Maren Morris practically grew up as a country music performer. Her parents discovered her talent for singing when Maren was just nine years old. They then began supporting her in every way they could. They bought their daughter a guitar and encouraged her to explore her deep love for country music. After performing at various venues around her home state of Texas, Maren decided to move to Nashville to find a job as a songwriter. After writing songs...

Kacey Musgraves knew she wanted to be a singer-songwriter when she was just a little girl. She penned her first song at the age of nine. After competing in talent shows in East Texas as a teen, she landed a spot on the televised singing competition Nashville Star in 2007. Although she didn't win, she went on to write and perform some of the most popular songs in country music today. She is known for her free spirit and her willingness to sing about...

Charlie Puth did not grow up dreaming of being a pop star. Instead, he wanted to do what he loved most: write music. This young man who learned to play the piano at the age of four, had a clear talent for writing and composing, which led him to study jazz and classical music during his school years. He later earned a degree in music production and engineering. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music, he thought he would make his living helping...

Some people might say that uploading videos of cover songs to social media sites is a waste of time. After all, what are the chances that a person could become famous this way? Just ask Shawn Mendes. After posting his versions of different songs to Vine in 2013, he was discovered. A short time later, the young singer and guitarist signed a record deal with Island Records. He now has two full-length albums under his belt, along with an EP that shot...

Brett Eldredge has been a singer most of his life. As a little boy, he would agree to sing at family parties in exchange for candy bars. But it took him a while longer to realize that he wanted to become a country music artist. A trip to Nashville to see his cousin play a show there opened his eyes to the music career that awaited him in the Tennessee city. Shortly after moving there, Brett began working as a songwriter. Soon he landed the opportunity...

One might say that Todd Gurley is leaps and bounds ahead of most other running backs in the NFL. The time he spent on the track team in high school left him with a unique ability to jump over players trying to tackle him on the football field. This skill, along with his talent for scoring touchdowns, made scouts take notice of him. As a Georgia Bulldog, he continued to make a name for himself. Some even called him the best running back in college...

British superstar Harry Styles rocketed to fame around the world as a member of the pop music group One Direction. The band had formed in 2010 while its members were competing on the televised talent competition The X Factor. After ruling the pop music charts for several years and selling out nearly every concert they played, the group decided to call it quits in 2015. But Harry was far from done with the music business. He wanted to pursue a rock...

Some people might say Jayson Tatum didn't receive the best start in life. Others would say he was born to the best mother possible. Although she discovered she was pregnant with Jayson right out of high school, Brandy Cole was determined to do everything she could to make dreams come true for them both. For her that meant becoming a lawyer. For him it would mean becoming a professional basketball player. With her help-and a lot of hard work on his...

The name Cleopatra instantly brings to mind an image of a beautiful, raven-haired woman- the Queen of the Nile. This most famous ruler of Egypt was actually the sixth ruler with that name. Known in history for her boldness, Cleopatra was just seventeen years old when she took the throne. Her youth did not stop her from becoming one of the most powerful rulers her country had ever seen. Cleopatra joined forces with two of Rome's most powerful leaders,...

Juan Felipe Herrera had an unusual childhood traveling with his migrant parents from one farm to another. They did not speak much English, but they taught him much about the world around him. For this family it was a world that spanned two countries, Mexico and the United States. Young Juan learned early that his life had a lot in common with great literature. He loved stories from the time his mother first told them to him. Read more about Juan Felipe...