Russell Dickerson's Wife, Kailey, Inspires Most of His Music

Russell Dickerson earned his first No. 1 hit with "Yours," the debut single and title track of his freshman album. The song, which helped Dickerson earn his first-ever ACM Awards nomination, for New Male Vocalist of the Year, was, like most of his songs, inspired by his wife, Kailey.

"'Yours' was about her and at that point in life we're only married five years, and so that's the phase of life we're in," Dickerson tells PopCulture.com. "When I wrote 'Yours,' we were married a year, maybe. Not even a year. That's kind of where this record came from, the album, Yours, came from."

Dickerson's wife's influence can also be heard in his current single, "Blue Tacoma," which is quickly climbing the charts as well.

"It is about a road trip my wife and I got to take up and down the Pacific Coast Highway," Dickerson reveals. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So, I had to write about that and my beautiful wife, and taking a little road trip in a blue Tacoma."

Kailey shot Dickerson's "Yours" video (in an hour and a half and for about six dollars), and also shot the video for "Blue Tacoma."

"he shot it with her brother out in L.A." says Dickerson. "He's a director, done stuff for Kanye [West] and Will.i.Am., and all those big dogs out there. So, we got some magic."

Although Kailey and Dickerson seem to have the kind of relationship dreams are made of, the 30-year-old says it actually wasn't love at first sight for the happy couple.

"We actually don't remember meeting," Dickerson says. "We were more in the same friend group, and then she was dating somebody, I was dating somebody, and that kind of ended. We just slowly become friends and then ended up having a cute little first kiss. And then the rest is history. Married five years."

Dickerson went to school with both Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line, and has also been friends with Thomas Rhett for several years, and has toured and written with both of them. But with all of their careers now soaring, the singer-songwriter says their friendship will always come first.

"They're just my boys and we're great friends first," says Dickerson. "I would rather hang out and never write another song with them again. You know what I mean? That's my first priority, is our friendship. The fact that they have invested some of them – Thomas Rhett brought me on tour last year, Florida Georgia Line brought me on tour last year. We write songs all the time together."

Dickerson will make new road friends this summer, when he serves as the opening act for the co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour with Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum. Dates are available on his website. Download "Blue Tacoma" on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Instagram/russelled