Jason Aldean Opens Up About His Father's Influence On His Country Music Journey

Jason Aldean opens up in a new interview about the impact his father, Barry, had on his choice to become a country singer. Talking to the PBS program Breaking Big, Aldean recalls how his father and uncle used to sit in the living room and sing songs from country greats including Merle Haggard and George Jones. The star shares, "Really, I started wanting to sing just so I could sit in the room with those guys," which reflects the deep familial roots that shaped his passion for music.

After Aldean's parents divorced, his mother, Debbie, raised him in Macon, Ga., while his father moved to Florida. His dad bought him a cheap guitar with the promise that if he learned to play, he’d buy him a nice guitar as a reward. Young Jason was initially more interested in baseball, but it wasn't until he spent the summer with his dad in Florida that he truly began to embrace music.

During his summer with his father, Aldean found himself with plenty of time on his hands, leading to hours spent playing guitar while his dad was at work. "I really didn’t have anything else to do," he recalls, "So I started trying to learn songs, and you look up and you’ve been doing it for five or six hours straight." This dedication culminated in him teaching his father songs a couple of months later, which led to his father fulfilling his promise of buying him a nice guitar.

Aldean began playing in public when he was just 14 years old. By his late teens, he was competing in and winning talent shows across Georgia, which led to several years of performing in bars. This exposure eventually caught the attention of his longtime producer, Michael Knox, who met the aspiring star at a show and vowed to bring him to Nashville. Despite facing challenges, including several failed record deals, Aldean's perseverance paid off when he released his debut single, "Hicktown," in 2005, marking a significant milestone in his career.

Today, Jason Aldean is celebrated as one of the biggest touring acts across all genres. He often reflects on his journey, saying, "I look around now, and believe me, I’m very aware of how fortunate I am. It’s cool, because I’ve been able to pay back my parents for helping me out all those years, and kinda giving me a kick in the butt when I needed it." His story is not just about success but also about gratitude and the importance of family support in achieving dreams.