While digging up information about the artist who recently sold out the MGM Music Hall (quickly), I found some interesting tidbits on Billboard and the Grammy Awards website. Check out 6 things you may not know about Bailey Zimmerman, right here!

Bailey’s rise to fame happened in a somewhat unorthodox fashion. You’ll find out what that means, exactly, below. One thing is for sure, it all seemed to happen so fast. In my recent interview with Bailey he said, “a few years ago I was sittin’ on my mom’s couch, wondering how I was going to make my truck payment.” He went on to say…“Wondering What the Heck I was going to do with my life.”

Overnight Success

There is no such thing as overnight success, but it sure seemed to happen quickly for Zimmerman. Not that there hasn’t been a lot of hard work, sweat and heart put into his music career. There’s plenty of that. And if you’ve ever seem him perform on stage, you can see how hard he works. This artist has energy that is infectious and he works every inch of that stage, pouring his heart out and getting fans involved.

“I never tried to sing before, yeah, December of 2020“… Can you imagine? Bailey said those words in our chat last year. A career in music was never even in his realm of possibilities, and here he is 3 #1 hits in and and new single hoping to do the same. The “This Is Where It Ends” singer has only just begun. He was a part of 2023’s biggest tours with Morgan Wallen, and has solidified a life long friendship with him, as well as many other famous musicians. Last year he recorded a song with the Jonas Brothers and he was just announced as a performer at the upcoming CMT Music Awards. Life is good for the now 24 year artist who grew up in a very small town thinking that was where he’d stay.

You never know what’s around the corner. But you can bet on success with a little creativity, a lot of hard work and a dash of luck. Below, you’ll find 6 things you may not know about Bailey Zimmerman. Get to know one of country music’s hottest new stars who will perform a big show in Boston, his third now in our city, tonight. Welcome Bailey!

• 1. Early Riser

  Despite the fact that Bailey works mostly at night, and likely gets late, he usually gets up early in the morning. You could say he sticks to that routing, “Religiously.” He told Billboard, ” I get up really, really early in the morning. I get up at about six or seven every single morning, and if I sleep past that, check on me, because it’s probably not good.” 

• 2. Small Town Boy

  Bailey is from a small, blue collar town in Illinois. It’s about 4 hours south of Chicago and called Louisville. With a population of just over 1,000 people, Zimmerman thought he would likely never leave.  According to the Grammy Awards site, when he landed a “coveted spot” working on a gas pipeline, a labor union gig, he thought that was it. He told them, ” That was gonna be my whole life.” 

• 3. Favorite Drink

  “Chocolate milk is my favorite drink in the whole world. I love chocolate milk so much but I actually can’t drink chocolate milk anymore because I started being a singer.”  That’s what Zimmerman told Billboard in a 2023 interview. Most singers avoid dairy because it may increase acid reflux and mucus. Bailey went on to say, “so I can’t drink chocolate milk anymore, but it’s my favorite drink ever. I sometimes slide them in there every once in a while.” I’m glad he can sneak in his favorite beverage every once in a while. 

• 4. Somethin' Bout a Truck

  So many country artists have been discovered on social media with their music. Not Bailey. He gained quite the loyal following for his trucks. As explained in the Grammy Awards article, he had a passion for lifting trucks and would post his work on social. That passion eventually led to him singing along while working. Bailey decided to hit record on his phone one day and… It sparked. Zimmerman told the publication, “I listened back and I was like, ‘That kind of sounds like the recording — I’m gonna put it on Snapchat and maybe see if some girls think I can sing.”  The video didn’t get the girl (that time), but it did connect him with his future and a songwriter, Gavin Lucas. They wrote a song together, “Never Comin’ Home” and posted to TikTok. By the next morning, Bailey’s followers had doubled and the video got almost 2 millions views. I bet you know what he did next. Yup, he quit his day job.

• 5. No Boots, No Hat, No Problem

  You likely won’t ever see Bailey Zimmerman in boots or a cowboy hat. Of course, we always see Zimmerman sporting a baseball cap. He did play baseball in high school. That is until he was caught with a beer in his hand at a party. He got kicked off the team for that. The hitmaker told Billboard, ” I wear sneakers. I don’t ever wear boots. I hate boots. I don’t like cowboy hats, and I don’t like boots. I would rather wear sneakers and flat bills.

• 6. Music Sponge

  Bailey’s musical influences span the genres. But his parents’ passion for music certainly played a party in his love for it. His mother brought him to rock concerts at a young age. She was into bands like Linkin Park, Tesla and Nickelback. Meanwhile, his dad’s love of country was also ingrained in his heart. His dad owned a trucking business, and there were long rides together listening to country radio. Zimmerman told Billboard, “We would get up at 3 a.m. and do these drives, and he would always have country music playing. One of the big country songs when I was growing up was Craig Morgan’s ‘Wake Up Lovin’ You.’ My dad loved that song and would turn it up any time it came on. 

  @bailey.zimmerman

  ❤️“HOLY SMOKES” ❤️ WHEN SHOULD I DROP IT🤔🔥 #musictok #newmusic #musicoftiktok

  ♬ Holy Smokes - Bailey Zimmerman

   

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