Contemporary country star Doug Stone made his name as a lonesome baritone balladeer, though he's also adept at hard uptempo country. Stone was born and raised in Newnan, GA, and learned guitar from his mother -- also a country singer -- starting at age five. As a teenager, he performed in skating rinks in his hometown and later moved on to playing area bars while working long hours as a mechanic during the day. Stone was already several years past 30 when a Nashville-based manager saw his act and helped him finally land a record deal with Epic.