Country music superstar Eric Church is a North Carolina native who grew up in Granite Falls, but has made his home in Nashville, TN for the past quarter century after leaving the Tar Heel State as a young adult.
Country music superstar Eric Church has lived in Nashville for the past 25 years, but he’s still a North Carolinian at heart.
Church is a die-hard fan of the UNC Tar Heels, and has a minority ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets. She bleeds Carolina blue (with a splash of Hornets teal).
But despite Church’s allegiance to Tennessee’s eastern neighbor, Singer has the utmost respect for football fans across the Volunteer State.
Church joined his longtime friend and Titans voice Taylor Zarzor this week for a sit-down interview that covered everything from songwriting to playing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.
During the interview, Church made it clear that he has great respect for the passion he sees in football fans in Tennessee.
“One thing I will say about Nashville is (the fans) are incredibly loyal,” Church said. “You watch their college games all over the state – they’re passionate. They’re incredible. If you’re from Tennessee, you’re from Tennessee, God. And I think a lot of the passion that you get in the music as well is, ‘This is who we are, this is who we are.’
“It’s something that’s not in every city. I’ve played football stadiums and basketball arenas – all of them – not in every city. There are some that if they’re winning, (fans show up). Nashville has never been like this, and I think that’s a real benefit to who the Titans are and I believe we all want to be the Titans in the next few years.”
Eric Church details his all-time favorite sports memory
Zarzor also asked Church about his all-time favorite sports memory during the interview.
And Church didn’t hesitate to point to the 2022 Final Four showdown between North Carolina and Duke, Mike Krzyzewski’s last game as Blue Devils head coach, as his all-time favorite sports moment.
Church canceled a concert to attend that game (which Church’s Tar Heels won).
“Oh, that’s easy,” Church said. “Duke, North Carolina in the Final Four. We beat Coach K. I canceled a concert to do it. I took my family, and that had never happened in the tournament – they had never met each other (in the tournament). And then winning that game, that’s my favorite sports moment of all time.”
Unfortunately for Church, the Tar Heels blew a 15-point halftime lead in the national championship game against Kansas two days later.
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