Before making it as country music stars, some of the genre's most well-known artists paid their dues by working odd jobs elsewhere in the industry. From slinging T-shirts to answering phones at Music City music firms, these stars have done it all in pursuit of their dreams.

You might recall that Cole Swindell famously used to sell merch for Luke Bryan -- but what about the story of Dierks Bentley getting barred from backstage at the Grand Ole Opry? Read on to find out what some of country's biggest stars -- Martina McBride, Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, among others -- did before owning the spotlight.