Bailey Zimmerman Celebrates Fifth No. 1 With Steak and Chocolate Milk
“Backup Plan” featuring Luke Combs recently topped the charts at country radio, and Zimmerman is celebrating in style!
Bailey Zimmerman, Luke Combs; Photo by masonn1k
Bailey Zimmerman is celebrating a major milestone, recently earning his fifth No. 1 single at country radio with “Backup Plan,” featuring Luke Combs.
After hitting the top of the charts, Zimmerman marked the occasion with steak and chocolate milk, sharing a photo of the celebratory dinner on social media. It’s an unusual combo, but whatever makes him happy!
The track, penned by Jimi Bell, Jon Sherwood, and Tucker Beathard, is featured on his new album Different Night, Same Rodeo. The Illinois native recently opened up about hearing the song for the first time during an appearance on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen.
“First time I listened to it, I’m like, first of all, love that, [beat]. I’m like, ‘Whoa, this feels like we’re about to go into some Johnny Cash or something.’ Some songs like this can feel cheesey and cheesy. It was like, ‘Oh, is this meant for some movie track, title?’ Then when I heard it, there was something about it that just kept– there’s a lot of things that my grandpa used to tell me growing up, and a lot of things my dad used to tell me, especially keep your head down and put on the blinders. Dude, it gives me chills right now, man. My dad, he used to tell me all the time, ‘Nobody’s going to get in your way but everybody else. Don’t let them get in your way. Put your blinders on.’ He would say, ‘When horses are racing, do they look at the other horses on the side of them? No, they look straight ahead and they keep going and they keep putting their freaking head down.’ Don’t care about what people say, keep freaking going, because they’re not living your dream, you’re living it. Keep doing your dream,” he said. “As we’re talking right now, that’s how I felt the first time I heard ‘Backup Plan.’ Man, this gets me amped up, and I feel like other people need to hear this. They need to hear this.”
Zimmerman said he immediately thought of Luke Combs when he heard the song and explained how he landed Combs’ phone number at the right time.
“The first time I heard it, I thought, ‘Man, Luke Combs would freaking crush this, dude.’ Then I thought, ‘But man, how am I going to get Luke Combs on a song? Luke would be freaking crazy on a song, and I know he’d love it, but how do I even get it to him? Who do I text?,” he explained.
While he didn’t have his number at the time, things soon changed.
“Randomly, one day, Luke hits me up to do Concert for Carolina … hung out with him, and we just kicked it off right off the bat, just right away … It just felt like we had been buds for a while. Fast forward, play the show that night, slips me a little note card that’s just a, “Thank you for playing the show. Thank you for doing this, all this stuff. By the way, here’s my number, man, if you want to text me anytime,” Zimmerman revealed.
Luckily, Combs agreed to join the track, and the rest was history. Zimmerman has shared nothing but praise for his collaborator.
“Luke Combs, bro, is a legend and a goat, and he sticks up to that. He’s as good of a guy as you think he is,” Zimmerman urged. “He stands up to the testament of being a goat and being a legend, and inspiring people and being an inspiration. Just everything about him is like, ‘Yep, there ain’t nothing fake about that guy.’ Every single thing he says is so raw and real, and just freaking legend, dude. Not even that, but his friendship to me, he didn’t have to do any of this stuff. He didn’t have to get on my song. He didn’t have to let me come play it with him at Stagecoach. He didn’t have to do a music video. He did it because he really likes me.”
Fans can re-live their epic Stagecoach performance below.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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