Blanco Brown, the 36-year-old artist behind country music meets hip-hop dance hit "The Git Up," made enough strides in his recovery from an Aug. 31, 2020 traffic accident in Atlanta to appear on Sunday (April 18) at the ACM Awards in Nashville.
"I felt magical," Brown told PopCulture and other outlets during a virtual interview. "I can't wait to get back on stage and perform for the first time, and just to be on stage with the lights and having something to do. Purpose over everything is what I express myself all the time and to others. So it's just a blessing."
Brown's still rehabbing his injuries after nearly spending a month in the hospital.
'BBR Music Group's beloved Blanco Brown, the artist behind 2019's worldwide viral smash 'The Git Up' and current hit 'Just The Way' was involved in a head-on collision Monday night near his home in Atlanta, Ga.," reads a Sept. 2020 statement from the label. "The accomplished writer, vocalist and Grammy-nominated producer suffered significant injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he underwent a 12-hour surgery to address those traumas. Additional surgeries are expected as he currently rests in the ICU. Blanco, his family and his friends ask for your prayers during this time."
In a since-deleted Instagram post from Sept. 18, Brown reached out to fans with a faith-filled statement.
"I fought for my life, I fought to see all y'alls faces and those smiles again, and I fought to share my purpose," Brown wrote. "God ain't done with me yet, we're just getting started!"
Per the Tennessean, Brown's motorcycle collided head-on with a 1998 Ford Ranger.
Brown's team announced on Sept. 14 that he'd made strides in his recovery. Despite being hospitalized still, Brown wasn't expected to require more surgeries.
"Blanco, his family and his friends wish to express that they have been humbled and deeply touched by the outpouring of love from all over the world," reads a press release. "They would like to thank everyone for their support and ask for continued prayers for Blanco during this time."
Before crossing over into country, the singer, songwriter and producer worked with Chris Brown, Pitbull, Fergie and other popular acts.
In addition to "The Git Up," the second biggest Tiktok country dance craze aside from Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," Brown's career so far has included team-ups with Diplo and Thomas Wesley ("Do Si Do"), Ciara (a "The Git Up" remix) and the country group Parmalee ("Just the Way").
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The original version of "The Git Up," a showpiece of Brown's "trailer trap" sound, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2019.
Since then, the Georgia native's made further in-grounds into Nashville with a self-titled EP and a debut album, Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs.
The Atlanta native grew up listening to OutKast and other local hip hop acts. During the summer, he'd spend time with his grandmother, who'd turn her music-crazed grandson onto Johnny Cash and other country music legends. Black country artists discovering the genre at a young age through a relative's a common tale, dating back to the upbringings of the Pointer Sisters and Linda Martell.
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