For some artists, Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee can be a blessing, and for others it can be the bearer of bad news. Artists, bands and musicians spend a lot of time pounding the pavement, looking for their big break. Luke Bryan's big break came in 2007 with the release of his album, I'll Stay Me, which was just the beginning of Bryan's sudden success. But some artists aren't as lucky as Bryan. Reckless Kelly's skill and talent, along with their over fifteen years of experience, should make them a direct competitor in the country genre with Bryan, but unfortunately they have not achieved the same type of success that Bryan has found. The 2007 release of Luke Bryan's first album I'll Stay Me was the culmination of several years of work in the music industry. Bryan began his music career in the mid-2000s when he joined a publishing company and began working as a songwriter for artists such as Travis Tritt and Billy Currington. Shortly thereafter, Bryan signed a contract with Capitol Records in Nashville, Tennessee and began writing and producing his first album. Staying true to his songwriting roots, Bryan wrote eleven of the songs on his debut album. I'll Stay Me earned Bryan two top ten hits with the songs "All My Friends Say" and "Country Man," as well as an award from Music Row for breakthrough songwriter. This initial success was just a small drop in the bucket of Bryan's eventual success in the world of country music (GAC). The success of Bryan's first album pushed him, and co-writer and producer Jeff Stevens, to strive for more when they entered the studio. to work on his second album, Doing My Thing. Bryan is quoted as saying, “My first album was a big hit and sold well, but everything on that album is beat… middle of the paper… great American country.” Artists: Luke Bryan: Luke Bryan Bio: Great American Country. GACTv, March 17, 2012. Web, June 24, 2014. “Luke Bryan Biography and Career.” CMT Artists. Country Music Television, n.d. Web. June 25, 2014. Easton, Anthony. "What 'Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)' Did to Country Music." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, July 25, 2012. Web June 2014. Moore, Aaron M. Playing in the Dirt: Stillwater and the Emergence of Red Dirt Diss Music, 2010. Peterson, Richard A. Making Country Music: Manufacturing Authenticity Chicago: U of Chicago , 1997. Print. Shelburne, Craig. “CMT: News: The Wicked and Twisted Humor of Reckless Kelly.” CMT: Country Music Television, February 22, 2005. Web. June 25 2014.