How does an adoptee who grew up with an outrageous passion for rock-n-roll end up writing giant country hits? How does a guy who had no music-business connections whatsoever find his way to his dream of being on hit radio? Your attitude about your circumstances helps a whole lot. According to Harding, “Being adopted has given me an incredibly optimistic view of life. Whenever life throws me a curveball, a disappointment, or a roadblock, I remind myself that I was adopted by the Hardings (the greatest parents ever), and that the universe has had my back since day one.” J.T. HARDING was born and raised in South Detroit. While other kids were on the baseball field, J.T. was in his basement, jumping around to MTV videos and trying to write his own songs. He put together several bands in high school and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. J.T. made his first demo tape with prize money he earned by winning the VH1 game show Rock & Roll Jeopardy! He has since written several chart-topping hits, including “Smile” with Uncle Kracker, “Somewhere in My Car” with Keith Urban, “Somewhere with You” and “Bar at the End of the World” for Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls,” Jake Owen’s “Alone with You,” and Blake Shelton’s number-one song “Sangria.” J.T.'s new book, Party Like a Rockstar: The Crazy, Coincidental, Hard-Luck, and Harmonious Life of a Songwriter is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more at www.twelvebooks.com. Follow J.T. on social media @jtxrockstar on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and @jtxmusic on Facebook. To learn more and the “Write Like a Rockstar” contest, visit www.writelikearockstar.com.