Cole Swindell | |
|---|---|
_B_(cropped).jpg) Swindell in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Colden Rainey Swindell[1] (1983-06-30)June 30, 1983 (age 42)[1] Glennville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Origin | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Nashville |
Spouse | |
| Website | coleswindell |
Colden Rainey Swindell (born June 30, 1983) is an Americancountry music singer and songwriter. He has written singles forCraig Campbell,Thomas Rhett,Scotty McCreery, andLuke Bryan, and has released four albums forWarner Bros. Records Nashville. He has released thirteen singles, eight of which have reached number one on theHot Country Songs and/orCountry Airplay charts. Five more singles have reached the Top 10. Swindell is known for hits such as“Chillin’ It,”“You Should Be Here,”“Flatliner,”“Never Say Never,” and“She Had Me At Heads Carolina.”
Swindell was born inGlennville, Georgia on June 30, 1983, to William Keith Swindell and Betty Carol Rainey. He grew up inDawson, Georgia, and has two brothers and a stepbrother.[2]
Swindell attendedTerrell Academy in Dawson.[3] Swindell attendedGeorgia Southern University, where he majored in marketing.[4] He metLuke Bryan, who attended the same university some years earlier and was also a fellowSigma Chi member,[5] at the fraternity house when Bryan came back toStatesboro to do a show. They kept in touch, and after Swindell left college in 2007 and moved to Nashville, he sold merchandise for Bryan for three years, and wrote songs on the road.[6]
In 2010, Swindell signed a publishing deal withSony/ATV Music Publishing.
Swindell wroteCraig Campbell's "Outta My Head",[7]Luke Bryan's "Just a Sip", "Beer in the Headlights", "Roller Coaster", "Out Like That", "I'm Hungover", "In Love with the Girl",Florida Georgia Line’s "This Is How We Roll" with Bryan, who was featured on the song.Chris Young also had a song on hisA.M. album co-written by Swindell, "Nothin' but the Cooler Left"
In 2013, Swindell's independently released debut single "Chillin' It", buoyed by heavy airplay onSiriusXM satellite radio channel "The Highway", became a hit[1] and Swindell signed a record deal withWarner Music Nashville. The demo of "Chillin' It" was sent to radio before it had beenmastered.[8]
Swindell released hisself-titled debut album on February 18, 2014.[9] Luke Bryan's guitarist,Michael Carter, produced the rest of the album. Along withLee Brice, Swindell opened Bryan's 2014That's My Kind of Night Tour.[10] "Chillin' It" became a top-five hit onCountry Airplay and number 1 single onHot Country Songs. The album's second single is "Hope You Get Lonely Tonight", which Swindell and Carter co-wrote with both members ofFlorida Georgia Line,Brian Kelley andTyler Hubbard. The album's third single, "Ain't Worth the Whiskey", was released to country radio on November 3, 2014. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in April 2015. The album's fourth single, "Let Me See Ya Girl", was released to country radio on April 20, 2015. It reached number two on the Country Airplay chart in November 2015.
On November 17, 2014, Swindell released a five-song digital EP,The Down Home Sessions. The release coincided with his headlining tour of the same name.[11]
Swindell won the ACM New Artist of the Year Award in April 2015.[12]
The album's first single, "You Should Be Here" was released to country radio on December 14, 2015. It was written withAshley Gorley. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts in April 2016. The album's second single, "Middle of a Memory" released to country radio on May 2, 2016. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay in November 2016. The album's third single, "Flatliner" (featuringDierks Bentley) released to country radio on January 23, 2017. It reached at number two on the Country Airplay in August 2017. The album's fourth single, "Stay Downtown" released to country radio on September 5, 2017. "You Should Be Here", "Middle of a Memory" and "Flatliner" all hit No.1 onMediabase country radio singles chart.[13]
Swindell also released a music video for the song which featured a video of him telling his father he received a record contract and subsequent montages of Cole and his brothers grieving outside of the family home and at their father's grave. The video also shows images of Swindell's rising popularity while clearly conveying that he wanted to be able to see his father and share this fame experience with him.[14]
Swindell released "Break Up in the End", the lead single from his third album, on February 23, 2018.[15] Swindell's third album,All of It, was released on August 17, 2018.[16] After the album became available for pre-order in July 2018, Swindell released the number-one track "Love You Too Late" as a promotional single.[17] "Love You Too Late" was announced as the album's official second single, being released to radio on November 19, 2018.[18]
The lead single from Swindell's fourth studio album, "Single Saturday Night", was released on May 22, 2020.[19] It was followed by "Never Say Never", a duet withLainey Wilson, on November 19, 2021.[20] Swindell released his fourth albumStereotype on April 8, 2022.[21] Swindell followed the album up with its third single, "She Had Me at Heads Carolina", a remake ofJo Dee Messina's 1996 single "Heads Carolina, Tails California". This single has gone on to become the biggest single of Swindell's career so far, having spent four weeks at number one on theCountry Airplay chart, as well as becoming his first Top 20 single on theBillboard Hot 100 and was certifiedthree-times Platinum byRIAA.
On March 25, 2025, Swindell announced his fifth albumSpanish Moss. It was released on June 27, 2025. The title track was released on March 28, 2025.[22] On September 26, 2025, Swindell released "Make Heaven Crowded", a song inspired by theassassination of Charlie Kirk.[23]
In 2019, Swindell was confirmed to be datingprofessional wrestler and modelBarbie Blank, best known for her time inWWE under thering name "Kelly Kelly". The couple broke up three months after making their first public appearance at that year'sAcademy of Country Music Awards.[24][25]
In 2024, Swindell married Courtney Little, a former member of theCharlotte Honey Bees.[26][27] On March 3, 2025, the couple announced that they are expecting their first child.[28] On August 7, 2025, their daughter was born.[29]
Studio albums
Headlining
Supporting
| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient/Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | CMT Music Awards | Breakthrough Video of the Year | "Chillin’ It" | Nominated | [32] |
| 2015 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Artist of the Year | Cole Swindell | Won | [33] |
| 2015 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best New Artist | Nominated | [34] | |
| 2016 | Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Nominated | [35] | |
| 2017 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Song of the Year | "You Should Be Here" | Nominated | [36] |
| Best Lyrics | Nominated | ||||
| CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Middle of a Memory" | Nominated | [37] | |
| 2019 | CMT Music Awards | Male Video of the Year | "Break Up in the End" | Nominated | [38] |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Song | "Break Up in the End" | Nominated | [39] |
| 2019 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Song of the Year | "Break Up in the End" | Nominated | [40] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
