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Everyone has heard the phrase “practice makes perfect” and though it’s a mantra more often associated with sports than songwriting, it’s just as apropos for that vocation as any other endeavor--just ask singer/songwriter Chuck Wicks.

Though he recently began taking the country format by storm with his hit debut single, “Stealing Cinderella,” Wicks spent several years paying his dues by parking cars and writing songs. He developed his craft, apprenticing with some of the top songwriters on Music Row. That hard work pays off on “Starting Now,” Wicks’ RCA Records debut, which showcases the depth of his artistry as a vocalist and songwriter.

“If it wasn’t for the Music Row community and a lot of the songwriters around town, there’s no way I would be where I’m at now,” says Wicks, who wrote or co-wrote every song on his debut album, except one.

Growing up on his family’s farm in Smyrna, Delaware, Wicks immersed himself in a variety of music from traditional country to R&B and cites a diverse array of influences, among them Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers and Brian McKnight. As much as he loved music, he really didn’t give much thought to making it a career. Like many young men, sports dominated his world, and he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He moved south to attend Florida Southern College and play baseball, but it was during his senior year that the desire to play music began eclipsing his athletic aspirations.

“My passion for country music just kind of took over and I learned about Nashville,” recalls Wicks, who began performing during college. “I decided to take a couple of trips there and figure out how to get into music. I quit college two classes short of graduation and ended up getting a development deal on RCA.”

The first single, “Stealing Cinderella,” is about a guy asking his girlfriend’s dad for her hand in marriage and seeing all the photos of her growing up. It’s obvious she’s the apple of her dad’s eye but to him, the young man is “just some fella, riding in and stealing Cinderella.” “There are a lot of great songs that I can’t wait to get to, but as far as coming out of the box as a new artist, we wanted something that would stand out,” says Wicks of the song, which was inspired by a girlfriend whose job was playing Cinderella at Disney World. “Just the title alone, ‘Stealing Cinderella,’ makes you want to listen to it and when you listen to it, it’s such a great story. We knew it was the right choice.”

It’s just latest in a long line of right choices for Chuck Wicks. He’s a talented young artist, unafraid of hard work, and with a strong sense of his own musical identity. “This record reflects who I am as a person. I hope people will hear that and want to be a part of what I sing and write about,” says Wicks, who will take these songs on the road in 2008, opening for Brad Paisley. “I don’t think I’m like anybody else, and it translates through my music and the album that I made.”

It may have taken a few years to get to this point, but Wicks wouldn’t change a thing. “I’m a much better artist now,” he says. “I wasn’t ready before and now I am. I’m glad I parked cars for five years. It makes me appreciate everything that I’ve had to work for to get to this point.”