Florida Georgia Line Biography

The country duo's meteoric rise to the top

Florida Georgia Line Performs At Honda Center

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Country duo Florida Georgia Line seemingly came out of nowhere when they burst onto the scene in 2012 with "Cruise." It was an ode to the road that became a monstrous crossover hit and went on to become the biggest digital country single of all time. The song enjoyed another surge of success when rap superstar Nelly remixed the single and it hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

But Florida George Line members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley aren't your typical "bro country" stars, although they're often ranked beside them. These two contemporary artists do their own thing and it really works.

Beginnings 

Tyler Hubbard, originally from Monroe, Georgia, and Brian Kelley, from Ormond Beach, Florida, met as students at Belmont University in Nashville in 2008. Kelley had a writing class with one of Hubbard's roommates and their mutual contact introduced them. The two became fast friends and started writing songs together. Soon they were playing clubs in and around Nashville. They moved in together after they graduated, taking odd jobs to pay the bills while they continued to perform on weekends.

They self-released the Anything Like Me EP in December 2010, and shortly thereafter they signed a publishing and management deal with Big Loud Mountain. They started working on their second EP, It'z Just What We Do.

The EP's first single, "Cruise," debuted at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in August 2012. It had reached No. 1 by December and it stayed there for a record-breaking 24 weeks. The remix featuring rapper Nelly turned the song into a pop hit while it was still reigning over the country charts, and it reached No. 4 on the Hot 100. "Cruise" became the best-selling digital country single of all time that year, with more than 8 million copies sold.

Here's to the Good Times

All five songs from the It'z Just What We Do EP appear on Florida Georgia Line's first proper studio album, Here's to the Good Times. It beat out Drake and Katy Perry to become to sixth best-selling album of 2013. The singles "Get Your Shine On" and "Round Here" were No. 1 hits on the Country Airplay chart, and "Stay" was No. 1 on the Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts.

The album was so successful that is was reissued as Here's to the Good Times ... This Is How We Roll in 2013. This time it included the "This Is How We Roll" duet with Luke Bryan, which also reached No. 1. The album held down the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for 10 weeks.

Today

Florida Georgia Line spent 2013 and 2014 on the Here's to the Good Times Tour. They announced their second studio album, Anything Goes, in 2014. The first single, "Dirt," was released in July and it became another chart-topper. Anything Goes debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The duo embarked on the Anything Goes Tour in early 2015 and released Dig Your Roots in 2016. 

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