Rhett Akins
Rhett Akins | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 13, 1969 Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Country music singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | Solo albums and songwriting as part of The Peach Pickers |
| Notable work | "Don't Get Me Started", songwriting for Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, and others |
Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. (born October 13, 1969) is a prominent American country music vocalist and songwriter. Between 1994 and 1997, he was signed with Decca Records, releasing two albums: his debut A Thousand Memories in 1995 and Somebody New in 1996. Subsequently, he issued What Livin's All About in 1998 under MCA Nashville and followed with Friday Night in Dixie in 2002 via Audium Entertainment. His discography includes fourteen singles that charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, notably achieving a number one hit with "Don't Get Me Started" in 1996.
Although he has not appeared on the charts since 2006, Akins has devoted much of his career to songwriting, collaborating primarily within the group The Peach Pickers alongside Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip. He is also recognized as the father of country artist Thomas Rhett.
Early life
Born on October 13, 1969, in Valdosta, Georgia, Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. is the son of Pamela (née LaHood) and Thomas Akins. By the age of eleven, he had formed a band together with his two younger siblings. Akins attended the University of Georgia, where he played football and pursued business studies before leaving after one year to join his father's oil and gas distribution enterprise.
1992–1994: Relocation to Nashville and securing a recording deal
In 1992, after performing at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio in the show "Music Country Music," Akins relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. There, he took part in "Country Music USA" at Opryland Theme Park and began working as a demo singer. This exposure led to him signing a recording contract with Decca Records.
1994–1997: Release of A Thousand Memories and Somebody New
Akins debuted with the single "What They're Talkin' About," which climbed to No. 35 on the Billboard country charts by late 1994, followed by "I Brake for Brunettes," which peaked at No. 36. His major breakthrough came with "That Ain't My Truck," reaching No. 3 in mid-1995. These tracks were featured on his first album, A Thousand Memories, which also included "She Said Yes," a single that reached No. 17. During 1995 and 1996, Akins toured alongside Reba McEntire and earned recognition as one of Country America’s “Top New Stars.”
His sophomore album, Somebody New, produced his sole chart-topping single "Don't Get Me Started" in August 1996. Other releases from this album experienced less impact; for example, "Love You Back" peaked at No. 38.
1997–2004: Transition to MCA Nashville, What Livin's All About, and Friday Night in Dixie
After Decca merged into MCA Nashville in 1997, Akins released his third studio album titled What Livin's All About in 1998. This project did not achieve significant commercial success; its lead single "More Than Everything" failed to enter the U.S. top 40 but reached No. 25 on Canada's RPM country charts. Additionally, in 1998, he charted with a rendition of Eddie Rabbitt’s "Drivin' My Life Away" featured on the soundtrack for the movie Black Dog.
In the year 2000, Akins provided the voice for Tom Sawyer in MGM’s animated film Tom Sawyer, sharing credits with country artists such as Mark Wills and Lee Ann Womack. His fourth album, Friday Night in Dixie, released in 2002 under Koch Records, yielded two singles—"Highway Sunrise" and "In Your Love"—which reached No. 55 and No. 57 respectively on the charts.
2005–2006: BNA Records and People Like Me
After joining BNA Records in 2005, Akins introduced the single "Kiss My Country Ass," which reached No. 57 on the charts and was subsequently recorded by Blake Shelton. This song was featured on his album People Like Me, originally planned for a June 2006 release under BNA but ultimately self-published in June 2007. The album's follow-up single, "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away", did not chart for Akins but later became a No. 1 hit for Justin Moore. In 2008, Akins released the album Down South, with its title track as the sole single, which did not enter the charts.
2009–2010: Michael Waddell's Bone Collector: The Brotherhood Album
The year 2009 saw Akins release the single "Hung Up," which failed to chart. This track was included in the 2010 collaborative album Michael Waddell's Bone Collector: The Brotherhood Album, created with country artist Dallas Davidson and issued via Reprise Records Nashville.
