Jay DeMarcus' first post-Rascal Flatts solo song is for his late father. "Music Man" arrived early Friday morning (Jan. 29).

Written, performed and produced entirely by DeMarcus, "Music Man" lovingly remembers the singer's dad's own musical past, and his influence on his son's chosen career path: "Yeah, music is the bond that keeps us close / But hearing your sweet tenor voice is what I love the most ... Your blood and bones have made me who I am / Music man," DeMarcus sings.

"This one's for you, Dad," DeMarcus tweeted on Monday (Jan. 25) when announcing the song, a tender ballad with a soft rock vibe.

“Naturally, losing my father was a huge, life-altering moment, but being able to sit down at the very piano he taught me on has been so comforting to me,” DeMarcus adds in a press release. "The night he passed, I sat down at that piano, and the lyrics to this song just poured over and spilled out of me."

Stanley Wayne "Wayno" DeMarcus died on Oct. 29. His famous son shares his name, though he's always gone as Jay.

Indeed, the elder DeMarcus was integral in his son's beginnings in music: "I could never explain in just a few words how important the musical bond was that we shared — it meant everything to me," Jay DeMarcus wrote at the time of his father's death. "I have a lifetime of memories that will now be my comfort, as I face this life now without him."

"Music was such a strong bond between us; it kept us close, while the miles and the years kept us apart," DeMarcus now adds. "It’s clear to me now that life is never going to be the same after losing a parent, but I’m so grateful for the memories and the legacy he’s passed on to me, and he will forever be my ‘Music Man.’”

Rascal Flatts retired at the end of 2020, after releasing both a new EP and a greatest hits project throughout the year. They'd planned a farewell tour, but had to cancel it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeMarcus and his family are the subjects of a reality TV show on Netflix, DeMarcus Family Rules. He also owns Red Street Records, a Christian-focused label founded in 2018.

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