in 2008, the zac brown band signed to live nation artists records, in association with brown's own home grown label, after chris fryar became an addition to the band. an alabama native, fryar attended the university of north texas and the mississippi university for women, and made a name for himself in the birmingham music scene. according to fryar, a mutual friend recommended him to brown, who was in need of a new drummer for the band. fryar, who in turn had just finished a stint with a previous band, subsequently auditioned and shortly afterward became the zac brown band's newest member.