Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett
Background information
Birth name Thomas Rhett Akins, Jr.
Born (1990-03-30) March 30, 1990[1]
Origin Nashville, Tennessee
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active 2010–present
Labels Valory Music Group
Associated acts
Website thomasrhett.com

Thomas Rhett Akins, Jr. (born March 30, 1990), better known by his stage name Thomas Rhett, is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the son of American country music singer and songwriter Rhett Akins.[4] Rhett has released two studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: It Goes Like This (2013) and Tangled Up (2015). These albums have produced ten singles on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, with six reaching the No. 1 position on the latter: "It Goes Like This", "Get Me Some of That", "Make Me Wanna", "Crash and Burn", "Die a Happy Man", and "T-Shirt". In addition to much of his own material, Rhett has also written singles for Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, and Florida Georgia Line.

Early life

Growing up, Rhett was used to seeing country idols like Tim McGraw or Brooks & Dunn in his home because his father was famous country singer Rhett Akins.[5] In junior high, Rhett learned how to play the drums. When he was old enough, he would go onstage with his father and play the drums for him. A band was then put together in high school called The High Heeled Flip Flops.[6] Besides music, he did not have a career choice in mind. After high school, Rhett went to college at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Rhett’s love for music grew throughout the years and as a result he failed to keep his promise to his mom and dropped out of college when he was 20 to pursue a career in music.[7] One night while playing at a club, an executive from Big Machine Label Group approached him and offered him a publishing deal to write songs. He accepted and began writing many songs for the company.[5]

Career

Rhett co-wrote the song "I Ain't Ready to Quit" on Jason Aldean's 2010 album My Kinda Party and signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records' Valory Music Group division in 2011.[8] The album's first 21 weeks were spent in the top 40 of the Billboard 200; it also has sold 1.7 million in its first years of release. [9] In early 2012, he released his debut single, "Something to Do with My Hands", followed later that year by "Beer with Jesus". Both of these made top 30 on the Hot Country Songs charts. His third single, "It Goes Like This", topped the Country Airplay chart and also peaked at number 2 on the Hot Country Songs. His debut album, also titled It Goes Like This, was released on October 29.[10] The album's fourth single, "Get Me Some of That", became Rhett's second number 1 single in early 2014. The album's fifth single, "Make Me Wanna", was released to country radio on August 4, 2014. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart on March 7, 2015. In between the two singles, Rhett sang guest vocals along with Justin Moore on Brantley Gilbert's "Small Town Throwdown".

Thomas Rhett performing in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 24, 2013

Rhett also co-wrote the 2013 singles "1994" by Jason Aldean, "Parking Lot Party" by Lee Brice, and "Round Here" by Florida Georgia Line. During the chart week of September 21, 2013, the Country Airplay chart included five songs within the top 10 that Rhett or his father had co-written, including "It Goes Like This".[11]

On April 7, 2015, Rhett released a new single titled "Crash and Burn" which served as the lead single to his second studio album. The album, Tangled Up, was released on September 25.[12] It reached at number one on the Country Airplay chart in September 2015. The album's second single, "Die a Happy Man" released to country radio on September 28, 2015. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs and Canada Country chart in December 2015. and January 2016. It stayed at number one on the Country Airplay chart for 8 weeks, becoming the second song in the chart's history to do so. The album's third single, "T-Shirt" released to country radio on February 16, 2016. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay in June 2016, but received poor critical reviews criticizing it's lyrical content. The album's fourth single, "Vacation" released to country radio on June 13, 2016. The album's fifth single with Deluxe Version, "Star of the Show" released to country radio on October 3, 2016.

Personal life

Rhett is married to Lauren Greggory, whom he has known since first grade. The couple married on October 12, 2012.[13]

Concert tours

Night Train Tour (Athens, GA) with Jason Aldean (2013)

Discography

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Result
2013 American Country Awards New Artist of the Year Nominated
2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Song of the Year
"It Goes Like This"
CMT Music Awards Video of the Year
"It Goes Like This"
Breakthrough Video of the Year
"It Goes Like This"
Country Music Association Awards New Artist of the Year
American Country Countdown Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year
2015 Academy of Country Music Awards New Artist of the Year
CMT Music Awards Collaborative Video of the Year
"Small Town Throwdown" (shared with Brantley Gilbert & Justin Moore)
ASCAP Country Music Awards Most Performed Songs
"Make Me Wanna"
Won
BMI Country Awards Top 50 Songs
"Make Me Wanna"
Country Music Association Awards New Artist of the Year Nominated
2016 American Music Awards Favorite Male Artist – Country Nominated
Favorite Song - Country
"Die a Happy Man"
Nominated

References

  1. "Thomas Rhett". Yourcountry.tv. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  2. Grady Smith (August 17, 2015). "The burdens of 'bro-country', a music critic's term gone wild". Guardian.
  3. "Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett Take Their R&B-Tinged Brands of Country on the Road". Billboard (magazinfe). 17 September 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  4. Conaway, Alanna (July 21, 2011). "Thomas Rhett Gets His Turn in the Spotlight". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Josh McAuliffe (Staff Writer). "Thomas Rhett one to watch in Jason Aldean tour coming to Montage on Sunday". thetimes-tribune.com. Retrieved 2016-02-15.
  6. "Thomas Rhett". Thomasrhett.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  7. Luis Gomez (2013-10-29). "Interview: Country singer Thomas Rhett following in his father's footsteps". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  8. "Thomas Rhett – The Man Behind The Guitar". KLAW FM. September 21, 2011. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  9. Caulfield, K. (2014, Oct 25). Jason aldean puts on his boots at no. 1. Billboard - the International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, 126, 80-81.
  10. Whitaker, Sterling (August 23, 2013). "Thomas Rhett Reveals Cover Art, Release Date + Track Listing for Debut Album". The Boot. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  11. Conaway, Alanna (2013-09-17). "Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins Make Chart History As Family Is Responsible for Writing Half of the Top 10". RoughStock.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  12. Vinson, Christina (June 29, 2015). "Thomas Rhett Announces Sophomore Album, 'Tangled Up'". The Boot. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  13. "Country Newcomer Thomas Rhett Weds Childhood Crush". Theboot.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.

External links

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