Mitchell Tenpenn

James Mitchell Tenpenny III, born on August 17, 1989, in Nashville, Tennessee, developed an early interest in songwriting, influenced by his grandmother, music publishing executive Donna Hilley. He attended Lipscomb Academy, playing football, before enrolling at Middle Tennessee State University where he pursued music and graduated with a degree in music business. His musical influences include Vince Gill, John Mayer, and Michael Jackson, contributing to his diverse country, rock, and R&B sound.

Tenpenny released his debut album, “Black Crow,” in 2015. He gained early recognition as a songwriter, co-writing “If the Boot Fits” with Granger Smith, which became a Top 10 hit on Country Airplay. In 2016, he signed with Riser House Records. His 2017 EP, “Linden Ave,” charted at No. 10 on Billboard’s Independent Albums and No. 6 on Heatseekers Albums. A joint venture with Riser House/Columbia Nashville in 2018 led to his self-titled EP and the hit single “Drunk Me,” which reached No. 2 on Country Airplay and achieved 3x Platinum certification by the RIAA. His second album, “Telling All My Secrets,” debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums.

His career continued to grow with multiple chart entries, including “Truth About You” (Platinum-certified by RIAA) and “We Got History” (Platinum-certified by RIAA). Tenpenny has released five extended plays and three studio albums, demonstrating his consistent output and commercial success. He was nominated for Breakthrough Video of the Year at the 2019 CMT Music Awards and New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards in the same year, highlighting his impact within the country music industry.