With his big voice, easy-going manner, and streamlined mainstream country-pop, Bryan White easily fit into the post-Garth Brooks climate of the mid-'90s. His first album, Bryan White, began a string of number one hits that ran into 1996.

White was born and raised in Oklahoma City, where he became involved in music in an early age.... [+] Read More

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Neo-traditionalist singer Daryle Singletary was among the brightest new stars to arrive on the contemporary country scene of the mid-'90s, winning fans with his simple, honest songcraft and distinctively gravelly vocals. Born and raised in Cairo, GA, he grew up singing gospel alongside his cousins and brother, and while attending high school... [+] Read More

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Contemporary country star Kenny Chesney didn't have the immediate breakout success that many of his peers enjoyed upon signing with major labels, but gradually built up a significant following via hard work, pop-friendly ballads, and a likable, average-guy persona. Chesney was born in Knoxville, TN, in 1968 and raised in the nearby small town of... [+] Read More

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Neal McCoy's brand of neo-traditionalist honky tonk brought him a string of hits in the mid-'90s. McCoy was born Hubert Neal McGaughey, Jr. in Jacksonville, TX, to a father of Irish descent and a Filipino mother. He grew up listening to all kinds of music -- country, swing, rock, disco, R&B -- and first sang in local gospel choirs. His voice... [+] Read More

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Reba McEntire was one of the most successful new country vocalists to emerge in the early '80s. The only problem was, she began her recording career in the mid-'70s. It may have taken her several years to reach the top of the country charts, but once she got there she stayed there -- McEntire was the single most successful female country... [+] Read More

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More than six years passed between Ricky Lynn Gregg's second album, Get a Little Closer, and his third, Careful What You Wish For. The long gap wasn't due to a lack of offers from record companies, but more to the lack of an offer that felt right to Gregg. He knew what he was looking for, and the offers that came his way didn't have it. He'd... [+] Read More

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When Tim McGraw debuted in the early '90s, few would have predicted that he would eventually take over Garth Brooks' position as the most popular male singer in country music. Yet that's exactly what he did, thanks to a string of multi-platinum albums, a high-profile marriage to fellow superstar Faith Hill, and Brooks' own inevitable decline.... [+] Read More

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Toby Keith spent the '90s as a solid, workmanlike country star who met with considerable chart success, yet never quite broke free of the neo-traditionalist pack to become a household name like Garth Brooks or Alan Jackson. That all changed in 2002 when he recorded "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," a response to... [+] Read More

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Tracy Byrd's brand of new traditionalist country made him a star in the '90s, particularly his playful, good-time party singalongs (though he also turned in the occasional ballad success). Byrd was born in the small rural town of Vidor, TX, in 1966, and grew up listening to his family's extensive country record collection. When Byrd was 20 years... [+] Read More

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Raised in Bethel Acres, OK, Wade Hayes grew up around country music. His father Don was a professional musician who played bars and honky tonks across Oklahoma. Through the influence of his father, he began playing music as a child. Initially, he played mandolin for a while, but he switched to guitar at the age of 11. Inspired by honky tonk,... [+] Read More

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