Jason Aldean Opens up About Being a Child of Divorce: ‘It Became Normal’

Jason Aldean was only 3 years old when his parents divorced, so he never really knew what it was like to live with both his mother and father under one roof. Although coming from a broken home had its challenges, Aldean has no regrets about the way he was raised.

“I don’t ever really remember them being married,” Aldean admitted while speaking at the recent Country Radio Seminar (CRS). “My dad lived in south Florida. We lived in south Florida when they got divorced, so when they got divorced, my mom and I moved to Jacksonville, and then eventually to Georgia, and my dad stayed in south Florida. I spent my summers in south Florida, and the rest of the year in Georgia with my mom.”

Aldean divided his time between both parents, with each of them working hard to be in their son’s life.

“I never really knew anything different,” reflected the singer. “I think there were times when you were at ball games, and you’d see all the dads, and my dad really couldn’t be there for all that stuff, so I think that was a little tough, growing up sometimes. My mom did a great job of being there for everything, and my dad was always there as much as he could be. It never really made me feel like it was anything weird, or out of the ordinary for me. It just kind of became the normal situation.”

Aldean showed an early propensity for both music and sports, excelling at both. One thing he didn’t excel at, however, was academics.

“I guess my biggest obstacle was graduating,” Aldean said with a laugh. “I was big into sports. Sports was always my thing. Music was my hobby at the time. It wasn’t something I really thought was going to turn into a lifelong career. I was more sports-oriented.”

Aldean soon realized he could make money from playing music, even though he wasn’t even old enough to drive.

“I started playing clubs in my hometown,” Aldean recalled. “As a 15-year-old, I couldn’t even drive to the clubs, so my parents would drive me, and stay with me until 1 or 2 in the morning, and then I would go home, get up and go to school and do baseball practice.”

Aldean and his wife, Brittany, just welcomed their second daughter, Navy Rome, who joins 1-year-old big brother, Memphis, as well as Aldean’s two older daughters, Keeley and Kendyl, from his first marriage.

Aldean will enjoy a few months at home before he heads out on his Ride All Night Tour, with Kane Brown and Carly Pearce serving as his opening acts. Find dates at his official website.

Photo Credit: Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer