On this day (June 21) in 1991, Timothy Tyler Childers was born in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Coal and country music reigned supreme in the region near the West Virginia border, with artists like Dwight Yoakum, Loretta Lynn, and Chris Stapleton all hailing from nearby. Today, as he celebrates his 35th birthday, Tyler Childers has earned his place among those names.

How Appalachia Made Tyler Childers

He was born with clubfoot, a congenital disorder that caused both of his feet to twist out of shape. It required surgery when Childers was just 18 months old, followed by a second procedure after he turned five.

Once spending an entire year in the wheelchair, the “In Your Love” crooner had to relearn how to walk.

He needed regular checkups at Shriners Children’s hospital in Lexington until he turned 18, and spent much of his recovery time reading.

Much like Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and Tom Waits before him, Childers fell under the spell of writer Jack Kerouac, and those influences are still palpable in his music today.

“Kerouac was my first real permission slip to be a spiritual wanderer and say it’s okay to do that, and that it doesn’t automatically mean you are on your way to the wailing and gnashing of teeth,” he told GQ last year.

Aside from reading, music was another escape. The Americana Music Award winner sang in church on Sundays, learned guitar from his grandfather, and began writing songs at age 13.

Graduating high school in 2009, Childers tried college before dropping out to work odd jobs and fund his music career.

The Winding Path to Stardom

Tyler Childers released his debut album, Bottles and Bibles, in 2011. However, commercial success was still nearly a decade away.

That came with his 2017 album Purgatory, produced by fellow Kentuckian Sturgill Simpson (who also played guitar and sang backing vocals). Purgatory debuted at number 17 on the Billboard country albums chart and earned a Platinum certification—all without the aid of country radio.

[ Tyler Childers Postpones Tour Dates for the Best Reason Possible]

Building off that momentum, Childers released Country Squire two years later, earning a Grammy nomination for the single “All Your’n”. Then came Long Violent History (2020); Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? (2022); Rustin’ in the Rain (2023); and Snipe Hunter (2025).

In 2023, he scored his first top 10 hit with “In Your Love”.

Featured image by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Shelby Bordelon of Iberville Parish was crowned Miss Louisiana 2026 Saturday night in Monroe, earning the title and a $15,000 scholarship. Bordelon, a graduate student at Southeastern Louisiana University, said the role is about more than pageantry, emphasizing the yearlong service mission tied to the crown.

“Part of the mission of this organization is the service behind it,” Bordelon said. “And the service is so important, you are serving your state for a year… having the opportunities to connect with others… to continue making an impact and leaving my mark on others as well.”

Bordelon, who finished first runner-up in last year’s competition, said the moment her name was called as the winner still hasn’t fully sunk in.

“It was every emotion you could think of that was running through my mind at that moment,” she said, adding she focused on preparation and perspective this year. “I really wanted to go into this year with no regrets… just really trusting in that mindset and that plan.”

Bordelon said she hopes to use her platform to raise awareness for her nonprofit, Claire’s Promise, which focuses on combating drunk driving.

You can learn more about the nonprofit here. She will now represent Louisiana at the Miss America Pageant, which begins in late August in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Maryland Department of Transportation reported a crash shortly after 4:10 p.m. June 21 on I-95 north near mile marker 39 in Howard County. Twenty minutes later, the MDOT reported all four northbound lanes were closed while emergency crews were at the scene. A shoulder along northbound I-95 also was shut down.

Vehicles could be seen backed up beyond the MD Route 32 interchange on MDOT traffic cameras. All southbound lanes remained open.