The Daily Reflector

The Winterville Watermelon Festival has a reputation for bringing in a big-name county singer each year.

This year's ode to the pink and green melon is no exception; Travis Tritt will take the main stage for the "Concert with the Stars" Saturday night at the A.G. Cox Middle School for the festival finale.

Earlier this week, Tritt released his 15th CD, "The Storm." The new release, Tritt's debut album for Category 5 Records, was co-produced by Tritt and American Idol judge and musician Randy Jackson. The new album's first single, "You Never Take Me Dancing," was released at the beginning of the year. Written by Grammy award-winning songwriter Richard Marx, "You Never Take Me Dancing" was originally released on Marx's 1997 album "Flesh And Bone."

Tritt has been a prominent musician since the early 1990s.

His 1990 debut album, "Country Club," had five singles, including the No. 1 hit, "Help Me Hold On."

Tritt emerged on the country scene when artists like Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Alan Jackson where donning traditional cowboy hats. Tritt, however, was the only one who didn't.

Not wearing a hat wasn't the only thing that set Tritt apart from other artists. He also was the only one to incorporate bluesy, Southern rock into his music. This meant that Nashville — the mecca for country music — was initially reluctant to embrace Tritt's personal style.

The challenge of getting Nashville to accept his music wasn't his only battle. Tritt's early road to stardom was fraught with heartache. By the time he was 22, he was twice divorced.

The Georgia native's love of music began at an early age. He received his first guitar when he was three. In high school, he wrote his first song, "Spend A Little Time," about an ex-girlfriend.

Music became an obsession and Tritt spent hours in his bedroom with a guitar learning how to play every type of music.

But his parents didn't wholly support his career choice. His mother wanted Tritt to pursue a Gospel career while his father didn't believe his son could make any money in music.

Instead of following his dream, Tritt married when he was 18.

Tritt's youthful marriages were an attempt to settle down and be a family man. And during that time, he continued with his music while he worked a number of jobs to support this family.

Working at an air conditioning company changed Tritt's life.

The vice president of the company was a guitarist who had given up a dream of having a musical career. He urged Tritt to follow his passion.

In 1982, Tritt began his pursuit of stardom by recording a demo tape at a private studio owned by Danny Davenport, an executive at Warner Brothers.

Davenport was impressed with Tritt's talent and decided to shepherd the burgeoning star.

Over several years, Tritt and Davenport worked together producing demo tapes while Tritt played the country circuit. During that time, Tritt developed his distinctive sound, drawing from his varied musical background.

In 1989, Warner Brothers' Nashville division signed Tritt and his debut album, "Country Club," was released in the spring of 1990.

Several albums followed in rapid succession.

His second album in 1991, "It's All About To Change," produced three hits, including "Anymore," "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'," and "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)."

"T-r-o-u-b-l-e," Tritt's third album, was released in 1992. Although it didn't match the success of "It's All About to Change," it had the No. 1 single, "Can I Trust You With My Heart."

Tritt bounced back in 1994 with "Ten Feet Tall & Bulletproof," which went platinum and included the No. 1 single, "Foolish Pride," and marked his highest position — No. 20 — on the pop charts.

His 1995 compilation, "Greatest Hits: From the Beginning," went platinum within six months of its November release. "Restless Kind" — released in 1996 — was followed two years later by "No More Looking Over My Shoulder; Down the Road I Go" in the fall of 2000.

In addition to a successful country-music career, Tritt also found love and married in 1997. He's the father of three children. When he's not on the road touring, he's at home in Hiram, Ga., off Travis Tritt Highway.

That's life in the fast lane.