Take a Little Ride with Country's Hottest Star (Created April 10, 2013)

"It's your world, and I'm just passing through," Jason Aldean sings on one of the cuts from his fourth studio album, "My Kinda Party." Yet the humble Macon, Georgia native has been on top of the world since that 2010 release. It's sold nearly 3 million copies, spawned five smash hits and earned a Grammy nomination for best country album. In short, it's been a wild ride for a man who has gone from constant rejection to one of the hottest acts in all of music.

Aldean, whose real name is Jason Williams, taught himself how to play guitar. He first performed in a VFW hall at the age of 14, made this way through college towns and had a publishing deal by age 21. But he also had plenty of doors slammed in his face after he moved to Nashville. He was dropped from several labels, had showcases in some of the city's hot spots fail to generate interest, and ultimately gave himself a six-month window to find success or head home to Georgia. Five weeks later he inked a deal with indie label Broken Bow Records. The rest, as they say, is history.

If Aldean's career was smoldering after three albums – "Jason Aldean," "Relentless," and "Wide Open" -- then "My Kinda Party" was the spark that truly ignited his career. It spent 12 weeks atop Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, broke new ground with the monster success of the hip-hop/country hybrid single "Dirt Road Anthem," and launched a tour that topped 800,000 tickets sold.

Aldean's most recent studio album, "Night Train," has only helped to continue the upward trajectory. The first single, "Take a Little Ride," was his highest debut to date, and the second, "The Only Way I Know," featured Luke Bryan and Eric Church. The latest release, "1994," is a tribute to country crooner Joe Diffie.