Bentley's musical style is considered to be more traditional than many of his contemporaries and often contains traditional themes of lost or forbidden love, drinking and cheating. "Lot of leavin' left to do", one of his biggest singles, is also reminiscent of Waylon Jennings' style of Outlaw country with Western Swing influences.

Early life
Dierks Bentley was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Then he moved to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he attended the Lawrenceville School, graduating in 1993.[1]

Personal life
Bentley is married to his childhood sweetheart Cassidy Black. They live in Nashville, TN with their dogs Jake {who has appeared in a few of Dierks' videos} and George. The couple eloped in Mexico.

Music career
Bentley worked at The Nashville Network (TNN, now Spike TV), researching old footage of country performances. In 2003, Capitol Nashville released Bentley's self-titled debut album, which featured his successful first single, "What Was I Thinkin'?," which went to number 1 on the country charts. Some of Dierks Bentley's more recent hits include "Come a Little Closer," "Settle for a Slowdown," "Free & Easy (Down the Road I Go)," and "Every Mile a Memory."

Bentley's musical style is considered to be more traditional than many of his contemporaries and often contains traditional themes of lost or forbidden love, drinking and cheating. "Lot Of Leavin' Left To Do", one of his biggest singles, is also reminiscent of Waylon Jennings' style of Outlaw country with Western Swing influences.

2005 was a big year for Bentley, winning the CMA Horizon Award and being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He now stands as the youngest current Opry member.

He frequently performs with Cross Canadian Ragweed. He has also recorded two songs, "Train Travelin'" and "Good Man Like Me" with the Del McCoury Band.

On June 10, 2006, Bentley filmed his upcoming DVD release Live And Loud at the Fillmore in Denver, Colorado. The DVD -- directed by London-based filmmaker Russell Thomas and also the first-ever of its kind by Bentley -- was released March 20, 2007.

On Oct. 17, 2006, Bentley released the album Long Trip Alone, which had a number 1 hit, "Every Mile a Memory." The 'Long Trip Alone' video clip involved Dierks shaving his well-loved blonde curls.

On Oct. 31, 2005, Bentley had his first sold out show in Eugene, Oregon.

In October 2006, Bentley launched his first headlining tour across the U.S. and became only the third country act ever to be sponsored by Bud Light. The "Locked and Loaded" tour also featured Miranda Lambert and the Randy Rogers Band.

Bentley performed at historic Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on February 10, 2007 as part of the race festivities for the 29th Annual Budweiser Shootout. He performed two songs prior to the race, and held a post-race concert on the famous track just past turn four. Bentley also delivered the famous words, "Gentlemen, start your engines" to kick off the 2007 Bud Shootout.

In June of 2007 he was one of the few country artists to perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. Other country music acts included Charlie Louvin and Ralph Stanley.

In July of 2007, Dierks performed at Country Thunder in Randall, Wisconsin. At this show, he demonstrated his appreciation for his fans by driving around the show grounds, meeting people, signing autographs, and even shotgunning a beer with some fans.

In October of 2007, Bentley performed with many other country artists at the "Big State Festival" at the Texas World Speedway in College Station, TX.

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Will Hoge (born November 14, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter and musician from Nashville, Tennessee. Hoge was involved in a serious scooter accident on August 20, 2008, after leaving a studio session for what would be his album, "The Wreckage". Following numerous surgical procedures (mainly on his shattered femur/leg), Hoge made a full recovery. His album "Number Seven" was released in 2011.

Following an unsuccessful spell in the mid-1990s as part of a band called Spoonful, in 1998 Hoge began touring the American south with guitarist Dan Baird (former of The Georgia Satellites). Hoge independently released his first CD, Live At The Exit/In, a live set recorded at the Nashville club. This drew some attention and that, and constant touring, led to the release Hodge's first studio album, Carousel. A record deal followed in early 2002 and his major label debut, Blackbird On A Lonely Wire, in 2003.

Hoge was involved in a scooter accident on August 20, 2008 after leaving a studio session for what would be his next album, "The Wreckage". Following numerous surgical procedures (mainly on his shattered femur/leg), Hoge made a full recovery.

His album "Number Seven" was released in 2011.

Hoge has made a career of writing and singing powerful songs about life's cruel and dark turns. Not long ago, he fell victim to one such turn. As Hoge rode his scooter home from the studio, he was struck by an oncoming van that had veered into his lane. There were no skid marks. Launched off his bike, Hoge ended up bloodied, broken-boned, temporarily blinded, and near death. "[The accident] was like stopping a record as it spins," says Hoge, who had been halfway through recording material for his new record before getting derailed. "It was like taking the needle and pushing it off the turntable." For ten months, the accident sidelined Hoge. For ten months, it made him do something he hadn't done in 18 years: stop the music. Larger matters dominated his life, like physical recovery and the well-being of his family. "People would say, 'I bet you're ready to get back to playing and writing.' I'm thinking, 'Playing or singing is not the issue right now. I'm ready to get back to walking.'"

His previous album, Draw the Curtains, had been a unanimous high-water mark in his career, a magnificent collection of rock, country, soul, blues, and folk. With a great band, good vibes, and clear skies overhead, Hoge felt like he was building something real as a career artist. Eight months after the incident he re-entered the studio in pursuit of that mission.. "Making The Wreckage opened me up in a different way," says Hoge. "I felt a calmness, a purpose. Right now it feels like I'm getting to the core of what I want to do and why."

The Wreckage listens like a record with a purpose. Having stared down his own mortality, Hoge has now rediscovered the simple joys of making good music. "It's hard to explain, but I felt a certain serenity making this album," he says. "It doesn't come through in the songs, but the process has become easier, and I believe the songs flow with more confidence."

When Hoge's fans hear these songs, they'll feel that resolve too. The Wreckage both curses life's wrong turns and celebrates its triumphs. "I've always tried to make albums that have a good reason for every song, and for the sequence of those songs. On this album you get 40:18 of music, and hopefully you'll want to hear the whole thing start to finish."

The album was crafted with a depth of sound and musicality that breaks new ground for Hoge. Rugged, pulsating rock fuels "Just Like Me." Spirited melody characterizes tunes like "Highway Wings" and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart." The gruff ghosts of the barroom return on Hoge's "Hard to Love," as does the searing country roots rock of "Long Gone." Ballads like "What Could I Do" and "The Wreckage" are rife with the sort of brooding melancholy you'd expect from a guy who has been to the edge and back. "'The Wreckage' is one of the favorite songs I've ever sung," Hoge admits. "I couldn't have sung this physically before the accident, because my voice just wasn't suited to how quiet it is."

"Even If It Breaks Your Heart," his paean to rock and roll as life's true calling, is another tune Hoge admires. "The minute we started recording it, it was one of those songs that drove itself. Everyone in the room understood the sentiment. There was magic in that moment you don't get very often."

Even though half of The Wreckage was written and most of it recorded after the crash, images of the episode are only discreetly woven into the fabric of the album, like streaks of red on a dark surface. That's because Hoge would rather leave those lines, words, and phrases to interpretation.

Released one year almost to the day of his accident, The Wreckage is not, song by song, a celebration of life. The sentiments are too dark, his lyrics too biting, his voice brimming with moodiness. Risen from the ashes of Hoge's own "wreckage," the recording is an incredible achievement, hands-down his best work to date. And that is as good a cause as any for real celebration.

www.willhoge.com

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