Greg Bates is that rare find of an artist: one born and raised right in Nashville, Tennessee. In the most genuine sense, he is a true product of Music City, motivated not by the trappings of country-music stardom, but by the reward of a well-written lyric. For Greg, it really did all start with a song.

The first day that I figured out that you can tell a story with three chords in three minutes and just kill somebody emotionally, I was hooked,” he says. “The stories are what really drew me to country music.

Greg attended Belmont University where he further developed his songwriting and performing skills. His undeniable talent quickly caught the attention of music industry tastemakers.

Soon after graduation, Greg began “living the dream” after signing a co-publishing/artist development deal with Effusion Entertainment and Super 98 Music – the publishing arm of the Big Machine Label Group.

Greg recently recorded his debut project with hit producer and songwriter Jimmy Ritchey. Jimmy, who also oversaw Greg’s original demo, and Greg recorded a hook-filled album that is a tight and often twangy collection of songs, all written or co-written by Greg.

“For me, this album is about getting back to country music,” Greg says. “There’s nothing wrong with what’s on the radio nowadays, but I think there is a huge hole where that traditional sound used to be.”

The project includes the recent Top 5 hit, “Did It for the Girl.” The song, which pays homage to one of Greg’s idols George Strait, made Greg one of the few new artists to crack the Top 5 with a debut single.

Greg’s second single, “Fill in the Blank,” hit Country radio in February and was the #1 most added song during its release week. The up-tempo, flirty song was also recently featured on the ABC series, Nashville.

Through his upcoming album, Greg has woven together a collection of songs that will connect with today’s youthful audiences while still honoring his musical heroes – Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and the aforementioned George Strait.

Bates has shared the stage with Darius Rucker, Willie Nelson, Alabama, and most recently Alan Jackson. He is currently headlining shows across the country.

Country Music, Musician, Country Artist, Country, Music,