Some of country music's biggest stars seem embedded within the genre. But perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't their first choice of music. We picked four of our favorite country stars who almost found success in another genre first.
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1. Vince Gill
Vince Gill is one of the biggest success stories of all time in country music. But in actuality, country music wasn't his first, or even second choice. Gill grew up singing in bluegrass bands in Oklahoma. But when he first tried to make a career out of music, he became part of Pure Prairie League, a rock band. Gill didn't become part of country music until he became a member of the Cherry Bombs, which was Rodney Crowell's band. That decision led Gill to Nashville, which is what led to his solo career in country music.
Ironically, the Grand Ole Opry member is now back in rock music, as part of the Eagles.
2. The Oak Ridge Boys
The current lineup of The Oak Ridge Boys boasts three members who are in their 80s. But the earliest version of The Oak Ridge Boys began as The Oak Ridge Quartet in 1943, a gospel group. When the group became The Oak Ridge Boys, they were still doing gospel music when former member Smitty Gatlin changed the group's name to The Oak Ridge Boys in 1961.
It wasn't until 1977, when current members William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban and Duane Allen, were all part of The Oak Ridge Boys that they made the switch, with their Y'all Come Back Saloon album. But they haven't strayed too far from their roots. The Oak Ridge Boys still record and perform faith-based songs from time to time.
3. Shania Twain
Shania Twain not only got her start by singing in a rock band, but she brought some of those influences over into country music as well. After singing cover songs in bars as a child in Canada, to help support her family, Twain joined a local band called Longshot, which performed rock music. She then joined another rock band called Flirt in Ontario.
But when Twain started pursuing a solo, she signed with Mercury Nashville, a country label. Still, Twain didn't fully abandon her roots, and still advocates for the inclusion of all kinds of sounds within the genre
4. Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker actually did have an entirely different career, before switching to country music. Rucker first fronted the rock band, Hootie & the Blowfish, before releasing his solo debut country album, Back to Then, in 2008.
But even then, Rucker was being drawn to his favorite style of music.
"I'd say that to the guys [in Hootie]. Like, 'Let's try to play some country,'" Rucker recalls on Circle Country. "And they didn't want to. We put a couple of songs on the record, but nobody wanted to really [sing country music]. "So, we went and did the rock and roll thing. But I always said I was going to do a country record if I ever got a chance. And one day, I got a chance."
