Dierks Bentley


Frederick Dierks Bentley is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to Capitol Nashville and released his eponymous 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 album, Up on the Ridge, was released on June 8, 2010; a sixth album, Home, followed in February 2012, as did a seventh one, Riser, in 2014. Bentley's eighth album, entitled Black, was released in May 2016. His ninth and most recent studio album, The Mountain, was released on June 8, 2018.
Bentley's studio albums have accounted for 25 singles on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, of which 17 have reached number one: his debut single "What Was I Thinkin'", "Come a Little Closer", "Settle for a Slowdown", "Every Mile a Memory", "Free and Easy ", "Feel That Fire", "Sideways", "Am I the Only One", "Home", "5-1-5-0", "I Hold On", "Drunk on a Plane", "Say You Do", "Somewhere on a Beach", "Different for Girls", "Woman, Amen" and "Living". Seven more of his singles have reached the top 5.

Early life

Bentley was born on November 20, 1975, in Phoenix, as the son of Leon Fife Bentley, a bank vice-president, and Catherine Childs. His father was born in Glasgow, Missouri, to Richard Thomas and Mary Cecile Fife Bentley, and was a First Lieutenant in World War II. His middle name, Dierks, is also his maternal great-grandmother's surname. He attended Culver Academies in Indiana and graduated from The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in 1993. Afterward, he spent a year at the University of Vermont before transferring to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1997.

Music career

2003–05: ''Dierks Bentley'' and ''Modern Day Drifter''

Bentley worked at The Nashville Network, 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 US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts later that year. The next two singles from that album, "My Last Name" and "How Am I Doin'," reached number 17 and number 4, respectively. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Bentley's second album, Modern Day Drifter, was released in 2005. It spawned two number one singles with "Come a Little Closer” and "Settle for a Slowdown" and the number three hit "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do." The album was also certified platinum.
In 2005, Bentley won the CMA Award for the Horizon Award 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.

2006–08: ''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 number one hits with "Every Mile a Memory" in 2006 and "Free and Easy " in 2007. The title track reached No. 10 on the country charts, while the fourth single, "Trying to Stop Your Leaving," peaked at number 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.

2009–10: ''Feel That Fire'' and ''Up on the Ridge''

Bentley's fourth studio album, Feel That Fire, was released in February 2009. Its title track, co-written by Brett Beavers and The Warren Brothers, became Bentley’s sixth number one hit in February 2009. The album’s second single, "Sideways," became his seventh number one hit in summer 2009. The third and final single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," peaked at number 2.
Bentley released his fifth 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 number 21 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Bentley's first single to miss the Top 10 since "My Last Name." The second single from the album, "Draw Me a Map," reached number 33.

2012–13: ''Home'' and ''Country & Cold Cans'' EP

Bentley's sixth 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 was co-written by Bentley, Brett Beavers, and Dan Wilson 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 and Reloaded Tour, that began on January 17, 2013.

2014–15: ''Riser''

Bentley's seventh album, Riser, was released on February 25, 2014. 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", was released on August 26, 2013. It became his first number one on the Country Airplay chart in April 2014 and also his eleventh overall to do so. The third single, "Drunk on a Plane", followed that same month. It reached number one on Country Airplay in August 2014 and was also a strong commercial hit, reaching number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's fourth single, "Say You Do", was released on October 6, 2014. It reached at number one on Country Airplay in May 2015. The title track became the album's fifth single in June 2015.
Bentley along with Eric Paslay are featured on Charles Kelley's debut solo single, "The Driver" which was released on September 28, 2015. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

2016–2017: ''Black''

Bentley released his eighth album, Black, on May 27, 2016. The album's first single, "Somewhere on a Beach", was released on January 25, 2016.
Bentley co-hosted the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards on April 3, 2016, where he was also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year.
Bentley released a series of four short films for songs from Black, with episode one being the song "I'll Be the Moon" featuring Maren Morris. The following episode serves as the video for "What the Hell Did I Say". The album's second single, "Different for Girls" featuring Elle King, was released to country radio on June 6, 2016. It reached at number one on Country Airplay in October 2016. The album's title track was released to country radio as the third single on November 14, 2016.
He was also selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of Take Me Home, Country Roads, On the Road Again and I Will Always Love You which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.

2018–present: ''The Mountain'' and Hot Country Knights

The Mountain is the ninth studio album recorded by Bentley. It was released on June 8, 2018, via Capitol Records Nashville. The first single from the album was "Women, Amen", which peaked at #1. The second single from the album was "Burning Man" which also peaked at #1. The third and final single, "Living" also went #1.
Bentley's side project, a 90s country cover band named Hot Country Knights, signed on with Bentley's label Universal Music Group Nashville as a separate recording act in 2020. The act consists of his road band, all of whom operate under stage names. It released its debut single "Pick Her Up" on January 23, 2020. Bentley wrote the song with Jim Beavers and Brett Beavers, and features guest vocals from Travis Tritt.

Personal life

Bentley married Cassidy Black on December 17, 2005, in Mexico. They live in Nashville, with their three children, dogs Jake and George. The couple has two daughters, Evalyn "Evie" Day Bentley, born on October 4, 2008; Jordan Catherine Bentley, born on December 25, 2010; and son, Knox Bentley, born on October 9, 2013. Evie makes a vocal appearance on the song, "Thinking of You", from Bentley's 2012 album Home.
Bentley holds a private pilot license and owns a Cirrus SR22T and Cessna Citation Mustang.

Tours

Headlining

;Studio albums
;As Part of Hot Country Knights

Grammy Awards

[Country Music Association Awards]

Other awards

Film and television