Country newcomer Frank Ray sings Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" like he's living it during this Taste of Country acoustic pop-up video.

The "Country'd Look Good on You" singer recently visited the Taste of Country Nights studio to talk about life before he turned to music full time. He was a police officer, and near the end of this video (scroll down), you'll hear a great story about how those two worlds collided in brilliant fashion at a bar one night. First, listen to him tribute one of his influences, the late Freddy Fender.

Fender, who died in 2006, was a Texas-raised Tejano, country and rock musician with several No. 1 hits in the mid-70s. Ray is from Texas and New Mexico, and he grew up listening to country classics as well as ranchera music. Both men are of Hispanic decent, as you'll hear during the second verse and final chorus of "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Ray's new music is unapologetically contemporary, however.

"Country'd Look Good on You" is a pop-friendly country love song with an irresistible hook. It's the output of a decade-long evolution that mostly took place while Ray was a police officer in Las Cruces, N.M. One night, he saw a fan that he'd just arrested for alcohol-related charges at one of his shows and he prepared his band for a fight. Instead, he received confirmation that music was truly the path for him.

Skip ahead to 3:20 to hear that full story, and then subscribe to Taste of Country's YouTube channel for more great acoustic pop-up videos.

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