The same city that produced Otis Redding and Little Richard--Macon, Georgia--was also the place the Jason Aldean found his passion for country music. He was born on February 28, 1977 and spent most of his time with his mother in Macon but summers with his father in Florida. It was with his father that he was introduced to some of the greats of country music and also the guitar. Even as a youngster, Aldean showed his aptitude for music by teaching himself songs he heard on the radio.

His first performance was at the local VFW in Macon when he was 14. A year later, he had secured a spot in the house band at the Nashville South in Macon. His dad stepped in to help him after college when Aldean wanted to pursue music by helping the budding star's band get gigs on college campuses in the area. It was with this band that Aldean started writing songs and he recorded his own demo in 1996. A performance of his songs at a club in Atlanta landed Aldean a job as a songwriter for Warner-Chappell when he was just 21. He was given a recording contract soon after starting.

He didn't record with that label, however, and was also dropped by the next record company he signed with before he could release an album. He kept searching for a place in the music industry, but adding a wife and a daughter made him think about a career change. Luckily, he signed with Broken Bow Records and released his self-titled debut album in 2005. The album saw almost immediate success and eventually reached number 37 on the Billboard 200. His sophomore release, Relentless, was released in 2007 and did even better by peaking at number four on the Billboard 200.