A resident of Nashville since the age of three, Ken Mellons found a Music City contract with Epic in 1994, after several appearances on the Grand Ole Opry spread the word about his talents. Born in Kingsport, TN, on July 10, 1965, Mellons soon moved with his family to Nashville, where he grew up on the standard honky tonk heroes: Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Lefty Frizzell. He played guitar and sang at school talent shows, and moved on to the clubs after high-school graduation. Impressed by one performance, the general manager of the Grand Ole Opry invited Mellons to make a guest appearance. He was invited back several times -- in fact, his Opry residence lasted from 1989 to 1992. While most kids his age were studying in college, Mellons was honing his craft alongside future country stars like Chely Wright and Lonestar's Dean Sams.