Zac Brown Band

Artist Image: Zac Brown Band
Attribution
Image Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Burden, U.S. Army (161020-A-HD608-080), Public domain

Biography

Zac Brown Band is an American country, Southern rock, bluegrass, reggae and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini (fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, vocals), Coy Bowles (guitar, keyboards), Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook (guitar, keyboards, mandolin, steel guitar, vocals), and Daniel de los Reyes (percussion). The band has toured throughout the United States, including a slot on the 2009 and 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival. They have also recorded four studio albums, and charted eight Number One singles on the Billboard country charts: "Chicken Fried", "Toes", "Highway 20 Ride", "Free", "As She's Walking Away", "Colder Weather", "Knee Deep" and "Keep Me In Mind", in addition to the singles "Whatever It Is" and "No Hurry", which peaked at number 2 on the same chart. Brown attended the University of West Georgia, where he was a member of the Zeta Kappa chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He was also a camp counselor at Camp Mikell in Toccoa, Ga. & Camp Glisson, a United Methodist summer camp located in Dahlonega, GA. Zac Brown was born in Vienna in the Georgian Republic located in eastern Europe. In 2002, the Zac Brown Band was formed and they began traveling with a heavy tour schedule of approximately 200 dates a year. The initial Zac Brown Band lineup consisted of Brown, on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, backed by a drummer and a bass guitarist. In 2003, Brown started his own label, called Home Grown (today, it is called Southern Ground for legal reasons). In 2004, Brown opened a music club and restaurant with his father in the Lake Oconee area of Georgia called "Zac's Place" where the fare was southern-style cooking. A developer bought the restaurant and, in turn, the Zac Brown Band bought a tour bus and began touring full-time, playing rock and country clubs as well as folk and jam band festivals. 2004 also saw the release of the Zac Brown Band's first independent album, Far from Einstyne. It was also in 2004 when Brown added violinist/fiddler and tenor vocalist Jimmy De Martini to the Zac Brown Band, thus beginning Brown's five-year quest to develop the band's current lineup. According to an interview with De Martini, he explained that Wyatt Durette, Brown's frequent songwriting collaborator, was working as a bartender at Sidelines Sports Bar in Kennesaw, Georgia at the time, where the Zac Brown Band frequently performed. Durette suggested De Martini to Brown, who was wanting a "lead instrument" in his band, as well as a harmony singer. After doing several performances with the band at the club, Brown asked De Martini to become a full-time member, to which he gladly obliged. In 2005, the Zac Brown Band released its second independent album, Home Grown. That same year, John Driskell Hopkins joined the band as its bass guitarist and baritone vocalist. Hopkins, who was well known in the Atlanta area as the leader of the band Brighter Shade, first met Brown in 1998 at an open mic event hosted by Hopkins and they remained friends since. Additionally, Hopkins also co-produced the Zac Brown Band's Home Grown album.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2000
Number of Albums 23
Record Label
Website www.zacbrownband.com
Wikipedia Zac Brown Band on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Where is the Zac Brown Band based?

Atlanta, Georgia

...o search Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia . The band has released seven studio albums along with two live alb...
How many studio albums has the band released?

seven

...ican country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The band has released seven studio albums along with two live albums, one greatesthits album, and t...
How many singles have reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay chart?

13

...les on the Billboard Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay chart, of which 13 have reached number 1. Their first album, The Foundation, is certified tr...
What is the name of the band's first album?

The Foundation

...irplay chart, of which 13 have reached number 1. Their first album, The Foundation , is certified tripleplatinum by the Recording Industry Association ...
Which two albums are certified platinum?

You Get What You Give and Uncaged

...ding Industry Association of America, while its followups, You Get What You Give and Uncaged , are certified platinum. Artists with whom they have coll...
What can be challenged and removed?

Unsourced material

...elp improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2015) (Learn how and when...
How many dates did Brown tour in 2002?

200

... In 2002, Brown was traveling with a heavy tour schedule of approximately 200 dates a year. The initial Zac Brown Band lineup consisted of Brown, on a...
When did Zac Brown start his own label?

