Frankie Ballard

Biography

Frank Robert Ballard IV (born December 16, 1982) is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs charts.

Personal life

Ballard played college baseball at Mott Community College. He then continued to pursue college baseball by playing in the NCAA with Western Michigan University.
On March 12, 2017, Ballard married his girlfriend, Christina Murphy, owner of Old Smokeys Boots, a Nashville-based shoe and accessory store. On November 7, 2019, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Pepper Lynn, was born on February 8, 2020.

Music career

In the summer of 2008 he signed up for Kenny Chesney's Next Big Star competition. After winning the competition for Michigan in 2008, Ballard also opened shows for Chesney at Michigan venues.
He signed to Reprise Records Nashville in 2010 and released his debut single "Tell Me You Get Lonely." It received a four-star review from Kyle Ward of Roughstock, who praised Ballard's voice and called the song "an above average debut effort." The song debuted at Number 59 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending June 12, 2010, and peaked at number 33 in early 2011.
On January 7, 2011, Ballard made his debut appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
He released his second single, "A Buncha Girls", in early 2011. This song also made the top 40. Both of his singles are included on his self-titled debut album, released in May 2011.
Also in 2011, he opened for Lady Antebellum.
In 2013, Ballard moved to Warner Bros. Records and released his third single, "Helluva Life×Helluva Life12 July 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Helluva Life3:52". This is the lead single to his second album, Sunshine & Whiskey×Sunshine & Whiskey11 February 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Young & Crazy3:002Sunshine & Whiskey3:023It Don’t Take Much3:184Helluva Life3:515Drinky Drink2:596Tell Me You Get Lonely3:087Sober Me Up (2013 mix)3:368I’m Thinking Country2:509Tip Jar3:5210Don’t You Wanna Fall3:5311Don’t Tell Mama I Was Drinking4:14. It became his first number 1 single in early 2014. Later in the year, the album's title track went to number 1. "Young & Crazy", the album's third single, also went to number 1.
The first single from Ballard's third album, "It All Started with a Beer×It All Started with a Beer6 November 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1It All Started with a Beer3:57", was released to country radio on November 16, 2015. The album, El Rio×El Rio10 June 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1El Camino3:292Cigarette3:013Wasting Time3:434Little Bit of Both3:505L.A. Woman4:276It All Started With a Beer4:197Sweet Time3:478Good as Gold3:509Southern Side3:1210You'll Accomp'ny Me4:0011You Could've Loved Me5:25, was released on June 10, 2016. The album's second single, "Cigarette", released to country radio on August 8, 2016.
On November 22, 2024, Ballard released the EP Dirty Church Clothes×Dirty Church Clothes22 November 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Dirty Church Clothes3:552Freight Train of Trouble3:083Fenceless Freedom4:04, featuring the single of the same name.

Additional music contributions

Ballard co-wrote "I Came to Git Down" on Big & Rich's 2014 album Gravity.

Singles

A"It All Started with a Beer×It All Started with a Beer6 November 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1It All Started with a Beer3:57" did not enter the Hot 100, but peaked at number 2 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.