Back in 2015, country music artist Thomas Rhett was nominated for ‘New Artist of the Year’ for the ACM Awards. To attract votes, Rhett created a throwback video featuring himself and wife Lauren as teens. The message of this clip is simple— stay true to your dreams and don’t give up.
The video opens with the message, “Very often in life, people see the end result. They don’t get to see the hard work that it took to get there…” Then scenes from 2005 when Thomas Rhett and Lauren were “just friends” pop up.
The footage goes from 2005 until they wed in 2012. The adorable montage shows the future couple at high school football games, singing on the couch, and just living life as teenagers. It’s wild to think that these two have known each other almost their whole lives— since they were just little first graders growing up in Valdosta, Georgia.
Watch the touching video below!
Since this video was made, Thomas and Lauren has experienced so many amazing milestones together. While Thomas is is enjoying a booming country music career, the pair have also welcomed two young daughters into their lives. In May, adopted daughter Willa Gray arrived from Uganda and Ada James was born in August— talk about a year filled with blessings!
Enjoy some of the family’s most recent highlights below!
Lauren, Willa, and Ada Supporting Thomas in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day!
The Akins Family enjoying the pumpkin patch!
All dressed up and celebrating Rhett Akins’ wedding!
This couple has built a great life together and that throwback video shows just how far a little hard work and determination will go. Check out Thomas Rhett’s autobiographical track “Sixteen” below!
“Sixteen” Lyrics
Take a left here boy, take it slow
Don’t get distracted by that radio
I just rolled my eyes and I said, Daddy, I know
I’m fifteen, I ain’t green like some ol’ ten year old
What I wouldn’t give to be sixteen, wild and free
Cruisin’ up and down Main in my F-150
Roll the windows down, bass too loud from this burnt CD
I’ll be right where I wanna be when I’m sixteen, sixteen
Sixteen, yeah
Now that I can drive, finally feel alive, but I got this curfew
Sneakin’ in late, smelling like my girlfriend’s perfume
People talk about college and knowledge and that’s alright
But all I’m thinkin’ ’bout is an unsupervised Saturday night
What I wouldn’t give to be eighteen, wild and free
Buzzin’ off a can of the Grizzly Wintergreen
Lookin’ old enough to pull off this fake ID
I’ll be right where I wanna be
When I’m eighteen, eighteen
Eighteen, yeah
I’m old enough to smoke
I’m old enough to vote
But they turn me away when I go to the Cotton Eyed Joe
They say the grass is always greener
And I believe that’s right
But my friends are off to Vegas, they’re leavin’ me behind
What I wouldn’t give to be twenty one, wild and free
Open up a cold one and drink it legally
Chase a bunch of girls, go see the world
Let my wild streak run
I’ll be right where I wanna be
When I’m twenty one, twenty one
Woah, when I’m twenty one
Yeah, when I’m twenty one, it’ll be alright
Yeah, it’ll be alright, when I’m twenty one
Now I’m twenty five and I’m drinking wine with my wife at home
Got a couple of dogs and a couple of songs on the radio
And we sit around and we laugh about how we used to be
When all we cared about was turning sixteen
For more Akins family news, keep up with Country Fancast!
