And fate stepped in when he met Gary Voorhies, who worked for a music publishing company, at a gym he worked at part-time in Nashville.
Voorhies soon got Currington a publishing deal, and from there, a demo found its way to Universal Music Group Nashville's co-chairman, who signed him to Mercury Records.
Now, only four years after recording his debut, self-titled album, Currington has had four top 10 singles on the country charts, beginning with the powerful "Walk a Little Straighter." Next was the upbeat "I Got a Feelin'" and then the hot duet with Shania Twain, "Party for Two."
His most recent top 10 hit was the romantic ballad "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right," which went all the way to number one, and "Why Why Why" has been climbing the charts since its release at the end of February.
His sophomore CD, Doin' Somethin' Right, features blues-tinged songs, a duet with legendary singer Michael McDonald and crowd-pleasers such as the up-tempo "She Knows What To Do With A Saturday Night" and "Hillbilly."
His burst of popularity has left Currington performing five nights a week in clubs and concert halls. The result has been a deeper, bigger voice and a performer who knows what works well with audiences during his rowdy shows.
"With every song, you've got to picture standing on that stage and singing to that audience," Currington once said. "Of all the songs I sang on the first record, I quickly learned which ones work and which ones don't work for a bar atmosphere or for a huge stadium."
Regardless of the song selection Currington settles on for next weekend's performance, it's guaranteed that his concert will be nothing short of foot-stomping, hand-clapping, cowboy-style fun.***
