Keni Thomas
Keni Thomas keeps one eye over his shoulder as the country music newcomer travels the road these days. But it's not a cautious move that became ingrained from his combat experience as a member of the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. It's an uncanny feeling that he can't shake, born out of an attitude of gratitude toward his fellow fallen soldiers.

"Any time that you make it out of something where other people did not, you will spend the rest of your life thanking the people that were on your left and on your right," Kenni explains. "There's this odd sense of guilt that follows you around," Kenni adds. "Why me? Why did I deserve to make it out of there when other people did not?"

Straight out of college, Keni signed on after the first Gulf War started in 1991 with the intention of only serving one enlistment. But his dutiful desire became the defining point in his life, and he filled out the papers for a second enlistment. While he was stationed in Columbus, GA, Keni started playing during open mic nights at a local club and formed his band, Cornbread. Eventually, the soldier set his sights on making music full-time.

"It took me a long time to come to grips and be at peace with being a musician for a living, because you just don't feel like it's hard enough. It's such a blessed life. It's so, 'Look at me!'"

Now Keni uses his music [his debut CD was called Gunslinger] to help raise money for The Special Operations Warrior Foundation that provides college education to children of Special Ops personnel who were killed in the line of fire. And he also returns overseas to perform for the folks in uniform.

"You feel good about who you are because you see that you are part of something bigger than just Hey, look at me, I'm a star,' the veteran said. "They know that you're not out there just trying to cash in on the patriotic bandwagon because you can do it with sincerity."