Long before Lauren Alaina and Kane Brown became platinum-selling musicians, they attended Lakeview Middle School together in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. They sat next to each other in choir class when Alaina first recognized Brown's superstar potential.
The powerhouse vocalist reflected on their long-time friendship at a recent performance and shared how she helped Brown come out of his shy shell to discover his voice. A TikTok user was present at the intimate concert and captured the heartwarming moment.
"So, I grew up in a town called Rossville, Georgia. I went to Lakeview Middle School. I was in choir class one day, and there was a guy sitting next to me," Alaina explained to the audience. "I sat with him every day, but that day I heard him singing, and he was very shy."
Alaina continued to take a trip down memory lane.
"He never ever ever wanted to sing," the hitmaker pointed out. "I looked at him, and I said, 'Can you sing? It sounds like you can sing.' And he said, 'I don't sing in front of people.' So, naturally, I got him up and made him sing in front of the teacher. Did what I do best, which is embarrassed people," she added while laughing.
Before revealing the name of the timid teenager, Alaina confessed that she is thankful that her assertive personality and confidence at the time tested his boundaries.
"I'm really glad I did that because it was the first time he ever performed in front of anyone," Alaina clarified. "That boy grew up to be Kane Brown."
Hoots and hollers came from the audience out of pure surprise. The full-circle story went viral on the powerful platform with 534.1K views and 32.1K likes. Country music fans ran to the comments section to thank Alaina for encouraging Brown to pursue music.
"From a shy kid in choir to the first country male to perform on the VMAs. Yeah, he's my favorite," said a devoted follower. "I would like to thank you for helping this young man find his voice," added another.
The two went on to dominate the country music landscape. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of "American Idol," which propelled her into the spotlight. While the award-winning artist was cultivating her record "Road Less Traveled," Brown inked a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. It wasn't long until Brown asked Alaina to join in on "What Ifs," a high-energy love song on his self-titled debut album.
Brown co-wrote "What Ifs" alongside Matt McGinn and Jordan Schmidt. The electrifying single bursting with undeniable chemistry, became a 7x Platinum hit. The 2016 single spent 24 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
Brown surprised fans with Alaina back in May at his first-ever stadium concert in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The two delivered the chart-topping duet under the spotlight, displaying their unstoppable force and well-earned success.
Brown is gearing up to release his highly anticipated album, "Different Man," on Sept. 9.
Following the release, the "Like I Love Country Music" star will embark on his international trek on Sept. 17. The Drunk on Dreaming Tour will mark Brown's first time performing in Australia and New Zealand. Throughout the long-awaited run – Chris Lane, Restless Road, Blanco Brown, and Jessie James Decker will make special appearances. Tickets are available for purchase, here.
