Recently premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, Rebel Country is a new documentary spotlighting the unsung heroes behind country music. The film aims to expose the diverse roots of the genre and reclaim the contributions of Black and Mexican-American musicians. Rebel Country uncovers the history of segregation and censorship that has made so-called “bro country” the norm in Nashville.
The film also highlights the stories of several LGBTQ artists who are making waves in the industry, including Sam Williams, and GLAAD Media Award nominees Chely Wright, Lil Nas X and Brooke Eden.
Eden joined GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos to talk about the film, her coming out journey, becoming a parent, and more!
“It was so cool to be a part of something involving so many of my friends and to highlight all the cool things that everyone’s doing,” Eden says about her experience working on Rebel Country. “And I love the history that they talked about in it.” She explains how even after the United States legally desegregated, country music did not. She hopes that this film can help make country music a more inclusive space.
“To watch someone like Jelly Roll, who was in and out of jail for years, be able to turn his life around through country music,” was particularly moving for Eden, and further proof that the genre should be a space for everyone.
Eden, praises 90s country music legend Chely Wright for her contributions to the genre and her bravery in coming out publicly. “Chely Wright completely paved the way for someone like me to be able to be in country music,” Eden says. “She has a line in that film and she says, ‘The first mouse never really gets the cheese.’ And she said, ‘but I’m ok with being the first mouse so that someone else can get the cheese.'” Eden feels so grateful to be one of artist who are able to “get the cheese.”
Eden, who came out publicly in 2021, goes on to explain, “I was still in so much denial about my queerness when she came out, so I feel like I wasn’t really able to identify with it as much as I should have.” She talks about how she feared that if she came out as queer, it would ruin her career. “Until I was probably 25, my biggest goal was to just never look deep inside me. I was so afraid to know me, that I almost disassociated myself with Chely Wright’s story in a way.” But now, she considers Wright to be one of her favorite musicians.
Later, as her career progressed, as did her relationship with now-wife Hilary Hoover, Eden realized she couldn’t hide who she was anymore. She felt like she was living “two separate lives. One where you’re allowed to be happy and in love and one where you have to completely disassociate from yourself and from your partner.”
She talks about how much more authentic her music feels now that she’s being open and honest with her fans. “I think about my fans back then and how little they actually knew about me. I think that makes it really hard to be an artist and to create a fan base and to connect with people. What are they connecting with if you’re not really even allowed to be yourself?”
She shares that she was so worried about things like “bringing my wife in a honky tonk in my hometown… What would people think? And what would people say?” Fortunately, people’s response has been “the most radical opposite behavior” then she thought it would be. Instead of experiencing judgement and shame, people mostly just say; “Oh my gosh, we saw your wedding pictures!”
Eden also praises country artist Sam Williams, who also appears in the film. Sam comes from one of the most famous dynasties in country music as the son of Hank Williams Jr. and grandson of Hank Williams. “He has such an important story to tell,” Eden says. To come from a family “as country and as redneck and as masculine as you can get,” and to be accepted and loved, means a lot.
On top of the documentary premiere, touring for Pride Month, performing at GLAAD’s recent Concert for Love and Acceptance, Eden and her wife Hilary are about to become parents! “We’re so excited for this next chapter, to get to raise this baby in a house, just so full of love.”
Keep up with Eden’s upcoming tour dates at www.brookeeden.com read more about Rebel Country here!