Ryan Bingham

As a singer-songwriter in the Americana vein, Ryan Bingham reached critical acclaim with his first two albums, but a contribution to hit film Crazy Heart catapulted him into stardom. Born in 1981, Bingham grew up in West Texas and drew from classic country and roots music when developing his skills. Bingham was on the rodeo circuit as a bullrider starting in his late teens and eventually ended up in Los Angeles as an aspiring musician. He signed with Lost Highway Records and released the albums Mescalito (2007) and Roadhouse Sun (2009). His big shot arrived in 2009, when he collaborated with producer T Bone Burnett on the Crazy Heart soundtrack. He wrote and performed the film’s song “The Weary Kind,” which scored him an Oscar, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy. Bingham and his band The Dead Horses released the album Junky Star, which cracked the Billboard Top 20. Afterward, however, he struck out again on his own for album Tomorrowland.