STARTING NOW

Everyone has heard the phrase "practice makes perfect" and though it's a mantra more often associated with sports than songwriting, it's just as apropos for that vocation as any other endeavor--just ask singer/songwriter Chuck Wicks.

Though he recently began taking the country format by storm with his hit debut single, "Stealing Cinderella," Wicks spent several years paying his dues by parking cars and writing songs. He developed his craft, apprenticing with some of the top songwriters on Music Row. That hard work pays off on "Starting Now," Wicks' RCA Records debut, which showcases the depth of his artistry as a vocalist and songwriter.

"If it wasn't for the Music Row community and a lot of the songwriters around town, there's no way I would be where I'm at now," says Wicks, who wrote or co-wrote every song on his debut album, except one.

Growing up on his family's farm in Smyrna, Delaware, Wicks immersed himself in a variety of music from traditional country to R&B and cites a diverse array of influences, among them Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers and Brian McKnight. As much as he loved music, he really didn't give much thought to making it a career. Like many young men, sports dominated his world, and he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He moved south to attend Florida Southern College and play baseball, but it was during his senior year that the desire to play music began eclipsing his athletic aspirations.

"My passion for country music just kind of took over and I learned about Nashville," recalls Wicks, who began performing during college. "I decided to take a couple of trips there and figure out how to get into music. I quit college two classes short of graduation and ended up getting a development deal on RCA."

Long on desire and talent, but short on experience, the timing just wasn't right, and that initial development deal didn't lead to an album. As Wicks would learn, it takes so much more than talent to achieve success in the country music arena. If good looks and a great voice were the only ingredients necessary to launch a career, small town America wouldn't be littered with the broken dreams of every aspiring artist who gave up and went home.