Where Is Zach Bryan From? Inside His Hometown, Where He Lives Now

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Did you know Zach Bryan was actually born across the world from his Oklahoma roots?

Zach was actually born on April 1, 1996, in Okinawa, Japan. That’s right, the country music sensation didn’t take his first breath in Oklahoma but on a military base overseas. However, he spent most of his childhood in Oologah, Oklahoma, a small town he often sings about in his music.

Growing up in Oologah with his sister, Mackenzie, Zach’s parents, Dewayne Bryan and Annette DeAnn (née Mullen), divorced when he was young. Then, in 2016, he lost his mom.

Zach reflected on this loss, sharing with The New York Times in September 2022, “I think my mom dying really solidified the darkness in life to me. It opened that thing in you that’s like, ‘Hey, be a man now.’ People say I repress. And I’m like, no, the person that I want to tell all this stuff to is dead. And you don’t deserve me weighing in on my feelings to you.”

While the “Pink Skies” singer began writing songs at just 14, he followed a family tradition by joining the U.S. Navy at 17. Serving for seven years, he worked his way up to Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class (AO2) and spent every free moment writing music and posting singing videos on YouTube. At 25, in 2021, Zach was honorably discharged from the military in order to embark on his full-time music career.

On Instagram, he shared a heartfelt post about leaving the Navy, saying, “If it was my decision, I would never get out of the world’s greatest Navy, but here I am, and they kindly honorably discharged me to go play some music… Can’t tell if I’m a coward or if I’m chasing a dream but regardless, the best eight years of my life were spent serving the best country in the whole damn world. Thank you guys, and I’ll see you on tour.”

Since then, Zach has been busy writing music. His first album, DeAnn, was self-released in 2019, and his second, Elisabeth, came out in 2020, catching the attention of Warner Records. Now signed, he’s released five albums total, including his latest, The Great American Bar Scene, on July 4, 2024.

Reflecting on his rise, Zach told CMT in May 2022, “Everyone went kind of crazy for them… So I’m like the luckiest guy in the world. I don’t really deserve any of it, but it’s been an absolute blast.” He added, “I’m just a guy like everyone else, trying my best to get through life. And if people wanted to join, they can. If they don’t, that’s OK too.”

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