HATTIESBURG, Miss.

Adam Doleac knew it was close. His single, “Famous” was going up in sales, but was it enough?

The Hattiesburg native said he found out the song turned gold when he was surprised with a presentation during his appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in May.

The Recording Industry Association of America issues gold certification once a record hits half a million copies sold – which is no easy task when the whole world is closed. But despite the inability to tour to support his music, Doleac’s popularity continued to grow.

2021 has been a good year for Doleac so far, with another song, “Key to the City” in the spotlight this summer at the College World Series in Omaha.

Doleac, 33, knows how the Mississippi State and Vanderbilt teams felt at the baseball tournament because it’s a place he’s been before.

In fact, Doleac wrote “Key to the City” as a tribute to his time as a baseball player with the University of Southern Mississippi.

“The town of Omaha is on fire for baseball during these two weeks, and they’re really rolling out the red carpet for all the players,” Doleac told the Tennessean. “I remember feeling that, and I guarantee that every player who has stepped onto this pitch has felt it too.”

Doleac currently lives in Nashville, where Vanderbilt is located. And he was a star hitter for the Golden Eagles when they made a College World Series appearance in 2009. The following year was a breakthrough for Doleac, when he recorded a .352 batting average with seven home runs and. 57 RIBs.

“The first time I heard (‘Keys’ on the show) I think I just smiled and turned up my tone,” he said in a previous story.

While baseball was a passion for Doleac, music was also a big part of his life, so he packed his bags and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter.

His talents off the baseball field did not go unnoticed.

“Famous” was released in January 2019, when Doleac was a freelance artist. He signed with Sony-Arista in October 2019.

“It really took off and went viral for us, and sold more copies than we’ve ever sold,” Doleac said. “And that basically put me in a position where I could get that recording deal.”

With the backing of a major label, Doleac was positioned for even greater success, but his career, like many other entertainers, came to an abrupt end when the coronavirus pandemic struck and concert tours kicked off. been canceled to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Unfortunately I signed a deal right before the world closed which was really tough for the momentum and everything,” Doleac said.

Despite the setback, Doleac continued to work on his music, and now that concert halls are starting to reopen, he has a full touring schedule, including appearances at several shows on the Zac Brown Band’s Comeback Tour.

Doleac will perform on August 7 at Jackson’s Mississippi Coliseum.

He is also working on the production of a full album containing new material.

“‘Famous’ is one of those songs that opened a lot of doors for me and what better way to celebrate my first gold record than at the Grand Ole Opry with my team,” Doleac said in a statement.

Doleac also recently released a two-part music video series for his songs “Whiskey’s Fine” and “Another”.

For more information on Doleac’s music and upcoming tour dates and tickets, visit AdamDoleac.com.