Chris Young is a country singer and songwriter whose vocals have earned Grammy and Academy of Country Music nominations, with a style rooted in traditional country music and performed with a contemporary sensibility. Born Christopher Alan Young in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on June 12, 1985, he is the grandson of Richard Yates, who performed on “The Louisiana Hayride.” He attended Oakland High School, showed an early interest in music through theatrical productions, absorbed classic country music from his family, played at the El Chico Mexican restaurant on Murfreesboro Pike in Nashville as a high school senior, and self-released an album before graduation. He later attended Belmont University in Nashville and Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. After being spotted at a songwriters' night at the French Quarter Cafe on Woodland Street in Nashville, he was offered the chance to front the house band at Cowboys, a 3,200-seat club in Arlington, Texas, where he moved, opened for nationally known artists, and built a strong local following. In 2006 he won USA Network's “Nashville Star” competition and received a recording contract with RCA. His debut self-titled RCA album appeared in October 2006, and its first single, “Drinkin' Me Lonely,” reached No. 42 on Billboard's country singles chart. His second RCA album, The Man I Want to Be, produced three No. 1 singles: “Voices,” “Gettin' You Home,” and the title song, and the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. His third RCA album, Neon, released in 2011, produced two more No. 1 singles, “Tomorrow” and “You,” with “Tomorrow” also reaching No. 36 on the pop charts. He continued recording for RCA, releasing seven albums and 11 No. 1 singles, including the Recording Industry Association of America double-platinum single “I'm Comin' Over.” On Aug. 29, 2017, Vince Gill invited him to join the Grand Ole Opry, and he was inducted on Oct. 17 in the presence of his grandfather and other family members. He toured steadily, appeared on concert bills with Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, and others before headlining his own shows, made his first sold-out headlining appearance at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena in 2018, and the following year his arena and amphitheater tour played to 400,000 fans in three countries and 35 U.S. states. He also maintained a relationship with Middle Tennessee State University by creating an annual scholarship for recording industry students in November 2016, and in July 2019 the university opened the Chris Young Cafe as a new learning space and live music venue on campus.