Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker cuts right to the chase. He knows people want to kick back, forget about their troubles, and have a good time, so he’s always willing to oblige. For over two decades, the multi-platinum artist born Matthew Shafer has consistently soundtracked such good times with his boldly breezy blend of country, pop, and rock spiked with a splash of hip-hop. The world initially met Uncle Kracker during his stint in Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band, lending his songwriting and musical acumen to seven cuts off the RIAA diamond-certified Devil Without A Cause. However, fans fell in love with him on his solo debut Double Wide in 2000. It not only crashed the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 at #7, but it also picked up a double-platinum certification and paved the way for the gold-certified follow-up No Stranger To Shame [2002].

He has impressively notched #1 entries in three different genre lanes, topping Pop, Adult Contemporary, and Country charts. The platinum “Follow Me” clinched #1 in four countries, while the double-platinum “When The Sun Goes Down” [with Kenny Chesney] vaulted to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart. He made history with his cover of Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away.” It logged 28 consecutive weeks at #1 on Adult Contemporary Radio, earning “the most weeks atop any Billboard chart.” Meanwhile, “Smile” shined across culture. It reached triple-platinum status and landed dozens of syncs, including a spot for The Office and a tribute montage to Regis Philbin on his final episode of Live With Regis & Kelly. Following 2012’s country album Midnight Special, he served up singles such as “Endlessly,” “Floatin’,” and “No Time To Be Sober.” Now in 2023, he’s released “Sweet 16” — his first proper single since the notorious pandemic — followed by “Reason To Drink” and most recently, “Cruising Altitude."