Out country music singer/songwriter Bryan Ruby hits a holiday home run with his new Christmas single, “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Ruby initially came to national prominence in September 2021 when he became the first active professional baseball player to come out as gay. His inspirational story was featured here on Instinct Magazine, as well as USA Today, CBS News, Yahoo News, and Bleacher Report.
He also founded Proud To Be In Baseball, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating, educating, and creating opportunities for the next generation of LGBTQ baseball players.
Then we discovered that in addition to being a pro baseball player, Ruby is also a top-notch country music artist. An accomplished singer/songwriter, he has written songs for other artists for years, with many landing on multiple charts, including the iTunes Country Top 25.
His latest release – “It’s A Wonderful Life” – wraps up all the sights and sounds of Christmas in a warm and comfortable country soundscape that pairs perfectly with his rich baritone. In our recent chat with the handsome artist, Ruby says he and his co-writers David Ross & Chad Sellers set out to “capture the magic of the holiday season in a song that celebrates the simple joys of togetherness, warmth, love, and gratitude.”
In June 2022, Ruby released his debut single, “Left Field,” which has garnered nearly a million streams on Spotify alone. The song was featured on The TODAY Show and added to rotation on SiriusXM Country Pride, as well as the Academy of Country Music’s Ultimate Pride Playlist.
“I’ve written hundreds of songs, but you’ve got to pick one,” says Ruby about choosing that first single as a solo artist. “The chorus has got to be who you are. It’s a baseball title, but it’s not really about baseball. It’s more about life and the kind of message that I wish I could have heard in country music as a kid – about people like me, to be able to see and hear myself represented.”
Make sure you hit the play button below to listen to our chat with the oh-so-talented Mr. Bryan Ruby as he candidly shares on several topics including what it was like coming out to his baseball teammates:
“They were super cool. Maybe they couldn’t relate to me (as gay), but they related to me as an athlete. We were fighting towards a similar objective, working hard in the trenches together in 105 degrees in August on the baseball field. They were like my brothers. And they asked a lot of questions. Many of them had friends and family who are LGBTQ. Now, all of a sudden, it’s safe for them to talk to me about their cousin who was having issues coming out or their favorite teacher growing up or whatever. I heard a lot of those.”
Head to www.BryanRubyMusic.com for more info about his music, his holiday-themed tour A Songwriter’s Christmas, and more. And find more of his music on Spotify here.
That’s pretty awesome he was the first active professional baseball player to come out as gay.