Zac Brown (born July 31, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.
Early life and Education
Zachry Alexander Brown was raised on Lake Lanier by his mother, Bettye, and his stepfather, Dr. Jody Moses, a dentist in Cumming, Georgia. As the eleventh of twelve children, Brown attended Mashburn Elementary School in Cumming, Lakeview Academy in Gainesville, and South Forsyth High School in Cumming. At 17, he moved to Dahlonega, Georgia, and graduated from Lumpkin County High School.
At the age of 8, Brown received his mother’s guitar and was taught classical guitar by one of his stepfather’s patients. After two years of lessons, he discovered a passion for bluegrass music, playing with his father and brother during weekend visits. In his mid-teens, he spent nearly a year being coached by a vocal instructor from his church.
While still in high school, inspired by James Taylor, Brown began performing solo gigs at local venues, covering country and pop songs. He attended the University of West Georgia, joined the Zeta Kappa chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, and worked as a camp counselor at Camp Mikell in Toccoa and Camp Glisson in Dahlonega. Brown later founded Camp Southern Ground, a nonprofit camp in Fayetteville, Georgia.
Career
In 2017, Brown invested in the Stillhouse Creek Distillery in Lumpkin County, Georgia, which was later rebranded as the Z. Brown Distillery. However, the distillery closed on November 18, 2018.
In 2016, Brown appeared on an episode of “Treehouse Masters” on Animal Planet. In 2019, he was featured on Lil Dicky’s charity single “Earth.”
Brown also founded Southern Grind Knives, a company in Peachtree City, Georgia, specializing in hard-use tactical knives.
He gained fame as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the country band Zac Brown Band, and he is also a member of the electronic dance music group Sir Rosevelt. In 2019, Brown surprised fans by releasing a pop album titled “The Controversy.”
Personal life
In 2018, Brown and his wife Shelly ended their 12-year marriage. They have four daughters and a son.
In August 2023, Brown married model and actress Kelly Yazdi. However, by December of the same year, they announced their separation and intention to divorce.
Controversy
In 2016, Brown was involved in an early morning drug bust at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Palm Beach, Florida. Although he was not arrested, police detained four other individuals for marijuana and cocaine and found Brown in possession of prescription pills. Reports indicated that three strippers were present in the room at the time. It was also reported that the Palm Beach Police Officers did not name Brown in their report due to being fans of his music. Brown later apologized, stating he was “at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 50 million dollars