It's another of those darn Georgia boys in today's feature, and artist who moved to Nashville after graduating high school. The first thing he did? Failed an audition at the Opryland Theme Park, but then again what did they know? He's still going strong in Nashville and Opryland closed its door just six years after turning him down.

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After 6 gold or platinum albums and 19 singles, of which 11 have gone to #1, its hard to believe that Billy Currington ever failed anything in Nashville. But while he was still in high school, Currington came to Nashville to audition for the fame Opryland theme park. Opryland was a seasonal park that was opened summers and the Christmas season. The park featured rides and musical shows and billed itself as the "Home of American Music". While his audition was strong, he would later admit he wasn't ready and Opryland passed on Currington.

Undeterred, Billy returned home to Effingham County High School in Savannah, GA, finishing his schooling and returning to Nashville after graduation. Currington returned to Georgia before too long and got a job laying concrete and later worked as a personal trainer. At night he worked on his

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music, landing a gig singing at the Cavalier County Country Club. One of his personal training clients encouraged Currington to record a demo disc and to start writing his own songs, instead of strictly covering other artists' songs.

Currington returned to Nashville in 2001, and signed a publishing contract soon after. He would have songs recorded by George Strait, Tracy Byrd and others, and in 2003 he was offered a recording contract by RCA Records, but instead signed with Mercury Records, releasing his self-titled debut album that year. It included the single "Walk A Little Straighter", a song that Currington started writing when he was 12-years old. The album would also lead to the singer joining Shania Twain on the single "Party For Two" from Twain's Greatest Hits album in 2004.

While the album would receive gold certification, it would be the only of Currington's studio albums to break the top-5 on Billboard's Country Albums chart, peaking at #17. Since that point, he has released 5 albums for Mercury Nashville and they have all peaked at #2 or #3 on the album chart, and the 6 albums have produced a total of 15

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top-10 hits,11 of those #1s.

Today we have the fifth single from Currington's 2015 album Summer Forever, an album that has already produced three #1 hits. Brought to you by All American Super Car Wash of Lawton, Billy Currington is in our spotlight today with "Wake Me Up". It's our Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.

Text today’s key word to 580 353-1013, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card from All American Super Car Wash of Lawton, presenting the Catch of the Day on Oklahoma’s Best Country KLAW101.

Today’s Key Word: “WAKE”

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