Russell Dickerson revealed the moment he nearly walked away from his career.

The singer-songwriter caught up with Bobby Bones on a recent episode of The BobbyCast, and he nearly called it quits before he released his viral single, “Happen To Me.” Dickerson said he was nearly ready to be “done” in late 2024, but in early 2025, the infectious anthem quickly took off. Dickerson teamed up with Chase McGill, Jessie Jo Dillon and Chris LaCorte to write “Happen To Me,” which includes a nod to Cyndi Lauper’s timeless 80s hit, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” He brought it to life with a Daniella Mason-directed music video, and the song became known for its viral TikTok dance. Months after the original version’s debut, Dickerson revamped it as a collaboration with the Jonas Brothers.

“Right before ‘Happen To Me,’ end of ’24, I was just like, ‘God, I think I’m — I might be done.’ I feel like I’m on a treadmill and I’m like, sprinting, but I’m not going anywhere. Same thing, same club, same venues, over and over, year after year,” Dickerson reflected in a clip from The BobbyCast.

Bobby Bones said he’s “seen so many times,” that artists reach a “plateau,” and still have an “awesome career.” However, “something’s happened to you that I haven’t seen happen here in my 15 years in town, where it’s like, boom, ceiling pop through again.” He went on to make a “bold statement.” “I think now, you should be in consideration for that Male Artist of the Year, even the Entertainer of the Year type conversation.”

Dickerson’s jaw dropped. He shared a screenshot on his Instagram story on Thursday morning (June 18), and wrote, “that face when [Bobby Bones] says you should be nominated for Entertainer of the Year. And you don’t disagree…”

During the conversation on The BobbyCast, Dickerson also reminisced on his college days with Chase Rice and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, collaborations with the Jonas Brothers and Fetty Wap (he brought Fetty Wap on stage as a surprise guest during the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest earlier this month), balancing touring with family life, and more. Find the full episode on iHeartRadio, or watch on Netflix.

Madison