Cowboy hat and a guitar– the simplicity of a country brings a unique take on what stardom is. These artists are beloved among the fans for representing the American traditional roots with their music.
Country music originated from the Southern and Southwestern United States, specifically Nashville, Tennesse. This genre personifies the Southern charm and the aesthetics of the countryside.
But when Eric Church performed at his concert, it was a unique experience for the fans to see a sunglasses-wearing (even at night) country singer with the vibe of a rockstar.
Even though he looks exceptionally cool, fans always wondered about the reason he wore sunglasses on the stage. Here’s the mystery behind his concealed eyes–
Eric has prescription numbers in both his eyes. He tried contact lenses, but the harsh stage lighting and the constant heat radiation would hurt his eyes. So, he decided to wear prescription sunglasses on stage, and now he is known for his chic style.
Who Is Eric Church?
As a young teenager, Eric was always eager to learn music to express his thoughts. Instead of waiting for the right moment to learn, he picked up a guitar at the tender age of 13 and simply started. By the time he reached his senior year of high school, he was already invited for gigs at a local bar.
He considered Jimmy Buffett as his inspiration and often covered his songs. He even composed some of his original songs and performed at a few dive bars. Soon he formed a band with his college roommate, brother, and another guitarist called it “Mountain Boys.” They spend their initial years playing at bars and restaurants all over North Carolina.
Church began his musical career as a solo artist and a songwriter with credits for writing Terri Clark’s 2005 single “The World Needs a Drink” and a track on Dean Miller’s 2005 album Platinum called “Whiskey Wings.”
But his rise to fame began with a debut album called Sinners Like Me in 2006. His songs, including “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” and “Guys Like Me,” entered the Hot Country Songs charts.
And he never looked back, releasing hit albums one after another with Chief, The Outsiders, Mr. Misunderstood, Desperate Man, Heart & Soul, and more singles along the way.
He is happily married to music publisher Katherine Blasingame and has two sons– Boone McCoy Church and Tennessee Hawkins “Hawk” Church.
Why Does Eric Church Wear Sunglasses?
The cool guy Church has a rather dorky yet cute reason to don his signature aviators. He mentioned that he has an eyesight prescription. But wearing contact lenses for prolonged hours has caused dryness and itch feeling in his eyes. He explains his condition in a tell-all interview–
“I wear contacts, and my eyes don’t do real well with lubrication, but we would play all these bars and clubs, and the [stage] lights — I’m 6’3″ — so they would bake my contacts, and they’d fall off. So I ended up being blind on stage.”
“Someone suggested glasses, and it worked. What’s funny is it stuck. It was never thought out. We never thought, ‘This would be good.’ We actually at the time thought, ‘This is not good,’… but it ended up being a thing.”
He further explains why he is only seen wearing sunglasses while performing–
If I’m playing shows, I usually don’t wear them. But my eyes don’t do real well in lights. So if I’m playing shows, I’ll have shades on. It doesn’t feel right if I don’t.”
The Grammy-nominated singer explains how these sunglasses exude a certain confidence in him–
“I kind of go into a mode… when I put the hat and shades on.”
“I’ve done it so much — bars, clubs, all the way up to theaters and being opening acts to here, arenas.”
“It’s almost like you’ve got your uniform on, and it’s game time,” Eric explained. “I start to get more focused on what the show is going to be and just really let the energy exchange happen.”
Nevertheless, Eric is a talented musician who has won hearts with his simplicity, aviators, and Von Dutch Denim Truckers.
What are your thoughts on Eric’s signature look? Which of the country singer’s albums do you like the most? Let us know in the comments section below.
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