SOME VOICES ARRIVE QUIETLY — AND THEN THEY NEVER LEAVE. In 1986, Ricky Van Shelton went from an unknown club singer to stepping onto the Nashville stage with his debut album Wild-Eyed Dream. No one could have predicted that just a short while later, his warm, sincere voice would turn him into country music’s newest rising star. His breakthrough came with “Somebody Lied,” which soared straight to number one and marked the beginning of a golden era that would last for years. Ricky didn’t just bring powerful vocals — he reignited the spirit of tradition at a time when country music was pulling in many different directions. Listening back to those ballads, it’s easy to see why Ricky Van Shelton won over so many hearts. He never tried to dazzle with flash. He simply let his voice tell stories so honest, so real, that people saw their own lives reflected in every lyric. And sometimes, it’s the quietest voices that echo the longest.
Ricky Van Shelton’s “Somebody Lied”: A Quiet Confession in Song Introduction There’s a certain ache in Ricky Van Shelton’s voice…