Morgan Wallen’s Baseball Career Ended With an Arm Injury That ‘Devastated’ the Future Country Star
For some artists in the country music industry, performing is all they’ve ever wanted to do. Stars like Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, and Garth Brooks are so synonymous with the genre that it’s difficult to imagine them doing anything else.
For other musicians, however, a career in country music came later. That’s the case with Morgan Wallen: Though he grew up with a passion for music, a career as a country singer didn’t come about until after his first dream was no longer an option.
That said, the “Whiskey Glasses” performer has parlayed his earlier ambitions into genre-busting fame that shows a tremendous amount of promise.
Morgan Wallen grew up with two passions: Baseball and music
Wallen grew up in Eastern Tennessee, and skipped games and traditional kids’ toys to play sports and musical instruments instead. His parents encouraged his interests, which led to him playing multiple instruments before he was 10.
“I started singing when I was three years old at church, so I’ve always just been really into music,” Wallen told Nashville Lifestyles. He received a violin for Christmas at age 5 and began playing the piano at age 7. However, as he got older the musical interests took a backseat to baseball.
“When you’re that age it’s cooler to play sports than it is to play music,” he explained. “I would still listen to a lot of music and still loved it, but I didn’t take as much part in it as I did before.” Wallen’s efforts in the sport were well-founded.
By the time he was a senior in high school, he was fielding offers to play on college scholarships. However, an arm injury put a halt to those plans.
Morgan Wallen’s arm injury erased college baseball offers and ‘devastated’ him
Right before Wallen’s senior year, the country artist said he “blew his arm out.” This made playing at higher levels improbable. “Those college offers kind of disappeared on me really fast,” Wallen recalled to Music Row. “I went through a time where I didn’t know what I would do with my life, because that’s what I had worked so hard for, for such a long time.”
Following the injury, Wallen needed time to figure out what was next. “It was hard, I was devastated because I’d put so much time and effort into baseball,” he said.
Wallen channeled some of those emotions into writing songs and picking up the guitar — adding the instrument to his repertoire he’s known for now. “It was a way to help me get my feelings out and just to keep my mind occupied and to say the things that I wanted to say,” he said.
By the time Wallen was 19, he said he was getting into the groove of the music he wanted to write and perform. He took things a step further by competing on Season 6 of The Voice when he was 20.
Though he only made it to the playoff rounds and didn’t win the competition, he credits that experience with meeting his manager and making other connections. Following his stint on the show, he moved to Nashville and signed his first record deal.
Wallen’s third album ‘One Thing At a Time’ drops March 3
Now 29, Wallen has two studio albums and a third, One Thing at a Time, set to release March 3. The “You Proof” artist will undoubtedly add to the 12 singles he’s released over throughout his career. This include several hits that have reached No. 1 on the country charts.
According to the artist’s Twitter, fans can expect a whopping 36 new songs with his latest album. Wallen will then kick off a tour in April through many North American cities. The album and tour will serve as a bit of a comeback for the controversial artist.
In early 2021, Wallen was caught on tape uttering a racial slur after a night of partying in Nashville. He apologized for the use of the word but was temporarily suspended by his record label and taken off the airwaves by many country radio stations for a time.
One Thing At a Time and the One Night at a Time tour will mark a significant return for the artist.
