Tracy Darrell Adkins?

Who is Tracy Darrell ? The world knows him as Trace Adkins. Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 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 twenty 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. 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.
He has also made several appearances on television, including as a panelist on the game shows Hollywood Squares and Pyramid, as a finalist on The Celebrity Apprentice, and in television commercial voice-overs for the KFC restaurant chain. In addition, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck, which was released in late 2007.

Adkins was born January 13, 1962 and raised in Sarepta, Louisiana. His musical interest came at an early age, when his father taught him to play the guitar.[1] In high school, he joined a gospel music group called the New Commitments. He was also a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA). Later, Adkins went on to study at Louisiana Tech University, where he also played football; after graduation, he took up work at an oil rig. He lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident, and asked doctors to reattach the finger at an angle so that he could continue to play guitar.[1] Adkins then moved on to playing in honky tonk bars around Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1990s. An executive of Capitol Records spotted Adkins playing at a honky tonk, and soon signed him to the label.

As well as losing his finger, Trace Adkins has experienced a number of serious injuries as an adult. He was involved in a number of bar room incidents, and was also shot in the heart and lungs by his second wife. Adkins denies abusing her but comments that the relationship was marked by excessive alcohol use. He has also been stabbed and beaten severely on several occasions.[2]


THERE´S A GIRL IN TEXAS
TRACE ADKINS - THERE´S A GIRL IN TEXAS - Amazing videos are herewas released in 1996, reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was followed by the release of his debut album, Dreamin' Out Loud, later that year. The album produced several hit singles, including his first Top 5 single, "Every Light in the House", his first Number One in "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", and another Top 5 hit in "I Left Something Turned on at Home". The latter single was also a Number One hit in Canada. His second album, Big Time, produced a Top 5 in "The Rest of Mine", but subsequent singles proved less successful.[1] A change in management delayed the release of Adkins's third album,[3] but the album (titled More...) was eventually released in late 1999. Although the album's title track reached Top 10, More... failed to achieve gold status.

On July 5, 2001, Adkins was charged with driving under the influence in Nolensville, Tennessee.[4] The singer pled guilty and was sentenced to 11 months in jail; however, the sentence was suspended after 48 hours.[1] In addition, he had to pay $350 in fines, and his driver's license was suspended for one year.[5] Shortly afterward, he was injured in a tractor accident and had to temporarily cancel touring.[6] He later entered a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program in Nashville[7], shortly after the release of his Chrome album. Chrome was the first album of Adkins's to reach the Top 5 on the country albums charts; its title track reached Top 10 in late 2002.[1]
In 2003, Adkins released two albums: a Greatest Hits collection and Comin' on Strong.[1] The same year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.[8] He also made appearances as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares,[9] and did voice-overs in commercials for fast-food chain KFC.[10] Only one single, "Then They Do", was released from the Greatest Hits compilation. Comin' on Strong, which succeeded the Greatest Hits album, produced two singles: the Top 5 single "Hot Mama", and "Rough & Ready", which peaked at #13.
Adkins and Travis Tritt played the roles of prison convicts in a February 2004 episode of the television series Yes, Dear (Greg & Jimmy's Criminals).

In 2005, Adkins released his Songs About Me album.[1] The album's second single, "Arlington", generated controversy over its content (a first-person account of a fictional soldier who was about to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery).[11] It was followed by "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk",
Trace Adkins - Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - A funny movie is a click awaywhich became a highly successful crossover hit, bringing Adkins into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.
2006 saw the release of Adkins's seventh studio album, Dangerous Man. "Swing", the album's lead-off single, peaked at #20, while the follow-up "Ladies Love Country Boys"
Trace Adkins Ladies Love Country Boys - The most amazing home videos are herebecame Adkins's first Number One single on the country charts since "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" in 1997. The album's final release, "I Wanna Feel Something", proved unsuccessful on the charts; as a result, Adkins announced that he would stop supporting the single.
In August 2007, Adkins released a single entitled "I Got My Game On".[12] Originally, the song was planned to be the lead-off to a new album, tentatively titled Game On; however, Adkins decided not to release a full album, and instead released his second Greatest Hits compilation, American Man: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, for which "I Got My Game On" served as the lead-off single.[13] The album has also produced Adkins' fastest-climbing single to date in its second single, "You're Gonna Miss This".
You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins - For more amazing video clips, click here[14]
"You're Gonna Miss This" has also become his third Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs, as well as the most successful single to date on the Billboard Hot 100 (#12), Billboard Pop 100 (#19), and Hot Digital Songs charts (#8).
He also released his first book, entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck.[15]

