He was born by the river, in a little tent. No, wait, that was Sam Cooke. JT was born by a river; the Mississippi, to be exact. The Louisiana native was born in Baton Rouge and now resides in Los Angeles.

But that's not the important part of the story. The important part doesn't start until college, when he first picks up the guitar. And it really starts to get interesting when he writes his first song a few years later.

In a crowded singer-songwriter niche, Spangler stands out with catch...