Country Pop Bites: Rodney Atkins – July 30

Did you know that on this day in Country Music History in 2007 Rodney Atkins received a diploma from Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, 14 years after he stopped taking classes?

It’s true! School officials discovered he'd racked up enough hours of credit to qualify for a newly created degree.

Check out this Rodney Atkins video!

Here are 5 little known truths about Rodney Atkins.

• Rodney Allan Atkins was born on March 28, 1969. He was given up for adoption and was actually returned by several families before Allan and Margaret Atkins adopted him for good. Atkins met his birth mother for the first time in 2008.
• He started performing publicly in high school and starting writing his own songs during his college years.
• He signed with Curb Records in 1996, the same week that LeAnn Rimes did.
• His producer, Ted Hewitt changed Atkins' style from a cowboy appearance and a vocal style similar to Roy Orbison to a more polished appearance.
• He married Tammy Jo McDonald in 1998. The couple has a son named Elijah. He also had two stepdaughters, Lindsey and Morgan, from McDonald's previous marriage.