Jamey Johnson

American country artist Jamey Johnson was born on July 14, 1975, in Enterprise, Alabama. He spent most of his childhood in Montgomery, the state's capital, where he developed a passion for country music, citing Alabama and Alan Jackson as some of his earliest influences. After dropping out of college, Jamey Johnson served four years in the US military and later cut his teeth performing in country music bars in the Montgomery area. Like many up-and-coming singer-songwriters in the genre, he relocated to Nashville in the 2000s to pursue a career as a full-time recording artist. There, he sang on a few demo tapes by violinist Greg Perkins and later made a name for himself as a songwriter, penning tunes for the likes of Trace Adkins and Jessie James. Following the release of his 2002 project They Call Me Country, Jamey Johnson joined the roster of BNA Records and made his major-label debut in 2005 with the single "The Dollar," which peaked at Number 14 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Even though the single and its parent album of the same name performed quite well on the charts, the label dropped him shortly after. Having lost his record deal while simultaneously going through a divorce, Jamey Johnson secluded himself in a friend's house and spent the following months writing material for other artists. During this time, he co-wrote many songs that enjoyed great popularity in the country charts, including George Strait's "Give It Away," Trace Adkins' "Ladies Love Country Boys," and Joe Nichols' "Another Side of You." In 2008, the Alabama native managed to strike a deal with Mercury Nashville, which released his sophomore effort That Lonesome Song later that year. Driven by the Top 10 single "In Color," That Lonesome Song reached Number 6 on the Top Country Albums chart and received platinum certification. This success was followed by the chart-topping, critically acclaimed LP The Guitar Song (2010) and Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran (2012). Over the next few years, he collaborated with former Marilyn Manson Twiggy Ramirez and Shooter Jennings on the EP You Are My Sunshine (2013), cut an EP of Christmas music in 2014, and issued the Julie Roberts duet "Music City's Killing Me" in 2022.