Kane Brown is a highly successful country music artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He rose to fame through social media, particularly by sharing cover songs on platforms like Facebook. Born on October 21, 1993, in Georgia, before relocating to Tennessee, Brown had a tough childhood riddled with frequent moves and financial struggles. It was also marked by a complicated, mostly non-existent relationship with a father who was not present and a mother left to raise a son on her own. Here is everything to know about Kane Brown’s parents Tabatha Brown and his father whose name is unknown. 

Kane Brown’s Rise to Stardom and Current Career

Brown started his career humbly by uploading covers of other country music artist’s music on social media. His breakthrough came when his cover of George Strait’s “Check Yes or No” went viral on Facebook in 2015. This exposure helped him gain a massive following and eventually led to a record deal. His self-titled debut album, released in 2016, included hits like “Used to Love You Sober” and “What Ifs” featuring Lauren Alaina, which topped country music charts.

Kane Brown’s music is known for blending traditional country with elements of pop and R&B, appealing to a wide audience beyond just country music fans. He’s been recognized for his smooth voice, relatable lyrics and catchy melodies. His success continued with subsequent albums like Experiment (2018) and Mixtape Vol. 1 (2020), further solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the country music scene.

Apart from his music, Brown is also known for being open about his personal life, including his multiracial heritage and the challenges he faced growing up. Brown is the son of a white mother and a Black, part-Cherokee father. The authenticity and connection he has with fans have contributed to his widespread popularity in the music industry.

Who Are Kane Brown’s Parents?

Kane Brown’s family background is quite interesting. His mother, Tabatha Brown, raised him as a single parent for much of his life. Kane has often spoken publicly about his close relationship with his mom and credits her with being a significant influence and support in his life, especially during the challenging times they faced. 

Regarding his father, there’s less information available publicly. Kane Brown has mentioned that his father is of part Cherokee descent and was not present for much of his upbringing. This is because Brown’s father was incarcerated in 1996 when Brown was just three years old and has remained in prison since then. This meant Brown and his sister Heidi Swafford were raised in a single-parent household.

Brown believed he was fully white or just simply did not perceive race until he was around seven or eight, as he did not grow up with his Black father. It was not until he faced racism in school that he found out that he was biracial. The racist comments and slurs he would receive bothered him for a while and even led him to getting into trouble.

Brown told People in 2018, “I thought I was full white, which honestly, I can’t even really say because I didn’t see colors. I found out that I was biracial and I still wasn’t thinking anything of it, but then I started getting called the N-word. I didn’t even know what it meant, and that’s when it started affecting me. I got in fights over it when I was little.” 

He told People that he gained thick skin as he got older and he was able to let go of the anger and channel everything into music. However, he found himself going through the same experience again after entering the realm of country music. Luckily, Brown’s success led him to the same revelation that those derogatory words do not matter. 

“Now you can call me whatever you want. It just brushes off of me,” Brown told People. 

Tabatha Brown

Tabatha Brown has been in her son’s life since the beginning, and for that reason, the two have a very close relationship. She was married to Kane Brown’s father for an unknown period of time until he was incarcerated in 1996. Since then, Tabatha, with the help of her mother and sister, struggled to find work, provide shelter for her children and raise them all at once. Kate Marin for The Netline wrote that Kane spent some time in his life sleeping in cars as his mother moved around looking for work. 

An additional struggle at home was with Kane Brown and his abusive step-father. Marin wrote that Kane shared in his song “Learning” that his abusive step-father physically assaulted him so badly once when he was six that it was almost fatal. This is when Kane’s grandmother who worked in law enforcement put the abusive man in jail. 

Despite all the hardship he and his family went through, Kane praises his mother and the other female family members who raised him for never burdening him with the struggles they faced. He told CMT that he was happy to get to honor these women in the music video for his song “Good as You.”

“I was raised with strong women around me. My mom worked multiple jobs and my nana truly was a sheriff in my town,” Brown told CMT. “To be able to honor them is incredible because no matter how much we struggled, my mom and nana never let me see it. They sheltered me from any problems and I appreciate them for that.” 

Kane has made a point to use his success to ensure his mother is well taken care of and does not have to struggle in the ways she used to. Goodness Ezebuiro for Buzz Nigeria wrote that Kane bought his mother Tabatha a car and a new apartment for her birthday one year. Additionally, Ezebuiro wrote he paid for his mother’s insurance for a year. 

Kane Brown’s Father

For much of his career, nothing was known about Kane Brown’s Father. Kane mostly focused on celebrating his mother’s role in his life and his journey to success. However, Kane eventually revealed to the world that he grew up without his father, as he was incarcerated when Kane was just three years old. Growing up without his father deeply affected him, until he learned to accept his family dynamic. 

Kane told Pop Culture in 2019 that he has formed a relationship with his father and frequently visits him in prison. He has gotten the opportunity to learn about his father late into his life and has even created a cordial relationship with him. “He’s a drummer, which I didn’t even know,” Brown said. “He brags about me and talks about how good he is on the drums. I always joke with him and say that I’m going to hire him when he gets out.”

Kane Brown as a Father

Kane Brown and his wife Katelyn Jae are the parents of two daughters, Kingsley and Kodi. Brown, according to Pop Culture in 2019, shared before the arrival of his first-born that he was looking forward to being the father he never had. “I’m excited. You know, me and my wife are in it together, and I get to be the dad that I never really had.” The now dad of two has defied what he knew of male parental figures, exemplifying commitment to his children.