‘Catch of the Day’ – Chase Rice – “Everybody We Know Does” [AUDIO]

Today we turn our focus to a singer and songwriter whose first big break was co-writing the best selling country single of all time, a song which shattered the record for number of weeks spent at #1 on the Billboard Country singles chart. But even before that, we knew that he was a Survivor.

Chase Rice has had a diverse journey to the top of the Country music world. Born in Florida, he was raised in Asheville, NC. After graduating from AC Reynolds High School, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played linebacker on the Ram's football squad. After graduation, Hill decided to give NASCAR a try, but not as a driver. He became a tire carrier for Hendrick Motor Sports, working first on Ryan Newman's Nationwide Crew and then moved up to the Sprint Cup Series, working on Jimmie Johnson's Lowes team, where he won two championships with that crew.

In 2010, Rice was chosen to compete on the 21st season of Survivor, where he and the cast tried to survive the jungles of Nicaragua. Rice initially became part of the LaFlor tribe, which consisted of younger cast members, taking on the Espada tribe, which was made up of cast members older than 30. Rice was absorbed into the Espada tribe after the fourth week. Rice managed to survive to the final three, but in the finale, was voted off the island when fellow competitors criticized him for rash decisions and occasional indecisiveness, with several competitors calling him a "follower". In the end Rice received four votes, with winner Jub Birza receiving the other five votes.

After leaving the island, Rice put his efforts full heartedly into his music career. Rice had begun playing guitar in college, and at the time his father told him that anyone can play guitar, but no one is really going to listen until he starts singing. Taking this advice to heart, the younger Rice began to hone his career by working on his stage presence. He puts the same hard work into his studio work, which is evident by his self released debut album, 2010's Friday Nights & Sunday Mornings. Included on the album was the first song Rice ever wrote, "Larger Than Life", which he wrote about the passing of his father. In 2011, he released a 6-song EP, Country As Me, with one of the tracks, "Buzz Back" receiving significant airplay on satellite radio.

In 2012, Rice released his second full length album Dirt Road Communion; the album led to his signing with Creative Artists Agency. The same year he co-wrote "Cruise" along with Jessie Rice, Joey Moi and Florida Georgia Line members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard. Released later in 2012, the song would be FGL's debut single and would spend a grand total of 26 weeks at the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the chart that includes sales and digital downloads in its rankings. The single would spend the final three weeks of 2012 at the top of Billboard's Country Airplay chart, and would also top Billboard's year end chart for the year. It has sold over 8 million copies today, making it the best selling country single of all time.

As a performer, Rice's big breakthrough came in 2014 when he signed with Colombia Records and released the single "Ready, Set, Roll", which served as the title track for the same year's 6-song EP, also appearing on his next album, Ignite the Night. The single would be certified platinum, and peak at #5 on the Billboard charts. The second single would top it, with "Gonna Wanna Tonight" topping out at #2.

Rice is back in the studio, working on an unnamed project, who release date has not been announced. From that project comes Rice's latest single, which is in our spotlight today. Chase Rice and "Everybody We Know Does" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you're gonna want to hear it again.