Deric J. Ruttan, born January 27, 1972 in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, is a country music singer and songwriter who moved to Nashville in 1994 to pursue his career. His breakthrough came in 1999 when producer Steve Bogard signed him to a songwriting deal, leading to a record contract with Lyric Street Records. Deric released his debut album Deric Ruttan in September 2003, which included the single "When You Come Around". That year, Dierks Bentley's co-written song by Deric, "What Was I Thinkin'" reached Number 1 on the US charts. He won his first Canadian Country Music Award for Songwriter of the Year in September 2007 and again in 2014. Over time, he built a stronger songwriter résumé in modern country, earning a Grammy nomination for Blake Shelton’s "Mine Would Be You" and collaborating with artists such as Jason Aldean and Maddie & Tae.
