Ernie Halter

American singer-songwriter Ernie Halter was born in 1974 in Inglewood, California, to a Cuban mother and Yugoslavian father. Raised in Orange County, he began taking piano lessons at the age of 8 and picked up the guitar during his teenage years. During this time, he started writing his own songs inspired by artists like The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John. In the following years, Ernie Halter kept himself busy by performing at small venues and coffee shops, playing a mix of covers and original material. All the Internet buzz surrounding his independently-released studio debut Lo-Fidelity (2005) helped him land a deal with Nashville-based label Rock Ridge, who released his sophomore effort Congress Hotel in 2007. After moving his base of operations to The Music City, Ernie Halter continued his musical journey with titles like Starting Over (2008) and Franklin & Vermont (2010). The latter included the track "Come Home to Me," which was covered by Justin Bieber in 2011. Over a decade later, a live version of his 2015 track "Daddy's Little Girl" reached Number 79 on the Australian Top 100 after singer Nick Edwards performed it live on the reality competition Britain's Got Talent.