Jon Nite

Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Nite first started songwriting after he saw an ad on TV for a songwriting competition which his friends "dared" him to enter.[3]

“I sent it in. They liked it. All the critiques were relatively encouraging, like maybe you should move to Nashville,” he explained in a 2016 interview with Songwriter Universe. “Some kind songwriter back in the ’90s was listening to my horrible first song and giving me a pep talk. I just got hooked. I started writing as much as possible.”[4]

Following the judges advice, he moved to Nashville from Amarillo when he was 18 years old with his wife and baby, surviving on food stamps and living in a trailer. He explained “I could be poor in Amarillo, Texas or I could be poor in Nashville and at least be close to something that potentially I could have a dream at”. Nite studied at Belmont University's music school from which he eventually graduated.[5]

As Nite began collaborating with different writers, he eventually ran into Sony/ATV songwriter Ross Copperman, and they wrote their first song together, called “Glass”, which was cut by country duo Thompson Square and featured on their 2011 self-titled debut album. It also became Nite's first hit as a songwriter, peaking at No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.

It was alongside Copperman that Jon Nite forged his career and created his next few hits, including co-penning with him (and Tully Kennedy) Dierks Bentley's 2012 top five Country Airplay hit “Tip It On Back”. Nite has since scored a number of other hits writing with Copperman, including Luke Bryan’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay No. 1 “Strip It Down” (also co-written with Bryan), A Thousand Horses’ Country Airplay chart-topper “Smoke” (also co-written with Michael Hobby), Keith Urban's Airplay No. 1 “Break On Me”, Darius Rucker’s Airplay chart-topper “If I Told You (also co-written with Shane McAnally) and Kenny Chesney’s Top 10 hit “Noise” (co-written with McAnally).

Another regular songwriting partner has been Jimmy Robbins and the hits they have written together include Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s “We Were Us” (also co-written with Nicole Clawson) and Jake Owen’s “Beachin’” (co-written with Jaren Johnston), which both reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. His other collaborations with Robbins include David Nail’s Country Airplay chart-topping “Whatever She’s Got” as well as Chase Rice's “Gonna Wanna Tonight” (also written with Shane McAnally) and Michael Ray's “Think A Little Less” (co-written with Thomas Rhett and Barry Dean), which both were No. 2 peaking Country Airplay hits. Alongside Josh Osborne, they further wrote together Tim McGraw's top five Airplay hit “Top Of The World”.[6]

Among the other artists Nite has had songs recorded by are Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, The Three, Brett Eldredge, Love and Theft, Maddie and Tae, Chase Rice, Dallas Smith, Cole Swindell, Leah Turner and Waterloo Revival.

His awards include a CMA Triple Play honor, which he received for writing three No. 1 hits in a calendar year (“Smoke”, “Strip It Down” and “Break On Me”).[7]

Nite additionally earned a 2019 Grammy nomination for Best Country Song following his work on Cole Swindell's chart-topping ballad "Break Up In The End".[8]