Country Stars Who Live Surprisingly Normal Lives

What country stars live surprisingly normal lives? The music industry is filled with mega-superstars who live luxurious lives, and country music stars are no exception. Just take a look at the most expensive country stars' homes if you don't believe us. 

But for every extravagant country star who lives an insanely lavish life, there's one who lives a surprisingly normal life. Even though these musicians have found fame and fortune in their careers, sometimes spanning multiple decades, they chose to hold onto bits of normalcy from their life before fame. 

From country stars keeping things normal for the sake of their kids to those who just really just embody the country life, you may be surprised at just how normal some of these celebs really are, deep down. After all, Miley Cyrus — daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus and goddaughter of country legend Dolly Parton – taught us that a Hollywood party is "definitely not a Nashville party." Here are the country stars who maintain some normalcy in their lives, whether they live in Nashville or not.

Since winning the fourth season of American Idol, Carrie Underwood's fame has only grown. She may have her own workout clothing line, but the country star keeps herself fit much like the rest of us mere mortals. Underwood told Women's Health that she tends to eat healthier when she tracks her food. "I love rules," she said. "This is how I feel good about myself, and this is how I operate." Specifically, Underwood uses the MyFitnessPal app, just like nearly 180 million other normal people, and counting.

Speaking of her clothing line, Underwood doesn't trust just anyone to do her laundry, whether it's workout clothes or everyday wear. Instead, she told Oprah Winfrey (via People), she does her own laundry on her days off. "We go to the laundromat," she revealed. "I get my quarters, we go to the laundromat and go do our laundry." 

Why would a mega star like Underwood spend her day off at the laundromat? Because just like so many of us, she doesn't like for other people to do her laundry, saying, "It freaks me out."

Country superstar and husband of powerhouse actress Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban has seen plenty of success and plenty of money. But like all of us, Urban sometimes leaves the house without everything he needs. We've all been there, standing in line to buy snacks, only to realize we're a little short. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get the help Urban did, when a substitute teacher from New Jersey gave him money when he was a few dollars short for his gas station snacks, not realizing who he was. 

According to the Associated Press (via the Tennessean), a woman named Ruth Reed learned who Urban was after he thanked her and told her his name was Keith. "It was then I realized what an idiot I was," she confessed. 

While relying on the help of strangers doesn't seem like something a country star would need, Kidman told Hello! (via Closer Weekly) that they "actually have a very normal life," even though people don't believe them. "We say this over and over again and people always go, 'Yeah, right,' but we do," Kidman added.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have your own celebrity Barbie doll, just ask country star Martina McBride, whose Barbie likeness was released in 2005 and is still being sold. To have your own Barbie, you have to be a huge star. But McBride, who has no less than eight platinum or multi-platinum albums, doesn't let it go to her head. 

McBride told CMT News that she balances the fame "with a very normal life," especially for her children. "The kids go to school, and we're involved in their school lives and activities," she revealed. "We sit down to dinner together every night. We go to the grocery store and the movies." She also takes them to the dentist and helps them with their homework, just like any mom.

In fact, McBride's life is almost too normal. "We really don't have much interesting for the tabloids," she added. "As a matter of fact, it's hard for me to get on some TV shows and in magazines because I don't have anything controversial or juicy enough!"

Even if you aren't a country music fan, you likely know of country star Blake Shelton, who was named People's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2017. Even though he's wildly successful, a household name, and engaged to gorgeous and talented singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani, Shelton told Gayle King that if he weren't a musician, he'd probably still be roofing houses like he was before he found fame. But even though he no longer does roofing, Shelton has continued to stay grounded, and leads a pretty normal life with Stefani.

When King asked Shelton and Stefani what they envisioned for life in the next decade, Stefani said, "I have a lot of kids so I see myself...at a bunch of football games." Shelton was quick to agree, saying, "Yeah, I really — in the next 10 years I see myself in this exact same scenario." What's more normal and relatable than spending the next decade at youth football games? The "Sexiest Man Alive" is just like all of us.