2003

...s, backed by drummer Marcus Petruska and bass guitarist Jacob Lawson. In 2003 , Brown started his own label, called Home Grownit was later renamed Sout...
How many years ago did Brown form the current incarnation of his band?

four

...f popular songs. He formed the current incarnation of the Zac Brown Band four years ago. Everything has to do with the song, Brown observes. Every son...
Brown notes that everyone in my band is able to burn his instrument down to what?

the ground

...irection. Everybody in my band is able to burn his instrument down to the ground , Brown notes, matteroffactly. Im blessed because the people I play wi...
Im blessed because the people I play with are just what?

fantastic

... my band is able to burn his instrument down to the ground, Brown notes, matteroffactly. Im blessed because the people I play with are just fantastic ....
What are the followups to You Get What You Give and Uncaged certified to be?

platinum

... while its followups, You Get What You Give and Uncaged, are certified platinum . Artists with whom they have collaborated include Alan Jackson, Jimmy ...
Who was Brown's stepfather?

Dr. Jody Moses

... He was raised on Lake Lanier by his mother, Bettye, and stepfather Dr. Jody Moses , a dentist in Cumming, Georgia. The 11th of 12 children, Brown atte...
At what age did Brown move to Dahlonega, Georgia?

17

...syth High School in Cumming. He later moved to Dahlonega, Georgia, at age 17 , where he graduated from Lumpkin County High School. Brown was given his ...
What instrument did Brown receive from his mother at age 8?

guitar

...graduated from Lumpkin County High School. Brown was given his mother's guitar at age 8, and one of his stepfather's patients was enlisted to teach hi...
When did Brown spend almost a year being tutored by a vocal coach from his church in Cumming?

midteens

...ic while playing with his father and brother on weekend visits. In his midteens , Brown spent almost a year being tutored by a vocal coach from his chu...
Who is the frontman and lead vocalist of the Zac Brown Band?

Zac Brown

...Everybody knows frontman and lead vocalist Zac Brown , and listeners could probably list all of their hit songs like their debut single Chicken Fried, ...
What is the name of the first single released by the band?

Chicken Fried

...s could probably list all of their hit songs like their debut single Chicken Fried , but the rest of the Zac Brown Band members may be a bit of a myste...
When did Zac brown band release their debut album?

2008

... Atlanta, Georgia. The band released their debut album The Foundation in 2008 , and over a decade later, they have released a total of seven studio alb...
Who was the temporary tour addition to the band in 2021?

Caroline Jones

...elcomed a temporary tour addition to their lineup, singersongwriter Caroline Jones . Brown was born in 1978, the eleventh of twelve children of mother ...
What instrument did he inherit from his mom?

classical guitar

...n Atlanta, Georgia. At a young age, he already learned how to play classical guitar (inherited from his mom), and then as a teenager, he played local ...
What two genres of music does he cover as a teenager?

pop and country songs

...mom), and then as a teenager, he played local solo gigs covering pop and country songs . Then, it was during his college days at the University of West...
How many times platinum did The Foundation get?

5x

...wn Band, The Foundation, sold more than 5 million copies making the album 5x platinum following its release in 2008. The lead song off The Foundation,...
Chicken Fried sold how many streams?

255 million

...nal release, also went 5x platinum with over 5 million sales and over 255 million streams. Zac Brown Bands success can largely be attributed to Browns...
Who did Brown work with on writing his latest single with?

Shawn Mendes

...lles, and Jason Mraz to name a few. Most recently, Brown worked with Shawn Mendes on writing his latest single with Zac Brown Band titled Someone I Us...
What was Shawn Mendes' latest single with the Zac Brown Band called?

Someone I Used To Know

... Mendes on writing his latest single with Zac Brown Band titled Someone I Used To Know , which debuted on Billboards Hot Country Song Chart the week of...
What is the name of the Zac Brown Band's current summer tour?

The Owl Tour

...new era for Zac Brown Band, including the bands current summer tour, The Owl Tour , in support of the upcoming new album. The reimagined company expand...
What award did Brown receive in 2017?

CRS Humanitarian Award

...al pursuits to new heights. In 2017, Brown was honored with the CRS Humanitarian Award , presented annually to musicians who use their careers to serve...
What was Brown's nonprofit passion project?

Camp Southern Ground

...reater good. The award was presented to Brown for his work supporting our nations veterans and for his nonprofit passion project Camp Southern Ground ....
When did Brown sell his restaurant in Lake Oconee, Georgia?

2004

...In 2004 , Brown sold his restaurant in Lake Oconee, Georgia to buy a tour bus. Together with his band, Brown toured fulltime, hitting venues and festiv...
What was the name of Brown's indie album?

