Viral fame unexpectedly put Taylor Ray Holbrook on the map, but the Virginia lumberjack has proven to be one of country music’s promising independent talents. ∙ While on medical leave from his a day job as a lumberjack, Holbrook (who was also an aspiring musician) began uploading solo performance videos and quickly amassed a large online following. ∙ After seeing his videos, American Idol recruited him to audition in 2015, and he received one of the show’s golden tickets to Hollywood. ∙ In 2015, he independently released his debut single, “Steal My Kiss,” which landed him on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart. ∙ “Southern Land,” a 2016 collaboration with country rapper Ryan Upchurch, hit No. 26 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.