Adkins was previously a January-March 2008 contestant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice.[13] Each celebrity contestant on the show was playing for money for his or her own selected charity. Adkins was playing for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, which provides education, advocacy and research support to families dealing with the daily nightmare of serious and/or life-threatening food allergies. The musician chose the charity because his 6-year-old daughter, Brianna, suffers from life-threatening reactions to peanuts, milk and eggs. Adkins made it to the finale as one of the two finalists. Donald Trump ultimately "hired" Adkins' rival, tabloid editor Piers Morgan, who had his own charity.
Adkins' efforts for FAAN didn't go unnoticed: A couple of weeks after the show ended, a poker player and fan of Celebrit y Apprentice donated $1,000 from a media tournament to FAAN. [16] Adkins appeared on the May 2nd, 2008 episode of CBS's The Young and the Restless playing himself and singing an acoustic version of "You're Gonna Miss This" to the characters of Nicholas and Phyllis. In 2008, Trace Adkins released the single "Muddy Water," Trace Adkins Performs "Muddy Water"
Trace Adkins Performs "Muddy Water" on Opry Live - Click here for more blooper videoson Opry Live - Click here for more blooper videos the lead single from X, which was released on November 25. The video for "Muddy Water" also has a appearance by fellow Celebrity Apprentice competitor Stephen Baldwin as a man being baptised in a muddy river, and later approaching Trace as a friend. Adkins made his acting debut in the 2008 film An American Carol. In November 2008, Trace Adkins made an appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Trace rode with his family on the "Jimmy Dean" float and performed his popular song "You're Gonna Miss This". more

Rascal Flatts

Who is Rascal Flatts? Flatts is an American country rock band founded in Columbus, Ohio. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, vocals). DeMarcus and LeVox are also second cousins.
Rascal Flatts has released five studio albums and a greatest hits album, all on Lyric Street Records. Their first two albums, 2000's Rascal Flatts and 2002's Melt, have been certified 2× Multi-Platinum and 3× Multi-Platinum, respectively, in the United States, while 2004's Feels Like Today and 2006's Me and My Gang have received 5× Multi-Platinum and 4× Multi-Platinum certifications respectively. 2007's Still Feels Good, their most recent album, is certified 2× Multi-Platinum. Their new album, Unstoppable, is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2009.
They have also released twenty-three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including nine Number Ones. A cover of Tom Cochrane's "Life Is a Highway", from the soundtrack to the 2006 film Cars, also entered the country music charts from unsolicited airplay. Their longest-lasting Number One is "Bless the Broken Road" (late 2004-early 2005) at five weeks, while their biggest crossover single is "What Hurts the Most", which topped both the country and Adult Contemporary charts in 2006, and was a Top Ten pop hit.

We're not just business partners, we are good friends. That's why we have had the longevity we have.—Joe Don Rooney, 2006, People magazine[1]
Rascal Flatts were founded near Columbus, Ohio. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were second cousins from a musical family. DeMarcus's brother-in-law, James Otto, is also a country music artist. DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, earning his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West. In 1997, he finally convinced LeVox to leave behind his job with the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and follow his musical dreams as well.
DeMarcus soon joined Chely Wright's band, and there he met Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus and LeVox were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub, and when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night, DeMarcus invited Rooney to sit in. Eventually, they took the name Rascal Flatts and began performing together, getting signed to Lyric Street Records in late 1999.

In early 2000, the group made their debut with their single "Prayin' for Daylight".

This song, which reached #3 on the Billboard country charts. This was the first of four consecutive Top Ten hits from their self-titled debut, which was issued in early 2000 on Lyric Street.[2] Following "Prayin' for Daylight" were "This Everyday Love", "While You Loved Me" and "I'm Movin' On", which respectively peaked at #9, #7, and #4 on the country charts. "I'm Movin' On"

was awarded Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2002.
Melt was the title of their second album, released in 2002. Unlike their previous album, Rascal Flatts co-produced Melt.[2] Its first single, "These Days",


also became their first Number One hit.[2] This song was followed by "Love You Out Loud" at #3, "I Melt" at #2, and "Mayberry",

their second Number One. "I Melt" featured a controversial music video which featured partial nudity,[3] and as a result, the video was banned from the Great American Country network.

Rascal Flatts' third album was entitled Feels Like Today, and it was released in late 2004. Although its title track quickly fell from a peak position of #9, its follow-up, "Bless the Broken Road",

became their biggest Number One, with a five-week run at the top of the country charts. This song had previously been recorded by Marcus Hummon (who co-wrote it with Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and had previously been a #42 single in 1998 for Melodie Crittenden. "Bless the Broken Road" also brought the group to the Adult Contemporary charts for the first time, peaking at #20 there.
Following "Bless the Broken Road" was their fourth Number One hit, "Fast Cars and Freedom".

