Born 47 Years Ago Today in South Carolina, the Former Division 1 Football Player With Nine No. 1 Hits Under His Belt

Proving his mettle as a songwriter, Lee Brice churned out hits for other artists. His early work includes Garth Brooks’ 2007 single “More Than a Memory”, the first song ever to debut atop Billboard’s Hot Country songs chart. Landing his own record deal the same year, Brice became an early-2010s country radio mainstay with number-one songs like “A Woman Like You” and “I Drive Your Truck”. Today, we’re taking a look at the life and career of Lee Brice. He was born in Sumter, South Carolina, on this day (June 10) in 1979.

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How One College Spring Break Trip Changed Lee Brice’s Life

Growing up singing in church, Kenneth Mobley “Lee” Brice Jr. began learning to play piano at age 7. The guitar came next, and by age 10, Brice was writing his own songs inspired by artists like the Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama.

A seasoned performer by then, he won his high school talent show for three years in a row. After graduation, Brice earned a football scholarship to Clemson University, where he played special teams and majored in civil engineering.

Late in the 1998 season, Brice suffered an arm injury. “My elbow just got completely kind of destroyed,” he told Taste of Country Nights in 2014.

Unable to suit up for 1999 spring practice, the “I Don’t Dance” crooner took a spring break trip to Nashville. Brice had always wanted a peek into the city’s booming music industry, and once he got it, he knew he had to become part of it.

 “I just came up here with no money, stayed with a friend and that week met a publisher. I met my producer,” Brice said. “This is where I had to be so when I came and visited I knew.”

He returned to Clemson, packed up his belongings, and headed back to Nashville.

Stepping into the Spotlight

Lee Brice first made his mark as a songwriter. In addition to Brooks, he saw artists like Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney cut his songs.

Brice’s breakthrough as a performer came in 2009 with “Love Like Crazy”, the lead single from his 2010 studio debut of the same name. Debuting at number 58 on the Hot Country Songs chart, it reached number 10 46 weeks later, marking the slowest climb to the top 10 in the chart’s history.

[RELATED: 4 of the Best Tailgating Country Songs]

All told, “Love Like Crazy” spent 56 weeks on the chart, breaking a record set in 1948 by Eddy Arnold’s “Bouquet of Roses”.

On May 1, 2026, Lee Brice released the single “Truck Bed Mixtape”. It will appear on his sixth studio album Sunriser, due out October 2.

Featured image by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Tennessee Department of Tourist Development