Bailey Zimmerman Reflects on Stagecoach, His “Whirlwind” Year, and Supporting His Mom: “It Brings Me to Tears”
By Website Content Manager
The “Fall in Love” singer is set to perform at Stagecoach on Friday, April 26.
Bailey Zimmerman has come a long way since his 3:00 p.m. debut slot at Stagecoach — and the country star has no plans to slow down.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the “Fall in Love” singer opened up about returning to the Stagecoach Music Festival in April, reflecting on his journey and the whirlwind success he’s experienced since first performing there in 2023.
“Stagecoach is just a completely different atmosphere,” says Zimmerman, 25.
Looking back on his first appearance, he remembers the scorching heat but says the excitement made it all worth it. “It was 110 degrees that day, but I was so pumped I didn’t care,” he recalls. “I’ll never forget stepping out on that Stagecoach stage for the first time and seeing so many people rocking with me. It was insane. Then getting to do it the next year with Morgan [Wallen] and HARDY—man, it didn’t even feel real.”
For his upcoming set, Zimmerman — who surprised fans earlier this year by joining Luke Combs on stage during his headlining performance — plans to give it his all. “I’m just going to go out there and rock my face off, give 150%, just like I do every show,” he says. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous — you’ve got to go out there and crush it. But it’s going to be unreal. I’m so stoked, if you can’t tell.”
When Zimmerman first played Stagecoach, his hit “Rock and a Hard Place” had just broken into the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10, while “Fall in Love” was taking off online. Since then, the Illinois native’s life has changed dramatically.
“It’s been the craziest time of my life,” says Zimmerman, who recently released his second album, Different Night Same Rodeo. “I grew up in trailers, moving house to house, just trying to get by. To see what music has done for me — the blessings it’s brought to my life and how it’s changed others — it’s unbelievable.”
Before music, Zimmerman worked building pipelines and had barely traveled. “I’d only flown once before all this,” he says. “Now I’m flying on jets, going from place to place, touring — it’s wild.”
But for Zimmerman, the best part of success is being able to give back to the person who supported him from the start: his mom.
“The thing I’m most proud of is that I get to take care of my mom,” he shares. “Growing up, she gave everything to us and never had much for herself. It makes me want to cry because not everyone gets this kind of opportunity.”
He adds, “Now I can make sure she doesn’t have to worry anymore. Seeing her smile, watching her take vacations — that’s what really means the most to me.”