The Untold Truth Of Kane Brown

It's safe to say that Kane Brown is one of country music's biggest stars thanks to two successful studio albums, several number one singles, and multiple awards. In 2021 alone, Brown made history as the first solo Black artist to win the ACM Award for Video of the Year. What's more, he was named as one of the three Artists of the Year honorees at the 2021 CMT awards.

With all that already under his belt, it's obvious that Brown has come a long way from his days of auditioning in singing competitions and posting his music to Facebook. He's now not only one of country's most sought-after artists, but has also successfully broken into hip-hop and pop music. Brown summed it up best when he told Pollstar, "I've got people who like all kinds of music, and say, 'I don't like country music but I like you."

It's clear that Brown is a super talented musician who has experienced a lot of life even before reaching age 30. So let's break down the untold truth of one of country's newest superstars.

Kane Brown may be living the good life these days but the country singer didn't always have it easy. As he told The Tennessean, he actually grew up as "the poor kid" and even experienced homelessness, living in a car with his mother when between places to stay. Because of that, Brown revealed on the "All Our Favorite People" podcast, "Every time I have a chance, I just try to help somebody...I have a spot in my heart for homeless people."

His family life was difficult, too. In the lyrics of his song "Learning," he describes the abuse he faced as a kid at the hands of his stepfather. In the same track, Brown croons about losing childhood friends to drugs and guns, which was something he later said he avoided since his mother "raised me better than that."

Brown shared at a 2018 show (via Country 1025) that his biological father has been in jail since Brown was 3 years old. Even so, the two have sustained a relationship, with Brown dishing to Billboard, "He brags about me and talks about how good he is on the drums. I always joke with him and say that I'm going to hire him when he gets out." Despite Brown's hardships, the "Heaven" singer believes it happened for a reason. He explained to KHOU, "I feel like God put me in places in life to learn, and it was getting me ready for now."

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Kane Brown didn't become a chart-topping singer overnight and had to go through his fair share of rejections. One of those was on the singing competition "American Idol," which he told Billboard he decided to audition for after he saw how it worked out for his high school friend, Lauren Alaina. When it didn't work out, he headed over to "The X Factor," but that didn't click either because the show, as Brown recalled, ​​"tried to put me in a boy band." 

Chatting with Yahoo Entertainment about why he decided to leave "The X Factor," he shared, "Something in my heart was just telling me no, which was a hard decision." It was because of that Brown decided to take matters into his own hands. "I went home and did my own 'American Idol' with covers online," he said in Billboard.

From there, Brown gained millions of followers, who were drawn to both his covers and original songs like "Used to Love You Sober," which hit over 1 million views just hours after its release. Brown credits going viral for the launch of his career. "I think [social media] was very helpful, because I got a bunch of diehard fans that came with me, and they were also buying tickets." Brown explained to Yahoo Entertainment. "I remember when I was showing up [at gigs], they were like, 'Oh my God, he's real!' — because they had only seen me on Facebook."

It seems that Kane Brown found true love with his wife, Katelyn Jae Brown, whom he met back in 2015 before he became a big country music star. Katelyn is a fellow musician, and wouldn't you know it, when their paths crossed the sparks flew. She recalled to Taylor Magazine, "He was doing a show and I was in the studio in Miami working, and the producer was like, 'Hey, I'm working with this other artist and you should come up here.'" Kane himself recalled the same night to Taste of Country Nights, saying, "The first time I saw her it was the shy giddiness," adding, "I messaged her on Instagram the next night...and flew her down and she hasn't left since."

Kane made their relationship Facebook official in 2017, telling fans, "I found my other half." That Easter, Kane told People he spontaneously proposed while they were watching a horror movie, gushing, "I just couldn't wait." The couple went on to tie the knot in Tennessee that following year and it seems that they haven't stopped gushing about each other since. 

Kane's Instagram grid is full of photos he's taken with his wife with captions like "you're perfect" and "The absolute best thing that could ever have happened to me was meeting you." It's clear that the couple is very in love and not afraid to show it.

Katelyn Jae Brown isn't the only important gal in Kane Brown's life. In October 2019, the couple welcomed daughter Kingsley Rose Brown. Kane gushed to People, "She is amazing. I might just be biased because she's my daughter, but I think she's the perfect baby." Following her first birthday in 2020, Kingsley had already made her music video debut alongside her parents for Kane's song "Worship You." He told People that the "video will always have a special place in my heart because we filmed it together as a family."

When Kingsley isn't starring in her dad's music videos, she's visiting him on tour. Mom Katelyn captured one of the moments on Instagram, writing, "Finally got to go to daddy's shows!" Kane has also shared backstage photos of him and Kingsley, captioning one, "My angel got to come out this week." He even told Billboard, "I'm so thankful now that she's old enough that I can bring her on the bus. I still get to be with her all throughout my tour."

