Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Thomas Rhett Akins Jr.[1] |
Born | [1] Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. | March 30, 1990
Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | |
Website | thomasrhett |
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990)[1] is an American country music singer-songwriter.[3] He is the son of singer Rhett Akins.[4]
Rhett has released four studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: It Goes Like This (2013), Tangled Up (2015), Life Changes (2017), and Center Point Road (2019). His last two albums were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2017 and 2019[5].
His four albums have produced nineteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country and Country Airplay charts, with fifteen 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", and "Beer Can't Fix".
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
Rhett was born in Valdosta, Georgia,[1] to Paige Braswell and country singer Rhett Akins, and grew up knowing other singers including Tim McGraw and Brooks & Dunn.[6] He has one younger sister, Kasey, and a younger half-brother on his father's side, Brody James Akins, born on March 13, 2020.[7] He is of Lebanese descent through his father's side[8].
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.[9] Rhett went to Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study communications.[10] He dropped out of college when he was 20 to pursue a career in music.[11] He subsequently accepted a publishing deal by Big Machine Label Group to write songs.[6]
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.[12] 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.[13] 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".[14]
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.[15] 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.[16] 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 with Deluxe Version, "Star of the Show" released to country radio on October 3, 2016.
2017–present: 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.[17] 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 upcoming 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.[18] "Remember You Young" is the album's second single.[19]
Personal life
Rhett married Lauren Akins, on October 12, 2012.[20] They announced that they were expecting a child together, and adopting a baby girl from Uganda, Willa Gray Akins (b. November 1, 2015), on May 12, 2017. On August 12, 2017, they welcomed their second daughter Ada James Akins. [21][22][23]
Rhett mentions his wife and daughters in his song "Life Changes" and they appear in the music video with him. He also included them in his video for "Look What God Gave Her". On July 23, 2019, Rhett announced that he and his wife were expecting their third daughter, Lennon Love Akins, who was born on February 10, 2020.[24][25][26]
Both of Rhett's parents have since divorced and remarried. Rhett has a half brother through his mother, Tyler Lankford (born April 2005) and another one through his father, Brody James Akins (born March 2020 and thus younger than all three of his nieces)[27]
Discography
- It Goes Like This (2013)
- Tangled Up (2015)
- Life Changes (2017)
- Center Point Road (2019)
Tours
Headlining
- Home Team Tour[28] (2017)
- Life Changes Tour (2018)[29]
- Very Hot Summer Tour (2019)
- Center Point Road Tour (2020) [30]
Supporting
- Own the Night Tour with Lady Antebellum (2012)
- Night Train Tour with Jason Aldean and Jake Owen (2013)
- Anything Goes Tour with Florida Georgia Line and Frankie Ballard (2015)
- Suits & Boots Tour (co-headlining) with Brett Eldredge (2015)
- We Were Here Tour with Jason Aldean (2016)
- C2C: Country to Country with Miranda Lambert, Dwight Yoakam and Ashley Monroe (2016)
- Six String Circus Tour with Jason Aldean (2016)
Awards and nominations
Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient/Work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | American Country Awards | New Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [31] |
2014 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Song of the Year | "It Goes Like This" | [32] | |
CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | [33] | |||
Breakthrough Video of the Year | |||||
Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | [34] | ||
American Country Countdown Awards | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | [35] | |||
2015 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Artist of the Year | [36] | ||
CMT Music Awards | Collaborative Video of the Year | "Small Town Throwdown" (shared with Brantley Gilbert & Justin Moore) | [37] | ||
BMI Country Awards | Top 50 Songs | "Make Me Wanna" | Won | [38] | |
Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [39] | |
2016 | American Music Awards | Favorite Male Artist – Country | Nominated | [40] | |
Favorite Song - Country | "Die a Happy Man" | Nominated | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | New Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [41] | |
Album of the Year | Tangled Up | Nominated | |||
Single Record of the Year | "Die a Happy Man" | Won | |||
Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year | "Die a Happy Man" | Nominated | [42] | |
Song of the Year | "Die a Happy Man" | Won | [42] | ||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Song | "Die a Happy Man" | Won | [43] | |
