Ben Briley
| Ben Briley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Benjamin Briley |
| Born |
March 19, 1989 Gallatin, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Country, southern rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals Guitar |
| Years active | 2014-present |
John Benjamin Briley (Born March 19, 1989, known as Ben Briley) is an American singer from Gallatin, Tennessee, who finished in 11th place on the thirteenth season of American Idol. When he was a child, he led an effort that caused Brothers and Sisters Day to be recognized as an official holiday in the state of Tennessee. This idea inspired Bill Clinton to designate the third week of November as National Family Week, and George W. Bush to designate June 2, 2001 as National Child's Day. During college, he joined a gospel group called "25 Drive", with which he released an album.
Briley was born in Gallatin, Tennessee to John R. Briley and Tribby Graves. Briley has a large extended family - from his grandparents down, he has around one-hundred-and-twenty relatives. Music has been an important aspect of his family for several generations, especially on his mother's side: his great-grandmother, Kitty Cora Cline, was one of the first female members of the Grand Ole Opry; her daughter, Gladys Cline Graves, wrote songs and poetry, but did not pursue a career, as she had eleven children and chose to focus on raising them instead; and from 1975 to 1985, Briley's mother sang and played guitar on a morning T.V. show hosted by Ralph Emery. Several members of Briley's family on his father's side have played guitar, banjo, bass, and fiddle. Briley's father and grandfather, Wesley Briley, were both ministers, and Wesley also owned a farm. Growing up, Briley would often work on the farm with his grandfather, whom he greatly admired. Briley married his wife Courtney (who is a friend and former high school classmate of American Idol season 12 fifth place finalist Janelle Arthur) in June 2013 and was inspired by her to try out for American Idol.
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