He was encouraged to pursue music by his mother, who was a country singer. His first taste of success came in 1995, when he won the Nornet Radio Search for the Stars talent competition. A debut single soon followed, and was enough of a radio presence to warrant the production of Bamford's debut album, God's Green Earth, which was released in 2000. The self-released collection was well received, and a number of singles were released from its track listing. The pull of Nashville tugged at Bamford, and in 2003 he began to work with some of the city's top producers and songwriters, resulting in album number two, Life Is Good. The album, released in 2004, was filled with hit Canadian singles, including a Top Ten placement for "All About Her." The next three years were spent performing with some of the industry's giants (Tim McGraw, Terri Clark, and Kenny Rogers, to name a few) as well as earning nominations at the Canadian Country Music Awards. His third album, the Byron Hill-produced Honkytonks and Heartaches, was released in September of 2007. The album (and its debut single, "Blame It on That Red Dress") was a hit, earning Bamford a nomination in 2008's Juno Awards show. ~ Chris True