Clayton Anderson

It all started with fun-fetti cake and karaoke birthday parties. Every year, Clayton Anderson wanted the same thing and insisted that his little sister do it also.

In college, Clayton decided to learn guitar because he thought it’d impress the ladies. Next thing he knew, he and his friends were playing local parties and bars. After he graduated, he won Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star Competition. It was the boost of confidence he needed to leave his job at a mortgage company and move to Nashville.

Clayton’s first record in 2011, Torn Jeans & Tailgates climbed to #12 on the iTunes Country Chart, situating itself next to household names like Zac Brown, Brad Paisley, and Blake Shelton.

Clayton has been traveling across the country playing backrooms, side stages, and honky tonks from Michigan to Florida, each time gaining a few more fans and a better foothold on areas that aren’t traditional country strongholds. He’s opened for some of country’s biggest stars, the likes of Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Darius Rucker and even Mr. Party himself, Jimmy Buffett.

Even though he now spends most of his time on the road, Clayton makes a point to stay tied to home. He still keeps an Indiana phone number so his grandmother can call him, and he made sure he was home for the birth of his first niece.

Clayton writes and sings what he knows. He grew up in Bedford, a small town in southern Indiana. Clayton spent his summer days on Lake Monroe. He loved the Colts before they were good. Clayton pulls a lot of his musical inspiration from his home state’s pool of legends: John Mellencamp, Michael Jackson, John Hiatt, David Lee Roth, and Axl Rose.

Clayton knows he’s been very blessed. He says his success has been thanks to his supportive family, friends and incredible fans. His journey, like most, has been full of ups and downs, but he plans to always remember those who helped him along the way.

This new album is very personal for Clayton. He wrote or co-wrote almost all the songs on this project. Each track marks a different moment in his journey to “Right Where I Belong.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.