It seems hard to look back on country before superstar Garth Brooks changed the genre, but someone had to pave the way for Brooks. That man was Ricky Van Shelton, and he was the king of country from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. He started experimenting by incorporating different sounds into the country genre and added parts of rock, gospel and other genres to his music. He was born in 1952 in Virginia and was singing at church as a youngster. He was a big fan of country music as a teen, which led him to start performing in that style around local venues.

After working odd jobs, Van Shelton moved to Nashville in the mid 1980s. Like many musicians in that city, Van Shelton tried to get noticed by playing at nightclubs around the city. He was discovered by a journalist, who featured Van Shelton and helped him land a dean in 1986. He released his debut album, Wild-Eyed Dream the next year. With hit singles coming off of that release, the album reached number one on the Top Country Albums chart and number 76 on the Billboard 200 the next year.

After his initial release, Van Shelton followed with a series of hit albums and singles like "I'll Leave This World Loving You," "I Meant Every Word He Said" and "Life's Little Ups and Downs." He released a duet with the legendary Dolly Parton in 1991, which also did well on the charts. He had struggled with alcohol abuse throughout his career, and he soon had to take a step back to deal with the effects of it. He released a greatest hits album in 1992, but after that his fame was eclipsed by the arrival of Brooks. He has released a slew of albums since, but none have found the fame of his earlier work.