Zac Brown Band’s Zac Brown revealed that fitness advice from Bruce Springsteen is what inspired him to become a “ripped old dude.”
“When I met [Bruce] Springsteen, I said, ‘Tell me something that’s helped you to stay feeling good,’” Brown told Men’s Health. “He was like, ‘Man, you need to sweat for an hour a day. I don’t care what you do, doesn’t matter. You need to sweat for an hour a day.’ I was like, ‘You’re the Boss. Let’s do it,’” he added.
The impact fitness has made on Brown is a positive one. He said he notices that he feels “off” when he’s gone a few days without working out. Fitness has changed his relationship with alcohol, too. Brown used to drink a lot of alcohol on tour, but now says he doesn’t want to be “a red-faced alcoholic who can’t move.”
“You start falling apart when you don’t take care of [yourself],” Brown explained. “Whatever makes me feel the best so I can be the best for my kids and my people, that’s the goal for me. As I get older, the more I want to be able to get out and adventure, dive deeper, go out into the woods. That’s a huge motivator for me. I want to be a ripped old dude,” he shared.
Zac Brown Band is currently in the midst of the Out In The Middle Tour, which kicked off on April 22 in Greenville, South Carolina. The trek, which features support from Robert Randolph Band, continues through November 19 where the tour will wrap up in Phoenix, Arizona.
During one of the band’s recent concerts, Brown honored a U.S. Army veteran named Andy during their song, “Chicken Fried.” Video of the tribute was shared to TikTok by Andy’s daughter, Madison, who explained that the tribute meant a lot to her dad as he lost two good friends “in the last six months” and that they loved the song, “Chicken Fried.”
Besides staying fit and performing on tour, Brown and his band are set to release the deluxe edition of their album, The Comeback this fall. The album features the band’s most recent single, “Out In The Middle” with Blake Shelton. Brown co-wrote and co-produced every track that appears on the project.
Additionally, the GRAMMY-winning band recently announced a surprise concert at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium.
A portion of the proceeds from the intimate, one-night-only event will benefit ‘Hop On A Cure’ in its efforts to help fund research toward making amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a “thing of the past.”
The foundation was established by one of the band’s founding members, John Driskell “Hop” Hopkins, who was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year.
“I have tough news to share and my brothers and sister have gathered to support me,” Driskell somberly shared in a video clip featuring his ZBB bandmates, as well as Caroline Jones, by his side. “Over the past several years, I’ve noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands. After careful analysis by some of the country’s top neurologists, I have been diagnosed with ALS.”
He went on to share his hope for his future, telling fans, “Because my symptoms have been slow-progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward. God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come.”
Additional information about the organization cane be found here: http://hoponacure.org.
“Playing in Nashville, my home away from home, is always something special,” Zac Brown said. “This particular one is meaningful because we’re raising awareness and funds for one of our very own through Hop on a Cure. We see all the love and support Hop has received thus far so we’re gonna bring the house down and show folks a good time in appreciation.”
Zac Brown Band’s next scheduled tour date is September 2 at Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota.