Far From Einstyne

...d festivals. In the same year, they released an indie album called Far From Einstyne . The lineup got bigger when violinfiddle player and harmony singe...
John Driskell Hopkins joined the Zac Brown Band in what role?

bass

.... They band grew once more with the addition of John Driskell Hopkins in bass . Brown's university affiliate Coy Bowles left his band to become the ful...
What university affiliate left his band to become a full time member of Zac brown Band?

Coy Bowles

...dition of John Driskell Hopkins in bass. Brown's university affiliate Coy Bowles left his band to become the fulltime member of Zac Brown Band and Chr...
Who joined the Zac Brown Band as a drummer?

Chris Fryar

...les left his band to become the fulltime member of Zac Brown Band and Chris Fryar joined the band as drummer. Their big break came that year when the ...
The Foundation reached what number on the Billboard chart?

2

... year when the album The Foundation was released. Beside peaking at number 2 on Billboard Hot Country chart, the album was also certified two times pl...
Who became the band's multiinstrumentalist and high harmony singer?

Clay Cook

...d two times platinum in the U.S. Their commercial success continued as Clay Cook became the band's multiinstrumentalist and high harmony singer. I'd b...
How long had Clay Cook been trying to get in the band?

three years

...t and high harmony singer. I'd been tryin' to get him in the band for three years , and you know, it's been a journey, but I always knew he could make ...
At what age did he learn to play classical guitar?

7

...t and the Allman Brothers Band. He learned to play classical guitar at age 7 . As a teenager, he played solo gigs in local venues, doing country and po...
What kind of gigs did he play in local venues?

solo

.... He learned to play classical guitar at age 7. As a teenager, he played solo gigs in local venues, doing country and pop cover songs. He attended sum...
When did he start a band?

college

...e touched him so that he vowed to one day open his own camp one day. In college , he started a band, and he played dates in local restaurants with the ...
When did the band record a CD?

1998

... earn money to pay for school. The band recorded a CD to sell at gigs in 1998 , but broke up during recording sessions. By the time the 911 tragedies s...
When was the Zac Brown Band formed?

2002

...ng something he didn't love, so he decided to perform music fulltime. In 2002 , the Zac Brown Band was formed, and they hit the road with a heavy tour ...
What was the name of the live CD that the band released two years later?

Live from the Rock Bus Tour

...med, and they hit the road with a heavy tour schedule of about 200 dates a year. Two years later, they released a live CD Live from the Rock Bus Tour ....
What was the name of the number one country hit in the late 2000s?

Chicken Fried and Toes

...n the late 2000s on the strength of the number one country hits Chicken Fried and Toes , songs that seemed like throwbacks to the countryrock of the '7...
Where was Zac brown born?

Atlanta

...ngs that seemed like throwbacks to the countryrock of the '70s. Born in Atlanta , Zac Brown grew up in the Lake Lanier region in the north Georgia moun...
What profession did Brown's stepfather work for?

dentist

...a blended family he lived with his mother and his stepfather, who was a dentist Brown was drawn to music at an early age, learning to play his mother'...
When did he start playing songs at coffee houses?

when he was a teenager

...playing these songs along with selected covers at coffee houses when he was a teenager . While he attended the University of West Georgia, he played co...
What university was he a student at?

University of West Georgia

...t coffee houses when he was a teenager. While he attended the University of West Georgia , he played concerts with growing frequency. Brown formed the ...
Which restaurant featured local music?

Zac's Place

...ly throughout the South. The following year, he and his father opened Zac's Place , a Lake Oconee restaurant that featured local music. The Zac Brown B...
Who joined the Zac Brown Band in 2004?

Jimmy De Martini

... to take shape over the course of 2004, with fiddle playervocalist Jimmy De Martini joining a lineup that also featured drummer Marcus Petruska. Coy B...
What was the name of the record company that the band signed to in 2006?

Live Nation Artists Records

... a guitaristpianist, became a permanent member of the Zac Brown Band in 2006, and not long afterward, the group signed to Live Nation Artists Records ....
Who was Clay Cook a member of?

The Marshall Tucker Band

...ning Zac Brown, multiinstrumentalist Clay Cook was a member of The Marshall Tucker Band . Before that, he was part of a duo called the LoFi Masters wit...
What was the name of the 2013 single?

Sweet Annie

...r with a drummer and took Pete along. The video for their 2013 single Sweet Annie contains snippets of footage from Coy Bowles' wedding. Zac Brown wed...