Thomas Rhett performs his CMA Single of the Year-winning “Die A Happy Man.”
As the son of American country music singer and songwriter Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett has some big shoes to fill. But the shoes seem to fit, and he’s wearin’ ’em: His singer-songwriting talent has proven to be a hit among fans and his country music peers, CMT named him one of the premier artists of 2106.
In addition to writing singles for artists like Jason Aldean and bands like Florida Georgia Line, Rhett has released two albums, It Goes Like This in 2013 followed by Tangled Up two years later. Together the albums have produced 10 singles on the Hot Country Singles and Country Airplay charts. Six of those singles have reached No. 1.
One of those tracks, titled “Die A Happy Man,” which was featured on Tangled Up, is a love song Rhett co-wrote with Sean Douglas and Joe Spargur. It’s dedicated to his wife, Lauren Akins, whom he’s known since first grade.
The song received massive praise on the music charts: “Thomas Rhett may have just released the love song of the year,” proclaimed music website Taste of Country. “‘Die a Happy Man’ is a slow-burner that melts like candle wax. With just a few pulls from a blues-soaked guitar, the mood is set for this increasingly dynamic singer to heat up any room.”
This proved to be true, as the Nashville native recently won the prestigious Single of the Year at the CMA Awards November 2. Honoring that achievement — and because we’re suckers for blues-soaked guitar —we’re featuring the Rhett and his hit single as our performance of the week.
Get up close and personal with Rhett in the video as he performs “Die a Happy Man” live from the Lounge at the Grand Ole Opry.
Rhett's currently on his Home Team tour. His next performance is at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, in London, England on November 12. He'll be back stateside at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan on February 23, 2017.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy thomasrhett.com
