Kane Brown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kane Brown
Brown in 2018
Brown in 2018
Background information
Birth nameKane Allen Brown
Born (1993-10-21) October 21, 1993 (age 27)
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2014–present
Labels
Associated acts
Spouse(s)
Katelyn Jae
​
(m. 2018)​
Children1
Websitekanebrownmusic.com

Kane Allen Brown[1][2] (born October 21, 1993)[3] is an American singer and songwriter. Brown first came to the attention of the public through social media.[4] He released his first EP, titled Closer, in June 2015 and followed it with a new single, "Used to Love You Sober", in October 2015. After Brown signed with RCA Nashville in early 2016, the song was included on his EP Chapter 1, released in March 2016. He released his first full-length album, the self-titled Kane Brown, on December 2, 2016. The single "What Ifs" came from this album, and in October 2017, Brown became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main Billboard country charts.[5] Brown released his second album, Experiment, in November 2018, which became his first number one album on the Billboard 200.[6]

Early life[]

Brown was raised in rural northwest Georgia and in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area.[3][7][8] He is multiracial, with a white mother, Tabatha Brown,[9] and an African-American father who is also part Cherokee.[2][10][11] In 2018, he told People he did not know he was biracial until he was 7 or 8 years old: "I thought I was full white... I found out that I was biracial, and I still wasn't thinking anything of it, but then I started getting called the N-word ... I learned what it meant, and that's when it started affecting me. I got in fights over it when I was little."[12] His father has been incarcerated since 1996, and he was raised by his single mother.[13]

Sometimes homeless, his family moved around northwest Georgia when he was younger from Rossville to Fort Oglethorpe to LaFayette before finally settling in Red Bank, Tennessee.[14][15] As a result, he attended many schools, among them Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where he sang in the choir with Lauren Alaina, the runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol.[16] He also attended Red Bank, Ridgeland, and Soddy Daisy High Schools.[16] After graduation, he lived with his grandmother, who had also helped raise him.[17]

Brown grew up listening to country music but became interested in R&B music in middle school. However, after winning a school talent show in 11th grade with a rendition of Chris Young's "Gettin' You Home", he began to perform country music.[18] He auditioned for both American Idol and The X Factor after the success of his school friend Lauren Alaina on American Idol.[19] He was chosen for The X Factor after an audition in 2013 but left the show when its producers wanted to include him in a boy band.[16] After that, he decided to post his cover versions of popular songs online.[19][20]

Career[]

In 2014, Kane Brown began posting videos of his covers of songs by Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington, Alan Jackson, and other singers on social media. He acquired a following for his homemade videos on Facebook. His cover of Lee Brice's "I Don't Dance" was one early video that gained wide attention.[14] Released on September 30, 2015, his cover of George Strait's "Check Yes or No" went viral and received more than seven million views.[21] His number of followers on Facebook quickly reached more than a million, leading to a teaser clip for his own single "Used to Love You Sober" hitting one million views in less than three hours upon its release on October 8, 2015[21] and then reaching more than 11 million views in two weeks.[22]

Brown was initially signed to Zone 4[10] with Jay Frank as his first manager.[22] Martha Earls became his manager in 2016.[11]

2014: Closer EP[]

In 2014, Brown raised funds via crowdfunding site Kickstarter to produce a six-song EP,[23] which he recorded in Nashville at the home studio of Noah Henson, guitarist for Brantley Gilbert. The EP, titled Closer, was released on June 2, 2015, and debuted on the Top Country Albums chart at number 22, selling 3,200 copies in its debut week.[24] A single from the EP, "Don't Go City on Me", was first released on October 22, 2014, and reached number 43 on the Country Digital Songs chart.[25]

2015: "Used to Love You Sober" and follow-up singles[]