Kane often posts photos of his daughter whom he has written "steals her daddy's heart more and more every day." He dished in an interview with Country Now that for him, "the best thing about being a father is just watching my daughter grow and get a personality." It's clear though that despite Kane's busy schedule, he always finds time to hang out with Kingsley and of course make her smile.

Kane Brown may have become famous through country music but the singer/songwriter has since been able to branch out into other genres thanks to his collaborations with different musicians. The county superstar has had radio hits with a long list of pop artists that includes blackbear, Marshmello, and Nelly. As he told Nashville Lifestyles, Nelly's own crossover hit with Tim McGraw inspired him to explore other genres. "If it had been done more, I honestly think country would be further along [in terms of diversity] than it is right now," he said. "But I love that I get to be one of the pioneers helping it move forward."

Brown explained to the outlet that he will be "doing country albums but having one or two pop songs on there," adding, "I like doing the features and spreading my fan base around." He also thinks that it also benefits country music, which he feels "everybody kind of looks over." He added, "I just feel like it helps the genre a lot when country artists get their names further out, branching out with pop artists."

For Brown, it seems music is music no matter what. "We're artists — why just put us in a box?" he asked Billboard. Yet, at the end of the day, country will always be his top priority. "I'm never going to leave country music," he told the outlet. "Like I'll always have a country single out to radio before anything else."

Kane Brown wasn't always sure that he'd make it in music, but as he told People, he believed he'd make it as a pro athlete. "I was the quarterback of the football team; I was captain of the basketball team; I was a pitcher in baseball," he said. "I was always one of the best players on the team."

Brown told The Country Daily, "I thought I was going to go to college and, you know, [play] ball—football or basketball." Yet during this time, he knew he had a passion for music, thanks to a school talent show. "I ended up winning," he recalled. "Then they wanted me to do an encore...So, after that, I was just like, 'You know what? This is what I want to do.'"

However, Brown revealed that did briefly consider joining the Army. The "What Ifs" singer dished to People, "I ended up doing my test and I was about to get sent off," but those plans changed when having tattoos proved to be an issue. "So then I ended up getting a job at FedEx," he said. It was while at FedEx that Brown was posting videos of himself singing online before his manager told him to quit the delivery service to focus solely on music. 

Ever since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Kane Brown has spent a large portion of his time performing. And yes, it sure sounds like he enjoys it. As he told Penn Live in 2021, "It just feels so amazing to be back in front of a crowd." For his "Blessed & Free" tour, Brown decided to make history, by becoming the first country artist ever to headline every NBA basketball arena during one tour, per Business Wire. He said in Penn Live, "[H]opefully I get to play some of the players one-on-one." 

Outside of playing basketball, Brown revealed to E! News what life on the road is usually like for him. "For this tour, I always work out. ...We always do a huddle and a toast backstage before we take the stage. And [my family] King and Katelyn are out on most tour dates, so I usually give them a kiss backstage before heading out."

Yet for Brown, the best part is the fans. "Seeing them out there and getting to see their faces and sing the lyrics with me ... getting back out there is just the best feeling in the world," he told E! News. And when the fans in the audience are enjoying themselves, it makes for a better show all around. He explained, "It really helps me and the band; we really feed off of their energy. We have even more fun."

Kane Brown has been vocal about what it's been like dealing with racism for the majority of his life. The "Be Like That" singer revealed to People that he "didn't know" he was biracial until he was 7 or 8 years old but "didn't think anything of it" until he "started getting called the N-word." Unfortunately, this was something Brown had to continue to deal with while trying to make it in the music business. He recalled, "I used to screenshot [racist social media messages] and put it on Twitter, like, 'There still racism in the world.' But I didn't get into country music just to prove a point."

In a since-deleted tweet (via The Tennessean), Brown even once told followers, "Damn, some people in Nashville who have pub(lishing) deals won't write with me because I'm black," adding, "Aight ..... I'm still gonna do my thing 100." Not only did Brown do his thing, but he eventually released the song "Worldwide Beautiful," which he told Variety is a song "just saying everybody should be treated the same, and stop looking at colors, because everybody's worldwide beautiful."

Brown told HITS Daily Double that as a biracial person, he feels obligated "to pick a side." He continued, "I even get pushed from one side to the other. I'm both, and both push back. So I try to understand and see each without losing the other."

Kane Brown faced a difficult personal tragedy in 2019, which was the death of bandmate Kenny Dixon. According to The Tennessean, the drummer was killed in a car accident in Tennessee after he crashed into a tree while exiting a highway. Brown's band confirmed the news to People: "It is with profound sadness and disbelief that we confirm we lost our drummer Kenny. ... He was truly one of the greatest and kindest people on and off stage we've ever known."

