On this day (December 17) in 1966, Tracy Byrd was born in Beaumont, Texas. He broke into the country music industry in the early 1990s with a string of enduring hits and continues to perform today. However, he likely wouldn’t have had his successful career if it hadn’t been for a trip to his local mall.
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Byrd grew up surrounded by country music. His family had an extensive record collection packed with classics. However, he didn’t set out to be a country star. Instead, he worked toward a business degree at Texas State University. Then, when he was in his early 20s, he and some friends visited the local mall.
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According to a biography, that shopping trip changed Byrd’s life. One of his friends convinced him to visit a novelty recording studio in the mall and record a karaoke version of the Hank Williams classic “You’re Cheatin’ Heart.” He sounded so good that the person running the studio convinced him to compete in a local talent contest.
Byrd did so well in the talent contest that he decided to take his chances in the music business. His first trip to Nashville was fruitless. Fortunately, he didn’t give up. His second trip to Music City yielded a record deal with MCA Records.
Tracy Byrd Becomes a Country Star
Tracy Byrd released his debut single, “That’s the Thing About a Memory,” in 1992. The song peaked at No. 71 on the chart. He followed that with “Someone to Give My Love To,” which reached No. 42 in 1993. Then, he found his first No. 1 with “Holdin’ Heaven” later that year.
His first album and its singles introduced him to the country world. However, it was his sophomore effort, No Ordinary Man, that put him on the map. The album reached No. 3 on the chart and produced four top ten hits, including the infinitely infectious “Watermelon Crawl” and the gorgeous love ballad, “The Keeper of the Stars.”
Byrd continued to see chart success throughout the 1990s. Songs like “I’m From the Country,” “Don’t Take Her She’s All I Got,” “Love Lessons,” and “I Wanna Feel That Way Again” kept him in the upper region of the charts. However, he wouldn’t reach the top again until after the turn of the century.
In 2002, “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo” gave him his second No. 1.
Tracy Byrd continues to tour and record. He released his most recent album, All-American Texan, in 2016. According to his website, he already has several dates booked in 2026.
Featured Image by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
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