WATERLOO - Jason Aldean was dubbed an overnight success in 2006 when his self-titled debut album went gold in just 12 weeks and earned him the Academy of Country Music's "Top New Male Vocalist" award.

But what many of his fans didn't know was that the country singer had been working toward his dream since age 14 - and didn't have the luxury of traveling a seamless road to success.

After playing countless bars and clubs in the Southwest, the Georgia native signed with Capitol Records in Nashville in 1998. But before he could cut an album, Aldean, who turns 31 next week, was dropped from the label. When his first daughter was born in 2003, he gave himself a self-imposed deadline of six months to make it or break it in the industry. During that time period he joined Broken Bow, an independent record company, and started piecing together hits like "Why," "Hicktown" and "Amarillo Sky."

"Sometimes you have to roll the dice a little bit and take some gambles to get a payoff," said Aldean, who will perform in Waterloo March 1. "I'm out there and I'm making a living at it, which was my goal from the very beginning."

In May, the guitarist released "Relentless." The album grabbed the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country chart. Aldean's latest single, "Johnny Cash," reached No. 6.

Aldean's Cedar Valley stop is part of his first tour as a concert headliner, which started in January. He plans to play roughly 20 cities in the U.S. and Canada by the end of March.

"It's fun, but it's hard, too, as an artist to break in and do your own thing," said Aldean in his lilting southern drawl. "We've been out with Rascal Flatts all last year, so you knew it was going to be packed every night. But so far, people are showing up (for the solo shows). That's a good sign."

On tour Aldean treats his fans to hits from both his records. And the showman's not afraid to mix in a David Allen Coe tune, or even a Guns N' Roses ballad to get the audience going. He describes his sound as "amped-up contemporary country, with southern rock and honky tonk influences, " and says the favorite part of his job is performing in front of a crowd.

"There are lots of parts of the business that you just have to put up with," he said. "But what I love is just going out and doing a show the way I want to do it."

The concert will promote Aldean's sophomore release, which received praise from Billboard Magazine when the record dropped last spring.

"'Relentless' will never be confused with a sparse singer/songwriter album - every cut features full, guitar-driven production," stated a review published in the magazine.

Tickets are still available for the McElroy Auditorium concert, said Jennifer Bloker, special events coordinator at the National Cattle Congress.

"There is always excitement when a country artist comes into town, and (Aldean) is a new and upcoming artist with several hits already," she said. "I think it'll be a good show."

The singer, who will tour with Tim McGraw starting in May, said he is looking forward to meeting his Cedar Valley fans.

"The best part about this has been seeing the support out there," he said. "It's a good feeling to know that people are coming out for us."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.