Rhett Akins

It all started when Thomas Rhett Atkins Jr. was old enough to go on stage with his father, Rhett Atkins, and play the drums for him. The band was put together in high school called The High Heeled Flip Flops. After high school, Rhett went to college at Lipscomb University in Nashville Tennessee and played as a member of Tau Phi for their cowboy show. It was from this experience that he grew used to big crowds and commanding the audience.

Rhett co-wrote the song “I Ain’t Ready to Quit” on Jason Aldeans’ 2010 album, “My Kinda Party” and then signed a contract with Big Machine Records, Valory Music Group division in 2011. He released his debut single “Something to Do with My Hands” which was released on February 21st 2012, with a music video too. The song reached number 15 on the US Hot Country Songs. His follow up single “Beer With Jesus” was released on September 4th 2012, and reached number 1 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. It wasn’t until his song “It Goes Like This” released on May 6th 2013, that Rhett got the success that he deserved, with the song going Platinum, and making it to number 1 on the US Country Airplay chart, it also became the title track of his debut album, which was released on October 29th 2013. The albums’ fourth single “Get Me Some of That” became Rhett’s second number 1 single.

Rhett has also co written the 2013 singles “1994” by Jason Aldean, “Parking Lot Party” by Lee Brice and “Round Here” by Florida Georgia Line.

He’s taken home trophies for Entertainer of the Year, Artist of the Year, Top Country Artist, and more. Bryan has also appeared as an adviser and judge in major music competitions such as The Voice and American Idol.

It’s been a pretty amazing journey for Bryan. The Leesburg, Georgia native started life as the son of peanut farmers. Terrible challenges befell him when he lost his older brother Chris in tragic circumstances. Still, he fought through, determined to follow his dreams.

Initially ready to go to Nashville at age 19, Bryan stayed near his home to provide emotional support to his family as he attended Georgia Southern State University. Earning a BA in Business Administration, he also met his future wife, Caroline. They dated for a year, parted ways, then reunited.

Not long after college, with his father’s support, Bryan finally moved to Nashville to follow his musical career aspirations. Knocking on doors, writing songs, and performing live, he made connections and headway until his work began to be recognized.

Bryan’s first taste of the music industry was as a songwriter for a publishing house in Nashville where he wrote some successful country hits like the title track of Travis Tritt’s My Honky Tonk History album. During this time he was signed as a performer to Capitol Records, but he still found time to keep writing.

After co-writing Billy Currington’s single “Good Directions,” which made number one on the Hot Country Songs charts, it was time for Bryan to release his own record. His debut album I’ll Stay Me was released in August 2007 under the Capitol Nashville label, with Bryan involved in writing all 11 songs.

After a steady rise in popularity, Bryan’s fourth single “Do I,” released in May 2009, got all the way to number 2 in the Country charts. His next two singles, “Rain Is a Good Thing” and “Someone Else Calling You Baby” appeared on his critically acclaimed second album Doin’ My Thing, which finally cracked the number one spot on the Country charts. Sadly, 2007 would see his only other sibling, Kelly, pass away suddenly. Hard as this was, this event would impact him again as he grew in fame.

In 2011, a whole bunch of singles and the EP Spring Break 3…It’s a Shore Thing kept his fan base growing. Tracks like “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” electrified audiences, serving to introduce what would be his third studio album, Tailgates & Tanlines. This album came out that summer, peaking at the top of the Country Albums chart and reaching #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Bryans’ next three albums all made number one in the Billboard 200 and Country Music Charts. The 2013 release Crash My Party included hits like the title track and “Drink a Beer.” Then, in 2014, a huge collaboration with Florida Georgia Line produced the single “This Is How We Roll.”

In the midst of it all, Bryan’s late sister’s husband, Ben Lee Cheshire, passed away. Bryan and his wife Caroline took over the duties of raising his surviving nephew and nieces.

Never slowing down, Bryan got busy on his next full-length album, 2015’s Kill the Lights. In the first week of its release, it sold a staggering 345,000 copies, beating out superstar rap artist Dr. Dre’s record Compton to hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Bryan also broke a new record, becoming the first artist even on the Billboard Country Airplay chart to have six singles reach the number one spot.

In 2017, the country crooner would have the honor of performing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. By the end of that year, after releasing singles like “Light It Up,” Bryan would release What Makes You Country, his sixth album.

True to form, Luke kept busy in 2019, releasing two singles, ”Knockin' Boots” and “What She Wants Tonight,” which made waves on the country charts. Anticipating a new release and planning a tour named “Proud to Be Here,” Bryan was looking forward to a robust 2020.