2017 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Song | "Die a Happy Man" | Nominated | [44] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Won | [45] | |
Country Song of the Year | "T-Shirt" | Nominated | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Won | [46] | |
Song of the Year | "Die a Happy Man" | Won | |||
CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Star of the Show" | Nominated | [47] | |
Male Video of the Year | Nominated | ||||
CMT Performance of the Year | "Close" (with Nick Jonas) | Nominated | |||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Country Song | "Craving You" (feat. Maren Morris) | Nominated | [48] | |
Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year | Nominated | [49] | ||
Music Video of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | |||
American Music Awards | Favorite Male Artist - Country | Nominated | [50] | ||
2018 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | Life Changes | Nominated | [51] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Won | [52] | |
Country Song of the Year | "Unforgettable" | Nominated | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [53] | |
Album of the Year | Life Changes | Nominated | |||
Video of the Year | "Marry Me" | Nominated | |||
Vocal Event of the Year | "Craving You" (feat. Maren Morris) | Nominated | |||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [54] | |
Top Country Male Artist | Nominated | ||||
Top Country Album | Life Changes | Nominated | |||
CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Marry Me" | Nominated | [55] | |
Collaborative Video of the Year | "Craving You" (feat. Maren Morris) | Nominated | |||
Male Video of the Year | "Marry Me" | Nominated | |||
Country Music Association Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [56] | |
Album of the Year | Life Changes | Nominated | |||
Music Video of the Year | "Marry Me" | Won | |||
American Music Awards | Favorite Male Artist - Country | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [57] | |
Favorite Album - Country | Life Changes | Nominated | |||
2019 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [58] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Male Artist of the Year | Won | [59] | ||
CMT Music Awards | Male Video of the Year | "Life Changes" | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Country Artist | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [60] | |
Choice Country Song | “Look What God Gave Her” | Nominated | |||
Country Music Association Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | [56] | |
Album of the Year | Center Point Road | Nominated | |||
American Music Awards | Favorite Male Artist - Country | Thomas Rhett | Nominated | ||
2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | Center Point Road | Nominated | [51] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Pending | [53] | |
Album of the Year | Center Point Road | Pending | |||
Male Artist of the Year | Thomas Rhett | Pending | |||
Video of the Year | "Remember You Young" | Pending |
Television appearances
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | CMT Crossroads | Himself | Alongside Nick Jonas |
2016–present | CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock | Himself/Co-host | Alongside Brett Eldredge and Kelsea Ballerini |
2017 | The Ranch | Himself | |
2018 | The Voice | Himself/Advisor | Season 15: Team Kelly |
2019 | Saturday Night Live | Himself/Musical guest[61] | Season 44: "John Mulaney/Thomas Rhett" |
2019 | Kennedy Center Honors | Himself |
References
- ^ a b c d Monger, James Christopher. "Thomas Rhett Biography". AllMusic.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ "Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett Take Their R&B-Tinged Brands of Country on the Road". Billboard. September 17, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ "Interview: Country singer Thomas Rhett following in his father's footsteps". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ Conaway, Alanna (July 21, 2011). "Thomas Rhett Gets His Turn in the Spotlight". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ "GRAMMY Award for Thomas Rhett". Grammy.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Josh McAuliffe (Staff Writer). "Thomas Rhett one to watch in Jason Aldean tour coming to Montage on Sunday". thetimes-tribune.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- ^ Tremblay, Caitlin (March 25, 2020). "Rhett Akins and Wife Sonya Announce the Birth of Their Baby Boy". The Boot. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "George John LaHood Jr Obituary- Valdosa, Georgia". Legacy.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Thomas Rhett". Thomasrhett.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "In Interview: country music star Thomas Rhett on Tangled Up - Live Manchester". Live Manchester. December 1, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ Luis Gomez (October 29, 2013). "Interview: Country singer Thomas Rhett following in his father's footsteps". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett – The Man Behind The Guitar". KLAW FM. September 21, 2011. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ Caulfield, K. (October 25, 2014). Jason aldean puts on his boots at no. 1. Billboard - the International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, 126, 80-81.
