After high school and college in the mountains of North Carolina, Eric Church turned to Nashville with a blessing (and some financial support) from his father. It would be a long, slow grind for the future superstar. During his first five years with Capitol Nashville, Church never cracked the Top 10 and was all but banished from major tours after getting kicked off Rascal Flatts' show for playing too long. Radio began paying attention in 2009 when ‘Love Your Love the Most’ was released. Church's swelling grassroots fanbase began to multiply. The ‘Chief’ album was released in 2011, its success justifying all of his struggles — ‘Springsteen’ would become the biggest song of 2012.

• Birthday: May 3, 1977
• Top Songs: ‘Springsteen,’ ‘Drink in My Hand’
• Fun Fact: Church isn’t trying to intimidate with the dark Ray-Ban sunglasses. The stage lights dry out his eyes if he’s not wearing them.
• Further Reading: Top 10 Eric Church Songs, Best Eric Church Lyrics