Born Jason Aldine Williams in Macon, Ga., Jason Aldean reformatted his name when he decided to pursue a career in country music. Aldean's parents, Barry and Debbie, divorced when he was three years old, so he was raised mainly by his mother, but spent summers in Florida with his father, who taught him to play guitar. He moved to Nashville in 1998, after signing a publishing deal, but success didn't come easy: Aldean says that after years of struggling, and shortly before signing with Broken Bow Records, he gave himself a limit of six more months in Music City to "make it." The singer released his self-titled debut album in 2005; its three singles were all Top 10 hits. Aldean made history with his 2013 Night Train Tour, holding the first-ever concert at the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium and becoming the first country artist to headline (and sell out) Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. His 2014 release, 'Old Boots, New Dirt', was one of only three albums to earn platinum status that year.
- Birthday: February 28, 1977
- Did You Know …: Thomas Rhett, who was just becoming known as an artist in his own right at the time, wrote Aldean’s 2013 hit “1994.”
- Required Reading: Top 10 Jason Aldean Songs, Top 5 Jason Aldean Music Videos, You Think You Know Jason Aldean?, Jason Aldean Plays ‘Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?’