- ^ Conaway, Alanna (September 17, 2013). "Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins Make Chart History As Family Is Responsible for Writing Half of the Top 10". RoughStock.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Whitaker, Sterling (August 23, 2013). "Thomas Rhett Reveals Cover Art, Release Date + Track Listing for Debut Album". The Boot. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ Vinson, Christina (June 29, 2015). "Thomas Rhett Announces Sophomore Album, 'Tangled Up'". The Boot. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett Announces "Life Changes" As Next Single... Not "Drink A Little Beer" Like I Asked For". MusicRow. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett Premieres New Song 'Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time' on 'Saturday Night Live' [Watch]..." Taste of Country. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ Chua, Jeremy. "Thomas Rhett notches 13th No.1 Single, Announces Follow-Up". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ^ Dunkerley, Beville (October 15, 2012). "Country Newcomer Thomas Rhett Weds Childhood Crush". The Boot. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett and Wife Reveal Baby's Gender". Sounds Like Nashville. February 18, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ Hazel, Allison (February 15, 2017). "Thomas Rhett & Wife Lauren Are Expecting (and Adopting) a Baby: See His Announcement". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ McCarthy, Amy (August 13, 2017). "Thomas Rhett's Baby Girl Has Arrived". The Boot. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ VanHoose, Benjamin; Michaud, Sarah (February 11, 2020). "Meet Lennon! Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Welcome Third Daughter: 'We Could Not Be More in Love'". People.com. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Juneau, Jen (July 23, 2019). "Big 'Life Changes'! Thomas Rhett and Wife Lauren Akins Expecting Third Daughter: 'Bring on the Crazy'". People.
- ^ Thiel, Mike (October 12, 2019). "Full House: Thomas Rhett's Family is Moving". Taste of Country.
- ^ https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/thomas-rhetts-family-members-wife-kids-parents-more
- ^ "Thomas Rhett Extends Sold-Out 2017 Home Team Tour". Sounds Like Nashville. January 17, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ Armstrong, Megan. "Thomas Rhett Announces Life Changes Tour for 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett Plots 2020 the 'Center Point Road' Tour". Tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "2013 American Country Awards - Complete Winners List". The Boot. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Weigle, Lauren (May 1, 2014). "iHeartRadio Music Awards 2014 Winners List". Heavy.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "2014 CMT Music Awards Winners – Full List". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "2014 CMA Awards Winners – Full List". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "2014 American Country Countdown Awards Winners". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "ACM Awards 2015: And the Winners Are ..." Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "2015 CMT Music Awards: Nominees & Winners". Nash Country Daily. June 10, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "Mac Davis Recognized as BMI Icon at 2015 BMI Country Awards". BMI.
- ^ "CMA Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "AMAs 2016: See the Full List of Winners". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Billboard Staff (April 3, 2016). "ACM Awards 2016: See the Full List of Winners". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Finan, Eileen (November 13, 2016). "Thomas Rhett on Tying the Knot at 22: 'We Just Fell in Love at a Young Age'". People. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ "2016 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard.com. May 22, 2016.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2017: See the Full Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Complete Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "52nd ACM Award Winners Revealed". CBS.
- ^ "CMT Music Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List". E! News. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "CMA Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "Here Are All the Winners From the 2017 AMAs". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "Thomas Rhett Wins iHeartRadio Music Award for Country Artist of the Year". iHeartRadio. March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "53rd ACM Awards Winners". Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ Billboard Staff (April 17, 2018). "Billboard Music Awards 2018 Nominations: See the Full List". Billboard.
- ^ "CMT Music Awards 2018 Winners". CMT.com. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ a b McCarthy, Kelly (August 28, 2018). "2018 CMA Awards nominations: See the full list". ABC News. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Here Are All the Winners From the 2018 AMAs". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards Winners: See The Complete List | iHeartRadio Music Awards | iHeartRadio". iHeartRadio Music Awards. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
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- ^ Moreau, Jordan (June 19, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame,' 'Riverdale,' 'Aladdin' Top 2019 Teen Choice Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (February 17, 2019). "John Mulaney to Host SNL in March". TVLine. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
External links
- 1990 births
- American country singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- Big Machine Records artists
- Living people
- Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)
- American people of Lebanese descent
- People from Valdosta, Georgia
- 21st-century American musicians
- Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
- 21st-century American singers
- Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state)
- 21st-century male singers