‘Catch of the Day’ – Jason Aldean – “Any Ol’ Bar Stool” [AUDIO]

Today we feature an artist who has been honored as one of country music's champions against breast cancer. An artist that once was just a few month's away from leaving Nashville all together, before getting that one last chance.

Born Jason Aldine Williams in Macon, GA, Jason Aldean's parents divorced when he was three. His father, Barry Williams, a producer and agent, moved to Homestead, FL, and Jason split his time between the two towns. While Jason was with his father, the senior Williams would map out chords on a guitar for his son to practice while he was at work. When Barry would get home, the two would play together. Before long, Jason developed the ability to play songs after hearing them just a couple of times. Both parents encouraged Jason's blossoming passion, and after watching the CMA Awards, he decided he wanted to be a performer.

His first public performance was at a VFW hall in Macon when he was 14. Jason would perform just two songs, but when the audience, which Aldean would later joke was a standing room only crowd of 10, applauded, he was hooked. At 15 he would join the house band at Nashville South, a local night club. To avoid confusion with other Jason Williamses, Jason altered his middle name, adopting it as his stage name.

After high school, with the help of his father acting as his booking agent, Aldean began touring. His first big performance was at Truman State University in Missouri. Aldean and his band toured the southeast and mid-west. Jason began writing with band member Justin Weaver, and in 1998 he performed his original music at a showcase in Atlanta. It was here he caught the attention of Michael Knox from Warner-Chappell publishing, and after signing with Warner-Chappell, he moved to Nashville in late 1998.

He was singed to a recording contract in 1999, but released without recording any material. He signed a second contract in 2000, but after repeatedly postponing recording sessions, he was dropped from this contract also. In 2003, after various showcases failed to garner a new contract, and with just months left on his publishing deal, Aldine was preparing to return to Georgia. He had one shot left, a showcase at The Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville. This showcase led to him being signed by Lawrence Mathis to a management deal, and within 5 weeks, Aldine signed with upstart Broken Bow Records as their first artist.

Aldean released his self-titled debut album in 2005. And while he has changed several things during his career, including management teams twice. But he has stayed loyal to the label that gave him the one last chance to prove himself to be the performer he has become. He has released 8 albums with the label, including his most recent, They Don't Know, which debuted in September; of these albums, the first 7 have all gone platinum, with his latest well on it's way, having already sold more than 250,000 copies. The albums have produced 26 singles, all top-20 hits, 25 top-10 hits, and 16 #1s. He is also featured on the recent #1 debuting single "Forever Country".

The third single from They Don't Know is in our spotlight today. Jason Aldean and "Any Ol' Barstool" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you're gonna want to hear it again.