Combining country with pop and classical, the Texas Tenors have parlayed a spot in the finals of America's Got Talent in 2009 into an enduring career. The trio reached a popular peak in the mid-2010s, when their PBS special You Should Dream won three Rocky Mountain Emmys in 2014, yet they continued to tour and record into the 2020s, maintaining a faithful audience. The group was formed in 2009 by JC Fisher, a classically trained vocalist who also had a background in country and pop music. Fisher received a Master's degree in music from Wichita State University, and worked as an actor and singer before finding a lucrative sideline in performing a one-man show on cruise ships. While at sea, he decided to form a trio that could cross genre boundaries while adding lush orchestral arrangements, and he recruited his friends Marcus Collins and John Hagen to help realize his vision. Collins was gifted in pop music and show tunes, and enjoyed a successful history in musical theater, as well as working regularly as a TV actor. Hagen, meanwhile, was an accomplished classical vocalist who had sung with respected professional opera companies across the United States. As the Texas Tenors, the three devised a show that allowed them to show off their individual talents in various styles, as well as their collective skill. Months after they formed, the group landed a big break when they were invited to compete on the fourth season of television talent show America's Got Talent, where they finished in fourth place. Their appearances on the show boosted their profile considerably, and before the year was out, the Texas Tenors recorded and released their first album, which featured several of the tunes they performed on America's Got Talent along with a variety of popular numbers and operatic arias. In 2011, the self-titled album was remastered and reissued under the title Country Roots: Classical Sound. It didn't take long for the trio to become a potent live draw, touring in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, as well as making regular appearance in Branson, Missouri. In 2013, the group spent plenty of time in the recording studio as well as on-stage; they released two full-length albums, the country-themed You Should Dream and the holiday collection O Night Divine, as well as two patriotic singles, "God Bless the U.S.A." and "The Star-Spangled Banner," and an EP drawn from an appearance on the TV series Larry's Country Diner. You Should Dream was accompanied by a PBS special, which wound up winning three Rocky Mountain Emmys, an offshoot of the traditional National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2015, the Texas Tenors released a single for youngsters, "Ruckus on the Ranch," and two years later, they delivered their fourth studio album, 2017's Rise. Featuring a guest appearance from Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers on the Tenors' version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," Rise was the group's most successful release to date, debuting at number one on the Classical Albums chart and number five on the Country Albums chart. They returned in 2018 with A Collection of Broadway & American Classics. The Texas Tenors appeared on the 2019 series America's Got Talent: The Champions, then released the album Outside the Lines in 2021. Early in the 2020s, the trio became semi-regulars on Larry's Country Diner, accompanying their appearances with a series of digital singles capturing various performances on the program. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi