Adopted as a baby, Jeff Bates was raised with eight brothers and sisters in Mississippi by his adoptive parents, Ed and Barbara Bates. A shy boy who was in his own words a geek, he was bullied and quit school at 14 to help his daddy at home. Jeff joined the National Guard when he was 17, and then went to work on an oil rig. After singing on stage at a Mississippi steakhouse, the owner offered him a regular gig. From there, he married and divorced his first wife, working as a carpenter and welder while playing at night. Moving to Little Rock, he formed the band Southern Storm, and married his first manager, a union that didn't last long. From that point on, his life reads like a country song. Moving back to Nashville, he wrote for Warner Chappell Publishing. Jeff got involved in drugs, stealing music equipment to pay for his habit. In March, 2001, he was sent to jail for theft. In jail, Bates turned to God and asked for guidance. He sought forgiveness from his current wife, Connie, and found a way to redeem himself. He continued with his songwriting contract and released his debut single "The Love Song" in 2003 on his Rainbow Man album, which gave him the hit "Long Slow Kisses".

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