Granger Smith Biography

Granger Smith is rapidly becoming a household name in the country music scene. If somehow you haven’t heard even one of his nine studio albums, you may have heard of his alter-ego Earl Dibbles Jr. (more on that later).

He has toured the country countless times, playing in notable spots like the White House multiple times.  Granger also toured 9 other countries on 2 other continents, playing for the troops overseas in Iraq and Kuwait. We don’t like to brag, but he’s even performed at the Grizzly Rose several times.

In fact, he’ll be joining us again for a jam-packed country concert on March 15 (tickets here).

If you don’t know Granger’s story, now’s the time to brush up before the show!

Granger Smith’s Musical Career

Granger fell in love with country music at an early age, and even credits a country legend for the decision to teach himself to play guitar at 14. Well, that and teen hormones.

“I thought the guitar would make girls pay attention to me, and the fact that George Strait played one.” – Granger Smith

In fact, Granger is a card-carrying member of the George Strait fan club. In the year that followed his decision to learn guitar he attended as many George Strait concerts as he could and worked feverishly on sharpening his playing skills.

In between playing high school football, hunting and fishing, he also found himself performing weekends on every small town stage in North Texas he could find.

The dream of a music career consumed him, he says.

That dream quickly started becoming a reality his freshman year at Texas A&M. By the age of 19, he’d written enough songs to make an album, and made enough money to record in a studio by pre-selling the album to friends around campus! That early album did so well in fact, it landed him a songwriting deal with EMI Music Publishing out of Nashville.

The next year, he was Tennessee bound.

The Nashville Years

Granger kept himself busy for the next four years in the country music capital.

In between singing and playing steel guitar for other acts, he learned the technical ins and outs of studio recording. He also honed his songwriting skills from the very best Nashville had to offer.

However, Granger’s Texan roots were calling. He decided to move back to Texas, finish his degree and start a band.

Who Is Earl Dibbles Jr.?

Granger credits the creation of his alter ego as one of the major driving forces that changed the trajectory of his music career. After the move back to College Station, he played gigs wherever he could, shot homemade music videos with his brother and sold his album out of the back of his truck, vans and honky-Tonk bars.

It was difficult to find gigs and draw crowds so Granger and his brothers decided to make a different type of video to see if they could get it to go viral.

In 2011, Granger and his brothers shot a video using their country alter-egos, including Earl Dibbles Jr.

“Earl was a voice, I hadn’t used that voice for years…I went to my parents house, went to the closet, found some overalls I wore in high school football, some boots, a trucker cap, we drew some tattoos on me, literally no thought to any of this besides I’ll adlib a day in the life of this country boy,” Granger explained to Country Countdown USA.

The initial video got one million views on YouTube. Earl’s musical debut came next with his music video “The Country Boy Song” which went twice as viral.

That video also put Granger on the map.

Granger Smith’s “Dirt Road Driveway”

On April 16, 2013, Granger woke up to see his new album “Dirt Road Driveway” at #1 in the iTunes Store.

His success only grew with breakneck speed. Sold out shows, new fans and a buzz in the country music scene accelerated his music career until he signed his first record deal in 2015 with Broken Bow Music Group in Nashville.

Within weeks of the deal, his debut single “Backroad Song” was a major hit on country music radio. In fact, it became the most played in America on February 14, 2016 after topping radio charts everywhere.

Granger Smith “When the Good Guys Win”

Granger is now on tour promoting his latest album, “When the Good Guys Win.” After touring with Kane Brown through the early part of 2019, he’s making a stop on his solo tour on March 15 at the Grizzly Rose.

Make sure to grab your tickets here, and get ready to meet Granger Smith (and internet sensation Earl Dibbles Jr., of course)!

FAQ About Granger

• Where is Granger Smith From? Granger Smith is a born and bred Texan.
• How old is Granger Smith? Granger is 39 and was born September 4, 1979 in Dallas, Texas. He’s a Virgo, if you’re into all that.
• Who is Granger Smith Married To? Actress Amber Bartlett. They married on February 11, 2010 after meeting on the set of one of his music videos. Together they have three children – London, Lincoln and River.
• Where Does Granger Smith Live? Granger resides in Texas with his wife and children.