Nashville Star is an American reality television singing competition program that aired for six seasons, from 2003 to 2008. Its first five seasons aired on USA Network, while the last season aired on NBC. Its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television at the time. In Canada, the show aired on CMT through season 5, but moved to E! beginning with season 6. CMT in the United States reaired each episode in season 6.
Joe Logan Diffie was an American country music singer and songwriter. After working as a demo singer in the mid 1980s, he signed with Epic Records' Nashville division in 1990. Between then and 2004, Diffie charted 35 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, five of which peaked at number one: his debut release "Home", "If the Devil Danced ", "Third Rock from the Sun", "Pickup Man" and "Bigger Than the Beatles". In addition to these singles, he had 12 others reach the top 10 and ten more reach the top 40 on the same chart. He also co-wrote singles for Holly Dunn, Tim McGraw, and Jo Dee Messina, and recorded with Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Jones, and Marty Stuart.
Lonestar is an American country music group from Texas. The group consists of Drew Womack, Michael Britt, Dean Sams, and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich. Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen, with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.
Tony Wade Hayes is an American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 1994, he made his debut that year with his gold-certified album Old Enough to Know Better. Its title track "Old Enough to Know Better", which served as his debut single, reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. He released two more albums for Columbia Nashville: On a Good Night in 1996 and When the Wrong One Loves You Right in 1998. Later albums were released on Monument Records and independently. In addition to "Old Enough to Know Better", Hayes reached top ten on the Billboard charts with "I'm Still Dancin' with You", "Don't Stop", "What I Meant to Say", "On a Good Night", and "The Day That She Left Tulsa ".
Jamey Johnson is an American country music singer and songwriter.
Billy Wayne Yates is an American country music artist. He has released ten studio albums and has charted four singles on the Billboard country charts, including "Flowers" which reached number 36 in 1997. Yates also co-wrote George Jones' singles "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" and "Choices", which were released in 1993 and 1999 respectively. Other artists who have recorded Yates' work include Ricochet, Ricky Van Shelton, and Kenny Chesney. In addition to his work as a singer and songwriter, Yates is the owner of the songwriting and publishing company Smokin' Grapes, which was founded in 2006. Yates' musical style is defined by neotraditional country and honky-tonk influences, and has been favorably compared to artists such as Gene Watson.
"Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the Billboard country music chart for eight weeks between late 1964 and early 1965. It was the first debut single by a female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. This song peaked at number one for the week of November 28, 1964, and it stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks, a record for a female solo artist for nearly 50 years, until it was surpassed by Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in December 2012.
Tammy Cochran is an American country music artist. Signed to Epic Records Nashville in 2000, she released her self titled debut album in 2001, followed a year later by Life Happened. These two albums produced a total of six chart singles for her on the Billboard country charts between 2000 and 2003, of which the highest-charting was "Angels in Waiting" at No. 9. A third album, Where I Am, followed in 2007.
Jeffrey Lee Herndon, known professionally as Jeff Carson, was an American country music artist. Originally a session musician in Branson, Missouri, and later a demo singer, he was signed to Curb Records in 1995, releasing his self-titled debut album that year, followed by Butterfly Kisses in 1998 and Real Life in 2002. He charted 14 singles on the Billboard country charts, including the Number One hit "Not on Your Love", the Top Ten hits "The Car" and "Holdin' Onto Something", and the Top 20 "Real Life ". He retired from music in 2009 and became a police officer.
4 Runner is an American country music vocal group founded in 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee. The group initially consisted of Craig Morris, Billy Crittenden, Lee Hilliard, and Jim Chapman. Signed to Polydor Records Nashville, the quartet released its self-titled debut album in 1995. It featured four charting singles on Hot Country Songs, the most successful being "Cain's Blood" at No. 26. Billy Simon took Crittenden's place just before a second album for A&M Records, which was not released despite producing a chart single, and the group broke up afterward. Morris, Chapman, and Hilliard reunited with third baritone singer Michael Lusk to release their next album, Getaway Car, on the Fresh label before disbanding a second time. The group reunited a second time in 2023 with a lineup consisting of Morris, Chapman, Hilliard, and Morris's son Sam. Shortly after their reunion, Hilliard left as well, with Herbie Chapman taking his place.
