Unbelievable Facts About Your Favorite Country Stars
The country music genre has a massive fan base and is listened to all over the world, especially in the United States. Even if country music isn't your thing, you'd probably be lying if you said that you didn't know some lyrics here and there to a few songs. In the genre, there is also a base group of artists who are the face of the music and are loved by the majority of country fans.
While many of us know these stars' music and lyrics, we don't always know the secret facts and stories that make them such interesting people. So saddle up and take a peek at some wildest facts about country's biggest stars.
Miranda Lambert Was Homeless As A Child
Growing up, Miranda Lambert's parents worked as private investigators. Although it was an exciting job, it didn't always put food on the table. Because her parents were self-employed it meant that they didn't always have steady work. At one point, times got so hard that they could no longer afford their rent and ended up homeless.
For the following months, Lambert and her family stayed at relatives' and friends' houses until they finally found a home they could afford. However, they were still poor and her family had to grow their own food and raise animals on the land. She said that was when she learned to play the guitar and it was in that house that her life changed.
Why Eric Church Wears Sunglasses
Anyone that thinks that Eric Church wears sunglasses for the sake of style is sadly mistaken. As it turns out, he wears sunglasses at his shows because of the intense lights that shine down on him.
In an interview, Church explained that because of his height, the lights above him would fry his contacts. So at that point, it was a health concern and he began to wear his sunglasses all of the time. Although he didn't like the idea of wearing sunglasses all of the time at first, it worked out and is now part of his signature style.
Chris Young Almost Chopped His Hand Off
In 2014, a bold Chris Young attempted to cut an apple with a knife that was a little too big to get the small task done. The result was him severely lacerating his hand to the point that fans were worried if it would affect his guitar playing.
Luckily, everything worked out for Young, and he learned the importance of kitchen safety which almost put a hold on his entire music career. We wonder why he never wrote a song about this tragic experience.
Blake Shelton Has An Embarrassing Tattoo
Back in the day, Blake Shelton was feeling bold and artistic and decided to draw one of his own tattoos. So, he drew a series of deer tracks going across his arm because he loves to hunt. The only problem was that the deer tracks looked more like ladybugs then anything else.
So, he did what any other man would do and had barbed wire tattooed on top and below the "deer tracks". Sheldon openly admitted, I probably have the crappiest tattoo - not only in country music - but maybe in the world". However, he's a good sport about it and thinks its funny.
Sam Hunt Tried Out For The NFL
Sam Hunt played football in high school and was even named All-State Georgia while he was still in school. Knowing that he was good, he went on to play college football and was really good at it. So, he did what any really good college athlete did and tried to go pro.
He went on to try out for the Kansas City Chiefs but unfortunately didn't make the cut. After he tried out for the team he decided to move to Nashville and take a shot at a music career which clearly looked out. Looks like professional football wasn't Hunt's calling but country music worked out pretty well for him.
Carrie Underwood Has An Interesting Sense Of Smell
In general, people tend to have a similar sense of smell. Although there are minor differences here and there, for the most part, the majority of people can agree on what smells good and what smells bad. However, as it turns out, Carrie Underwood isn't like most people.
While the majority of the population tend to agree that the smell of skunk is borderline unbearable, Carrie Underwood is one of the few people on earth that doesn't mind it. Not only does she just not mind it, but she also admitted to US Weekly that she actually loves the smell. We're not sure if she's always been this way or if she had an experience that changed her mind but to each their own.
Keith Urban's Band Called 'The Ranch' Crashed And Burned
In 1995, after moving from Australia to Nashville, Keith Urban began to take his music career seriously. So, he managed to round up a few guys and created a band called the Ranch. They scored a deal with Capitol Nashville, yet still couldn't find their own sound that would do well on the radio.
Urban recalls, "It was mind-blowing. We recorded some of those songs 12 times, the same song in different studios, different producers, always trying to get the right combination of radio-ready stuff". They were told that they didn't have the right sound for country music at the time and the band split up with nothing to show for it.
Tim McGraw's Five Tattoos
Although they may not all be visible, Tim McGraw has five tattoos on his body. The first one he got when he was drunk and 22 years old. It's a leprechaun wearing a cowboy hat, on McGraw's thigh.
There is also a Christian fish visible on his forearm, the word "faith", a cross with his daughter's initials at each point, and the letters DHD for Dance Hall Doctors above his ankles. At least those are the five that the public knows about. If he has more, then only his wife Faith Hill knows about them.
Luke Bryan Still Gets Nervous
Considering that Luke Bryan is one of the biggest names in country music of all time, you'd think he'd be in full control of his nerves. Apparently, that's not the case. He willingly admits that he still gets quite nervous before big shows and says that you never really get used to the feeling right before a show.
