Biography
Morgan Cole Wallen was born on May 13, 1993, in Sneedville, Tennessee, and later attended Gibbs High School in Knox County.[1] He played baseball as a teenager, but a torn ligament ended hopes of playing further, and he took up the guitar at 18.[1]
He gained wider attention as a contestant on the sixth season of *The Voice* in 2014, then moved to Nashville and released the *Stand Alone* EP in 2015.[1] His debut album *If I Know Me* (2018) reached number one on the Top Country Albums chart and included "Whiskey Glasses."[1]
*Dangerous: The Double Album* (2021) became the first country album to spend its first seven weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, and *One Thing at a Time* (2023) spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top.[1] "Last Night" topped the Hot 100, and he won Entertainer of the Year at the 58th CMA Awards.[1]
In February 2021, a video showed Wallen using a racial slur. He apologized, radio stations pulled his music, and his label suspended his contract, and he later donated $300,000 to the Black Music Action Coalition.[1]
His 2025 album *I'm the Problem* debuted at number one.[1] In September 2026 he released "Last Thing You Need," a synth-backed single written for the *Grand Theft Auto VI* soundtrack, and he is set to host the game's country station.[2]
References
- Morgan Wallen (Wikipedia) — Career background and chart achievements
- Morgan Wallen Releases Brand New Track From Grand Theft Auto 6 (Whiskey Riff) — Release details, teaser, soundtrack context