How Did Rodney Atkins Influence The Country

Rodney's roots come from deep in the south, born in Tennessee and adopted in Greenville, Tennessee from the Holston Methodist Home for Children. After fans first got a look and a listen to Rodney Atkins in his debut album Honesty in 2003, he made a quick jump to stardom. Listening to the songs that Rodney has produced shows that he writes from the heart and where he lives, the country.

He isn't a typical Country singer, with the sad love songs, but instead the upbeat songs about the farmer's daughter and cleaning his gun until his daughter comes home from a date. Rodney Atkins when on the stage as well as off is a true blue patriotic country boy. Singing songs about real life in the country, with some pulling from life experiences both past present, as well as what he sees for our future. His songs are built around his family, something that he has embraced his whole life after being adopted.

His

influences include such stars as Ray Charles, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and ZZ Top. But his music is challengingly different to the ears, a bit louder, rougher, with extreme energy onstage. He often says that when onstage he "lets his shadow come out to play." The roughneck often seen on stage in contrast to the quiet, often soft spoken family man with an extremely large heart, with a genuine life desire to give back to the society that helped pick him up as a small child and give him the chance to become someone. That road though not as long as some, is never less fuller with hope, knowledge, memories and faith, all found in his songs.

Rodney was encouraged by some industry folks to take a stage name so he wouldn't be confused with Trace Adkins or Rhett Akins, but Rodney refused, saying, "I'm pretty lucky to have a last name, so I'm not going to change my name."A perfectionist in the studio, Rodney is known to spend hours on a track making minute changes to his vocals to ensure when he presents the song to the world, it is his best. He takes an active role in the production.

Surprising his fans and the world of Country music, Rodney debuted his song "It's America" on national TV during the live performance of the 2008 Country Music Awards.

"It's America" is a combination of modern day and classical Country music, which tells the story of the life of Rodney Atkins.
In September of 2011 "Take a Back Road" became Rodney's sixth hit song to reach #1 on the Country charts. With this hit song, he now was launched into the world of music video, as Hollywood director Andy Tennant recognized the star's potential in the industry, and directed Rodney's first video.

In October of 2011, Atkins was part of the "Thank You Movement," which was billed as "the world's largest thank you to the military ever." It was announced on The Today Show, with Rodney being the Ambassador. Atkins always makes time for supporting both active duty military personnel and veterans. Thanksgiving 2011 brought Country music to the Macy's Day Parade, when Atkins became part of the lineup. Rodney joked that he was going to have to "wear my deer hunting gear to stay

warm."

Rodney Atkins married Big Machine recording artist Rose Falcon at an intimate beachside ceremony on Captiva Island, Florida on Sunday November 10, 2013. There were twenty guests, including Atkins' son Elijah, who served as his best man. The ceremony was officiated by Charles Hutchins, who is the founder of Holston United Methodist Home for Children, where Atkins spent his infancy before he was adopted.