Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley heard Nashville calling from a young age. After visiting the city as a college student in the mid-90s, he transferred from the University of Vermont to Vanderbilt, but it would take several more years before his dream of playing music professionally became a reality.

After signing to Capitol Records, Bentley made a major splash with his first single, ‘What Was I Thinkin’’, off his 2003 self-titled debut album. He hasn’t slowed down since, releasing a staggering number of best-selling albums and no. 1 songs, including 2006’s ‘Every Mile a Memory’, 2009’s ‘Feel That Fire’ and 2012’s ‘Am I the Only One’. 

Although Bentley plays country music, he’s often dabbled in bluegrass – the genre he says he first heard after relocating to Nashville. In 2010, he released a bluegrass album, Up on That Ridge, and later followed it with 2018’s The Mountain - an album heavily influenced by bluegrass’ instrumentation and arrangements.

Not only is Bentley among the youngest musicians ever inducted into the Grand Ole Opry (at 29 years old in 2005), but he’s been nominated for Grammys, CMA Awards, CMT Awards and even won ACM’s Merle Haggard Spirit Award in 2018 for his lengthy and notable career.