Brett Eldredge celebrates his 33rd birthday on March 23, and we’re celebrating with a few fun facts about the charismatic singer.
Eldredge’s country music career has seen him release three albums and a Christmas record, earn five No. 1 singles and charm audiences everywhere with his friendly nature and true talent, but there are a few things many fans might not know when it comes to the star, like the fact that he celebrated one of his No. 1 songs with dinner in the sky.
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Keep scrolling for a few facts you may not have known about the country crooner.
He was born in Paris, Illinois
Fans might have guessed that Eldredge hails from Illinois due to the title of his second studio album, Illinois, but more specifically, the singer was born in the city of Paris, which boasted a population of around 8,000 according to the 2010 census.
Eldredge has one brother, Brice, and recorded the track “Brother” about his sibling for his most recent album.
“My mom loves the song ‘Brother’ especially because it’s about my brother,” he told CMT. “She had all these questions, like, ‘Did you really go to jail?’ Because there’s a line about, ‘You were my first call that night in jail, when you rushed in to pay my bail.’ And I never went to jail and he never wentโฆWe did have wild times and all that but nothing that would have me end up in jail or anything.”
He has a dog named Edgar
This one is a bit of a non-surprise to Eldredge fans, as the singer often posts photos of his pup all over social media.
Recently, the pair spent some time enjoying the outdoors, with Eldredge sharing a video of himself performing an acapella version of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” as he pats his faithful pup. As if the scenic setting isn’t enough, Eldredge’s voice takes the clip to the next level.
He is considering recording a jazz album
While country music is the name of the game for Eldredge right now, today’s musical world means that genre boundaries can be expanded and pushed almost without limits. To that end, the singer shared that he’s considering recording a jazz record, as the genre has always been a passion of his.
“Somewhere down the road, of course, I’d love to make a [jazz] record, and I’d love to continue to make the records that I make like I do every day,” Eldredge told PopCulture.com at a recent media event. “I’m writing for my next album already. I’m always growing and there are so many different kinds of music that feed into the music I make now. I think I’m slowly starting to already kind of show the merging of that a little bit and these are those influences.”
He’s a diehard Chicago Cubs fan
Eldredge is such a big fan of the team that he’s thrown out the ceremonial first pitch, filmed his music video for “Wanna Be That Song” at Wrigley Field and even missed the 2016 CMA Awards to be in attendance at Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, which saw the Cubs take the win over the Cleveland Indians.
In fact, the singer now counts some of the team’s players among his close friends.
Christmas is his favorite holiday
Anyone who follows Eldredge on social media would know that the star loves to go all-out for Christmas, as does his family, with Eldredge’s mom even helping him decorate for the season.
“I told my mom what kind of vibe I like and she totally delivered,” Eldredge told Taste of Country this past holiday season. “It’s kind of a class, Rat Pack Christmas vibe. She knocked it out.”
Eldredge’s family also got in on the fun this Christmas, with the singer sharing a video of himself and the extended Eldredge clan all dressed in matching holiday onesies.
“Wish I could just find my family, ’cause it’s Christmas. I wish they would dress like me too, that’d be cool,” the country crooner mused before revealing the group, who offers a festive “Merry Christmas” for the camera.
He likes to plan one daredevil thing to do after a song hits No. 1
Eldredge has had five No. 1 hits, so going by this fact, he’s done at least five daring stunts. For his first No. 1, “Don’t Ya,” it was skydiving, for “Beat Of The Music,” it was shark diving, and for his third, “Mean To Me,” he decided on dinner in the sky, which is just what it sounds like โ dining on a platform suspended at about 300 feet in the air on a crane.
“It’s just all [about] crazy experiences in life that I can look back and say ‘That was something I never imagined in a million years that I would do, and now I get to share that story with my friends and include the people that love me most.,’” the singer explained to the Phoenix New Times at the time.
He likes to put on costumes and mingle in the crowd before his shows
Shows aren’t the only places Eldredgeย likes to mingle, as the crooner has revealed himself to have shown up at bars and other festive occasions dressed in full costume. A few years ago, he wore a Buddy the Elf costume to sing karaoke with unsuspecting fans, andย this pastย holiday season,ย he wore a Santa-inspired suit to have a little fun in Wrigleyville. All this to say, if you’re in Nashville and you see a fun-loving guy in a costume, it could be Eldredge.
His favorite drink is whiskey on the rocks
Eldredge is a country singer, so it’s safe to say he’s done his fair share of drinking over the years, and the star’s favorite offering is whiskey on the rocks.
As for his surefire way to avoid a hangover?
“You gotta go one for one,” Eldredge told Sounds Like Nashville. “For every drink, you go a water. That’s the trick. You heard it here first. One for one.”
His biggest musical influence is Frank Sinatra
Eldredge has made no secret of the fact that Sinatra is his biggest musical influence, and he let that inspiration shine while recording his Christmas album, Glow, which allowed him to sing in a jazz style that’s a bit different from his country sound.
He’s also covered Big Band standards, including “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Fly Me To The Moon,” and shared that they will always be a part of his repertoire.
For Sinatra’s birthday last year, Eldredgeย wrote on Instagram, “I never got to hear ya sing in person, I never got to shake your hand, but I feel ya every time I sing a note…that’s what a true music idol does…you are my #1!”
To further honor the singer, Eldredge shared a video of himself performing an acapella cover of Sinatra’s “My Way,” and it’s so good, you need to watch it for yourself.
Photo Credit:ย Getty / Theo Wargo