Dustin Lynch Biography

David Lynch - One of Country's Up-and-Coming Talents

Dustin Lynch's debut album. Credit: Image courtesy of Broken Bow Records

Dustin Charles Lynch was born on May 14, 1985, in Nashville, Tennessee. He grew up in Tullahoma, just south of the capital. Lynch was influenced by neo-traditional country music when he was growing up, and by artists, he refers to as "the class of '89" – Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Garth Brooks, all of whom had their first big breaks in 1989.

Beginnings

Lynch moved to Nashville in 2003 to attend Lipscomb University and simultaneously pursued a career in country music while renting an apartment behind the famous Bluebird Cafe. After performing at an open mic at the Cafe, the young, hopeful singer landed a regular performing spot. Lynch honed his skills and started performing at other local venues.

Audiences took an immediate liking to the "bro country" singer and this led to a fateful phone call in 2011 from fellow country artist Justin Moore's manager, Peter Hartung. Hartung had discovered the young artist through his Myspace page. The call couldn't have come soon enough. Lynch was working at a sewage treatment plant at the time. 

Breakthrough

Lynch scored a management contract with L3 Entertainment, a publishing contract with Super 98/The Song Factory, and a record deal with Broken Bow Records. After landing a publishing deal, Lynch allegedly wrote more than 200 songs over the course of two years.

Lynch got straight to work on his self-titled debut album after he signed with Broken Bow as a solo artist in 2011. Dustin Lynch was released in the summer of 2012 and sold more than 100,000 copies by the end of the year. Lynch co-wrote 10 of the album's 13 tracks, including the first single, "Cowboys and Angels," which climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "She Cranks My Tractor" became his second Top 20 hit, and "Wild in Your Smile" cracked the Top 30.

Where It's At

Lynch's sophomore effort, Where It's At, came out in 2014. He had less of a hand in the creative process this time, penning only five of the album's 15 tracks. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, selling just over 30,000 copies in its first week. The lead single, "Where It's At," became Lynch's first No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. "Hell of a Night" was released in late 2014 and followed suit. The album's third single, "Mind Reader," was released in September 2015 and hit No. 1 on US Country Airplay.

Ditto for "Seein' Red," a single released in 2016. The song also cracked US Country's Top 5.  

Lynch has been nominated for a handful of American Country, CMT and Academy of Country Music Awards since his 2012 debut, but he's yet to secure a win. Following the release of Where It's At, Lynch embarked on a national tour. 

Discography:

  • Dustin Lynch (2012)
  • Where It's At (2014)

Popular Songs:

  • "Cowboys and Angels"
  • "Hell of a Night"
  • "Where It's At"
  • "She Cranks My Tractor"
  • "Wild in Your Smile"
  • "Mind Reader"