Ever since Ashley McBryde was born in Saddle, Ark., on July 29, 1983, it seemed like she was destined for more than the small town could offer.
The country talent recorded her first EP of demo tracks in 2006 and worked hard to build a music career in Nashville. Her early hard work paid off more than once, with McBryde earning opening slots for some of country music’s biggest names, including Willie Nelson.
In 2017, McBryde shared her debut single, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega,” a honky-tonk ballad about heartbreak and hard times. The song caught country radio by storm and helped McBryde land a major-label record deal with the Warner Music Nashville family.
Less than a year later, McBryde released her debut studio album, Girl Going Nowhere, which helped catapult the singer to a new level of country stardom. In 2019, she won New Female Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards and New Artist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.
McBryde joined forces with Carly Pearce in 2021 for their massively successful duet “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which earned them trophies for Music Event of the Year at the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards, Musical Event of the Year at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards and Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
From earning her way into country music to commanding the stage at some of the genre’s biggest nights, scroll through the photos below to look at McBryde’s career through the years.