“Between You & Me,” Roman Alexander is one to watch in country music. 

One of the longest-running independent artists on Spotify’s Hot Country Artist Playlist, Alexander has been drawing buzz from Music City and beyond by putting out chart-topping hits and hitting the road with some of country’s biggest artists. 

Does Sam Hunt or Old Dominion ring a bell?

The Missouri native grew up listening to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley. It was that love, specifically for the King of Rock n’ Roll, that spurred an early start to his musical career.

“My uncle had a country band… so he had me come up and I sang ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ by Johnny Cash,” Roman recalls. 

That moment is forever ingrained in his memory and in a frame on his wall. It shows 7-year-old Roman Alexander on stage holding a two stringed guitar setting the precedent for the rest of his life. 

“That picture is the representation of the day that I knew I wanted to be a country artist,” he told Celeb Secrets Country reporter Blakely McHugh backstage at the 2022 CMA Music Festival in Nashville last month. 

Roman Alexander performs at the Maui Jim Reverb Stage in Bridgestone Arena Plaza on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville. Courtesy of CMA.

There was no question about it. He didn’t want to be a rock singer like his idol, and he didn’t want to be an alternative artist. He was a country singer through and through. 

He took that dream and ran with it, releasing his first single and subsequently his debut EP, Between You & Me, in 2020.

The following year, he struck gold when he brought on Ashley Cooke to be featured on his title track of the EP, “Between You & Me.” That song to this day, is both his and Cooke’s number one most listened to single on Spotify. 

“I feel really fortunate to have her on that song. I think she was able to take it to the next level and give the song another life.”

Alexander previously recorded and released the title track on his own, as the original version on the EP doesn’t feature another artist. 

So when he was looking to add a female voice to the record, it was a no-brainer to go with Cooke who was blowing up on TikTok. It also helped that they were friends already.

“She had been taking off and needed that connection to get into Spotify a little bit… and [I thought] this would be the perfect moment because I have no TikTok audience and she’s getting started, and vice versa.”

Ashley Cooke told Celeb Secrets Country last year that it was “amazing” recording the duet with Alexander. 

“Roman and I had been fans of each other forever and friends but never got to work with each other. So, this was the first time and we just goofed off,” she told CS Country reporter Tiffany Goldstein.  “It was just awesome.”

Roman Alexander and Ashley Cooke performs at the Maui Jim Reverb Stage in Bridgestone Arena Plaza on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville. Courtesy of CMA.

While Alexander has many talents (i.e. incredible vocalist and lyricist, he knows how to work the guitar, and he has a pretty impressive Elvis impression) the most interesting thing about him is how he lives his life – minimally and adventurously. 

“This is so embarrassing,” he says before divulging something he hasn’t shared before. “I have two bowls, two plates, two forks, two cups, two knives and two spoons.”

He calls it “fun.” *insert the confused emoji here 🤔* 

You know what he also considers fun? Trying “the most bizarre foods you can possibly get your hands on.”

The craziest thing he’s ever eaten, and probably a bit controversial, was horse meat in France. He says it’s a delicacy in the country, so naturally he had to try it. 

Now that we know he’s eaten it, we need to know how it tastes. He says “it was a little lean” and it tasted like a “really, really tough steak.” 

So we’ll probably steer clear of that in the future. 

Roman Alexander is currently on the road with Sam Hunt, performing all across the United States. For tickets to one of his shows, click here

Do you like Roman’s music? Let us know by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @CS_Country.

For more CMA Fest coverage, click here.

Author

  • Blakely McHugh

    Blakely McHugh is a news and feature contributor for Celeb Secrets Country. She previously worked in local TV news for four years before making the switch to entertainment. She has an unmatched passion for reality tv, celebrities and pop culture. When she's not reporting on the red carpets and conducting interviews, you can find her singing karaoke or binge watching her favorite reality tv shows.

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