9 Country Music Stars Born And Raised In Tennessee
Morgan Wallen has remained loyal to his Tennessee roots throughout his career. Growing up in Sneedville, Tennesee, before moving to Knoxville as a teenager, Wallen’s affinity for the University of…
Morgan Wallen has remained loyal to his Tennessee roots throughout his career. Growing up in Sneedville, Tennesee, before moving to Knoxville as a teenager, Wallen's affinity for the University of Tennessee Vols has inspired hits such as "Tennessee Fan" and "Had Me By Halftime," while he continues to cheer on his favorite team between tour stops.
Much to Morgan's delight, his "One Night At A Time Tour" will headline Neyland Stadium on Sunday, September 22. He will be joined by special guests HARDY and fellow Tennessee native ERNEST.
Wallen said, "I've had the honor of playing in a lot of college, MLB, and NFL stadiums the past two years, but getting to play to my hometown at Neyland Stadium, nothing tops this for a boy from East Tennessee."
Morgan isn't the only country superstar with Tennessee roots; Kenny Chesney told us recently that the life that keeps him on the road can add layers to his personality, as complicated as that can make things. But he still frequently reverts to that kid from East Tennessee.
Chesney said, "I think that when you travel as much as we've traveled and you have all these life experiences on the road for all these years, you become more complicated because you see a lot of things…"
He added, "But then again, I think that for me and the way I grew up, I'm very simple all at the same time."
In October, in Knoxville, after 15 years of losing to No. 3 Alabama, the No. 6 Tennessee Vols football team won with a score of 52-49. The fans rushed to the field, and at the top of the stadium, there to witness the party, were Knoxville natives Chesney and Kelsea Ballerini.
Dressed in a Vols hat and polo, Kenny posted a photo on his Instagram, writing, "Great to be back in Rocky Top. What a game!!"
Kelsea reacted to his post, "THE HOMETOWN GOOD LUCK CHARM."
And then there's Dolly Parton, a country music matriarch and probably the most famous person from Tennessee next to Elvis Presley. She loves her home state so much that she is helping the East Tennessee economy single-handed with her Dollywood Theme park and resort/hotel chain, which is also soon opening a hotel in downtown Nashville.
As Wallen prepares to play his hometown stadium in Tennessee, we look at other country music superstars who have called Tennessee home since the beginning.
Kane Brown - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tom Cooper/Getty ImagesKane loves all the Georgia teams, primarily the Bulldogs, as Georgia is just minutes away from his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Moving to Nashville in his early twenties was an easy two-hour drive from his birthplace.
Morgan Wallen - Sneedville, Tennessee
Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesMorgan, like Keny Chesney, loves his Tennessee Vols from near his hometown in Knoxville, Tennessee. His move to Nashville was just under four hours away from where he was born.
Dustin Lynch - Tullahoma, Tennessee
Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesAn hour south of Nashville, Dustin was playing rock music before donning a cowboy hat and moving to Nashville.
Lady A's Hillary Scott - Nashville, Tennessee
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImageHillary is the daughter of Linda Davis, who scored a Grammy win for her duet with Reba, "Does He Love You" in the 1990s. Hillary recalls as a child, her mom toured with Reba and she spent some time with the country icon.
Chris Young - Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Erika Goldring/Getty ImagesChris' mom has worked in the music business for years. Young actually moved to Texas for a while to start performing in clubs and honky tonks before coming back home to make the big time in country music.
Kelsea Ballerini - Mascot, Tennessee
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesKelsea grew up in Knoxville, moving to Nashville with her family when she was still in high school.
Jelly Roll - Nashville, Tennessee
Rick Kern/Getty ImagesJelly Roll grew up in Antioch, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. While he did hip-hop and rap music, he just recently scored a number-one hit in country music with "Son of A Sinner."
Kenny Chesney - Knoxville, Tennessee
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesRaised in Luttrell, Tennessee, Kenny bleeds orange and all things Tennessee Vols, his home team.
Dolly Parton - Sevierville, Tennessee
Brendon Thorne/Getty ImagesDolly drove to Nashville right after she graduated from high school in the late 1960s. In 1988, Dolly paid back her hometown area by opening Dollywood, a theme park where so many natives of East Tennessee are employed.
