Trace Adkins

With a burly but expressive vocal style, Trace Adkins emerged in the mid '90s to become one of Nashville's biggest names, and he maintained his status as a country hitmaker for decades to come. Born in Sarepta, Louisiana on January 13, 1962 and raised in nearby Springhill, Adkins sang in a gospel group in high school and played football in college. After leaving school he started working as a country singer, eventually relocating to Nashville. He eventually landed a record deal with Capitol Nashville, and he became a success straight out of the gate with his 1996 debut album, Dreamin' Out Loud. The record went to No. 6 on the country charts and gave Adkins four big hit singles, including the No. 1 country tune "(This Ain't No) Thinkin' Thing." Earning Platinum status, the album set the stage for Adkins' long string of huge-selling LP's and singles. In 2001 Adkins' momentum was temporarily slowed, first by an injury from a tractor mishap and then from a DUI arrest, which resulted in him entering rehab for alcoholism. But not only was 2001's Chrome his highest-charting record so far, its 2003 follow-up, Comin' on Strong, fared even better. In 2005 Adkins entered a whole new level of celebrity when his single "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" crossed over to the pop Top 40, going double Platinum in the process. In 2007 Adkins published his autobiography, A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck. Adkins left Capitol Nashville for Toby Keith's Show Dog label in 2010, and his first album for the label, Cowboy's Back in Town hit the top of the country charts. He had a strong three-album run at Show Dog before switching to Broken Bow's Wheelhouse imprint for 2017's Something's Going On, a No. 5 country album.