Brown released a new single "Used to Love You Sober" on his birthday (October 21) in 2015, and the song was spotlighted on Zane Lowe's Beats 1.[26] It reached number two on the Country Digital Songs chart based on just two days of sales, with 38,000 copies sold.[27] The release of the single also pushed his EP Closer up the chart to number 22 on the Top Album Sales chart.[28] A second song, "Last Minute Late Night", was released on November 4, 2015, and debuted on the Country Digital Songs chart at number nine, with 26,000 copies sold.[29] Another single, "I Love That I Hate You", followed three weeks later on November 30, 2015, and sold 17,000 copies in the first week.[30]

2016–2018: Chapter 1 EP and Kane Brown album[]

Brown opened for Florida Georgia Line on their summer 2016 Dig Your Roots Tour[31] and collaborated with Chandler Stephens on a song they wrote together, "Can't Stop Love", which released on February 12, 2016.[32]

He signed with Sony Music Nashville on January 27, 2016, and records under the RCA Nashville label.[33] His first EP under the label, titled Chapter 1, released on March 18, 2016.[34] It includes the singles "Used to Love You Sober" and "Last Minute Late Night" and debuted at number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number three on the Top Country Albums chart, selling 30,000 units (23,000 in traditional albums) in its first week.[35]

On June 17, 2016, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" was released as a promotional single ahead of his debut full-length album.[36][37] "Thunder in the Rain" was released as the debut radio single from the album on August 3, 2016, and Brown headlined his own Ain't No Stopping Us Now Tour produced by Monster Energy and Outbreak Presents starting on November 3, 2016.[38] The self-titled album featuring those songs was released on December 2, 2016,[39] and debuted at number 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200.[40] "What Ifs", recorded with his friend Lauren Alaina, was released as the second single from the album and has been certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA.[41] It became a number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay charts for the week of October 28, 2017, the first for Brown and the second for Alaina. It also spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

An expanded deluxe edition of Brown's debut album was released October 6, 2017, featuring four new tracks, including a duet with Chris Young and "Heaven",[42] released as the album's third single on November 13, 2017. Upon the release of the deluxe edition, the album went to number five on the Billboard 200 and returned to number one on the Top Country Albums chart. With the single "What Ifs", which reached number one on multiple charts, and the new song "Heaven" released with the deluxe edition, Brown became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main country charts: Top Country Albums, Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Digital Song Sales, and Country Streaming Songs.[5]

2018–2019: Experiment and collaborations[]

On June 7, 2018, RCA Nashville released "Lose It" as the lead single for his second RCA album.[43] A second track from the album, "Weekend", was released on August 8, 2018. On September 4, 2018, Brown announced the album's title, Experiment, via Twitter along with its cover art and news of the upcoming track "Homesick".[44] Experiment was released on November 9, 2018 and became Brown's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[6]

Over the course of 2018–19, Brown released several collaborations with artists such as Becky G, Camila Cabello, and Digital Farm Animals, including a remix of "Saturday Nights" with R&B star Khalid which was released as a single. He also appeared on Brooks & Dunn's album Reboot in a new rendition of their past hit "Believe".[45] In August 2019, Brown collaborated with Marshmello for "One Thing Right",[46] his first release to Mainstream Pop Radio.

In October 2019, Brown's drummer Kenny Dixon died in a car accident.[47]

2020-present: Mixtape, Vol. 1[]

In April 2020, Brown released the track "Cool Again",[48][49][50] the debut single off his upcoming third EP.[51]

In June 2020, Brown released the song "Worldwide Beautiful", which aims to highlight peace and equality and benefits the Boys and Girls Club of America.[52] In July 2020, Brown released his second single to pop radio, "Be Like That" with Khalid and Swae Lee, another single off his EP.[53]

On August 14, 2020, Brown released his third EP, Mixtape, Vol. 1,[54] which includes "Cool Again", "Worldwide Beautiful" and "Be Like That", as well as four other tracks.