Brown took to his Instagram to post his own tribute to Dixon where he shared a photo of them together on stage. "Love you so much dude!!!" he wrote. "You started all of this with me from the start in 2015 when no body else believed we would make it out of Chattanooga. ... I know u will be watching over us with that red neck accent that we all love and you will never be replaced bro!!!" Two days after Dixon's death, Brown announced that the band decided to reschedule an upcoming show.

That year, Brown also dedicated his CMT Artist of the Year award to the late drummer. "He started with me, coming out of Chattanooga off of Facebook," Brown said, breaking down into tears. "He was with me the whole time. He was so supportive of me. I love you, man, I miss you. The band misses you." It's clear that to Brown, Dixon was more than just his drummer, he was his friend.

It's clear through his collaborations that Kane Brown has friends in music, but it seems that his one of his closest buddies is fellow country star Jason Aldean. The two apparently formed a tight bond when Brown opened for Aldean on tour in 2018. At the time, Brown dished to ABC News Radio, "He's my boy. He's like my best friend in country music ... So it's gonna be a really fun tour."

Brown told the outlet (via Country Fancast) he's learned a lot from Aldean, calling him "a great mentor." Music stuff aside, it appears the two just get along. "We like to do the same things," Brown shared with ABC News Radio. "We're both [Georgia Bulldog] fans, so we love watching football. ... Aldean's like a brother to me, always looks out for me. If I ever need anything, he's always there." As for Aldean, he told reporters (via Taste of Country) that Brown is "little brother almost" and he's happy to hit the road with him. "I wanna be out there with guys that I like hanging out with," Aldean said.

And their Instagrams make it clear that the two definitely hang out. Not only did Aldean post a photo of them watching football, but Brown shared a snap of their matching baseball jerseys as well as a video of what he let Aldean tattoo on him! Aldean's wife even threw a baby shower for the Browns, proving their friendship goes beyond just business.

Kane Brown's done quite well for himself. In fact, according to Celebrity Net Worth, the country star is now worth about $6 million. It seems that Brown has spent some of that money on real estate: In 2020, he and his family moved into an expansive 30-acre property in White Creek, Tennessee.

But this isn't the country star's first real estate purchase. In 2020, he was able to sell their Franklin house for $900,000, according to Taste of Country — but before he offloaded it, he rented it to fellow country artist Jason Aldean while Aldean waited for his own mansion to be finished. "I said, 'Man, I wish I had known you were buying a house, I'm paying rent, I'd rather pay it to you,'" Aldean revealed on The Ty Bentli Show. "And he was like, 'Man just move in. I don't care."

Brown doesn't only spend his money on his own homes. The country star also gives back by working with initiatives that help people who are experiencing homelessness and focus on creating affordable housing. Per Taste of Country, he explained how his upbringing inspired him, saying that if "you see somebody that's even in a worse situation, you feel for that person. I would give anything to help them out."

In the summer of 2020, Kane Brown made headlines for... getting lost in his very own yard. Yes, you read that right. Now, the ordeal was actually more scary than it sounds; Brown lives on a whopping 30 acres of woods. "I wanted to go check out the property,"  he wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post(via People). "I went with my friend and his girl...Thirty minutes turned into three hours it started raining turned dark and dropped to 40 degrees."

Brown revealed that when things started getting dire, he called his friend, musician Ryan Upchurch, who lived nearby for help. Unfortunately, while Upchurch and his brother did find Brown, they ended up getting lost too. After the group of five spent some more time wandering around in the woods without any luck, they decided to call the cops for assistance. However, because the cops heard gunshots in the woods, they thought Brown and co. were the ones firing. "We yell at them and tell them we are not armed and made it out," he wrote.

Brown had literally just moved to the area. "Kate thought I was just trying to get out of unpacking boxes because it was literally the first day we moved in," he explained to Extra. Upchurch backed up Brown on his Instagram, saying, "When you're in pitch black...and you're on thousands of acres that you've never even been on before, it's kinda hard to find your way out."

Kane Brown isn't just your average country music star. In 2021, Time named him one of the 100 "most influential people" of the year, which puts him in the same company as Prince Harry, Britney Spears, and even the legendary Dolly Parton. In an essay for the magazine, fellow country crooner Darius Rucker explained why Brown deserves the honor, writing that he "has that unquantifiable 'it' factor" and noted that he's "setting the bar so high for the next generation."

As deserving as he is, Brown revealed to Penn Live that the honor "felt kind of weird at first—I was just doing my own thing, and I just didn't really understand what it was about." Yet after people reached out to Brown with congratulatory messages, and with some even telling him "you're just setting an example for people who look different in country music," he said the recognition "just really made me feel special." He reiterated that to the Charlotte Observer, "all of it just started hitting me at once and made me super-emotional. It's honestly just an honor to be a part of it."

Even though, as Rucker pointed out, Brown is clearly kicking down doors in country music, the "Worship You" singer suggested that he hadn't given it much thought before. He explained, "My main focus has just been trying to help others. But I never thought that I'd be helping others just by being me. I think that's the cool thing."