▁night s ▁sc our ing ▁the ▁city ▁getting ▁ideas ▁and ▁learning ▁from ▁local ▁singer / song writ ers . ▁He ▁got ▁his ▁break ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁when ▁producer ▁Steve ▁Bog ard ▁heard ▁one ▁of ▁Der ic ' s ▁t apes ▁and ▁liked ▁it . ▁Steve ▁signed ▁Der ic ▁to ▁a ▁song writing ▁deal ▁and ▁immediately ▁began ▁recording ▁his ▁first ▁dem os . ▁After ▁Doug ▁Howard ▁at ▁Ly ric ▁Street ▁Records ▁heard ▁his ▁demo ▁and ▁Der ic ▁played ▁five ▁songs ▁live ▁for ▁R andy ▁Good man , ▁Der ic ▁entered ▁a ▁record ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁label . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁released ▁his ▁debut ▁album , ▁Der ic ▁R utt an . ▁ ▁Song writing ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁just ▁as ▁his ▁first ▁single ▁" When ▁You ▁Come ▁Ar ound ," ▁was ▁released , ▁he ▁celebrated ▁his ▁first ▁No .   1 ▁as ▁a ▁song writer ▁when ▁friend ▁and ▁collabor ator ▁D ier ks ▁Bent ley ▁took ▁the ▁R utt an / B ent ley / B rett ▁Be a vers ▁co - write ▁" What ▁Was ▁I ▁Think in '" ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁charts ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁The ▁song ▁helped ▁set ▁Bent ley ▁on ▁the ▁path ▁to ▁country ▁st ard om . ▁( To ▁date , ▁Bent ley ▁has ▁recorded ▁six ▁R utt an ▁co - writ es , ▁including ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁chart - to pper ▁Lot ▁of ▁Le av in ' ▁Left ▁To ▁Do .)