Kane Brown Memory
Story by Snehashree Mandal for Country Music News International
A tough childhood has always shaped great minds and voices. Life’s struggle often teaches what needs to be done. When the world is dark, people find their roads much faster. It is something that happened with Kane Brown when he was young. He had a childhood wherein after his father was incarcerated, he moved around with his mother in search of home and happiness.
He was born to a white mother and an African American father. He did not know much about the discrimination he faced in his early childhood for being born to such diverse parental origins. The initial trauma shaped him up, and while listening to country music, he got a chance to attend the Brad Paisley and Chris Young’s concert. It was at this point of time he decided to become a country musician himself. It was also a concert he won in his 11th grade where he sang Chris Young’s “Gettin you home’ that made him more inclined and determined to pursue country music as his life’s purpose and goal.
His high school talent show began with racial taunts but the end of it began with asking for more.
He built himself up slightly differently. He began by posting covers of classic country songs from Brantley Gilbert, Alan Jackson, and others in Facebook. His lovely country voice helped him amass a huge fan following.
He had also auditioned for American Idol and X Factor in the year 2013.
He made his way slowly following this path. He is slowly trying to make his mark by walking past his tattoos, piercings, and color. He has though admitted to a slow migration towards country radio but he is sure, he would be able to leave a mark on it too.
Interestingly his poster for “Check Yes or No” by George Strait gained him newer heights of popularity online. Encouraged by this response, he posted a small teaser of his original song, “used to love you sober” that was made available for the first time on his Facebook page. The clipping grabbed a million views right in the first three hours of its posting. In the next two weeks, the clip gained eleven million views.
After his online status, his next step was his first EP called Closer released on 2nd June 2015. It was made from the money he had gathered on the Kickstarter crowd funding site. It made to the Top Country Albums chart at number 22. The album sold 3200 copies and its single, ‘Don’t go city on me’ went up to number 43 on the Country Digital Songs chart.
His single, Used to love you sober reached number two on the country digital songs charts. It sold 38000 copies in the first two days of its release. The year 2016 came as a blessing upon him where it was accredited a platinum status in the United States. It became a big hit of that year.
This was after his signing up with Sony Music Nashville on 27th January 2016. His Chapter 1 ranked 9th in the US Billboard 200 and reached number 3 on Top Country Album chart the same year.
He is the first country musician in 2017 to have ranked in all five country charts simultaneously.
In 2019, he joined hands with DJ Marshmello, for One right thing and the song, For my daughter ranked in the Top 20 of the Billboard country charts.
In the days to come as he moves to conquer what is truly his, he will create a journey that will make him one of the best ever country musicians of the world.