Country singer Jimmy Wayne scores No. 1 hit

By JOHN GEROME

AP Entertainment Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Jimmy Wayne was down and out a few years ago. His record label had been bought out, and it looked like his shot at being a country star was over.

But Wayne got another chance with The Valory Music Co., and this week he notched his first No. 1 hit with "Do You Believe Me Now," the title track of his sophomore CD. It's his first collection of new material in five years.

"To be able to make a comeback like this ... you can't even imagine it," the 35-year-old singer said Thursday.

Wayne credits the song for much of his recent success.

"The first time I heard it, the melody to me was captivating, almost hypnotic," he said. "Just from listening to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of songs, I knew this one was different from anything else."

Wayne's 2003 debut album on DreamWorks Nashville produced two Top 10 hits in "Stay Gone" and "I Love You This Much."

But the label was acquired by the company now called Universal Music Group. Wayne wasn't happy with Universal and asked to be released from his contract.

It's been a rough ride for the Kings Mountain, N.C., native. He came from a broken home and spent time on the streets and in foster care.

He earned an associate's degree in criminal justice and worked in the North Carolina penal system before moving to Nashville to pursue a music career.

"If someone had told me when I was living on the street that I was going to have a No. 1 song somewhere down the road, I couldn't even have filtered that information, much less believed it," he said.

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On the Net:

www.jimmywayne.com