Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“Whenever I think about truly iconic songs, this is one of the first that comes to mind…”
Luke Bryan has put his own spin on Dan Seals’ 1986 No. 1 hit “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold),” serving as the first release from a new duets project launched by record label Melody Place.
Originally co-written by Seals and Bob McDill for the album Won’t Be Blue Anymore, the ballad tells the story of a man reflecting on a lost love who found fame on the rodeo circuit while he stayed behind to raise their child and perform at smaller venues. Dressed in rhinestones and adored by fans, she represents the life he might have shared, though the refrain—“everything that glitters is not gold”—underscores that success and spotlight don’t always bring true happiness.
A lifelong admirer of Seals, Bryan expressed his excitement to be part of the project, which arrives 16 years after Seals’ passing. “When I think about iconic songs, this is one of the first that comes to mind,” Bryan said. “Dan was an artist I listened to constantly, and I still do. I used to sing this song back in Georgia, and to now have the chance to be paired with him on this release is just unreal.”
Seals’ career first took flight as one half of the pop-rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley before he transitioned to country music, where he earned 11 chart-topping singles—including nine consecutive No. 1s. His gift for crafting heartfelt stories about rural life made him one of country’s most enduring crossover artists.
In 2007, Seals was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. He passed away on March 25, 2009, at 8:30 p.m.—a moment his manager poignantly described as “Showtime.”