Songwriting career
Towards the late 2000s, Akins shifted focus to songwriting for fellow artists, predominantly partnering with Ben Hayslip and Dallas Davidson, collectively known as The Peach Pickers. His co-writing credits encompass numerous singles such as "Put a Girl in It" by Brooks & Dunn, "Barefoot and Crazy" by Jack Ingram, "Gimmie That Girl" and "The Shape I'm In" by Joe Nichols, along with several hits for Blake Shelton including "All About Tonight", "Honey Bee", "I Lived It", and "Boys 'Round Here". Additional notable compositions include Jason Aldean's "When She Says Baby", "Tonight Looks Good on You", and "Just Gettin' Started"; "All Over Me" by Josh Turner; "Hot Mess" by Tyler Farr; as well as Rodney Atkins' "Farmer's Daughter" and "Take a Back Road". His songwriting repertoire further extends to hits performed by Justin Moore, Chris Young, LoCash, Lee Brice, Billy Currington, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett, Aaron Lewis, Frankie Ballard, Brantley Gilbert, Chase Rice, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, and William Michael Morgan.
Personal life
Akins entered into marriage with Paige Braswell in 1989; the couple later divorced. They share two children: son Thomas Rhett Akins Jr., born March 30, 1990, who is also a country music artist, and daughter Kasey Lee Akins, born in 1993.
In 2017, Akins wed Sonya Mansfield, and they welcomed a son on March 13, 2020.
His heritage includes Lebanese ancestry.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | US Heatseekers | CAN Country | ||
| A Thousand Memories |
|
45 | — | 23 | 23 |
| Somebody New |
|
13 | 102 | 2 | — |
| What Livin's All About |
|
33 | — | 20 | — |
| Friday Night in Dixie |
|
65 | — | — | — |
| People Like Me |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Down South |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | |||||
Collaboration albums
| Album Title | Album Information | Highest Chart Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heatseekers | ||
| Michael Waddell's Bone Collector: The Brotherhood Album (in partnership with Dallas Davidson) |
|
47 | 19 |
Singles
| Release Year | Track Title | Highest Chart Positions | Associated Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Bubbling | CAN Country | |||
| 1994 | "What They're Talkin' About" | 35 | — | 44 | A Thousand Memories |
| 1995 | "I Brake for Brunettes" | 36 | — | 28 | |
| "That Ain't My Truck" | 3 | — | 7 | ||
| "She Said Yes" | 17 | — | 20 | ||
| 1996 | "Don't Get Me Started" | 1 | — | 3 | Somebody New |
| "Love You Back" | 38 | — | 51 | ||
| "Every Cowboy's Dream" | 51 | — | 41 | ||
| 1997 | "Somebody Knew" | 69 | — | — | |
| "More Than Everything" | 41 | 21 | 25 | What Livin's All About | |
| 1998 | "Better Than It Used to Be" | 47 | — | 62 | |
| "Drivin' My Life Away" | 56 | — | 61 | Black Dog (soundtrack) | |
| 2002 | "Highway Sunrise" | 55 | — | — | Friday Night in Dixie |
| 2003 | "In Your Love" | 57 | — | — | |
| 2005 | "Kiss My Country Ass" | 57 | — | — | People Like Me |
| 2006 | "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | "Down South" | — | — | — | Down South |
| 2009 | "Hung Up" | — | — | The Brotherhood Album | |
Other charted songs
| Release Year | Track | Highest Chart Positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Country Airplay | |||
| 2017 | "Drink a Little Beer" ( featuring Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins ) |
42 | 51 | Life Changes |
Music videos
| Year | Video Title | Director Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "What They're Talkin' About" | Jon Small |
| 1995 | "That Ain't My Truck" | Mary Newman-Said |
| 1996 | "She Said Yes" | |
| 1996 | "Love You Back" | Guy Guillet |
| 1997 | "More Than Everything" | Richard Murray |
| 1998 | "Better Than It Used to Be" | |
| 1998 | "Drivin' My Life Away" | Charley Randazzo |
Filmography
| Motion Picture | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Character | Additional Information |
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer | Tom Sawyer | Released direct-to-video |
Recording career
| Year | Awarding Body | Category | Nominee/Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country New Artist | Rhett Akins | Template:Nom |
| 1998 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Male Vocalist | Rhett Akins | Template:Nom |
Songwriting accolades
| Year | Awarding Body | Category | Nominee/Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Songwriter of the Year | Rhett Akins | Template:Nom |
| 2014 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Songwriter of the Year | Rhett Akins | Template:Nom |
| 2017 | Country Music Association Awards | Song of the Year | "Dirt on My Boots" co-written with Jesse Frasure and Ashley Gorley | Template:Nom |
| 2018 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Songwriter of the Year | Rhett Akins | Template:Won |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Song | "I Lived It" co-written with Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip and Ross Copperman | Template:Nom |
| 2020 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Songwriter of the Decade | Rhett Akins | Template:Won |