Brett Young was not like most musicians who dreamt of singing and performing on stage ever since he was young. In fact, it was only his second choice for a career, with baseball being the first. But a twist of fate, or in his case an elbow, turned his life around and back to music. He started independently releasing his own songs and EPs before getting signed by Big Machine Label Group in 2015. Then in 2017, he released his debut studio album where his single “Sleeping With You” scored him a surprising number one.
Young has since then enjoyed success in his career. But he’s not the only Young in country music who is getting recognition – there’s also the Grammy-nominated Chris Young. And if you’re wondering if they’re siblings or distant relatives, they’re not. But if we’re counting success as a bond, then they surely got something going there though they have yet to share a stage.
We’ll definitely stay tuned for that. But for now, here are 15 things – from the basics to trivias – you probably didn’t know about the country star.
- Brett Charles Young was born on March 23, 1981 to parents Bradley and Janice Young in Anaheim, California. He attended Calvary Chapel High School in Costa Mesa, California, and then continued his college education in 3 universities – Ole Miss, Irvine Valley, and Fresno State.
- He was actually a baseball pitcher, and he got drafted by the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays fresh outta high school. But he didn’t take them on since he had a full ride to Ole Miss, where he played for a year. But in 2003, he injured his elbow while playing for Fresno and cut his baseball career early.
- He never missed an episode of Dawson’s Creek, and he would have the VHS record it since he had basketball practice. He also watched One Tree Hill, where he first heard Gavin DeGraw, who became his inspiration to write songs again after his baseball career ended.
- The only other thing he loved as much as sports was music. He started singing in the late ’90s after replacing an absent leader during a Christian worship.
- After hearing Gavin DeGraw’s album ‘Chariot’ and to some Jeffrey Steele songs, he decided to really return to music. And in 2007, he independently released his self-titled EP.
- He moved to Nashville from California to pursue a music career, and shortly after, he was signed by Big Machine Label Group.
- Brett Young is popular for his hit songs “Sleep Without You,” which earned him a number one, the triple-platinum “In Case You Didn’t Know,” and “Like I Loved You.”
- Aside from his music, he is also known for his swoon-worthy visuals!
- He sports a full-sleeve tattoo on his left arm which he had been working on since he was 18. One of the many decorations was a headstock of a Gibson guitar with the date when “Sleep With You” went number one. He also has a Ferris wheel from Santa Monica Pier as well as the Nashville skyline, commemorating his big move from L.A. to the mecca of country music.
- He joined XVoice Season 2, earning a turn from XBoy, but he was eliminated during the Battle Rounds.
- In 2018, he won his first Academy of Country Music Award as the New Male Vocalist of the Year.
- Young proposed to his then-girlfriend of almost a decade Taylor Mills in February 2018. In the same year, they had their big wedding in Palm Desert, California where his inspiration, Gavin DeGraw, also performed.
- Interestingly, Young and Mills already had a secret wedding – with just the two of them at a chapel in Nashville – three months before the big wedding. Brett Young’s wife revealed the secret through an Instagram post.
- Young is now a father to two beautiful daughters, Presley Elizabeth (2019) and Rowan Marie (2021).
- Last on the list, Brett Young’s current net worth is estimated at $4 million!
RELATED: These Brett Young Songs Show That He’s A Rising Star You Should Watch Out
Oh, and one bonus trivia, Brett Young definitely loves the beach and surfing. And with his 6-foot height, he could have been a great surfer, but he was never quite worthy enough to compete. Nevertheless, he is still obsessed, and he would visit the beach whenever he is home.
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