In Conversation With Dierks Bentley

Every episode features successful artists and industry experts sharing compelling stories and valuable knowledge about the music industry hosted by CMA, ACM & CCMA Award Winning Broadcaster Cliff Dumas.

Dierks Bentley released his self-titled debut album in 2003, and the album's single, "What Was I Thinkin'?" topped the country charts. His 2005 effort, Modern Day Drifter, also went platinum. Bentley became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry when he was inducted on October 1, 2005m and that year, he won the CMA Horizon Award. His first DVD, The Dierks Bentley Experience, was filmed in 2006. Inheriting a love of music from his father, Bentley picked up his first instrument, an electric guitar, at age 13. After graduating from a prestigious East Coast prep school and attending Vanderbilt University, Bentley dropped out of college to pursue a career in music. Discouraged by the Nashville music scene, Bentley turned to bluegrass to help define his own sound. He worked for a time at The Nashville Network and played at local parties and bars before releasing his self-titled debut album for Capitol Nashville in 2003. The album's single, "What Was I Thinkin'?" topped the country charts. His 2005 effort, Modern Day Drifter, was also certified platinum. Bentley became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry when he was inducted on October 1, 2005. That year, he won the CMA Horizon Award. His first DVD, The Dierks Bentley Experience, was filmed in 2006 in Denver, Colorado. In 2009, Bentley released another hit album, Feel That Fire. He had two number one hits from the recording: the title track and "Sideways." His musical style has been compared to such country legends as Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. Bentley's career continued to thrive with 2010's Up on the Ridge, his bluegrass-influenced album. With 2012's Home, he returned to a more contemporary country sound. Bentley played with Florida Georgia Line and Mike Eli as the Cadillac Three for the 2013 single "The South." In 2014, Bentley released Riser, which has garnered a lot of critical attention as well as several award nominations. The album is perhaps his most melancholy and contemplative work to date. For the song "Here on Earth," Bentley drew from his recent loss of his father as well as the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy. Bentley’s current album is Black. Discover more at Dierks.com. [jwplayer XxD0Snzn-l7EWbzYK]