Sure, Dierks Bentley may have a pilot license and own a custom-designed Cirrus airplane, but deep down he's just a regular guy. During an interview with CMT's Cody Alan, the country star's 2018 tourmates, the Brothers Osbourne, dished about Bentley's normal life. 

T.J. Osbourne shared that Bentley "shows up and he has a car that's like, it's not a piece of crap, but it's like, kind of a regular, everyday car. In fact, I think we drive nicer cars than Dierks does." Osbourne went on to add that despite all of Bentley's fame, his life goal is a bit different than you might expect. "I think his goal in life is to...not be famous," before doubling down, saying, "he just loves being an everyday regular guy." 

In 2020, Bentley shared with People that he's riding out the pandemic in Colorado with his family and likes the normalcy. Speaking of that totally normal car, Bentley told People of his life in Colorado, "I put a camper on the back of my 1994 Chevy and we go camping almost every weekend."

You might think that being a famous country star, and someone who is pretty close with former president Barack Obama (via The Guardian), would make you an idol in the eyes of your kids. But it turns out that even Brad Paisley struggles to impress his children, just like the rest of us. The country star, who told The Guardian that his "life would be very puzzling to most people if they had to follow me around for a day or two," is more like the rest of us than we'd realized. 

Not only did Paisley reveal that he is "a huge, huge fan of almost everything British" (same, Brad), he told Page Six that he tries to keep his kids' lives normal — including not letting them go to that year's CMA Fest. Even though his kids have seen him play other shows, they're not easily impressed, but what kids are? "They've seen [crowds] at concerts, but they still think I'm a dork," he continued. "It's a weird combo. They think I'm a dork, but they think I'm cool." #relatable

We're not saying that country power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill live totally modest lives — they are, after all, on that list of the most expensive country stars' homes we mentioned. However, despite their success, McGraw and Hill aren't living the lavish lives that you might assume. "We live such a normal life when we're at home," McGraw told Tempo magazine (via CMT News). "I love playing live and playing concerts and doing the stuff that I do, but everything I do is driven to get me home, to get me back to where I'm comfortable and to get me back into my world with my kids." He added that he loves simple things like Friday night football games and going to the grocery store.

Hill agrees, as she told New Beauty that she and McGraw live a normal life. "We don't stay out late and we don't really go to parties," she revealed. "We are usually in bed by 9 p.m." So next time you feel uncool for going to bed early, just remind yourself that McGraw and Hill are already in bed too.

Country star Luke Combs has skyrocketed to fame since he signed with Sony Music Nashville in 2016. He's a multi-platinum artist and an ACM, CMA, CMT and Billboard Music Award-winner. But despite the fame and accolades, Combs is a normal guy and hopes to stay that way. "In 5 years, [I want people to be able to] say, 'hey, I met Luke Combs five years ago and I met him right now and he's still the same guy,'" he told The Shotgun Seat. 

Combs definitely strives to stick to his roots. While back in his hometown to perform in 2016, Combs said in an interview with the Blue Ridge Now, "I don't want to be viewed as someone who [is] better than anyone else or as a snobby musician... I used to be the guy who stood for hours to see somebody perform." 

While riding out the pandemic at his home in Nashville, Combs told Rolling Stone that he's "just living the redneck dream out here right now," adding, "A simple existence is something I enjoy — and just finding joy in the quiet."

Miranda Lambert is a huge name in country music. The star holds the record for the most CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards, edging out fellow country superstars Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, and Reba McEntire (via Vulture). You may think the most relatable thing about her is dealing with heartbreak, but deep down she's surprisingly normal. 

Though the "Bluebird" singer appears glamorous on the red carpet, she told OK!, "The dress-up for awards shows thing isn't really me; it's okay for a day, but I'm definitely ready to get back in my jeans once it's over." Additionally, according to an interview she did with Good Housekeeping, those jeans are the same ones we could all go out and buy. Apparently, Lambert "shops for clothes at Target and Forever 21 and buys makeup at Walgreens." 