Larry Stewart is an American country music singer, best known for his role as lead singer of the country pop band Restless Heart. In 1993, Stewart left the band in pursuit of a solo career, recording four solo albums and charting eight singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts before reuniting with Restless Heart in 2002. His highest-charting solo single was "Alright Already", which peaked at No. 5 in 1993.
Tammy Wynette Graham is an American country music artist. Active as a singer and self-taught pianist since childhood, she first gained attention in her hometown before moving to Las Vegas and subsequently to Nashville, where she was signed to a recording contract with a division of Arista Nashville in 1997, releasing a studio album and charting three singles on the Billboard country music charts that year, including the No. 37-peaking "A Dozen Red Roses".
Buddy Jewell is the third studio album by American country music singer Buddy Jewell. The album was Jewell's major-label debut and his first album since winning season one of Nashville Star. As part of the Nashville Star prize, the album was produced by Clint Black and recorded entirely in ten days.
Justin Cole Moore is an American country music singer and songwriter, signed to Big Machine Records imprint Valory Music Group. For that label, he has released seven studio albums: his self titled debut in 2009, Outlaws Like Me in 2011, Off the Beaten Path in 2013, Kinda Don't Care in 2016, Late Nights and Longnecks in 2019, Straight Outta the Country in 2021 and Stray Dog in 2023. He has also charted eighteen times on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, including with the number 1 singles "Small Town USA", "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away", "Til My Last Day", "Lettin' the Night Roll", "You Look Like I Need a Drink", "Somebody Else Will", "The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home", "Why We Drink", "We Didn't Have Much", and "With a Woman You Love"; and the top 10 hits "Backwoods" and "Point at You".
Gloriana was an American country music group founded in 2008 by Cheyenne Kimball, Rachel Reinert (vocals), and brothers Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin. Prior to the group's foundation, Kimball recorded as a solo artist. The original lineup recorded one self-titled album for Emblem/Reprise Records in 2009, which included their first chart hit, "Wild at Heart". Kimball left before the release of the band's second album A Thousand Miles Left Behind, which produced their highest-charting single, "(Kissed You) Good Night", along with the top 20 "Can't Shake You". After a third album, Three, Reinert left as well, effectively disbanding the group.
"Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Buddy Jewell. It was released in May 2003 as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album. It peaked at number 3 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at number 29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the highest-debuting single by a new country artist since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1990.
"Sweet Southern Comfort" is a song written by Rodney Clawson and Brad Crisler, and recorded by American country music artist Buddy Jewell. It was released in October 2003 as the second single from his album Buddy Jewell. It peaked at No. 3 on the United States Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2004, as did his previous single "Help Pour Out the Rain " in 2003. It also peaked at No. 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Dan Easton Corbin is an American country music singer. He signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his self-titled debut album in March 2010, featuring the two number-one hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll with It", as well as the number-14 hit "I Can't Love You Back". His second album, All Over the Road, was released in September 2012. Its first single, "Lovin' You Is Fun", was released in February 2012. The album's second single, "All Over the Road", was released in January 2013. As of 2021, he had sold over 500,000 albums and over 5 million singles. His song "Are You with Me" became an international hit in a remix version released by the Belgian DJ and record producer Lost Frequencies.
Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich, both of whom are songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists. Before the duo's foundation, Rich was bass guitarist in the country band Lonestar, while Kenny was a solo artist for Hollywood Records.
Ashley Dyan McBryde is an American country music singer–songwriter. She grew up in Arkansas and she was drawn to various types of music from a young age. She also developed a passion for writing songs and later moved to Nashville to pursue a music career.
