Zac Brown Band is an American country/folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Southern
Ground Artists label. The lineup consists of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell
Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar, Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, and Daniel de los Reyes. The
band has toured throughout the United States, including a slot on the 2009 and 2010 Bonnaroo
Music Festival. They have also recorded five studio albums, and charted ten Number One
singles on the Billboard country charts: "Chicken Fried", "Toes", "Highway 20 Ride", "Free",
"As She's Walking Away", "Colder Weather", "Knee Deep", "Keep Me In Mind", "Goodbye in
Her Eyes", and "Sweet Annie", in addition to the singles "Whatever It Is", "No Hurry",
and "Jump Right In", which peaked at number 2, and "The Wind", which peaked at number
11.
Early years Zac Brown was born August 1, 1978, in Dahlonega,
Georgia. He was raised by his mom and step-dad, a dentist, on Lake Lanier. The 11th of 12
children, Brown attended Mashburn Elementary School in Cumming, Georgia; Lakeview Academy
in Gainesville, Georgia; and South Forsyth High School in Cumming. He later moved to
Dahlonega, Georgia, where he graduated from Lumpkin County High School. He learned to
play classical guitar at the age of 7. As a teenager, he played solo gigs in local venues,
performing country and pop cover songs. By the age of 18 he began touring the Southeast
with a drummer and his dog, laying out the ground work of what would become the Zac Brown
Band nine years later. Brown attended the University of West Georgia, where he became
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 and retreat center located in Dahlonega, Ga.
Formation In 2002, Zac Brown was traveling with a heavy
tour schedule of approximately 200 dates a year. The initial Zac Brown 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.
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's first independent album, Home Grown.
It was also in 2004 when Brown added violinist/fiddler and tenor vocalist Jimmy De Martini to the
Zac Brown Band 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 permanent member, to which De Martini gladly obliged.
Brown met John Driskell Hopkins in 1998 when Hopkins was hosting an open mic night at CJ's
Landing in Buckhead, GA. Hopkins later recorded Brown's album, Home Grown in his music studio,
Brighter Shade Studios. The two remained friends, and in 2005, Hopkins stepped in as bass guitarist
while helping the group finish-up what would become their number one single "Toes." It
was the second single off the band's major-label debut The Foundation which was partially recorded
in Hopkins' studio. You Get What You Give was also partially recorded in "Brighter Shade
Studios". In 2014, with the addition of bassist Matt Mangano to the line-up, Hopkins traded
in his bass to take on the role of multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, ukulele, stand-up bass, and
banjo. Bowles transferred to Atlanta's Georgia State
University to study music. He subsequently became involved in Atlanta's various music
scenes, and eventually formed Coy Bowles and the Fellowship in 2004. Two years later, Bowles
decided to reconnect with Brown. Through mutual friends, he learned that the Zac Brown Band
was scheduled to perform in Atlanta one evening. Bowles and Brown spent the afternoon prior
to the performance reacquainting with each other, which ended with Brown inviting Bowles
to sit in with his band at that night's performance, which Bowles gladly accepted. To return the
favor, Bowles invited the band to attend his own gig with the Fellowship a couple of months
later, which in turn resulted in Brown and his band sitting in at that gig.
This turn of events continued for eight months until Bowles concluded that it was too overwhelming
to balance his time with Brown's band and his own band and other activities, thus making
a difficult decision to put the Fellowship on an indefinite hiatus and become a permanent
member of the Zac Brown Band, as that was what he enjoyed the most.
In 2008, the Zac Brown Band signed to Live Nation Artists Records, but not before Chris
Fryar became yet another addition to the band. An Alabama native, Fryar attended the University
of North Texas and the Mississippi University for Women and made a name for himself in the
Birmingham music scene. According to Fryar, a mutual friend recommended him to Brown,
who was in need of a new drummer for the band. Fryar, who in turn had just finished a stint
with a previous band, subsequently auditioned and shortly afterward became the Zac Brown
Band's newest member. Commercial success
The Zac Brown Band's debut single, "Chicken Fried", was originally recorded in 2003 and
included on the Home Grown album, but later re-recorded and released to country radio
in 2008. This song was also recorded by The Lost Trailers, whose 2006 recording was released
as a single but withdrawn after Brown decided that he wanted to release it himself. Brown
also co-wrote "Simple Life", a song recorded by The Lost Trailers on their 2006 self-titled
album. In October 2008, Atlantic Records acquired
distribution of "Chicken Fried" after Live Nation Artists closed. The band's album The
Foundation was released under Atlantic Records' newly re-established country division in association
with the Home Grown/Bigger Picture label on November 18 of that year. "Chicken Fried"
reached No. 1 on the country charts that same month, making them the first country
band to reach No. 1 with a debut single since Heartland did so in 2006 with "I Loved Her
First." In July 2012, Zac Brown Band debuted their
new CD, Uncaged, which was well received. Billboard considered the album to be the best
country album of 2012 as of its release. On January 20, 2013, Zac Brown Band performed
the National Anthem during the NFC Championship Game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San
Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. On January 1, 2014, Zac Brown Band performed
the National Anthem during the NHL's Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings & Toronto
Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mi, home of the Michigan Wolverines football
team. Inclusion of Clay Cook
In January 2009, two months after "Chicken Fried" went to No. 1, Atlanta native Clay
Cook joined the Zac Brown Band as its multi-instrumentalist and high tenor vocalist. Cook had previously
collaborated with John Mayer and Shawn Mullins, and was also a member of the Marshall Tucker
Band for two years prior to joining the Zac Brown Band. According to Cook, he and Brown
actually both attended and graduated from high school together, but were never acquainted
with each other during that period. He explains how he first met Brown:
We ran into each other 2003 in a club scene in Atlanta, where I think my band opened up
for his band...ever since then, we've been friendly...and I think he just thought I was
a singer-songwriter for a long time; and then we were on a cruise ship together...and I
was playing with the Marshall Tucker Band at the time, and's band...and he actually
got to see me play the guitar...and then he realized, 'I need this guy in my band,' I
guess.
