In most cases it is the male singers who are notably tall for giants in the country music industry who are not difficult to come by. When it comes to giants, few can be as recognizable as 6’6 Country Singer Trace Adkins. For his baritone voice and masculine appearance, and strong showings, Adkins has assumed the status of a country music artist. Rather, let us consider how his height and the nature of his personality manifest themselves theatrically and how he stands in comparison to other physically imposing country stars to be, well, tall.
Trace Adkins: The Iconic 6’6 Country Singer
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Little did the world know that the ‘giants’ like Trace Adkins did not start off very huge. Born in Louisiana, Adkins had a stint in the oil fields before turning to music, and with his deep voice and highly physical build, was instantly distinctive. Black was able to hit the ground running with his first album Dreamin’ Out Loud mid-90s and transform the rest of his career into a string of hits with images, both posturing and relatable: the cowboy boots, the hat, the cowboy jacket, the leaning against the pick-up truck and, of course the honky-tonk most notably symbolized in ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’.
Commanding Stage Presence
At a height of 6 feet 6 inches Adkins would easily turn heads, not to mention his Super Model like looks. The baritone is also an intimidation in terms of looks too, and his somber, narrative lyrics fit his serious persona and booming voice. Commenting on the performer, fans have stated that Adkins practically mesmerizes everyone with his gigantic size and an incredibly powerful voice that make his concerts among the most engaging events for fans.
Other Tall Country Legends: Who Else Measures Up?
But getting back to the music, there is not only Trace Adkins, the tallest singer of country tunes. Many artists pop stars in the industry today are over 6 feet tall; Blake Shelton, Toby Keith and Charles Kelley of Lady A. Here’s a closer look at these other towering talents:
1. Charles Kelley (6’6)
Final Fantasy band’s Charles Kelley is 6’6”, the same height as Adkins and is a member of Grammy winning band Lady A. Distinguished by harmonious voice and soulful intonation, Kelley contributed to turning Lady A into one of the Country Music’s favorites. This, along with his bandmates, makes Lady A stand tall and distinct during hell raisers as they often “loom” over other artists.
2. Blake Shelton (6’5)
Country music star Blake Shelton, who is a coach on the singing show The Voice and whose song includes God’s Country, is mere an inch smaller and is 6 feet 5 inches tall. Having a comedic presence and friendly demeanor, Shelton is funny looking tall in television and live shows where he plays with the crowd, sometimes poking them playfully with his hands.
3. Toby Keith (6’4)
While Adkins and Kelley are a couple of inches taller, Toby Keith, at 6-foot-4 inches shows that height can be an asset to a country performer on stage. With hits such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”, Keith brings a wholesome, country feel multiplied by his tall muscular frame.
How Height Affects Stage Performance in Country Music
Self-assertive traits that include height are obvious in performers such as Trace Adkins and Charles Kelley. There is always a theatricality to country artists and size magnifies this – Conway Twitty could have been a poster boy for the genre. Listeners will easily recall a singer who sings well but perhaps was seen to be in great striking form.
For example, Adkins tends to assume physicality that conforms to masculine hard materialism of his music. It sends an extra message and adds feeling and volume when he is singing about hope, adversity or love. Likewise, its lead vocalist Charles Kelley has the advantage of the band’s height as he easily mingles with the crowd as well as stage jumps with the other band members.
Standing Out in a Crowd
Country music audiences know a lot about voices that fill the room, and if nothing else, tall artists are going to fill a room quite literally. Although talent, charisma and ability to master a musical instrument are the key determinants for the success of most artists, height gives a musician extra authority on the stage. A man of six and something, like Trace Adkins or Charles Kelley, can draw eyes to himself without much effort since people can see him from most parts of a facility.
Trace Adkins: A Legacy in Country Music
Thus, one might conclude that growing tall has not been the only successful trademark of Trace Adkins. His passion for country music and genuine voice make him a genuine legend of the genre and powerful storyteller on top of that. Apart from musical career, Adkins has also ventured into acting in films as well as television shows to enhance his market niche.
But his work in such films as The Lincoln Lawyer and television series King of the Hill presents another facet of his work. Yes, With his towering height, he is hard to miss but his true worth is in his music and his passion he puts in his music videos.
Conclusion
Another example is tall successful country singers such as the 6’6 Country Singer Trace Adkins and other burly stars like Charles Kelley and Blake Shelton. Adkins stands tall and has this air of ruggedness about him but it completely transcends to talent, easy to sing along lyrics and genuine heartfelt lyrics and emotion. At 6 feet 6 inches Adkins towers over other musicians not only literally, but in terms of influence in the country music scene he also dominates.