Tracy Lawrence was born on January 27, 1968 in Atlanta, Texas, and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. He began performing publicly in his teens, and after several years of honing his craft in local honky-tonks, he packed up his 1980 Toyota Corolla and moved to Nashville in 1990.

Lawrence worked various jobs, and entered and won several talent contests in the Music City, oftentimes over other country up-and-comers. After appearing on a live Kentucky radio station broadcast in 1991, the young performer won a slot for a showcase performance at Nashville's renowned Bluebird Cafe, which helped secure him a contract with Atlantic Records.

Just as Lawrence's debut album was set for release in the spring of 1991, he and a girlfriend were mugged at gunpoint, and Lawrence was fired upon after attempting to fight back so that his girlfriend could escape. The singer was shot four times; two bullets grazed him, one was removed from his knee, while another was stuck deep inside his pelvic area.

After a short recovery period, Lawrence hit the road with his backup band to promote the album Sticks and Stones, released later in '91.

The album's popularity exceeded all expectations as its first single, "Sticks and Stones," hit No. 1 on the national country chart. Lawrence followed this up with three additional Top Ten country singles.

His second album, 1993's Alibis, established him as a true star and not just a honky-tonk flash in the pan. It went platinum and produced four chart toppers, including "Can't Break It to My Heart" and "If The Good Die Young."

In 1994, Lawrence's "Renegades, Rebels and Rogues" was featured on the soundtrack of Maverick starring Mel Gibson. The tune became another Top Ten hit on Billboard's country charts, and the singer released album No. 3, the million seller I See It Now, later that year. The title track became one of three No. 2 smashes, while "Texas Tornado" gave him his sixth No. 1.

Live and Unplugged, made up of concert recordings and all-acoustic tracks, was released in 1995. Time Marches On returned him to the top of the country charts in 1996, with the album's title track, and spawned three more Top Five hits. Lawrence reached his peak with this recording, as sales hit double platinum and earned multiple nominations at all the major music awards shows.

1997's The Coast Is Clear was a favorite of many country music reviewers, but was somewhat less commercially successful than previous releases, producing only two Top Five singles, including "Better Man, Better Off."