Parker McCollum Aspires To Create The ‘Classic American Dream’ Childhood For His Son, Major

“I don’t know if being on a tour bus all the time is conducive to that,” McCollum shared.

By

Madeleine O’Connell

| Posted on

October 8, 2024

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11:27 am

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Parker McCollum and Family; Photo Courtesy Instagram

Parker McCollum weighs in on how he plans to incorporate his two-month-old son, Major, into the fast-paced, chaotic way of life on tour while still giving him a more traditional upbringing like he had.

The country star may have his name in lights and thousands of fans screaming his name each night, but underneath the fame he’s still the same small-town kid from Conroe, Texas, who grew up with a “classic American Dream” childhood. He began working around his family’s land at a young age and quickly learned the value of hard work and he expects to instill the same values in his own son. 

Parker McCollum and Hallie Ray Light; Photo Courtesy Instagram
Parker McCollum and Hallie Ray Light; Photo Courtesy Instagram

However, being a famous country star and having to spend so much time on the road definitely makes that plan a bit more challenging. Even though McCollum wants to spend as much time with his wife, Hallie Ray Light, and their son as possible, he’s not sure that having them on the road while Major is this young is the best decision for them.  

“Having my wife and son out living with me while I live with 30 of my employees is something that I’ve thought a lot about here in the last few weeks. And it doesn’t sound, I just don’t know if I would be the best at that,” McCollum admitted to Country Now and other outlets during his recent BMI-hosted No.1 party. 

Parker McCollum performs on stage
Parker McCollum; Photo Provided

Replicating His Own Childhood

McCollum did assure us that Major will “come out at some point” once he’s old enough to comprehend what his dad does for a living, but for now, his priority is to provide him with the most stable childhood possible.

“I had such a great childhood and such a classic American Dream childhood, and I really want him to have that same thing, replicate that as much as I can for him. And I don’t know if being on a tour bus all the time is conducive to that.”

Parker McCollum, Hallie Ray Light, Major Yancey Tyler McCollum; Photo by Chris Kleinmeier
Parker McCollum, Hallie Ray Light, Major Yancey Tyler McCollum; Photo by Chris Kleinmeier

“They Can’t Do This On A Bus”

The couple recently had a bit of a trial run of what it would look like having Hallie Ray and Major travel alongside the “Burn It Down” singer. Although McCollum loved the company, he explained that the amount of extra belongings that came along with them would not be suitable for the tour bus life. 

“Hallie’s such a good mom and she’s in such a good flow right now. Her and Major flew with me yesterday here and we just had so much stuff that we brought with us and I’m like, I am real organized and clean and I’m looking at our hotel room yesterday I’m like, ‘They can’t do this on a bus. There’s no way.’ But at some point, I’m sure we’ll integrate them into our tour life a little bit.”

For now, he is focused on letting Major learn to ranch, hunt, and have the freedom to run around and play outside at their home. 

Burn it Down Tour Coming To An End

Parker McCollum; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Parker McCollum; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

McCollum only has a few weeks left of his extensive Burn It Down Tour before getting a bit of a break from life on the road for the holiday season. Before turning his focus to hunting, he still has an important night ahead – the CMA Awards. This year, he is nominated for Song of the Year with “Burn It Down,” which was also recently included in the 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written awards category at the 7th Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.

Parker McCollum’s powerful and honest storytelling continues to be showcased in his newest single, “What Kinda Man,” out now. 

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Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.