Eric Church

Country singer, composer, and guitarist Eric Church first made an impact as a songwriter, but he soon revealed a sharp wit and rough-and-rowdy style as a performer. His 2006 debut Sinners Like Me bore the influence of outlaw country, while a touch of rock & roll in his sound helped it score high on both the pop and country charts. Its follow-up Carolina did even better, but third album Chief wound up being Church's entry into country superstardom. Upon its release in 2011, it topped the pop and country charts, while the singles "Drink in My Hand" and "Springsteen" both hit number one. His albums began reaching the Top Five in the album charts regularly, and he became a frequent nominee for Male Vocalist of the Year at the CMA Awards.

Church grew up in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and began singing as a child. At 13, he started writing songs, later teaching himself to play guitar. While attending college at Appalachian State, he formed a band, the Mountain Boys, that played around western North Carolina. After graduating with a degree in marketing, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in country music. It took him a year to get a song publishing deal with Sony/ATV, after which he started having his songs recorded by other artists, an example being Terri Clark's version of "The World Needs a Drink." He met producer Jay Joyce, who took an interest in him as a recording artist, and they began making demos. That led to his being signed by Capitol Records Nashville.