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Chase Rice Gains Momentum With "Ready Set Roll"

Debut Single Rises Into Country Radio's Top 5

Chase Rice rolled into hit-maker status right out of the gate.

His rookie album Ignite the Night took the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country albums chart in its first week, while lead single "Ready Set Roll" earned a gold certification for over 500,000 sales before it even entered country radio's Top 20.

Now "Ready Set Roll" has broken into the Top 5 on Billboard's country airplay chart, and it's steadily climbing on CMT Hot 20 Countdown, too, rising to No. 9 last weekend.

"It's unbelievable," Rice told the show. "I mean, it's crazy just how even the last six months have changed. Even the last month has changed because of 'Ready Set Roll.' It's climbed the music charts, and people are finally paying attention."

What's most astounding about Rice's success is that early on he wasn't even backed by a major label. He built his massive fan base through years of hard-core touring on his own.

"We've been touring like crazy even before (I had a record deal)," he explained. "I had an album independently called Dirt Road Communion, and we were just touring like crazy. We'd go (to a show) and there'd be 40 people, we'd go back and there'd be 80, go back and there'd be 120, go back and there'd be 400. We just kept pounding in these people's heads that we're not going anywhere. We're gonna keep bringing the music, and hopefully you're gonna like it."

Rice is still hitting the road hard, bringing the music to fans across the U.S. He has at least 28 shows scheduled between now and the end of the year alongside acts like Big & Rich, the Swon Brothers and Josh Thompson.

For more, tune in to CMT Hot 20 Countdown Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 18-19) at 11 a.m. ET/PT.

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