LOS ANGELES _ Country superstar Dierks Bentley has conquered almost every aspect of music, from radio plays to record sells to concert appearances. But nothing he's done in his career has been as meaningful to him as writing and performing "Hold the Light" for the feature film "Only the Brave." The movie is based on the tragic deaths of 19 Arizona firefighters in 2013.
"There are a lot of personal elements for me," Bentley says. "Getting to have a small part in this movie about the Granite Mountain Hotshots is very, very rewarding to say the least."
If there was ever going to be a time Bentley was going to write and perform a song for a movie, it was this film. The Phoenix native was on tour when the firefighters were killed battling a blaze near Yarnell, Ariz. He immediately responded by hosting the Country Cares Concert in 2013, which raised more than $500,000 for the families of the firefighters. That was only the start as Bentley has continued to support the families. Bentley says he is certain he was contacted by the studio to be part of the movie because of that benefit concert. "
"Hold the Light," which also features Bon Iver's S. Carey, was written by Bentley, Carey, Joe Trapanese and Jon Randall. Trapanese, music composer for "Only the Brave," had started a song and Bentley was asked to take that preliminary work and shape it into a tune that would not only play over the closing credits but would also be a recurring musical theme throughout the production.
Bentley jokes that most of the heavy lifting had been done when he became involved, including a performance of the preliminary work by S. Carey that he thought was strong enough that the Bon Iver band member should sing the theme. But it was Bentley's passion for the people and commitment to them that was the reason the production team wanted him to finish writing and performing the number.
"Only the Brave" director Joseph Kosinski knew Bentley was the right choice because of his connection to the family and friends of the men who were killed. When he heard the song he knew that the lyrics had come from Bentley's heart.
An example of those heartfelt words appears in the chorus of "Hold the Light" where Bentley sings: "We never say goodbye. Just let me hold the light."
Bentley says getting a song from the first notes on paper to when he finally performs it is a long process full of countless changes.
"It goes from a few mumbled, jumbled words to trying to find the flow. Out of that mumbling comes a word that you anchor another word to. It's a long, ugly process," Bentley says.
Bentley and Randall not only worked on that song but wrote several others to make sure there would be alternatives. The producers opted for "Hold the Light" and Bentley is excited they made that selection because it works so well with the images at the end of the film of both the actors who played the hotshots and the real men.
"It's a pretty powerful combination of audio and visual when you put them together," Bentley says.
Writing the tune for the movie, which now makes Bentley eligible for Academy Award consideration, is the latest in a long list of accomplishments for the Grand Ole Opry member. The current CMA "Male Vocalist of the Year" nominee has had 17 number one hits and more than 1 billion digital streams. His 2017 What the Hell World Tour hit the top of Billboard's Hot Tours list by selling over 750 million tickets.
Bentley has been repeatedly asked if he will perform "Hold the Light" when he tours in 2018. He hadn't thought about the song list yet but it makes sense because he always salutes first responders in his performances. He knows that performing the song will be another way of continuing to show his respect and admiration for those who face danger for a living.
He considers this kind of paying back as being a major part of the career he has selected.
"I have this great platform and get the chance to use it in a positive way," Bentley says. "I think part of it also comes from my own need to comprehend something like that fire or like the shooting in Las Vegas. It is a way to show respect."
