Artist of the day - Chris Young

Chris Young

• Chris Young, a native of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, grew up performing in children’s theater. Young took music business classes, first at Belmont University in Nashville and then at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. After two years, he was performing more than 150 shows a year. He soon gained the attention of talent scouts from Nashville record labels and music publishing companies.
  
• In 2005, he was fronting the house band at the famous Cowboy’s honky-tonk in Arlington, Texas. He was encouraged by his friends to audition for “Nashville Star.” Young won the competition in 2006 and released the single “Drinkin’ Me Lonely” a few months later.
  
• Young earned the highest-selling debut by a male country artist in 2006. His self-titled album landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
  
• Chris’ second album, “The Man I Want to Be,” debuted as Billboard’s highest-charting new country CD of the first week of September 2009. That same week, “Gettin’ You Home” (aka “The Black Dress Song”), became his first No. 1. The title track was the second single and it also soared to No. 1. A third No. 1 single, “Voices,” was a re-release. It tied a 25-year-old chart record; Randy Travis, whose classic “On The Other Hand” marked the only time that a re-release of the same song ever made it to No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart.
  
• Chris Young released his third album, “Neon,” in July. He co-wrote seven of the album’s 10 tracks, including the lead single, his recent No. 1 hit, “Tomorrow.”
  
• Chris recently shot his “Day Jobs” segment for GAC. The series takes stars back to their former occupations for a day. Chris returned to installing air-conditioning units, a job he held while living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
  
• Official Web site: www.chrisyoungcountry.com