Get ready folks, because Uncle Kracker is coming to town. If you haven't heard already, Uncle Kracker will be performing at this year’s Taste of Fort Collins on June 9th and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

Now, anyone who is anyone has heard of all his classic hits, such as “Smile” and “Drift Away,” but here’s some things you most likely have not heard about Uncle Kracker.

  1. His real name is not Uncle Kracker

Contrary to popular belief, Uncle Kracker’s real name is actually Matthew Shaffer. I know, who would have thought? But for some unknown reason, I cannot find anything anywhere on the World Wide Web that definitively says whether he is or isn’t an uncle, so I guess the world will never know.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
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  1. He is best friends with Kid Rock

Okay, this is actually pretty common knowledge about Uncle Kracker, but it’s still cool. Uncle Kracker met Kid Rock at a nightclub in Clawson, Michigan, where Uncle Kracker’s brother was competing in a turntable competition. Kid Rock eventually asked Uncle Kracker if he would want to play turntables and help record one his albums, and their friendship only blossomed from there.

  1. Uncle Kracker is a picture drawing genius

This might be an exaggeration, but in an interview with The Boot, Uncle Kracker explained that he has always loved to draw, and he's pretty good at it, too. Maybe if he decides to take a break from music, drawing could be his next calling.

  1. He is kind of a big deal

Uncle Kracker has performed sold out shows all across the country, he even performed at the American Country Music Awards and appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Given his popularity, it’s pretty cool that we’re going to get to see him live in little ‘ol Fort Collins.

  1. You could call him the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ of the music industry

Uncle Kracker’s musical talent goes way beyond the rock genre. He has released/been featured in songs across the stylistic board, ranging from country to indie and pop. He first dipped his toes into the country music world when he collaborated with Kenny Chesney in the hit song “When the Sun Goes Down”, then he tested out an indie album in 2009 and, obviously, he got his spot on the Billboards top 100 with his pop hit, “Drift Away”.

Dobie Gray
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
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