Ryan Weaver
Opener
On December 17, 2013, Ryan’s brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was killed in action in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device. This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music.
In late 2016, Ryan released the music video for his single “Burn,” featuring Kris “Tanto” Paranto and John “Tig” Tiegen from the movie 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. “Burn” aired nationwide on The Country Network and Heartland, and internationally at over 5,000 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Ryan’s first music video “Crank It” played nationally on ZUUS Country TV and TNN/Heartland Network and spent 8 weeks on their Top 10 Video Countdown – a network record.
In 2017, Ryan was named the Patriotic Voice of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for their Celebrate America Campaign. The World Finals is the biggest global stage in professional bull riding – a booming sport now seen in more than 400 million homes worldwide. The Celebrate America Campaign is a season-long initiative that honors America’s heroes, inspires youth, and brings communities together. Weaver made his debut in the primetime performance slot, which was previously held by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in 2016. At that time, the PBR officially launched Ryan as a PBR artist and debuted his new EP entitled Celebrate America. Ryan worked closely with hit songwriter Wynn Varble on the Celebrate America EP, co-writing three of the four songs. He has toured the U.S. and internationally to Australia with the PBR in 2018 and 2019, performing his songs and singing the “National Anthem” at US events. He has several performances scheduled in Australia this year.
Ryan performed on the first single from the West Point Military Academy’s Benny Havens Band’s debut album Songs That Save Our Lives. The song was short-listed for GRAMMY Award consideration in the American Roots category. The album also featured Charlie Daniels.
Ryan released two singles in 2019 titled “ARRIVAL” and “Time Like This.” He is currently working on a human trafficking awareness short film and collateral music video for ARRIVAL, set to release in the fall of 2020. He is also conducting multiple motivational speaking engagements while promoting his partnerships with Nine Line Apparel, Lane Boots, Soledier Socks, Liberty Home Concealment and Forj’d America.
