Country star Kane Brown might be young, but he consistently proves he’s got what it takes to make it to the top. He had dreams of becoming a country music singer since grade school. While his life presented him with obstacles, Brown persisted. He overcame poverty and prejudice to become one of country music’s next big artists.
Kane Brown is now facing the challenges that come with rising fame. He can’t even go into his neighborhood grocery store without being asked to take a photo with several different people. His No. 1 self-titled debut studio album has earned him much praise, spending nine nonconsecutive weeks at the top of Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart. But his music isn’t the only thing bringing attention to him.
“I have lots of tattoos and am biracial. Even if they don’t know me, people are like, ‘Hey, you’re that Facebook guy,'” Brown shared with Billboard. He started his career by posting covers on social media.
“You’ve got Dustin Lynch, [Jason] Aldean and people like that who wear cowboy hats to stand out, but switch to a ball cap, and it’s kind of hard to tell them apart, unless you’re a diehard fan,” the rising star mused.
But the 24-year-old singer stands out among many of his fellow country artists in more ways than just his appearance. Prior to signing a record deal with RCA Nashville in 2016, Brown released an EP, singing songs in old-school baritone about racism and growing up in poverty. His honest lyrics reveal an unusual path to fame, but he presents his life story in a radio-friendly way that has country music fans listening on repeat.
“Our listeners identify with people like Kane,” fellow country singer Lauren Alaina said, who knew him in middle school back Georgia and partnered with him on his 2017 hit “What Ifs.” “He has had a life that was made for being shared.”
Brown’s childhood was full of challenges, spending time between Chattanooga, Tennessee and northwest Georgia. His parents were divorced, and he unfortunately faced abuse from his stepdad as well as living in poverty. But he found peace when he sang and participated in middle school choir with Lauren Alaina.
In 11th grade, Brown won a talent show by singing a Chris Young cover. After that, he decided to pursue music, but he first turned down a basketball scholarship to the University of Tennessee and thought about joining the Army. However, his neck tattoos prevented him from pursuing that path. So, he got a job at FedEx, which gave him enough spare time to try out for TV talent shows. He even made it onto the U.S. version of The X Factor, but he walked away when the producers tried to place him in a boy band.
Three years after his first EP dropped, Brown is continually on the rise. His most recent hit “Heaven” is climbing the charts and Kane is also working on his sophomore album. The country singer says he still gets accused of using his race to stand out from the usual country persona, and the backlash mainly comes from the same social media that helped get his foot in the door of the country music industry.
“The thing people see about me is my tattoos more than anything, but the color aspect does not help,” Brown said. “You wouldn’t believe my blocked list. But that’s more publicity, because then they go and talk about me on their page – ‘Oh, Kane Brown blocked me.'”
He has high hopes that his music will bring people together, though. Putting his heart and soul into each verse and song, Brown has the ability to reach superstar status – and it looks like that time will come sooner rather than later.
“You put my voice on R&B melodies, on top of a real country band, and the sky’s the limit,” he expressed.
2018 Tour Schedule
APR 18- Brandon Amphitheater -Brandon, MS
APR 19- Losing Sleep World Tour 2018- Tuscaloosa, AL
APR 20- Losing Sleep World Tour 2018- Orange Beach, AL
APR 26 & APR 27- Dos Amigos- Odessa, TX
APR 29- Stagecoach- Indio, CA
View the full schedule here.
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