Brown himself admitted his strong desire to add Cook to the lineup, for he believed Cook's
musicianship would enhance the Zac Brown Band's overall musical style:
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 us better]. I’m a harmony fanatic. I love
big harmonies and things, and we didn’t have a high tenor, and Jimmy [De Martini],
my fiddle player, sings a lot of the high stuff now, but havin’ somebody that can
actually sing on top of that, we’ve added a four-part harmony now that’s searing,
and the guy’s a monster player, too."
With the new Zac Brown Band lineup completed, the band released its second single, "Whatever
It Is," which went to No. 2. In October 2009, a third single, "Toes," became the band's
second Number One. The album's fourth single, and third No. 1, was "Highway 20 Ride". "Free"
was the album's fifth single and on the week of August 21, 2010, it also peaked at Number
One. Inclusion of Daniel de los Reyes
On April 25, 2012, it was announced via the Zac Brown Band's website that percussionist
Daniel de los Reyes had joined the band on a permanent basis. De los Reyes had previously
performed with the band as a touring musician and participated in the recording of their
album Uncaged. De los Reyes has also performed with artists and groups such as Earth, Wind
and Fire, Jennifer Lopez and Sting. "Goodbye in Her Eyes" reached Number One on the Country
Airplay chart in 2013. The album's third single, "Jump Right In", was released to country radio
on February 25, 2013. It peaked at number 2 on the Country Airplay chart in August 2013.
The album's fourth single, "Sweet Annie", was released to country radio in August 2013,
and rose to number 1 in January, 2014. In April 2014, the band announced its summer
tour schedule, which will include Kacey Musgraves as an opening act, and the addition of Matt
Mangano as an eighth member. Mangano assumed the role of bass guitarist, while original
bassist John Driskell Hopkins began adding other instruments to his arsenal, including
banjo and ukulele. Awards
Since 2009, the Zac Brown Band has earned 55 award nominations from the Grammys, Academy
of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association and Country Music Television,
and has won 8. They have received four nominations for the
2009 CMA Awards: New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Music
Video of the Year for their No. 1 single, "Chicken Fried". That same year, they received
three Grammy nominations for Best Country Album, Best Country Performance By a Duo or
Group With Vocals and Best New Artist. On January 31, 2010, the band won the Grammy
award for Best New Artist. The Zac Brown Band was also nominated in 2009
for three ACM awards, "Album of the Year", "Top Vocal Group", and was one of eight contenders
for "Entertainer of the Year". The Zac Brown Band led the nominees for the
46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards 2011, with a total of nine nominations including:
Top Vocal Group of the Year, Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year, Song of the
Year, Vocal Event of the Year. Collaborations and appearances
Along with recent commercial success, the band has made appearances at The Hangout Music
Festival, Hullabalou Music Festival and the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2006, 2009, and
2010 along with an opening slot for the Dave Matthews Band during their 2010 Summer Tour.
Also, after several years as perennial favorites on the annual The Rock Boat theme-cruise,
the Zac Brown Band has been elevated to hosting their own theme-cruise, Sailing Southern Ground,
in September 2010. In Fall of 2009, the band began offering fan-club members the ability
to purchase tickets to VIP Eat & Greet experiences before the majority of their tour appearances.
These events afford fans the opportunity to share a meal with band-members before the
show, and have become an integral part of the overall Zac Brown Band live experience.
In 2011, the Zac Brown Band and Blackberry Smoke held a concert tour at venues and amphitheaters
including Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA. On April 28, 2013, the Zac Brown Band headlined
the 2013 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California. Zac Brown Band completed a three-night, headlining
stint at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, Thursday, May 9th, 2013, and
Friday, May 10, 2013. All three performances were completely sold out.
On September 6, 2013, Zac Brown sat in with The String Cheese Incident and performed as
the Zac Brown Incident during the inaugural Lockin' Festival in Arrington, VA.
On November 6, 2013, Zac Brown Band performed at the 2013 CMA awards with Dave Grohl on
drums, debuting their new song "Day for the Dead". On November 24, while being interviewed
at the American Music Awards, Grohl revealed that he recently produced the band's new EP.
On January 21, 2014, Zac Brown Band released a live version of their 2010 #1 hit "Free".
The track features Clare Bowen and precedes their January 22 appearance on the ABC TV
show Nashville. The song(s) were recorded at the 2013 Southern Ground Music & Food Festival
in Nashville. Philanthropy
The band has also supported Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that works to restore
and revitalize music education programs in disadvantaged U.S. public schools, by generously
donating items for auction to raise money for the organization.
Discography
Studio albums The Foundation
You Get What You Give Uncaged
TBA References
External links Official Site
Zac Brown Band at Billboard.com