EP. 382: Country Music Artist Drake White on Hunting, Music, and Healing

Country music singer Drake White joins On the Wing for a candid conversation about music, hunting, bird dogs, and the long road back from a devastating stroke. White grew up hunting and fishing in Alabama, where quail, deer, rivers, dogs, and the outdoors shaped how he understood the world and eventually influenced his music.

At the height of his career, White suffered a hemorrhagic stroke onstage in Roanoke after doctors discovered an arteriovenous malformation in his brain. The aftermath left him paralyzed on his left side and facing a recovery that would fundamentally change his life. Then a trail camera captured a giant Tennessee whitetail buck behind his house.

That deer became a fixation, and hunting became a source of purpose during one of the darkest periods of his recovery. White shares how pursuing that deer helped reignite his competitive spirit, engage his brain, and reconnect him with the outdoors. He also discusses the making of a documentary detailing the role of hunting in his recovery, his relationship with fellow country music artist Riley Green, duck hunting, dove hunting, bird dogs, and why he believes the hunt can be about far more than what ends up in your vest.

The conversation is ultimately about resilience, purpose, faith, and finding a reason to keep moving when everything changes.

Follow the show for weekly conversations about hunting, conservation, bird dogs, and upland birds.

Show notes

• Watch “Ladder to the Sky: A Hunt’s the Healing Story” by Realtree and Drake White.
• Listen to Drake White and catch him on tour at www.DrakeWhite.com.

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