Rockie Lynne

American country music vocalist, born in Statesville, NC, got his first guitar at age 12, and soon after he entered high school he was playing in jazz ensembles and various bands. After he graduated, Lynne joined the Army and was stationed at Ft. Bragg as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. When his time in the military was up, he moved to California to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology. Lynne moved to Nashville in the early-1990s, and he earned money backing up various country acts, but what he really wanted to do was perform his own songs. He left Nashville and started touring and selling his own CDs, and eventually ended up settling in Minnesota, where he earned a dedicated local following. When a record company executive saw Rockie performing in a local restaurant and was impressed by his ability to capture the audience, he was eventually signed onto Nashville-based Universal South and released his debut self-titled album in 2006. As a veteran of the United States Army, he is often requested to perform for patriotic and military events and his original songs are regularly licensed for use in conjunction with veteran and patriotic-themed programming. He is also the founder of a national charitable organization founded in Minnesota, Tribute To The Troops, now in its 11th year. The organization has four chapters: Minnesota, Illinois, Oregon, and North Carolina. This 501c3 has raised over $300,000 for a college fund designed to provide tuition for children who have lost a parent in active duty.