While this song was climbing the charts, a hidden track from Feels Like Today, entitled "Skin", also received enough airplay to chart in the Top 40. Due to the success of "Skin" on the charts, it was then officially added to the album's track listing on later presses, and was shipped to radio under the title "Skin (Sarabeth)". This song went on to peak at #2 in late 2005, and was the final single from the album.


Rascal Flatts' thirteenth chart entry, "What Hurts the Most", was released in December 2005. This song, which had previously been recorded by Mark Wills in 2003, was the first single from their fourth album, 2006's Me and My Gang. This album also brought a new producer in Dann Huff. "What Hurts the Most" was a crossover hit, not only spending four weeks at the top of the country charts, but also topping the Adult Contemporary charts, and reaching Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was followed by the album's title track at #6, and then two more Number One country hits in "My Wish" and "Stand". Also in 2006, the group charted in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with a cover of "Life Is a Highway", which they recorded for the Pixar film Cars. Although "Life Is a Highway" was not released to country radio, several country stations began playing the song, causing it to chart as high as #18 on the country charts while "My Wish" was also climbing. As a result of its chart success, "Life Is a Highway" was added to later presses of Me and My Gang.

Me and My Gang

had the highest US debut of 2006, with 722,000 units in April.[4] The album spent 15 weeks as the number one album on the Billboard Country Chart and was the second-best selling album of 2006 (behind High School Musical) with sales totaling 3.5 million by year's end.[5]The album's success led the band to take the spot of top-selling artist for all genres of music, which hadn't been accomplished in 15 years by a country group.[6]
Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts performed together at the 2007 Grammy Awards ceremony.[7] Later the same year, the group released the single "Take Me There", a song which Kenny Chesney co-wrote and had initially planned to record himself. A Number One hit by September of that year, this was the first single from their album Still Feels Good. It was followed by "Winner at a Losing Game" and the ballad "Every Day", both of which peaked at #2. The fourth single from Still Feels Good, entitled "Bob That Head",

became their first official country release to miss the Top Ten, when it peaked at #15. The album's fifth and final single, "Here", was released in August 2008 and became their ninth Number One hit on the chart week of January 3, 2009.

Rascal Flatts released their first Greatest Hits CD, Greatest Hits Volume 1 on October 28, 2008. The album contains 13 of their biggest songs, starting with "Prayin' for Daylight" and going through "Life Is a Highway". The limited edition of the album contains a second disc with three Christmas songs: "White Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "I'll Be Home for Christmas".
Rascal Flatts released the first single "Here Comes Goodbye" from their upcoming album, Unstoppable, to radio on January 20, and the album will be released on April 7, 2009. The song was co-written by American Idol season 6 finalist Chris Sligh.


The group has an uncharacteristically young demographic (18-25) for country music (where the average listener is 44 years old). In September 2007, Weekly Reader Research (Weekly Reader being a children's general-interest magazine) conducted a poll of more than 2,000 children and Rascal Flatts ranked as the sixth-most-popular act among ages 10-12. [8]


Rascal Flatts has enjoyed financial success as touring artists. Nielsen reported that the band were the top selling artist in 2006: "Rascal Flatts was the biggest selling artist, with nearly 5 million physical album sales and nearly 4 million digital track sales." They had their first headlining tour beginning in Fall 2002, and by 2005 they were among the top 25 tours of the year, grossing $26.3 million in 777,384 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.[9] Their follow-up tour in 2006 grossed $46.2 million, drawing more than a million people to 79 shows.[9] Rascal Flatts has the third-highest US country tour in 2007, grossing $34 million from 588,009 tickets sold.[10] The group grossed $16.8 million dollars from their summer tour alone.[11]
Rascal Flatts are currently on their Bob that Head Tour, in which star appearances have included country superstars like Taylor Swift. They will continue their highly successful "Bob that Head Tour" with dates extending into 2009 with special guest Jessica Simpson as opening act.
Rascal Flatts's shows are heavy on special effects, including videos, pyrotechnics and laser lights.[9]
Rascal Flatts' members have also contributed to the work of other artists. LeVox, along with Jason Sellers and Wendell Mobley, co-wrote Phil Stacey's 2008 debut single "If You Didn't Love Me".[12] DeMarcus has co-produced albums for several artists, including Chely Wright's 2002 album Never Love You Enough (on which he also co-wrote the single "Jezebel") as well as Chicago's Chicago XXX. James Otto's 2008 album Sunset Man was co-produced by DeMarcus and John Rich of Big & Rich. more