9 Things to Know About Jon Pardi

Hannah Barnes

05/20/2020 11:03 am EDT

Jon Pardi rings in his 34th birthday on May 20, and his celebration may look a bit different than usual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Pardi began writing music at the age of 12 and had formed his own band by 14. He moved to Nashville after high school and signed with Capitol Nashville, and has since released three studio albums including his most recent, 2019's Heartache Medication. He scored his first No. 1 single in 2015 with "Head Over Boots," following that with his second No. 1, "Dirt on My Boots," in 2016. Last year, he earned his third trip to the top spot with Heartache Medication's title track.

Read on to find out more about the "Heartache on the Dance Floor" singer.

He fell in love with country music thanks to his grandmother's karaoke machine

The California native credits his grandmother for instilling his love of country music. "My grandma really influenced me in country music because she always loved country music," Pardi told Taste of Country. "From like 3 years old on, during the summer or during the work days, my parents would drop me off at my grandma's. We had this karaoke machine, and we would just sing — Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, George Strait, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Jr. — I was listening to all of that from a very early age."

He once won a songwriting competition with a song called "The D.U.I. Song"

Pardi was studying at Chico, California's Butte Junior College when he entered a contest requiring participants to write a song disparaging driving under the influence. He won with "The D.U.I. Song," earning him $300 that he used to buy a rack for his band's P.A. system. "It went over great live — it's fun and catchy," he told Rolling Stone of the track. "But it did have a good theme: don't drink and drive! It was kinda stupid, but it got the word out."

He doesn't like sweets

"I don't like sweets that much," he told Wide Open Country. "You know how people wake up sometimes and they get pancakes, and they get whipped cream and blueberries and stuff? That's not me. I'm a ham, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns kind of man. Coffee black." Still, he did admit there's one dessert he's a particular fan of. "I love crème brûlée," he said. "I don't know what it is."

He has diverse musical influences

Along with the country greats, Pardi shared that he's also inspired by a few other iconic artists. "I like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles," he told Wide Open Country. "One of my favorite artists. And Dean Martin. All those guys."

He drives a 1978 restored Ford Bronco

It's no secret that country music and trucks pretty much go hand in hand, and Pardi is no exception, driving a fully restored 1978 Ford Bronco.

After moving to Nashville, he became a lifeguard to support himself

Pardi moved to Music City in 2008 and took up a few odd jobs before making it big as an artist, one of which was serving as a lifeguard. "I had it made in the lifeguard days, man!" he told ABC Radio. "Because I just had one pool and I just stayed in the sun all day and they brought the kids in and out. So, it's pre-K through eighth grade. I was at a private school, and I was the lifeguard for summer camp!"

He once had surgery to repair a knee injury so he could dance better on stage

In 2013, Pardi underwent surgery to repair a knee injury he suffered in high school that ended his football career, with the hopes that it would allow him to move a little better on stage. "It really started bugging me when it started affecting my onstage dancing," he joked to Taste of Country. "I'd get all into the music and start dancing around and try to do some karate chops up onstage, and before I knew it, I would get stuck in some crazy George Strait position. It wasn't pretty."

He doesn't like to talk much about his personal life

While Pardi doesn't talk much about his personal life, he did share his engagement to girlfriend Summer Duncan in October 2019 after he proposed on stage during a concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The couple planned to marry this month in Montana but recently decided to postpone their nuptials due to the coronavirus.

His go-to place in Nashville is a dive bar called Losers

Nashville natives know that if they're at Losers, they might run into some famous faces, with stars like Pardi and Miranda Lambert naming it as one of their favorite spots in Nashville. "My favorite place in Nashville is no secret, but it's called Losers," Pardi told Whiskey Riff. "It's a lot of fun. I played there for a little bit in my early stages; it's kind of my home. So go check it out, you might even run into me there."

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