To many people it may seem that Chris Stapleton was an overnight success. One day he had a respectable fan base; the next his country music album had rocketed to the number one spot in all music genres. But he had actually been working in the country music business for many years as a songwriter before his performance with Justin Timberlake on the CMAs turned him into a household name. As a devoted fan of classic country music, Chris has a unique...

Dierks Bentley spent his early years in Phoenix, Arizona- hundreds of miles from the Country Music Capital of Nashville, Tennessee. He discovered country music while attending boarding school on the East Coast. Although he was a rock music fan at the time, he quickly warmed to the sounds of legends such as Hank Williams, Jr. and George Jones. Soon the young guitarist would be writing his own country songs and playing them for thousands of his own...

Charlie Puth did not grow up dreaming of being a pop star. Instead, he wanted to do what he loved most: write music. This young man who learned to play the piano at the age of four, had a clear talent for writing and composing, which led him to study jazz and classical music during his school years. He later earned a degree in music production and engineering. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music, he thought he would make his living helping...

Some people might say that uploading videos of cover songs to social media sites is a waste of time. After all, what are the chances that a person could become famous this way? Just ask Shawn Mendes. After posting his versions of different songs to Vine in 2013, he was discovered. A short time later, the young singer and guitarist signed a record deal with Island Records. He now has two full-length albums under his belt, along with an EP that shot...

Brett Eldredge has been a singer most of his life. As a little boy, he would agree to sing at family parties in exchange for candy bars. But it took him a while longer to realize that he wanted to become a country music artist. A trip to Nashville to see his cousin play a show there opened his eyes to the music career that awaited him in the Tennessee city. Shortly after moving there, Brett began working as a songwriter. Soon he landed the opportunity...

Buddha is known throughout the world today as one of the greatest spiritual leaders in history. But, at one time he was the prince of a small kingdom in India. However, Siddhartha, as he was once known, didn't fit into his royal world very well. Although he tried in many ways, Siddhartha just didn't care about wealth and power the way other young men his age would have. Instead, he dreamed of achieving enlightenment- and helping others to discover...

One might say that Todd Gurley is leaps and bounds ahead of most other running backs in the NFL. The time he spent on the track team in high school left him with a unique ability to jump over players trying to tackle him on the football field. This skill, along with his talent for scoring touchdowns, made scouts take notice of him. As a Georgia Bulldog, he continued to make a name for himself. Some even called him the best running back in college...

The name Cleopatra instantly brings to mind an image of a beautiful, raven-haired woman- the Queen of the Nile. This most famous ruler of Egypt was actually the sixth ruler with that name. Known in history for her boldness, Cleopatra was just seventeen years old when she took the throne. Her youth did not stop her from becoming one of the most powerful rulers her country had ever seen. Cleopatra joined forces with two of Rome's most powerful leaders,...

Darius Rucker first gained fame as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina. After selling many platinum albums, the band broke up and Darius took on the challenge of becoming a country singer. It had been twenty-five years since the last African American artist had reached the number-one spot on the country charts and Darius Rucker got the job done with his single...

Juan Felipe Herrera had an unusual childhood traveling with his migrant parents from one farm to another. They did not speak much English, but they taught him much about the world around him. For this family it was a world that spanned two countries, Mexico and the United States. Young Juan learned early that his life had a lot in common with great literature. He loved stories from the time his mother first told them to him. Read more about Juan Felipe...