While Lambert has a makeup team for when she's on the road or getting ready for award shows, and we're pretty sure that they aren't running out to Walgreens to stock up, it's refreshing to know just how normal Lambert is on her own time.

Country music stars seem to have it all, which can make us think they don't have the same kinds of problems as the rest of us, but they do. Country star Brett Eldredge, who has five No. 1 hits and millions of Instagram followers is still a normal guy who deals with anxiety, and has for nearly his entire life. "As a kid, I would kind of have like a panic attack ... but I didn't even know what that was," Eldredge said during an interview for the ABC News podcast Ten Percent Happier. 

The singer, songwriter, and record producer also revealed that those panic attacks continued as he became a country star. In fact, once at a show, his panic was so severe that he almost passed out before walking on stage. 

Like many of the 40 million adults in the U.S. who struggle with anxiety, Eldredge has found relief with therapy, exercise, and meditation. Even though he's a superstar, Eldredge helps remind us all that those struggles are normal and there is a path forward.

There's no denying that country star Dolly Parton is a legend, not someone any of us would typically think of as leading a normal life. She's worth millions, has her own theme park, and is an iconic philanthropist (via MSN News). Despite all that, however, Parton lives in the same meme-obsessed world as all of us, and isn't too busy to jump on Instagram to share one. Though, in Parton's case, the meme of herself she shared in early 2020 led to the viral #DollyPartonChallenge. 

In addition to sharing memes and throwbacks on Instagram, Parton is frugal with her money like many of us. Yes, she and her husband Carl Dean live in a 3,324 square foot home on property that includes at least ten structures, according to Velvet Ropes, but the couple bought the home in 1999 for $400,000. That's not small potatoes, but when compared to the multi-million dollar mansions some country stars live in, it's downright humble.

Country star Thomas Rhett has music running through his veins. Not only is he an award-winning singer and songwriter, his father is country star Rhett Akins. Additionally, according to The Times-Tribune, Rhett grew up around superstars like Tim McGraw, Joe Diffie, and Brooks & Dunn. 

Despite having a famous father, Rhett told Good Morning America that his dad "made life feel very normal even though his life was not." Rhett is doing the same with his daughters, too. "No matter what we get to do, whether traveling around the world and playing shows and then watching me sing, I do want them to stay as grounded and feel like they live as much of a normal life as they possibly can." 

Part of the trade-off for Rhett is that this also means he deals with all the normal dad things, like bribing your kids to eat their dinner with the promise of dessert, being covered in spit up, and sitting through holiday movies like The Santa Claus over and over each year.

Country star Luke Bryan, who's been called "the hardest working star in country," has basically won every award imaginable for a country artist. Even though that hard work and dedication means lots of time on the road, the "Play It Again" singer spends his down time in completely normal ways, says Bryan's wife Caroline Boyer. "I think the hardest thing for me as a wife is that people think we live this certain lifestyle that's totally opposite to your average mom or dad," she told ABC News. "It's different because Daddy travels a lot but really, it's just normal." 

Part of that normal life for Bryan is doing the things he's always loved to do: hunting, fishing, and drinking beer. And when he needs to stock up on supplies for those hunting or fishing trips, he stops by the local sporting goods store like everyone else. "I've gotten to follow all my dreams and still remained true to who I am as a person," Bryan shared with People.

Kane Brown doesn't look like most country stars you're used to. However, the biracial, heavily-tattooed star became the first performer ever to top all of Billboard's main country charts at the same time, so he doesn't care that some people think he isn't "country enough." Brown told the Free Times, "I only care what my fans think because they're the ones listening to me. If I start caring what critics think, then that's when I start changing who I am." 

For Brown it's important to stay true to who he is: a normal guy who was raised by his mother, and who started his musical career by posting covers of country songs on social media. 

While his success means being on the road a lot, Brown eats the same way we all do on road trips. He once even stopped at Subway, surprising the employees who were working there — especially assistant manager Angela Graves who said, "You look just like Kane Brown" before realizing it really was him. Yes, even country stars stop for gas station Subway when they're hungry.