In September 2020, Brown announced a drive-in concert, held at more than 200 theaters across the U.S. on September 26, 2020.[55] In October 2020, "Worship You" was sent to country radio as his second official single to that format off the EP.[56]

On November 26, 2020, Brown performed in a pre-recorded halftime show in the Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football game between Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.[57]

On February 11, 2021, Brown launched his own label, 1021 Entertainment, in association with Sony Nashville.[58]

Also in 2021, Brown became the first black person to win Video of the Year at the ACM Awards, which he won for “Worldwide Beautiful.”[59]

Personal life[]

Brown is married to Katelyn Jae. He proposed to her on Easter Sunday in 2017 and announced their engagement during a concert in Philadelphia a short time later in April 2017.[60][61][62] They were married at Mint Springs Farm in Nolensville, Tennessee, on October 12, 2018,[63] with about 200 relatives and friends in attendance.[60] On April 15, 2019, Brown announced they were expecting their first child.[64] Less than a month later, on May 1, 2019, he revealed the baby was a girl during a walk down the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards.[65] On October 29, 2019, Jae gave birth to their daughter, Kingsley Rose Brown.[66]

Tours[]

Headlining
  • The Worldwide Beautiful Tour (2020)

Discography[]

Main article: Kane Brown discography

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Nominee / Work Result hideRef
2017 ACM Awards New Male Vocalist of the Year Himself Nominated [67]
CMT Music Awards Breakthrough Video of the Year "Used to Love You Sober" Nominated [68]
2018 ACM Awards[69] New Male Vocalist of the Year Himself Nominated [70]
Vocal Event of the Year "What Ifs" (with Lauren Alaina) Nominated
Billboard Music Awards Top Country Artist Himself Nominated [71]
Top Country Album Kane Brown Nominated
Top Country Song "What Ifs" (with Lauren Alaina) Nominated
CMT Music Awards Collaborative Video of the Year "What Ifs" (feat. Lauren Alaina) Won [72]
Video of the Year "What Ifs" (feat. Lauren Alaina) Nominated
American Music Awards Favorite Country Male Artist Himself Won [73]
Favorite Country Album Kane Brown Won
Favorite Country Song "Heaven" Won
Taste of Country Fan Choice Awards Most Passionate Fanbase of 2018 Himself Won [74]
Most Jaw-Dropping Performance of 2018 "What Ifs" (with Lauren Alaina) at the ACMs Won
Best Country Album Experiment Won
2019 ACM Awards Single of the Year "Heaven" Nominated [75]
Billboard Music Awards Top Country Artist Himself Nominated [76]
Top Country Male Artist Himself Nominated
Top Country Album Kane Brown Nominated
Top Country Song "Heaven" Nominated
American Music Awards Favorite Country Male Artist Himself Won [77]
Favorite Country Album Experiment Nominated
CMT Music Awards Video of the Year "Good as You" Nominated [78]
Male Video of the Year "Lose It" Won
iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Song of the Year "Heaven" Nominated [79]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Country Artist Himself Nominated [80]
Choice Country Song “Good as You” Nominated
2021 ACM Awards Video of the Year ”Worldwide Beautiful” Won [59]

References[]

