Josh Gracin, born in 1980 in Westland, Michigan, grew up a country boy, listening to the likes of Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw. When he was a youngster Gracin performed at numerous county fairs and local talent competitions. After high school he briefly attended Western Michigan University, then went off to join the Marine Corps in 2000. While still a marine Gracin tried out for the second season of the hit primetime TV show American Idol. Gracin sang his way to the final four of the competition, but Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken were the real scene stealers of season two. When A.I. ended Josh had to return to duty instead of going on tour with the show's other contestants. After completing his enlistment with an honorable discharge in 2004, Gracin moved to Tennessee and began work on his solo career in music.

Rascal Flatts bass player Jay Demarcus was so impressed with Josh Gracin's American Idol performance of the Rascal Flatts' "I'm Moving On"(as well as several other pop-country hits that he nailed on the show), that he introduced Gracin to music producer Marty Williams, who led Gracin to Lyric Street Records. With the help of Lyric Street, Josh Gracin released an eponymous debut album in June of 2004. The CD sold well with Idol fans who remembered the down-to-Earth, apple pie and baseball-style charm of Josh Gracin.

Numerous tours followed, and amid raising three children Josh Gracin found time to work on a follow-up album, We Weren't Crazy, which hit stores in April of 2008. Despite the lengthy break between album releases, the marine proved that his fan base was semper fidelis, always faithful. Three singles from We Weren't Crazy, "Favorite State of Mind," "I Keep Coming Back" and "We Weren't Crazy," reached the Top 40 in the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The album topped out at No. 2 in the U.S. Country Albums chart.