Alt-Country = Critical Praise for Bryan Adams (Updated November 5, 2012)

For an artist who cites George Jones, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash among his influences, Ryan Adams didn't exactly embrace the sounds of country music when he set out to launch his career. Instead, Adams turned to punk rock and electric guitars in his teens, and has thrived as an alt-country singer/songwriter who has won legions of fans and endless critical praise.

Taking anything but a traditional path, Adams spent ample time in his early career fronting bands like The Patty Duke Syndrome and Whiskeytown. The former was strictly a punk band, while the latter had a country-pop sound and held a name that was regional slang for 'getting drunk.' The band had three albums, the last of which was recorded in 1999.It was at that point the project was shelved and Whiskeytown broke up, leaving Adams the opportunity to pursue a solo career.

Adams rolled out his first album, "Heartbreaker," in 2000. He landed country legend Emmylou Harris to add background vocals on "Oh My Sweet Carolina," but even with big-name talent involved, sales were low. Instead, Adams became part of pop culture lore when in 2001 he recorded the single "New York, New York" in front of the city's skyline just four days before the September 11th attacks. The video became Adam's breakthrough, as it was heavily rotated on MTV, VH1 and in the mainstream media.

Label disputes put the brakes on Adams' success through 2004, and the following year he joined with backing band The Cardinals. The group produced two albums, though Adams continued to record independently. He also produced Willie Nelson's album "Songbird," returned to hard rock under the moniker Sleazy Handshake, and most recently completed a European tour. On June 18, 2012, Adams also released a live box set chronicling his return to live performances, entitled "Life After Deaf."