  1. ^ "Songwriter/Composer: Kane Brown; Current Affiliation: BMI CAE/IPI #: 794712210". BMI.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Watts, Cindy (December 1, 2016). "Raising Kane Brown: Biracial singer forges own path in country music". The Tennessean.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Collar, Matt. "Kane Brown biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  4. ^ Bjorke, Matt (October 19, 2015). "The Rise of Kane Brown, Independent Country Sensation". Roughstock.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Asker, Jim (October 17, 2017). "Kane Brown Becomes First Artist To Simultaneously Lead Five Country Charts". Billboard.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Caulfield, Keith (November 18, 2018). "Kane Brown Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Experiment'". Billboard.
  7. ^ Freeman, Jon (December 2, 2016). "Kane Brown on Personal New Album, Why He Won't Sing First Hit: Ram Report". Rolling Stone.
  8. ^ Hoffman, Lauren (March 6, 2017). "Exclusive Interview: Kane Brown". Froggy101.
  9. ^ Lorge, Melinda (October 4, 2017). "Kane Brown brings his mom to tears in heartwarming video". Rare Country.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Caramanica, Jon (December 4, 2016). "Kane Brown Reaches to Reconcile Two Sides in His Sound". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Yahr, Emily (December 8, 2016). "Kane Brown could be the future of country music. So why is the industry skeptical?". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Falcone, Dana Rose (November 21, 2018). "Kane Brown Opens Up About Being Called the N-Word as a Kid: 'I Thought I Was Full White'". People.
  13. ^ Moss, Marissa R. (November 1, 2018). "How Kane Brown Became the Future of Country". Billboard.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Swirsky, Jen (November 7, 2014). "Meet Kane Brown". Country Music Chat.
  15. ^ "Kane Brown: Biography". BandPage. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c Courter, Barry (October 19, 2015). "Meet Chattanooga's Kane Brown". Times Free Press.
  17. ^ Deborah Evans Price (August 17, 2017). "Kane Brown's visit with his Nana will melt your heart". Rare Country.
  18. ^ Scott, Hope (July 2, 2015). "Get Closer to Kane Brown". The Shotgun Seat.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Hight, Jewly (March 25, 2016). "YouTube Upstart Kane Brown Is Breaking Country's Rules: 'The World's Not Used to It'". Billboard.
  20. ^ Yes, I Made It! Kane Brown – THE X FACTOR USA 2013 on YouTube
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brown is the New Black". Hits Daily Double. October 8, 2015.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Caulfield, Keith (October 23, 2015). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Indie Country Singer Kane Brown Breaks Into Top 40". Billboard.
  23. ^ "Kane Brown's debut EP". Kickstarter.
  24. ^ Bjorke, Matt (June 11, 2015). "Country Album Chart Report For June 11, 2015". Roughstock. Sales figure given here
  25. ^ Bjorke, Matt (October 29, 2014). "Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: October 29, 2014". Roughstock.
  26. ^ Cantor, Brian. "Emerging country star Kane Brown makes a sudden – and significant – splash on the iTunes single sales chart". Headline Planet.
  27. ^ Bjorke, Matt (October 27, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Singles: October 27, 2015". Roughstock.
  28. ^ Trust, Gary (October 28, 2015). "Drake Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Artist 100; Demi Lovato & Pentatonix Surge". Billboard.
  29. ^ Bjorke, Matt (November 9, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Singles: November 9, 2015". Roughstock.
  30. ^ Bjorke, Matt (December 7, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles: December 7, 2015". Roughstock.
  31. ^ Dukes, Billy (February 22, 2016). "Florida Georgia Line Eager to Mentor Kane Brown on Dig Your Roots Tour". Taste of Country.
  32. ^ "Chandler Stephens & Kane Brown – Can't Stop Love". New Country Songs.
  33. ^ Dukes, Billy (January 28, 2016). "Kane Brown Signs With Sony Nashville". Taste of Country.
  34. ^ Vinson, Christina (March 10, 2016). "Kane Brown Announces Debut EP, 'Chapter 1'". The Boot.
  35. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 27, 2016). "Gwen Stefani Scores Her First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Kane Brown – Ain't No Stopping Us Now". New Country Songs.
  37. ^ "Ain't No Stopping Us Now – Single". iTunes Store.
  38. ^ Reuter, Annie (July 18, 2016). "Kane Brown Books Headlining Ain't No Stopping Us Now Tour". Taste of Country.
  39. ^ Graff, Gary (December 2, 2016). "Kane Brown on His Self-Titled Debut: 'It's Pretty Much My Childhood on That Record'". Billboard.
  40. ^ Caulfield, Keith (December 11, 2016). "'The Hamilton Mixtape' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  41. ^ "American single certifications – Kane Brown – What Ifs". Recording Industry Association of America.
  42. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (August 22, 2017). "Kane Brown Duets With Chris Young on Deluxe Edition of Debut Album". Taste of Country. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  43. ^ "Kane Brown Drops Brand-New Song, 'Lose It' [LISTEN]". The Boot. June 7, 2018.
  44. ^ "Kane Brown on Twitter: "Album pre order 11 pm CT 9/6, Homesick track available 11 pm CT 9/6