Colt Ford

When he was growing up outside of Athens, Ga., country music was Colt Ford's first love. But eventually that gave way to golf. And after that, hip-hop. Somehow Ford has managed to combine all three of his loves. Ford's eked out a successful career on the golf circuit, but always kept music on his mind. Eventually, songwriting took over, having scored writing gigs for the alt-rock band Lit, country artists Jamey Johnson and Montgomery Gentry, rapper Bone Crusher and noted R&B star Jermaine Dupri. What inspired Colt Ford to finally take the stage himself happened at a country show one night: After the show ended, the dancefloor was packed with young kids grooving to hip-hop. Convinced there could be a huge audience for a country/hip-hop hybrid, Ford started writing songs in earnest and struck gold with "Buck 'Em," which the Professional Bull Riders association picked as its theme song in 2007. In 2008, he released Ride Through the Country on his own Average Joe's Entertainment label. Country Is as Country Does followed in 2009, and the following year, Ford released Chicken & Biscuits.