What to know about the country star

May 23, 2023

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Morgan Wallen headlines a sold-out show Thursday in Jacksonville.

Morgan Wallen. Now where have we heard that name?

Maybe you saw him in January 2020, opening for Jason Aldean at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, a show where he spent as much time slapping hands and posing for selfies as he did actually singing his songs.
Or maybe you recognize the name from the 2021 incident where Wallen was caught on video using a racial epithet, leading his record company to suspend his contract and radio stations to stop playing his songs.
Possibly you remember when he was scheduled to appear as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” but was tossed off the show for violating COVID protocols. (He appeared several months later and poked fun at himself in a sketch.)
It could be the show in Mississippi last month that he canceled minutes before he was to take the stage, citing voice problems. There was a lot of speculation after he left 60,000 fans high and dry that his voice may have not been the real issue. He postponed several subsequent shows.
Or possibly you recognize the name because you hold a ticket to his sold-out show Thursday in Jacksonville, with Ernest and Bailey Zimmerman opening. It will be Wallen’s first show since the postponements.

Clearly, the controversies that surround Wallen aren’t slowing down his popularity. Resellers are asking up to $6,427 for a ticket in the pit for his Thursday night show at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and he’s booked for multiple dates this summer at stadiums in Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Phoenix, Columbus and Boston.

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So what’s this guy all about?

Where is Morgan Wallen from?

Wallen grew up in the Knoxville, Tenn., area, the son of a Baptist pastor, and went to the same high school as Kenny Chesney. He was a contestant on Season 6 of “The Voice” and became a Nashville songwriter, co-writing Jason Aldean’s “You Make it Easy,” Keith Urban’s “Brown Eyes Baby” and A Thousand Horses’ “Preachin’ to the Choir.”

He released his first album, “If I Know Me,” in 2018. “Dangerous: The Double Album” followed in ’21 and “One Thing at a Time” came out earlier this year.

He was named New Artist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2020, Billboard Music Awards’ Top Country Artist and Top Country Male Artist in 2021 and American Music Awards Favorite Male Country Artist in ’22.

What are Morgan Wallen’s big hits?

Wallen has had Top 5 hits on the country charts with “Up Down” (featuring Florida-Georgia Line), “Whiskey Glasses,” “Chasin’ You,” “More Than My Hometown,” “7 Summers,” “Sand in My Boots,” “Wasted on You,” “You Proof,” “Somebody’s Problem,” “Tennessee Fan,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “Thought You Should Know,” “Last Night,” “Don’t Think Jesus” and “One Thing at a Time.”

How can I get tickets for Morgan Wallen’s concert in Jacksonville?

The show is sold out. You can check resale sites such as Stubhub, Vivid Seats or Seatgeek, but tickets won’t come cheap. The least-expensive tickets were going for more than $450 at last check, and sellers were asking $600 or more for upper-deck seats.

Sometimes promoters will release tickets at the last minute, so it might be worth checking with the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena box office on the day of the show.

Where is Morgan Wallen touring in Florida?

In addition to Thursday’s show in Jacksonville, Wallen has shows booked in West Palm Beach on Friday and Tampa on Saturday, but both are sold out. Wallen is booked to headline the Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach on June 3.

Who is touring with Morgan Wallen in Jacksonville?

Ernest and Bailey Zimmerman are opening shows on Wallen’s One Night at a Time Tour.

Ernest got his start as a songwriter (Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown,” Chris Lane’s “Big, Big Plans”) and has released two albums, “Locals Only” and “Flower Shops.” He’s been coming onstage during Wallen’s set to duet on “Flower Shops” at shows on this tour.

Zimmerman (not to be confused with Bob Dylan’s daughter, who shares the same name) just released his first album, “Religiously.” His singles “Fall in Love” and “Rock and a Hard Place” made the Top 5 on the country charts.