Matt King is an American country singer-songwriter. King was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. His mother, a real estate agent, played piano, and his father, who held jobs as an auctioneer, mason, and barber, played bluegrass guitar. Early in his career he was offered a position at Opryland USA after an audition. However, he was deep in debt at the time and had to turn down the offer because he could not afford to move. Some time later, in 1994, he relocated to Nashville, where he recorded demos and played locally. Producer Gary Morris heard him perform and got him an audition with Atlantic Records, who signed him and released his debut in 1997. Soon after he performed at the Grand Ole Opry in a Johnny Russell tribute, with Earl Scruggs, Roy Clark, Ricky Skaggs, and Vince Gill.