Kane Brown: Childhood Struggles, & Social Media Stardom
We know Kane Brown to be the guy who lights up the stage, loves fatherhood and keeps churning out top track after top track. But beneath all the bright lights of Music City, he is just another human, with a deep love for music and a rollercoaster journey to tell.
In this very candid chat with Jamie Laing on the Great Company podcast, he unearths difficult truths from his childhood, openly shares his experience with depression and explains how fatherhood has changed the meaning of success. Tune in below:
[EXPLORE: Kane Brown Access All Areas]
Horror Movies & Feeling Emotions
Horror movie fans, this one’s for you. Jamie and Kane bond over their love for horror movies, with Brown admitting that he doesn’t feel much emotion, but wishes he could. From winning awards to getting vulnerable in his marriage, his journey with emotion is not yet understood – but that doesn’t top him from being open and honest with Jamie in this chat. They also dive into British slang, bringing some refreshing humour to the episode – ‘chuffed’ being a favourite!
Country music stardom is no stranger for Brown, sharing that he does reflect on his success around the campfire in his backyard – does it get more country than that?!
A Challenging Childhood & Dealing With Depression
We know Kane Brown for his chart-topping hits and laid-back conversation, you can check out our chat with him at C2C 2024 here. But we haven’t heard too much of his upbringing, from Georgia to Tennessee, where he changed homes and schools a lot, sharing that sport saved him during this rocky time:
Moving around a lot meant I made friends quickly through sport. And when I started posting cover songs on Facebook, all these friends would engage wondering what I was up to.
Like most country stars, his journey to fame was no straight line. Brown openly talks about the abuse he encountered from various step-fathers as he was growing up, sharing that his biological dad has been in prison since 1996. This meant he had to grow up quick, and as tough as his childhood was, it has made him stronger in the long run.
Brown also opens up about his trust issues with the music industry, saying the early doors of his career were tough. He admits that writing sad songs comes easy, sharing a little light on his battle with depression:
The good thing is the depression is not everyday, for me at least, and my family help me a lot. I used to try and smoke but I don’t think that helped. A lot of the time I just want to be happy, but it’s hard for me to just be happy…
Family & Fame: Reframing Success
Breaking records, selling out shows and going platinum may be the shiny goals of every singer songwriter with a dream in Nashville – but fame comes at a cost. Brown shares that success has a new meaning since having a wife and kids – they have become his inspiration and top cheerleaders, whilst also keeping his feet firmly on the ground. But being in the spotlight hasn’t come easy – will people asking for favours since his rise to fame, showcasing the dark side to ‘making it’.
He has three kids – two daughters and a son – and they live together in their family home on the mountainside in Tennessee. Though he might consider himself emotionless, his pride for his children and family is unmistakably evident.
For me, being a dad is about being there for my kids, because I never had that as a kid. And now we have these big family Christmases.
Advice For Youngsters & Going Viral
‘Stay true to yourself and work hard’ is his top advice for younger fans, saying that the early days of his career where he was just grafting were his favourite. Something you may not know about the meteoric rise of Kane Brown, is that he has Facebook to thank for it all – posting covers online to tracks by Brantley Gilbert and George Strait, back in 2014. He even welcomed negative comments on his videos in the early days as it meant his post would reach more people.
He reached a huge 1 million views in less than three hours when he teased one of his earlier songs Used To Love You Sober’, leading to an EP, signing a manager and taking the country music world by storm… Georgia style. And the rest as they say is music city history.
You can’t fail until you stop.
Fun Facts About Kane Brown:
- He has tattoos to represent the huge milestones of having diamond & platinum records
- He worked three jobs whilst uploading all his music to social media
- Screamo is a genre he would be keen to break into
- He is a big gamer, saying it relieves his down days