With his debut single reaching the top 30, Rockie Lynne could be poised to be this year's country music Cinderella story.

Having pursued rock 'n' roll stardom in Los Angeles; paid dues in a country band in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and sought a record deal as part of a Christian rock outfit in Nashville, Lynne has a wealth of experience. It reverberates throughout his self-titled debut album, due May 2 from Universal South.

"This is such an opportunity that I didn't know would happen in my life," says the artist, who signed his record deal at age 40. "I'm so grateful for every single minute."

Lynne has done it the hard way. After trying to break into Christian music with the group Circle of Stone, he left Nashville to write country songs and perform coast to coast.

"I played in coffee shops and bars, anywhere I could," he says. "That's what I did for the next 10 years. I did 342 shows in one year. I promised myself if I was going to give this a shot, I was only going to play my songs, not cover songs."

The North Carolina native attended a concert in Minnesota and saw a void in that market. "I thought, 'There's not a real, authentic country singer in Minnesota,"' Lynne recalls. "There's nobody in Printer's Alley in Nashville saying, 'I'm going to move to Minnesota and make it in country music.' But I wasn't trying to make it in country music. I was trying to make a living."