15 Things You May Not Know About Jason Aldean

Think you know everything there is to know about country superstar Jason Aldean? Think again! 

Written by Cillea Houghton
15 Things You May Not Know About Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean; Photo by Al Pereira/WireImage

Though Jason Aldean has solidified himself as one of the biggest acts in country music, there’s still many facts fans may not know about the famous country star, like his guilty pleasure when it comes to food, his special lucky numbers and his favorite karaoke song (hint: it’s a Neil Diamond classic).

Here are 15 things you may not know about Jason Aldean:

1. Jason Aldean isn’t his birth name
His real name is actually Jason Aldine Williams. He made Jason Aldean his stage name at the start of his career as he thought it would help him stand out since so many people have the last name “Williams.”

2. He could have been a baseball star
Before he made it big in music, Aldean was a star player on the baseball field. He received multiple college scholarships for his talent and said it was his dream as a child to play in the major leagues, but ended up following his musical path. Apparently he passed the gene on to his daughters Kendyl and Keeley, who both played softball.

3. His dad taught him how to play guitar
Aldean would play guitar alongside his dad Barry every day after work. Before leaving each day, Barry would jot down guitar chords on paper and Aldean would practice them all day. The singer got so good that he could play a song just minutes after listening to it for the first time.

4. His first performance was at a VFW
Aldean sang in front of a crowd for the first time when he was just 14-years-old at a local VFW, singing hits by John Anderson and Tracy Lawrence.

5. His parents worked for the government
Jason’s mom Debbie was an employee of the Farmer’s Home Administration while his father was a federal worker.

6. He was once a delivery boy
Before topping the country charts with hits like “Lights Come On,” “She’s Country” and more, Aldean drove a delivery truck for the Pepsi company in his native Macon, Ga.

7. He owns a hunting company with Luke Bryan
We all know country stars love to hunt, and Aldean is no different. He even owns a hunting gear company called Buck Commander with fellow superstar Luke Bryan, Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson and MLB players Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans and Tombo Martin.

8. And they have matching tattoos
Aldean and Bryan are not only country superstars, business partners and close friends, they also share the same ink. The two singers got matching tattoos of a buck to match the Buck Commander logo.

9. He has lucky numbers
And they have sentimental value too. He tells Entertainment Weekly his most significant lucky number is 9, since that was the number on his baseball jersey in high school, while 3 also holds resonance as that was his player number before it was changed to 9 and also was the number his daughter wore when she played softball.

10. He’s into criminal investigation shows
Like many people, Aldean is a fan of intense crime dramas like CSI, Criminal Minds and The Mentalist, along with HBO shows Entourage and Eastbound & Down.

11. His go-to karaoke song is a Neil Diamond classic
Who knew Jason Aldean had a soft spot for the music icon? He admits that his signature karaoke song is Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” He’ll also rock out to songs by Otis Redding, The Eagles and Dobie Gray.

12. His first wife was his high school sweetheart
Aldean met his first wife, Jessica Ussery, when he was 17-years-old. The couple was together for 19 years, including a 12-year marriage, before divorcing in 2013.

13. He headlined the first concert at Sanford Stadium
As a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan, Aldean’s love for the team came full circle when he was tapped as the headline performer during the first concert at the team’s home stadium in 2013.

14. His guilty pleasure is popcorn
In a fan Q&A with his wife Brittany, Aldean reveals that his food vice is popcorn. “I’ll eat like a bowl of popcorn every night,” he confesses.

15. He’s a fan of The Notebook
If there’s one romantic film no one can resists, it’s The Notebook, and even Aldean can’t deny he’s a fan. He admits that he didn’t want to see it at first, but it ultimately won him over. It didn’t make him cry, “but I thought it was a great movie,” he says.