Country Trivia – Father Prevents Countryfest Singer From Dropping College

Question: Which 2012 WGNA Countryfest singer cut a deal with his father to finish college? The deal was, that if he graduated, his father would pay for his first six months of living expenses in Nashville.

Answer: Eric Church had been making music all through high school, he continued to play while earning his marketing degree at Appalachian State University. Church's group, the Mountain Boys, became a popular regional party band, playing nightly at bars and fraternity socials across the South. Church wanted to drop out of college to pursue his musical dreams, but his father cut him a deal: he promised to pay for Eric’s first six months in Nashville if Eric finished college. Two years later with diploma in hand, Church headed to Nashville, Tennessee to make a name for himself in the world of country music.

According to Yallwire, he used the first six months to get acquainted with the city, Church learned the ropes and made contacts in various record companies, eventually landing a job as a songwriter for Sony Tree Music Publishing. A hard-working small town boy, Church amazed executives by churning out hundreds of songs during his short tenure at the company. In early 2006, Church’s hard work finally paid off. He signed a deal with prolific record label Capitol, and released his first album Sinners Like Me in late 2006.