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Shaboozey reflected on his emotional, history-making Grammy win in his first-ever podcast interview.
The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” superstar recently met with Joseph Hudak for an episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, which was recorded live during a special taping in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shaboozey, 31, the publication’s digital cover star, vulnerably reflected on his Grammy victory during the conversation. He took home his first Grammy earlier this year — on the first day of Black History Month — in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “Amen,” with three-time Grammy winner Jelly Roll.
“You won a Grammy this year, your first Grammy Award, for ‘Amen,’ Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Jelly Roll,” Hudak said during the Nashville Now episode. “You were the first Black man to win a Grammy in that category. That day, your mom had retired from her job as a nurse. Well, I watched the clip, and you were backstage in the pressroom and you kind of got emotional because you just said you feel like your ancestors and everyone that’s ever believed in you was there with you.”
Shaboozey said he “really did feel that,” as he reflected on that monumental moment.
“I cried so much because I really felt it all,” he said. “Just thinking about all the struggle and the pain that, you know, our people, my people, Black people, Nigerian people, you know, it’s just all in that moment. …To feel like I was able to be a part of history in some little way, of Black history, was just, it was a lot, you know? It was a lot in that moment. It really was truly, honor. …I’m just, like, humbled, you know?”
During his speech, Shaboozey thanked God, his mother, his team and others, and said his victory is “for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity, to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color. I love y’all so much. Thank you.”
Throughout his conversation on Nashville Now, Shaboozey also reflected on his massively-popular “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” appearing on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER, inspiration for his upcoming storytelling album (The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, arriving on July 31), and more. Find the full episode on iHeartRadio here.