Some men are just born to be country singers. It has nothing to do with chart positions, signed deals or marketing plans. It has everything to do with a rowdy Friday night crowd singing along to a song you just wrote because they’ve immediately embraced the words. You’ve written about your life and theirs and the connection has nothing to do with music industry politics and everything to do with honest communication and gut reaction. Just ask Rhett Akins. The talented singer/songwriter released a collection of songs, People Like Me, that reflect the life he leads on stage and off as a loving father, avid outdoorsman and a quintessential everyman who has much in common with the audiences he’s been singing to for more than a decade. People love Akins and the honesty and integrity he brings to his music. He appreciates the connection fans have to his music because he’s long dreamed of a life in the spotlight. “All I wanted to do was play football and sing and unfortunately your body wears out before your voice does,” says the Georgia born singer/songwriter. “I played football until I was almost 20 years old, and my whole life was dedicated to that, but also my secret passion was to sing.” Rhett is well known for such hits as “That Ain’t My Truck,” “She Said Yes” and the No. 1 “Don’t Get Me Started.” His boyish good looks, warm evocative voice and energetic stage shows made him a favorite with fans of all ages. People Like Me, encapsulates the things that are most important to him. “My whole life seriously is music, the great outdoors and my kids,” says Akins. When not spending time with his children, touring or hunting, he’s writing songs that have been recorded recently by Brooks & Dunn, Blake Shelton, Chris Cagle, Trent Willmon and many more. He is also working on current projects that include songs about being from the south and hunting. It’s that element of reality coupled with his willingness to be emotionally honest, even vulnerable, that are the hallmarks of the music Rhett Akins is writing today. “These songs right now are about the truest I’ve ever written,” says Akins. “There is no filter in between what I want to say and what goes on paper.”