He said that although he used to experience hyperventilation and panic attacks, he's past that but still has jumpy nerves. Talking about his anxiety, he said, “I’ve had panic attacks, you know, before big moments, and that’s kinda fun. You want that anxiety. I wouldn’t want it to not be that way." He thinks that the adrenaline makes him play better which makes sense.
Chris Stapleton's Dad's Death Helped Jumpstart His Career
In 2013, Chris Stapleton's father passed away. It was this unfortunate event in his life that became the inspiration for his breakthrough solo album Traveller. After his father had died, Stapleton's wife bought him a Jeep and the two flew to Arizona to pick it up and drive it back home.
During their road trip through the United States, he thought a lot about his father and what he would want him to do with his life. He ended up writing the song "Traveller" while driving through New Mexico. It became the core song of the album, which jump-started his solo music career.
Cole Swindell Used To Sell Merchandise For Luke Bryan
Before Cole Swindell made it big in the world of country music, he used to sell merchandise at Luke Bryan's shows. Of course, Cole was always dreaming about being the person on stage, which eventually became a reality when he first opened up for Bryan.
Now, he's an amazingly successful country musician and even won the Best New Artist Award in 2015 at the ACM Awards. He is also the only first male single to have his first four singles peak at #1 on the Country Airplay Chart.
Martina McBride Has A Mouth On Her
Although you may not know from just listening to her music, Martina McBride isn't very good at censoring her language. in fact, she swears more than a sailor. While appearing on Chelsea Lately in 2009, she openly admitted that in a comfortable environment she has a bit of a mouth on her and that she means what she says.
During the same show, on four occasions her language was censored without her thinking twice, maybe to prove a point. However, she hasn't cursed on any of her music just yet, and she does try to monitor herself during interviews. If your reputation and job depended on it, you probably would too.
Kenny Chesney Gave Up On His Hair A Long Time Ago
Although Kenny Chesney may rock his clean-shaven bald head with pride, that wasn't always the case. Growing up, he was especially self-conscious about his receding hairline which started to get bad around the time he was 17.
He says that all of his friends who are losing their hair now at 30 and 40 are freaking out when he went through all those troubles back in high school. Now, it doesn't bother him at all because it's something that he can't change and has become part of his image. Also, having a cowboy hat to cover it up doesn't hurt.
Thomas Rhett's Dad Helped Show Him Country Music
Little does everyone know, but Thomas Rhett's father was also a country musician. Occasionally, he would bring Rhett on tour with him and his band and would let him play the drums during the band's encore song.
Once, he even let Rhett come onstage and rap the song "Gettin' Jiggy With It" while he was wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey. So, if he seems to have a really good stage presence it's because he is no stranger to performing on stage. He got his start at a really young age.
George Strait Was Raised By His Single Father
When George Strait was just a young boy, he and his brothers had to be raised by their father after their mother left them after a divorce. Not only did she leave the boys, but she also took Strait's sister with her too.
Although he doesn't talk much about the women in his life or his past, it's apparent that he puts his trust more into men than women. Strait and his brothers have stayed close throughout the years and even started the George Strait Team Roping Classic, an open team roping event that has been around for over 35 years.
Reba McEntire Knows A Lot About Bulls
As described in her autobiography, when Reba McEntire was a girl, she and her sister spent a lot of time around bulls... in specific, bull genitals. It was her job to help castrate them, and afterward, she and her other two sisters would carry a bucket of testicles into the house to clean them.
After that, her mother would slice them thinly, roll them in flour, and fry them in a skillet. McEntire said that her family called them mountain oysters and that she was practically raised on them. It's no wonder she has such a strong personality and sings so well. She was a true country girl!
Jason Aldean Will Never Get The Son He Always Wanted
According to People magazine, Jason Aldean's wife, unfortunately, had pregnancy complications either before or during the birth of their second daughter. Because they already had two healthy daughters and they didn't want to push their luck, they decided to stop trying to have children.
Although he's always wanted a son, he's beyond grateful for his family. In an interview, Aldean shared this personal information: "There are people out there who can’t have one, and that would’ve been tough, but we’ve got two healthy ones and my wife’s healthy now. We don’t want to chance it by trying to have another one, so we’re happy."
Brad Paisley's Relationship With Alcohol
Brad Paisley seems to have a bit of an obsession when it comes to alcohol. In a 2008 interview with WQDR radio station, Brad Paisley went on record saying that the favorite song he's ever wrote was "Alcohol", and even has a clothing line called Moonshine Spirit.
In addition, he had an Irish pub-style bar built into his private home, which he keeps fully stocked to keep his guests and friends in the music industry happy. Yet, what makes this all so interesting is that Brad Paisley doesn't drink. Even though he may put out the image that he does, he doesn't partake in alcohol which might be upsetting to some of his fans.
