Uncle Kracker, whose real name is Matthew Shafer, was born on June 6, 1974 in Mt. Clemens, Michigan . In 1987, Matt met and became friends with a musician who we would later come to know as Kid Rock. During the time they spent together, Matt’s music was mainly rap. He began playing turntables at Kid Rock’s live shows in 1994. He continued doing live shows with Kid Rock and was a featured vocalist on some of Kid Rock’s music while he worked on recording his first solo album.
On June 30, 2000, Matt released his first solo album, Double Wide. His first single from the album was Follow Me. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2001 and the album spent the next 10 months on the Billboard 200. Double Wide was certified 2× Multi-Platinum on November 29, 2001
His second album, No Stranger to Shame was released on August 27, 2002. This album included a cover version of Dobie Gray’s hit “Drift Away”. Kracker’s version of the song, which featured Dobie Gray as a guest vocalist, peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold within a year of it’s release.
Soon after that, Matt met and became friends with country music star Kenny Chesney. They began touring together after the success of Kenny’s track “When theSun Goes Down, featuring Uncle Kracker.
His Third Album, Seventy Two and Sunny, was released on June 29, 2004. This time, Matt had moved away from rap on the album and went with a more country sound. This album featured his singles “Rescue” and “Writing It Down”.
Matt’s fourth album, and best in my opinion, Happy Hour, was released on September 15, 2009 after 5 years in the works. The album was due to be released in 2007 but just as recording was finishing up, Atlantic Records made a decision to bring in a new producer. The first single, “Smile” was released on July 13, 2009 and was his first solo hit on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Matt released a new six song EP, Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions, on June 22, 2010. It featured country remakes of some of his hits from Happy Hour. He also teamed up with his good friend Kid Rock for “Good To Be Me”.
In 2011, he joined Kenny Chesney for his “Goin’ Coastal”Tour. November 19, 2012 his CD “Midnight Special” was released on Sugar Hill Records. It has been nearly 4 years since a CD release but he has kept busy writing and touring. He is currently writing for his next album as well as writing with Kid Rock for his next album. Recording will begin this month (March 2016). What’s next for a kid who got his start as a DJ in Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band? Uncle Kracker has certainly made a name for himself and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Matt married his high school sweetheart Melanie, the couple divorced in 2014. He has three beautiful daughters, Skylar, Madison, and Troy.