Thomas Rhett Akins, Sr. was born October 13, 1969 in Valdosta, Georgia. He married Paige Braswell in 1989 and the couple had two children before divorcing. Those two children are country music recording artist Thomas Rhett and daughter Kasey Akins.

Akins' debut album, A Thousand Memories, was released in 1994. “That Ain’t My Truck” became his breakthrough hit, soaring to #3 in the summer of ‘95.