Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan was born in Okinawa, Japan, while his family was on deployment with the US Navy. He grew up in Oologah, Oklahoma.

His late mother DeAnn, father Dewayne, and grandpa were all in the Navy. Continuing the family tradition, Bryan enlisted in the US Navy aged 17. He achieved the rank of Petty officer second class, the equivalent to sergeant in the Army and Marine Corps, and staff sergeant in the Air Force. Bryan was honorably discharged in November 2021 after eight years of service just ahead of his Ain't For Tamin' Tour.

Bryan started writing songs in his early teenage years and used his spare time in the Navy to write music for his enjoyment. He posted most of his music on his YouTube channel directly from his iPhone. Bryan exploded in popularity after releasing a video of himself playing his autobiographical song "Heading South" drenched in sweat beside a campfire.