Mark Chesnutt & George Jones

Neo-honky tonker Mark Chesnutt parlayed a solid grounding in classic country into chart-topping stardom during the '90s. Born in Beaumont, Texas, in 1963, Chesnutt grew up listening to his father's extensive country record collection (Bob Chesnutt had been a locally popular singer who never hit it big, and thus worked as a used-car salesman). Chesnutt learned both guitar and drums, and made his professional singing debut with his father's band at age 15 on the local club scene. He even dropped out of high school for a time to pursue music, but later reconsidered and got his di...