After six years of perfecting his story songs about the downtrodden of small-town America, Knight came to Nashville and won a coveted spot on a songwriters' night at the Bluebird Cafe. Performing songs like "Framed," which would eventually wind up on his debut album, he caught the ear of Frank Liddell, who signed him to a publishing deal with Bluewater Music. Knight went back home and kept writing, and when Decca Records hired Liddell for an A&R position, Knight got a record deal. When Decca released his self-titled debut in 1997, Knight still lived in a house trailer on 90 acres in Slaughters. He has since become a popular name in Americana music, releasing four more albums: his 1998 self-titled sophomore effort, 2001's Pretty Good Guy, 2003's Jealous Kind, and 2006's Enough Rope.

More on Chris

Mark Germino

Mark Germino is an American folk rock and country singer-songwriter. Born in North Carolina, he initially worked as a poet before moving into folk rock songwriting; by 1974, he had moved to Nashville. Initially, he did not plan to become a singer, although he eventually bought a guitar and took up singing as well, as he decided that singing was easier than reciting poetry.^[1]

Germino moved on to performing in Nashville clubs at night, while working by day as a truck driver. By 1981, he was signed to a songwriting contract; five years later, RCA Records signed him as a recording artist. Between 1986 and 1991, he recorded two solo albums for the label (1986's London Moon and Barnyard Remedies and 1987's Caught in the Act of Being Ourselves); a third album for the label, 1991's Radartown, featured a backing band called The Sluggers.^[1] His third solo album, 1995's Rank and File, was issued independently.