: David Lee Murphy & Ira Dean, Justin Weaver)
- I Get High (feat. Shelly Fairchild) (Written by: Ira Dean, Gary Allan, Dave Turnbull)
- Raised On It (Written by: Ira Dean & David Lee Murphy, Justin Weaver)
- Mama’s Message
- Missin' How It Used To Be (Written by: Ira Dean & Dave Turnbull)
