Dierks Bentley

Frederick Dierks Bentley (born November 20, 1975 ) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to Capitol Nashville and released his eponymous debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip Alone, is certified gold. It was followed in mid-2008 by a greatest hits package. His fourth album, Feel That Fire was released in February 2009. A bluegrass album, Up on the Ridge, was released on June 8, 2010; a sixth album, Home, followed in February 2012, as did a seventh one, Riser, in 2014. Bentley's eighth album, entitled Black, was released in May 2016. His most recent release, a compilation EP titled Make My World Go Black, was released in 2021.

Bentley's studio albums have accounted for 25 singles on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, of which 17 have reached number one: his debut single "What Was I Thinkin'", "Come a Little Closer", "Settle for a Slowdown", "Every Mile a Memory", "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", "Feel That Fire", "Sideways", "Am I the Only One", "Home", "5-1-5-0", "I Hold On", "Drunk on a Plane", "Say You Do", "Somewhere on a Beach", "Different for Girls", "Woman, Amen" and "Living". Seven more of his singles have reached the top 5.

Early life
Bentley was born on November 20, 1975, in Phoenix, as the son of Leon Fife Bentley (August 16, 1923 – June 1, 2012), a bank vice-president, and Catherine Childs. His father was born in Glasgow, Missouri, to Richard Thomas Bentley Jr. and Mary Cecile ( Fife) Bentley, and was a First Lieutenant in World War II. His middle name, Dierks (which he now uses as his first name publicly), is also his maternal great-grandmother's surname. He attended Culver Academies in Indiana and graduated from The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in 1993. Afterward, he spent a year at the University of Vermont (UVM) before transferring to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1997.

2003–05: Dierks Bentley and Modern Day Drifter
Bentley worked at The Nashville Network (now Paramount Network), researching old footage of country performances. In 2003, Capitol Nashville released Bentley's self-titled debut album. The album's first single, "What Was I Thinkin'," reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts later that year. The next two singles from that album, "My Last Name" and "How Am I Doin'," reached number 17 and number 4, respectively. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Bentley's second album, Modern Day Drifter, was released in 2005. It spawned two number one singles with "Come a Little Closer” and "Settle for a Slowdown" and the number three hit "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do." The album was also certified platinum.

In 2005, Bentley won the CMA Award for the Horizon Award (now Best New Artist) and was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The induction took place on October 1, 2005. Bentley stands as the third youngest member after Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner.

2006–08: Long Trip Alone and Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008
On June 10, 2006, Bentley released his third album, Long Trip Alone. The album produced two number one hits with "Every Mile a Memory" in 2006 and "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" in 2007. The title track reached No. 10 on the country charts, while the fourth single, "Trying to Stop Your Leaving," peaked at number 5.

In 2007, Bentley released a live DVD titled Live and Loud at the Fillmore, which was filmed in Denver, Colorado.

In a March 2008 interview, Bentley said he would let his fans be the executive producers of his first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008. The album was released on May 6, 2008. An album cut, "Sweet & Wild," reached No. 51 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song was an uncredited duet with fellow country singer Sarah Buxton.

2009–10: Feel That Fire and Up on the Ridge
Bentley's fourth studio album, Feel That Fire, was released in February 2009. Its title track, co-written by Brett Beavers and The Warren Brothers, became Bentley's sixth number one hit in February 2009. The album's second single, "Sideways," became his seventh number one hit in summer 2009. The third and final single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," peaked at number 2.

Bentley released his fifth studio album, Up on the Ridge, on June 8, 2010. The title track was released to iTunes on April 20, 2010. The song peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Bentley's first single to miss the Top 10 since "My Last Name." The second single from the album, "Draw Me a Map," reached number 33.

2012–13: Home and Country & Cold Cans EP
Bentley's sixth album, Home, was released on February 7, 2012, led by the single, "Am I the Only One" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles. The second single off the album is "Home", which was co-written by Bentley, Brett Beavers, and Dan Wilson also reached No. 1 on March 24, 2012. A third single, "5-1-5-0", was released shortly after "Home" fell from number one on the country chart. Dierks has been quoted by American Songwriter explaining “I wrote too many songs. I wrote 70. I wrote a lot. There’s 64 that are never going to see the light of day. That’s 64 days that I can’t get back.”

On August 21, 2012, Bentley released the Country & Cold Cans EP on iTunes. It includes five songs, including a radio edit of the track "Tip It On Back" from his album Home. Bentley paid for the studio time to record the EP himself. On October 23, Bentley and Miranda Lambert announced the co-headlined 33-show Locked and Reloaded Tour, that began on January 17, 2013.

