“Justin Moore: How I Got To Be This Way”
Rising Star’s Story in His Own Words

Network Special Premieres Sunday, Sept. 12th at 9:30 pm ET on GAC

NASHVILLE, TENN. (DRAFT) -- “I’ve decided that everybody wants to know what you sing about, what you write about and what you look like,” says rising country star Justin Moore. “But I think it’s more important that they know you’re at least a halfway decent person before they spend 10 or 12 bucks on an album or 50 or 60 bucks on a concert ticket.”  After watching Justin Moore: How I Got To Be This Way, Sunday, September 12, 9:30 p.m./Eastern on Great American Country (GAC) there will be no doubt that Moore is both an incredibly talented and decent person raised by devoted and loving parents.

In the small town of Poyen, Arkansas (population 272), Moore grew up “hunting, fishing and obsessed with sports” and his first musical memory is that of singing in church.  “I grew up singing solos,” he explains. “Growing up in a town as small as mine, there ain’t a whole lot of people to choose from that can sing on key.”  As he got older, he began playing music regularly yet it wasn’t until his senior year in high school that he gave any serious thought to pursuing music as a career. “I thought, ‘That’s too fun to be a job, you’re supposed to hate your job,’” he says.

His father fully encouraged his only child to pursue a career in music and enthusiastically played his son’s music over his cell phone to anyone who would listen.  Interest grew as more folks in Nashville heard Moore’s music and before long he had a manager.  “I just thought his voice was amazing,” recalls Pete Hartung, Moore’s manager.  “I called up his parents, asked if we could take a drive down to meet him and absolutely liked what we saw.”  A short time later, the singer was signed to The Valory Music Co. - sister label to Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records (the home of Taylor Swift).

Moore’s band is most certainly a band of brothers and for this special, they gathered around a camp fire on his hunting land outside of Nashville. “Even though I’m a solo artist, we are a band.  I hire guys to do a job that I can’t do.”  “I don’t think there’s ever been a time we’ve been on stage and not had the best time of our life,” says keyboard player Kory Caudill of the band’s camaraderie. “It gets better every time.”

In the network special, Moore speaks openly about what has been both the best and worst year of his life.  Along with achieving two consecutive Top 5 singles (including the #1 anthem “Small Town USA”), touring alongside Brad Paisley, and the birth of his first child Ella Kole, Moore also lost two of the dearest people in his life.

In addition to Moore’s candid conversation, fans will be treated to the music video of his newest hit single, “How I Got To Be This Way.”

“I’ve always loved country music because I thought people were writing just about me and it was describing how I was growing up,” Moore says.