Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band Artistfacts

  • 2002-
    Zac BrownVocals2002-
    Jimmy De MartiniFiddle2004-
    John Driskell HopkinsBass guitar, guitar2005-
    Coy BowlesGuitar, keyboards2006-
    Chris FryarDrums2008-
    Clay CookMulti-instrumentals2009-
    Daniel De Los ReyesPercussion2012-
    Matt ManganoBass guitar2014-
    Caroline JonesMulti-instrumentals2022-
  • The country/folk band is based out of Atlanta, Georgia, where frontman Zac Brown was born in 1978.
  • They gained notoriety with the 2008 single "Chicken Fried," an earlier song re-recorded for their major-label debut album The Foundation. It would be the first of many #1 country singles.
  • Before joining Zac Brown, multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook was a member of The Marshall Tucker Band. Before that, he was part of a duo called the Lo-Fi Masters with John Mayer. He also co-wrote songs for Mayer's debut EP, Inside Wants Out, and his debut album, Room For Squares.
  • They won Best New Artist at the 2010 Grammy Awards, the third country act to win the award (behind Carrie Underwood and LeAnn Rimes).
  • One of the earliest members of the band was Zac Brown's dog, Pete. Between high school and college (University of West Georgia), Zac went on a Southeast tour with a drummer and took Pete along.
  • The video for their 2013 single "Sweet Annie" contains snippets of footage from Coy Bowles' wedding.
  • Zac Brown wed Jewelry designer Shelly in 2006 after being introduced by a friend. They had five children together: son Alexander and daughters Joni, Georgia, Lucy and Justice. The couple announced in October 2018 that they were separating after 12 years of marriage.

    Brown tied the knot for the second time in August 2023 when he wed model Kelly Yazdi, but they called it quits after just four months of marriage.
  • In 2021, bass player John Driskell Hopkins was diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative muscle disease that typically leads to death in about five years. Hopkins went on tour with the band in 2022 and worked hard to fend off the disease through exercise and nutrition.
  • Caroline Jones joined the band in 2022 after doing time as their opening act for three years starting in 2017. Jones' popular songs include "Chasin' Me" and "Gulf Coast Girl."

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