Jason Aldean had to find new opening acts for the second leg of his Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour, after Gabby Barrett announced she was expecting her second child later this year.
Aldean reached out to two of his musical heroes, Tracy Lawrence and Travis Tritt, to serve as his opening act for some of the shows, which Aldean admits will likely turn him into a major fan instead of a headliner.
“I”m so excited,” Aldean gushed to Everything Nash and other outlets during a virtual media event. “I don’t think it’s any secret that Tracy Lawrence has been one of my heroes forever. And Travis, too, I remember going to see Travis Tritt at the Omni in Atlanta when I was a teenager, and he was one of those guys that did the country Southern rock thing, and I just thought that was so cool. And obviously, he was a big influence for me, too. And so to have those guys out … my graduation present from high school was tickets to go see Tracy Lawrence. So here I am, out on tour, and these guys are opening for me. It’s pretty wild.”
Aldean’s eponymous freshman debut album came out 17 years ago. In spite of his hard work, the 45-year-old admits he still has trouble accepting his reign as one of country music’s biggest superstars.
“I remember years ago, we played Stagecoach out in California and Alabama opened for us,” Aldean recounts. “That was mind-blowing for me, because that’s my favorite band of all time. So it’s pretty wild to look at it sometimes like that, but I’m super stoked to have them out. I’m excited. I’ll probably turn into a teenager again, and be out there side-stage, checking it out and singing all the songs. That’s going to be fun. So I’m glad we were able to get them.”
Aldean recently celebrated his 27th No. 1 hit, with “Trouble With A Heartbreak.” The song is from Georgia, the second part of his latest Macon, Georgia album, out now.
“I’m so thankful for the career I’ve had,” Aldean said on Country Countdown USA. “You get a couple No. 1 [hits], and then there’s ten, and 20. It’s so beyond what I imagined when I started this. I hope I’ve got a few more in me, but 27, I’m extremely proud of that for sure.”
Chase Rice will also open for select dates on the Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour, which also includes John Morgan and Dee Jay Silver. Find tour dates here.