Collin Raye

Collin Raye is the thinking man's new country star. Where many of his contemporaries are content to sing lyrical cliches, Raye isn't afraid to pen socially aware lyrics. Many of his songs lean toward rock and come saturated in the tube-burning tones of vintage guitar amps. He's also a fine balladeer who knows how to write a heartbreaker. Signed in 1990, Raye struck it big right out of the gate, as his All I Can Be debut went platinum. The singer's string of hits -- four platinum-selling albums and a number of chart-topping singles -- continued throughout the 1990s. In 2000, the newly divorced Raye put out an album of lullabies for children, which was quickly followed by a proper album, Tracks. Tracks produced one Top 5 hit before hitting a sales bump. The decline of sales continued with his next release, and Raye and his label parted ways. Live at Billy Bob's was released in 2004, followed by Twenty Years and Change in 2005. Raye continues to record on a variety of independent labels but has yet to regain the hold on the charts he once enjoyed.