Dierks Bentley Biography

Dierks Bentley (born November 20, 1975) is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip Alone, is certified gold. It was followed in mid-2008 by a greatest hits package. His fourth album, Feel That Fire was released in February 2009. A bluegrass studio album, Up on the Ridge, was released on June 8, 2010, and then a sixth album, Home, followed in February 2012.

Bentley's studio albums have accounted for eighteen singles on the country singles charts, of which ten have reached No. 1: his debut single "What Was I Thinkin'", as well as "Come a Little Closer", "Settle for a Slowdown", "Every Mile a Memory", "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", "Feel That Fire", "Sideways", "Am I the Only One", "Home", and "5-1-5-0". Four more of his singles have reached Top Five on the country charts as well.

Early life

Bentley was born on November 20, 1975 in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Culver Academies. He graduated from The Lawrenceville School, spent a year at the University of Vermont before transferring to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he graduated in 1997. He was initiated into Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity while at Vermont.

Music career

Dierks Bentley and Modern Day Drifter

Bentley worked at The Nashville Network (now Spike TV), researching old footage of country performances. In 2003, Capitol Nashville released Bentley's self-titled debut album. The album's first single, "What Was I Thinkin'," reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts later that year. The next two singles from that album, "My Last Name" and "How Am I Doin'," reached No. 17 and No. 4, respectively. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Bentley's second Capitol album, Modern Day Drifter, was released in 2005. It spawned two Number One singles, "Settle for a Slowdown" and "Come a Little Closer," and the Top 5 hit, "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do." The album was also certified platinum.

Later in 2005, Bentley won the CMA Award for the Horizon Award (now Best New Artist) and was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The induction took place on October 1, 2005. Bentley stands as the third youngest member after Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner.

Long Trip Alone and Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003"2008

On June 10, 2006, Bentley released his third album, Long Trip Alone. The album produced two No. 1 hits, "Every Mile a Memory" in 2006 and "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" in 2007. The title track reached No. 10 on the country charts. The fourth single from the album, "Trying to Stop Your Leaving," peaked at No. 5.

In 2007, Bentley released a live DVD titled Live and Loud at the Fillmore, which was filmed in Denver, Colorado.

In a March 2008 interview, Bentley said he would let his fans be the executive producers of his first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003-2008. The album was released on May 6, 2008. An album cut, "Sweet & Wild," reached No. 51 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song was an uncredited duet with fellow country singer Sarah Buxton.

Feel That Fire and Up on the Ridge

Bentley's fifth studio album, Feel That Fire, was released in February 2009. Its title track, co-written by Brett Beavers and The Warren Brothers, reached Top 40 in October 2008 and became his sixth Number One in February 2009. The second single from the album, "Sideways," was released on March 2, 2009 and went on to become his seventh Number One in the summer of 2009. The album's third and final single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," was released on September 13, and peaked at No. 2.

Bentley released his sixth studio album, Up on the Ridge, on June 8, 2010. The title track was released to iTunes on April 20, 2010. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and became Bentley's first single to miss the Top 10 since "My Last Name." The album's second single, "Draw Me a Map," was released to radio on August 23, 2010 and peaked at No. 33.

Home and Country & Cold Cans EP

Bentley's seventh album, Home, was released on February 7, 2012, led by the single, "Am I the Only One" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles. The second single off the album is "Home", which also reached No. 1 on March 24, 2012. A third single, "5-1-5-0", was released shortly after "Home" fell from Number One on the country chart. Dierks has been quoted by American Songwriter explaining "I wrote too many songs. I wrote 70. I wrote a lot. There's 64 that are never going to see the light of day. That's 64 days that I can't get back."

On August 21, 2012, Bentley released the Country & Cold Cans EP on iTunes. It includes five songs, including a radio edit of the track "Tip It On Back" from his album Home. Bentley paid for the studio time to record the EP himself. On October 23, Bentley and Miranda Lambert announced the co-headlined 33-show Locked & Reloaded Tour, beginning on January 17, 2013.

Riser

Bentley's eighth album, Riser, will be released in late 2013. The album's first single, "Bourbon in Kentucky", was released to country radio on June 10, 2013. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, becoming Bentley's lowest charting single to date. The album's second single, "I Hold On", will be released on August 26, 2013.

Personal life

Bentley married Cassidy Black on December 17, 2005 in Mexico. They live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their dogs Jake (who has appeared in a few of Dierks' videos) and George. The couple welcomed their first child, Evelyn Day Bentley (nicknamed "Evie"), on October 4, 2008. Their second daughter, Jordan Catherine Bentley, was born December 25, 2010. On June 2, 2012 he announced his father's passing the day before. In April 2013, Bentley announced that he and his wife are expecting their third child, a boy.

Tours

• Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love Tour (2004)
  • with Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban
• The Road & The Radio Tour (2006)
  • with Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and Jake Owen
• High Times & Hangovers Tour (2006)
  • with Cross Canadian Ragweed
• Locked and Loaded Tour (2007)
  • with Miranda Lambert and Eric Church
• Free and Easy Summer Tour (2007)
  • with Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean
• Throttle Wide Open Tour (2008)
  • with Luke Bryan and Bucky Covington
• Paisley Party Tour (2009)
  • with Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker
• American Saturday Night Tour (2009)
  • with Brad Paisley and Jimmy Wayne
• Up On The Ridge Tour (2010)
• Jägermeister Tour (2011)
  • with Josh Thompson
• Country and Cold Cans (2011)
  • with Jerrod Niemann and Eli Young Band
• Country and Cold Cans (2012)
  • Festivals
• Locked and Re-Loaded Tour (2013)
  • with Miranda Lambert, Lee Brice and Thomas Rhett

Discography

Albums

• Don't Leave Me in Love (2001)
• Dierks Bentley (2003)
• Modern Day Drifter (2005)
• Long Trip Alone (2006)
• Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003"2008 (2008)
• Feel That Fire (2009)
• Up on the Ridge (2010)
• Home (2012)
• Riser (2013)

Awards and nominations

Year	Organization	Award	Result
2004	CMT Music Awards	Breakthrough Video of the Year
	Academy of Country Music	Top New Artist
2005	Country Music Association Awards	Horizon Award
2007	49th Grammy Awards	Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Every Mile a Memory"
		Best Country Song - "Every Mile a Memory"
2008	50th Grammy Awards	Best Country Album - Long Trip Alone
		Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Long Trip Alone"
		Best Country Song - "Long Trip Alone"
2009	CMT Music Awards	CMT Performance of the Year "? "Country Boy"	[A]
2010	52nd Grammy Awards	Best Country Collaboration with Vocals "? "Beautiful World"
	Country Music Association Awards	Male Vocalist
		Album of the Year - Up on the Ridge
		Musical Event - "Bad Angel" (with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson)
2011	53rd Grammy Awards	Best Country Album "? Up on the Ridge
		Best Country Collaboration with Vocals "? "Bad Angel"
		Best Country Collaboration with Vocals "? "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
2012	Country Music Association Awards	Single of the Year
		Album of the Year
		Song of the Year
	American Country Awards	Album of the Year- "Home"
2013	55th Grammy Awards	Best Country Solo Performance- "Home"

Film and television

• Narrated and appeared in The Rise of Kahne (2009), a biography of NASCAR driver, Kasey Kahne. Bentley is featured in the DVD during an event benefiting the Kasey Kahne Foundation.
• Sang the theme song for Season 8 Episode 9 of Showtime's television series Weeds.