Born in Kentucky,
Stacey is the son of a minister who was enlisted in the Navy when he auditioned for Idol, and during that very audition his wife gave birth to their second daughter -- in other words, he seemed to cover all the crucial bases of country music, from love of God and family to love of his country. Produced by
Wayne Kirkpatrick -- a professional songwriter and producer who has helmed albums by
Amy Grant,
Little Big Town,
Wynonna Judd, and
Michael W. Smith --
Phil Stacey wisely opts out of hardcore country in favor of a crossover sound heavily inspired by
Rascal Flatts, whose leader, Gary LeVox, co-wrote the first single here, "If You Didn't Love Me." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine