Brett Eldredge

Country music singer Brett Eldredge was born in Paris, Illinois and grew up listening to singers Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Bobby Darin. After hearing Brooks & Dunn at the age of 16, he became fascinated by country music, a fascination that stayed with him when he began attending Elmhurst College in Chicago. After a trip to Nashville, where he heard his cousin, Terry Eldredge, a veteran of Dolly Parton's band and a member of the Grascals, play at the Station Inn, Eldredge was inspired to transfer to Middle Tennessee State University, immersing himself in studying the vocal stylings of country singers like George Jones, Ray Price, and Vince Gill. He also began working on writing his own material and started performing at songwriter nights in the Nashville area. Eventually he was introduced to producer and publisher Byron Gallimore, who signed Eldredge to his publishing company and encouraged him to continue writing songs. Eldredge began tracking some of the best of his compositions, and following a showcase in Nashville, signed a recording offer from Atlantic Records. Eldredge's first single, "Raymond," a poignant song about an Alzheimer's patient, was issued in September of 2010. His debut full-length, Bring You Back, appeared toward the end of the summer in 2013.