Country artist Josh Ward was an amateur rodeo rider as a teen, and he played his guitar for fans in the parking lot while waiting to compete. ∙ His first studio EP, 2007’s Hard Whiskey, reflected his love of classic Texas country with old-school heartbreak ballads and danceable honky-tonk. ∙ Three singles from Ward’s debut album, 2012’s Promises, went to No. 1 on the Texas music charts, and two others entered the Top 20. ∙ The Texas-chart-topping “Sent Me You,” written by a musician friend and Iraq War vet, became a concert favorite as Ward’s tribute to the military and first responders. ∙ The 2018 love song “Ain’t It Baby,” his first nationally released single, was streamed more than 300,000 times in its first few weeks online. ∙ Ward’s fourth album, More Than I Deserve, featured his 10th No. 1 single in Texas and debuted at No. 15 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in 2018.