Who is VMAs performer Kane Brown, the first male country singer to take the award show's stage?
Brown got his start on social media after being eliminated from 'American Idol' and 'X Factor'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kane Brown is making music history this weekend as the first male country music artist to perform on the MTV VMAs stage.
As if that was not enough, he is also making history as the first performer to incorporate a mixed reality elements into his performance when performing on the Toyota stage, promising audiences something completely new and different.
"It's such an iconic show to be a part of, and I just feel really honored that they asked me. I can’t give too much away, but I can say that they can expect it to be something they haven’t seen before," he said of his upcoming performance.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Here are a few things you to know about Brown.
Growing Up
Kane Brown was inspired to start a music career after his classmate, Lauren Alaina, placed second on the tenth season of ‘American Idol’ and experienced a major career boost. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT)
Brown was raised by a single mother after his father was incarcerated in 1996 when he was three years old. His mom often struggled to provide, frequently resulting in the two of them moving residences several times, and sometimes even taking temporary refuge in their car.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Music was always a big part of his life, and after winning a talent show at his high school in eleventh grade singing a cover of a Chris Young song, Brown began to pursue country music.
After Brown’s classmate Lauren Alaina placed second on season 10 of "American Idol" and broke into the music industry, Brown decided to take his own talents as a singer and try to recreate Alaina’s success.
Early Career
After his attempts at making it big on competition singing shows proved unsuccessful, Kane Brown decided to get attention by posting covers on his social media accounts. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Unfortunately for Brown, his attempts at making it big in a singing competition were not as successful as his friend Alaina’s. He did not make it past the audition phase on "American Idol," and he decided to drop out of "The X Factor" when he was told the judges wanted to put him in a boy band rather than have him compete as a solo act.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was then he decided to gain popularity by posting covers of popular country music songs on Facebook. These covers quickly garnered millions of views, with "Check Yes or No" by George Strait as one of the most popular.
After a teaser for one of his original songs garnered over 11 million views in two weeks, Brown released a six-song EP, entitled "Closer," in June 2015. The success of this EP caught the attention of Sony Music Records, whom he signed with in January 2016 under the RCA Nashville label.
His first EP released under his new label, "Chapter 1," debuted at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number three on the Top Country Albums chart.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Big Break
After the success of his first EP with the record label, Kane Brown released his first full length self-titled album, which became country music's most successful debut album since 2014. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)
His successful EP was followed by his ultra-successful self-titled debut album in December 2016. The album became country music’s most successful debut album since 2014 when Sam Hunt released "Montevallo."
The album debuted at number 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. His second single off the album, "What Ifs," stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks.
"I’m so grateful to all the fans, and to Dann Huff, Matt McVaney and the songwriters on the album, who helped me tell my story to the world through this record," Brown said in a press release at the time. "A No. 1 country album is a dream come true, made possible through the hard work of everyone involved."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Almost a year later, a deluxe version of the album was released and featured four previously unreleased songs. Both the album and its songs reached number one on the charts, making Brown 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.
Continued Success
Kane Brown has not slowed down since breaking into the industry, releasing a second album and a third EP. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM)
Brown released his second album, "Experiment," in 2018. The album became Brown’s first to reach number one on the Billboard 200 album charts.
Over the next year, Brown collaborated with a number of artists, including Khalid, Becky G, Marshmello and Camilla Cabello, making a name for himself in the mainstream pop music scene as well.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since then, he has released another EP and started his own record label through which he has been releasing singles since.
Personal Life
Kane Brown married his wife Katelyn Jae in 2018 and the couple now shares two daughters together. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)
Brown married his wife Katelyn Jae in 2018 in a ceremony in Nolensville, Tennessee.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The couple announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Kingsley in October 2019, and their second child, another daughter named Kodi, in December 2021.