2014–15: Riser
Bentley's seventh album, Riser, was released on February 25, 2014. The album's first single, "Bourbon in Kentucky", was released to country radio on June 10, 2013. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, becoming Bentley's lowest charting single to date. The album's second single, "I Hold On", was released on August 26, 2013. It became his first number one on the Country Airplay chart in April 2014 and also his eleventh overall to do so. The third single, "Drunk on a Plane", followed that same month. It reached number one on Country Airplay in August 2014 and was also a strong commercial hit, reaching number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's fourth single, "Say You Do", was released on October 6, 2014. It reached at number one on Country Airplay in May 2015. The title track became the album's fifth single in June 2015.

Bentley along with Eric Paslay are featured on Charles Kelley's debut solo single, "The Driver" which was released on September 28, 2015. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

2016–2017: Black
Bentley released his eighth album, Black, on May 27, 2016. The album's first single, "Somewhere on a Beach", was released on January 25, 2016.

Bentley co-hosted the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards on April 3, 2016, where he was also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year.

Bentley released a series of four short films for songs from Black, with episode one being the song "I'll Be the Moon" featuring Maren Morris. The following episode serves as the video for "What the Hell Did I Say". The album's second single, "Different for Girls" featuring Elle King, was released to country radio on June 6, 2016. It reached at number one on Country Airplay in October 2016. The album's title track was released to country radio as the third single on November 14, 2016.

He was also selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of Take Me Home, Country Roads, On the Road Again and I Will Always Love You which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.

2018–present: The Mountain and Hot Country Knights
On June 8, 2018, Bentley released The Mountain, his ninth studio album. It was released o via Capitol Records Nashville. The first single from the album was "Women, Amen", which peaked at number one. The second single from the album was "Burning Man", which also peaked at number one (Mediabase only). The third and final single, "Living" also went number one.

Bentley's side project, a '90s country parody band named Hot Country Knights, signed on with Bentley's label Universal Music Group Nashville as a separate recording act in 2020. The act consists of his road band, all of whom operate under stage names. They released their debut single "Pick Her Up" on January 23, 2020. Bentley wrote the song with Jim Beavers and Brett Beavers, and features guest vocals from Travis Tritt.

Dierks released a new single, "Gone", on October 22, 2020. This serves as the lead single from his upcoming tenth studio album, which will also include the single "Beers on Me" featuring Hardy and Breland. He also joined James Barker Band on the single "New Old Trucks" in October 2021.

Personal life
Bentley married Cassidy Black on December 17, 2005, in Mexico. They live in Nashville, with their three children and dog George. The couple has two daughters, Evalyn "Evie" Day Bentley, Jordan Catherine Bentley, and a son, Knox Bentley. Evie makes a vocal appearance on the song "Thinking of You" from Bentley's 2012 album Home, and Knox appears in the music video for Bentley's 2019 single, "Living".

Bentley holds a private pilot license. He owns a Cirrus SR22T and flies a Cessna Citation CJ4.

Headlining

 * 2006: High Times and Hangovers Tour
 * 2007: Locked and Loaded Tour
 * 2007: Free and Easy Summer Tour
 * 2008: Throttle Wide Open Tour
 * 2010: Up On The Ridge Tour
 * 2011: Jägermeister Tour
 * 2011: Country and Cold Cans
 * 2012: Country and Cold Cans (Festivals)
 * 2014: Riser Tour
 * 2015: Sounds of Summer Tour
 * 2016: Somewhere on a Beach Tour
 * 2017: What The Hell World Tour
 * 2018: Mountain High Tour
 * 2019: Burning Man Tour
 * 2021: Beers On Me Tour

Co-headlining

 * 2013: Locked and Re-Loaded Tour – w/ Miranda Lambert

Supporting

 * 2004: Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love Tour – Kenny Chesney
 * 2006: The Road and The Radio Tour – Kenny Chesney
 * 2009: Paisley Party Tour – Brad Paisley
 * 2009: American Saturday Night Tour – Brad Paisley

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * Dierks Bentley (2003)
 * Modern Day Drifter (2005)
 * Long Trip Alone (2006)
 * Feel That Fire (2009)
 * Up on the Ridge (2010)
 * Home (2012)
 * Riser (2014)
 * Black (2016)
 * The Mountain (2018)


 * As Part of Hot Country Knights
 * The K Is Silent (2020)