Come Ring In the New Year With The 120 Tavern and "Did It For The Girl" Country Sensation Greg Bates! NYE Party Tix On Sale Soon! Greg Bates is a Nashville native who grew up listening to the traditionalist country singers of the 1990s. Many of his classmates had parents who were professional songwriters and he heard them perform their compositions at numerous charity events. After high school, Bates enrolled in Belmont University and earned his degree. His songwriting talent attracted the attention of Nashville's music publishing community, while his demos led to a recording contract with Universal Republic Nashville. Bates released his chart topping debut single, "Did It for the Girl," in 2012.