Aaron Watson

He quickly became a staple of the state's honky tonk circuit and enjoyed regional success on radio as well.

Having more or less established himself as a purely Texas artist, he shifted slightly toward a more contemporary sound at the start of the next decade.

The results spoke for themselves when he began to find a mainstream audience and chart nationally with releases like 2012's "Good Time" and 2015's breakout "The Underdog," which hit number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

Even more impressive is that he achieved all this without a record label.

Rather than sign on with a major, Aaron continued working independently, issuing albums like 2019's Red Bandana and 2021's American Soul on his Big Label imprint.

Ages 14+