BEST COUNTRY SINGERS

Born in Texas in 1952, country singer George Strait began performing in a band while serving in the U.S. Army. He landed a recording contract in the 1980s with MCA records and produced numerous hit albums throughout the next three decades. Known for staying true to traditional country sound, he has won multiple awards and has the biggest-selling boxed set in country music history.

Willie Nelson was born on April 30, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Nelson rose to prominence at the end of the 1960s and contributed to the “outlaw country” subgenre, which challenged the conservatism of Nashville. Nelson has written some of the most popular country songs of all time, including the hit song “Crazy.” He is also well known for his financial troubles and for his activism.

Country singer Alan Jackson was born on Oct. 17, 1958. in Newnan, Georgia. He married his high school sweetheart, Denise, in 1979 and they are still together today with three daughters. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue music. His debut album,

Born on May 26, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Hank Williams Jr. was performing Hank Sr.'s songs on stage at age 8. In the 1970s, he created his own musical identity, combining country with Southern rock and blues. Williams was severely injured in a mountain-climbing accident, but in the 1980s he shot to stardom with several multi-platinum albums, going on to become a legend on his own terms.

American country singer Randy Travis is best known for opening the door to young artists who sought to return to the traditional sound of country music. He was discovered by Elizabeth Hatcher when he was 18 and fought hard to make a name for himself. He found his stride in 1986 with a No. 1 album, Storms of Life. He went on to win a Grammy and sell millions of copies of subsequent albums.

Singer-songwriter Johnny Cash was born February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. In 1950, Cash joined the Air Force and trained in Texas where he met his first wife. After his service and discharge, he formed a band and landed a record deal. By the early 1960s, he was a musical superstar. In 1967, he married June Carter. He recorded his last track of his final album a week before his death in 2003.

Born in Ada, Oklahoma, on June 18, 1976, Blake Shelton moved to Nashville when he was 17 to become a country music songwriter, and by 2001, he was a star in his own right with the No. 1 hit "Austin." Success followed Shelton for the next several years, right onto the coaching/judging panel of TV's The Voice in 2011. In 2013, Shelton released his eighth studio album, Based on a True Story..., and entered his fourth season as a coach on The Voice.

Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams on February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, Aldean has recorded for Broken Bow Records, an independent record label for which he has released five albums and sixteen singles. His 2010 album My Kinda Party is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless and 2009 album Wide Open are all certified platinum. Of his singles, nine have reached the number one position on the Hot Country Songs charts: "Why", "She's Country", "Big Green Tractor", "The Truth", "Don't You Wanna Stay" (a duet with Kelly Clarkson), "Dirt Road Anthem", "Fly Over States", "Take a Little Ride", and "The Only Way I Know". Seven more have reached top ten on the same chart.

Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins (born January 13, 1962) is an American country music artist and actor. He made his debut in 1995 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations. In addition, he has charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including the Number One hits "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", "Ladies Love Country Boys", and "You're Gonna Miss This", which peaked in 1997, 2007, and 2008, respectively. "I Left Something Turned on at Home" went to No. 1 on Canada's country chart. All but one of his studio albums have received gold or platinum certification in the United States; his highest-selling to date is 2005's Songs About Me, which has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for shipping two million copies.

Dierks Bentley released his self-titled debut album in 2003, and the album's single, "What Was I Thinkin'?" topped the country charts. His 2005 effort, Modern Day Drifter, also went platinum. Bentley became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry when he was inducted on October 1, 2005m and that year, he won the CMA Horizon Award. His first DVD, The Dierks Bentley Experience, was filmed in 2006

The grandson of onetime Louisiana Hayride performer Richard Yates, country singer/songwriter Chris Young hails from Murfreesboro, TN, and first drew the public's attention when he appeared on the Nashville Star

Born March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Carrie Underwood had put aside her singing dreams for a degree in broadcast journalism, but everything changed when she auditioned for American Idol during her senior year. She was the winner of the show's fourth season and went on to win multiple Grammy and Academy of Country Music awards. She is also currently the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry.