Thomas Rhett

Who is Thomas Rhett?

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990)[1] is an American country singer-songwriter.[2] He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.[3]

Rhett has released six studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: It Goes Like This (2013),[4] Tangled Up (2015),[5] Life Changes (2017),[6] Center Point Road (2019), Country Again: Side A (2021) and Where We Started (2022).[7] He has received four Grammy Award nominations with two albums being nominated for Best Country Album in 2017 and 2019.[8]

His six albums have produced 21 singles on the Billboard Hot Country and Country Airplay charts, with 17 reaching the No. 1 position on the latter: "It Goes Like This", "Get Me Some of That", "Make Me Wanna", "Crash and Burn", "Die a Happy Man", "T-Shirt", "Star of the Show", "Craving You", "Unforgettable", "Marry Me", "Life Changes", "Sixteen", "Remember You Young", "Look What God Gave Her", "Beer Can't Fix", "What's Your Country Song", and "Country Again".

In addition to much of his own material, Rhett has written singles for Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, LoCash, and Michael Ray, among others.

Early life

Singer Rhett Akins singing into a microphone and holding an acoustic guitar.

Thomas Rhett is the son of country singer-songwriter Rhett Akins, pictured in 2019.

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. was born in Valdosta, Georgia,[1] to mother Paige (née Braswell) and father Rhett Akins. Rhett Akins had hit singles in the 1990s with "That Ain't My Truck" and "Don't Get Me Started" before becoming a songwriter at the beginning of the 21st century.[9]

He was raised in Hendersonville, Tennessee.[10] He grew up knowing other singers including Tim McGraw and Brooks & Dunn.[11] He has one younger sister,[12] and two younger half-brothers; one on his mother's side, and one his father's side.[13]

After learning to play drums while attending junior high school, Rhett later would go onstage with his father and play. In high school, he was part of a band named The High Heeled Flip Flops.[14] Rhett went to Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study communications.[15] He dropped out of college when he was 20 to pursue a career in music.[16] He subsequently accepted a publishing deal by Big Machine Label Group to write songs.[11]

Career

Songwriting

Rhett co-wrote the song "I Ain't Ready to Quit" on Jason Aldean's 2010 album My Kinda Party and signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records' Valory Music Group division in 2011.[17] The album's first 21 weeks were spent in the top 40 of the Billboard 200; it also has sold 1.7 million in its first years of release.[18] Rhett also co-wrote the 2013 singles "1994" by Jason Aldean, "Parking Lot Party" by Lee Brice, and "Round Here" by Florida Georgia Line. During the chart week of September 21, 2013, the Country Airplay chart included five songs within the top 10 that Rhett or his father had co-written, including "It Goes Like This".[19]

Thomas Rhett at the 2014 Craven Country Jamboree

2012–2015: It Goes Like This

In early 2012, he released his debut single, "Something to Do with My Hands", followed later that year by "Beer with Jesus". Both of these made top 30 on the Hot Country Songs charts. His third single, "It Goes Like This", topped the Country Airplay chart and also peaked at number 2 on the Hot Country Songs.

His debut album, also titled It Goes Like This, was released on October 29, 2013.[20] The album's fourth single, "Get Me Some of That", became Rhett's second number 1 single in early 2014. The album's fifth single, "Make Me Wanna", was released to country radio on August 4, 2014. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart on March 7, 2015. In between the two singles, Rhett sang guest vocals along with Justin Moore on Brantley Gilbert's "Small Town Throwdown".

2015–2017: Tangled Up

On April 7, 2015, Rhett released a new single titled "Crash and Burn" which served as the lead single to his second studio album. The album, Tangled Up, was released on September 25.[21] It reached at number one on the Country Airplay chart in September 2015. The album's second single, "Die a Happy Man" released to country radio on September 28, 2015. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs, and Canada Country chart in December 2015. and January 2016. It stayed at number one on the Country Airplay chart for 8 weeks, becoming the second song in the chart's history to do so. The album's third single, "T-Shirt" released to country radio on February 16, 2016. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay in June 2016, but received poor critical reviews criticizing its lyrical content. The album's fourth single, "Vacation" released to country radio on June 13, 2016. The album's fifth single, "Star of the Show", released to country radio on October 3, 2016.

2017–2020: Life Changes and Center Point Road

On September 8, Rhett released his third studio album Life Changes. It includes the chart-topping singles "Craving You" featuring Maren Morris, "Unforgettable", and "Marry Me". The title track was released as the album's fourth single on April 16, 2018.[22] The album's fifth single was "Sixteen".

On March 1, 2019, Rhett released "Look What God Gave Her" as the lead-off single to his fourth studio album, Center Point Road. The following night, on Saturday Night Live, Rhett performed another new song from the album, called "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time." The album was released on May 31.[23] "Remember You Young" was the album's second single,[24] while "Beer Can't Fix" featuring Jon Pardi was the third single.[25]

In 2020, Rhett released the standalone single "Be a Light", a star-studded collaboration featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban. All proceeds earned from the song are donated to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.[26] Rhett won Entertainer of the Year at the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards.[27]

2021–present: Country Again and Where We Started

In March 2021, Rhett announced a double album release, with the first part, Country Again: Side A, released on April 30, 2021. It includes the singles "What's Your Country Song" and "Country Again".[28][29] The album sees Rhett return to his country roots, with stripped down songs that often include country elements, such as the fiddle.[30] Six songs were co-written by his father, country singer Rhett Akins.[31] Rhett released previews of some of the album's songs on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic.[32] The second part of the album, Country Again: Side B, has yet to release. In March 2023, Rhett stated that the album had not come together because of his focus on releasing more high-energy music to play at live shows, but he still hoped to eventually release Side B.[33]

In November 2021, he released "Slow Down Summer", which was the lead single from his sixth studio album Where We Started, released on April 1, 2022.[34] The album's second single, "Half of Me," was released on June 6, 2022 as a collaboration with Riley Green. Rhett released the album's third single, "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)" on January 23, 2023. The album's latter two singles reached number one on the Country Airplay chart.[35] The album also features collaborations with Katy Perry, Tyler Hubbard, and Russell Dickerson.

On October 21, 2022, Rhett released his EP Merry Christmas, Y'all, featuring his take on four Christmas classics.[36]

On September 29, 2023, Rhett released "20 Number Ones," a greatest hits album, in honor of "Half of Me" becoming his 20th number one single on the Country Aircheck/MediaBase chart.[35] The album includes the bonus track "Mamaw's House," which was released as a single and features Morgan Wallen.

Personal life

Rhett married Lauren Akins (née Gregory), on October 12, 2012.[37] In May 2017, they announced via Instagram that they were expecting and also in the process of adopting a child from Africa. Shortly after, they brought home their first daughter Willa Gray from Uganda, who was born on November 1, 2015. They then welcomed their second daughter, Ada James, in August 2017.[38][39][40] Their third daughter, Lennon Love, was born on February 10, 2020,[41] and their fourth daughter, Lillie Carolina, was born on November 15, 2021.[42]

Rhett is a Christian.[41][43][44] He has incorporated his faith into his music through singles like "Beer With Jesus" and collaborations with worship singers such as Chris Tomlin.[45]

Source: Wikipedia