Covid delayed all those plans, but only for so long. Born Here Live Here Die Here hit listener’s ears in 2021, with sales once again proving as robust as his creative output. Followed up with the long-delayed tour, things got back on track.

All these albums later, Bryan’s success continues to snowball with more sales and awards every time he makes new music. In between breaking records and releasing new material, he’s done everything from philanthropic work for City of Hope to starting his own record label. He’s even opened his own Nashville restaurant. Bryan has become one of the biggest acts in country and looks set to carry on that way.

Born and raised in Dixon, California, Jon Pardi was introduced to country music while still in nappies; endeared to the music of George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. Making use of his grandmother’s country karaoke machine, the young singer made his debut at the age of seven at his father’s 30th birthday party with the single “Friends in Low Places”. By the age of 12 Pardi was writing his own songs with musical accompaniment, and subsequently joined his first band aged 14. After graduating from high school Jon, alongside friend Chase McGrew, Pardi formed a country music duo who played the regional club circuit, before enrolling in Butte Junior College and performing with the group Northern Comfort.

With the unshakeable dream of finding success in the country music capital, Pardi moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2008 and worked as a life guard. It wasn’t long before the musician’s name was generating attention, notably for his songwriting, and by 2010 inked his first publishing deal. The deal enabled Pardi to work with a host of successful artists, promote his name further, and ultimately led the musician to sign with Capitol Records Nashville in 2011.

Featuring friend and producer Bart Butler at the production reigns, the singer begun work on his debut album, the first single of which “Missin’ You Crazy” arrived in March 2012. Marking his debut on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it was his second, Top 10 single “Up All Night” which exposed Pardi to a large country music audience. In January 2014 the singer-songwriter issued his debut full-length album “Write You a Song”. Peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Country Album Chart and No. 14 on the Billboard 200, the record proved a critically acclaimed, cohesive country album, and spawned the subsequent singles “What I Can’t Put Down” and “When I’ve Been Drinking”.

As a child Jamey Johnson was influenced by many country artists such as Alabama and Alan Jackson. Johnson attended the same university as Randy Owen from the band Alabama, but Johnson dropped out of college after two years and joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve where he served for eight years. While in the Marine Corps, Johnson wrote original music and would perform his songs for his fellow Marines. After exiting the Marine Corps he started to perform his music at bars across Montgomery and had the opportunity to open for renowned country acts like David Allan Coe. In the year 2000 he moved to Nashville, US in order to launch his career in country music. By 2002 Johnson self-released his debut album “They Call Me Country”. While in Nashville Johnson started to make connections with well-known artists in the industry, which would lead to the record producer Buddy Cannon helping him get signed to the record label, BNA Records.

In 2006 Johnson released his second studio album and first major label album “The Dollar”. The album reached the No. 20 spot on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart and its single “The Dollar” reached the No. 14 spot on the US Country charts. Although the album was a fairly successful album and conveyed Johnson’s talents as a songwriter, the other single from the album “Rebelicious” failed to place on the charts, which resulted in Johnson being dropped from BNA. After his departure from the label Johnson focused on his songwriting abilities and wrote many songs for different artists to perform. During that time he wrote the No. 1 hit “Give It Away”, which was performed by George Strait. In 2007 he also co-wrote the hit songs “Ladies Love Country Boys”, which was performed by Trace Adkins and “Another Side of You”, which was performed by Joe Nichols.

In 2008 Johnson released new material under his name by releasing the album “That Lonesome Song”, which was put out by Mercury Nashville Records. His hit singles “In Color” and “High Cost of Living” both made it on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. “In Color” was the more popular of the two singles and earned Johnson an Academy of Country Music award as well as a Grammy Award nomination. The album reached the No. 6 position on the US Top Country Albums chart and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album has also been lauded by critics. Rhapsody listed the album as the fifth best country album of the 2000s and CMT listed the album under “A Dozen Favorite Country Albums of the Decade”.

Johnson released his fourth studio album “The Guitar Song” in 2010. The album was met with great commercial success as well as critical praise. The sound of the album contained a classic old school country sound that featured songs that were presented in an outlaw country style as well as songs that were presented in a ballad format. The album reached the No. 4 position on the US Billboard 200 chart and reached the No. 1 position on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Many publications such as Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe all highly praised the album as well as placed it in high rankings on their top albums of the year list.

Jamey Johnson has proven himself as one of the most prominent singer/songwriters in modern country music. He has collaborated with many notable artists like Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, and Merle Haggard, as well as embarked on many high profile tours where he has shared the bill with people such as Kid Rock and Willie Nelson.