Dierks Bentley is a renowned American singer and songwriter in the country music genre. His studio albums have produced 27 singles that have charted on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay lists, with 18 of those achieving the No. 1 position, including his debut single, ‘What Was I Thinkin”, ‘Come a Little Closer’, ‘Settle for a Slowdown’, ‘Every Mile a Memory’, ‘Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)’, ‘Feel That Fire’, and ‘Sideways.’
Early Life & Education
Frederick Dierks Bentley was born on November 20, 1975, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Leon Fife Bentley (August 16, 1923 – June 1, 2012), a vice president at a bank, and Catherine Childs.
His father, a first lieutenant during World War II, hailed from Glasgow, Missouri, where he was born to Richard Thomas Bentley Jr. and Mary Cecile (née Fife) Bentley.
He attended Culver Summer Schools and Camps in Indiana and graduated from The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in 1993.
After that, he spent a year at the University of Vermont (UVM) before transferring to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he completed his degree in 1997.
Dierks Bentley’s Career
Dierks Bentley secured a position at The Nashville Network, which subsequently transformed into the Paramount Network, where he conducted research on archival footage of classic country performances.
This resulted in Dierks receiving a ban from the Grand Ole Opry, although the prohibition was rescinded in 2003 following the launch of his debut album.
The Platinum album featured the single ‘What Was I Thinkin’,’ which achieved 2× Platinum status, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Dierks Bentley’s second album, ‘Modern Day Drifter,’ released in 2005, reached #1 on the Top Country Albums chart and #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, and it was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in Canada. T
His singles ‘Come a Little Closer’ and ‘Settle for a Slowdown’ both reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and #3 on the Canada Country chart, while ‘Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do’ reached #1 on the Canada Country chart and #3 on the Hot Country Songs chart. All three singles received Gold certification in the U.S.
Dierks Bentley’s 2010 album “Up on the Ridge” achieved the top position on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart, secured the second spot on the Top Country Albums chart, and reached ninth place on the Billboard 200 chart.
Following this, Bentley released four subsequent albums that also attained the number one position on the Top Country Albums chart: “Home” in 2012, “Riser” in 2014, “Black” in 2016, and “The Mountain” in 2018.
Four of his albums included 11 singles that received Platinum certification or higher in the United States, with three achieving Platinum status in Canada.
In 2023, Dierks Bentley launched his tenth studio album, “Gravel & Gold,” which attained the #14 position on the Top Country Albums chart and #73 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Personal Life
On December 17, 2005, Dierks Bentley married Cassidy Black in Mexico. They initially crossed paths in the eighth grade and have three children together: daughters Evalyn (born October 4, 2008) and Jordan (born December 25, 2010), and a son named Knox (born October 9, 2013).
Knox featured in Bentley’s 2019 music video ‘Living,’ and Evalyn provided vocals for his 2012 song ‘Thinking of You.’
Net Worth
Dierks Bentley is a renowned American country music artist and songwriter whose net worth is estimated at $30 million.
He has received over a dozen Grammy nominations and has released several studio albums, including ‘Dierks Bentley’ (2003), ‘Modern Day Drifter’ (2005), ‘Long Trip Alone’ (2006), ‘Feel That Fire’ (2009), ‘Up on the Ridge’ (2010), ‘Home’ (2012), ‘Riser’ (2014), ‘Black’ (2016), ‘The Mountain’ (2018), and ‘Gravel & Gold’ (2023).
