Colt Ford pulled back the curtain on country star Jason Aldean, revealing a quieter side fans rarely glimpse. In a chat with Fox News Digital, Ford dished on his collaborations with fellow artists, including the late Toby Keith, and spotlighted Aldean's hidden trait.
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"People get confused with the whole artist thing," Ford said. "These artists ... they're just regular dudes, too." He painted Keith as "larger than life" yet grounded off-stage.
Ford echoed that for Aldean. "Hell, Jason Aldean's shy," he confessed. "He's a great guy, but he's shy if he doesn't know you." Fans see Aldean's electric stage presence, but Ford insisted the "Dirt Road Anthem" singer turns reserved behind the scenes.
"They just see the stage side," Ford said. "A lot of those artists are not like that off-stage. A lot of guys are just more chill." The "Hell Out of It" singer, a pioneer in country-hip-hop fusion, has forged tight bonds in the industry. He name-dropped Jelly Roll, sharing how he cheered his friend's weight-loss push. "I've encouraged him," Ford said. "I saw him and was like, 'Dude, stay after it.'"
Ford knows transformation firsthand. "You feel like you could do anything up there," he said of performing. "You don't realize the effect it's having on you."
Ford Transforms
Shedding pounds shifted his perspective. "I feel completely different," he admitted. "I didn't know I could feel that way." His spirit, he added, remains unbroken. "If anything, it's strengthened it."
The "Slow Ride" artist faced a brutal health scare in April 2024. A near-fatal heart attack plunged him into an eight-day coma. "I died 2 times," he revealed. Faith pulled him through.
"God just told me, I need to sit down and pay attention," Ford, 54, told Fox News Digital. He woke with purpose. "I'm meant to have that second chance," he said. "It's such a gift."
Now, he sees life differently.
"It makes me focus a little bit differently," he said. He aims to channel his ordeal into positivity, a testament to resilience forged in music and survival. Aldean's shyness, Jelly Roll's journey, and Ford's rebirth -- they're all just regular guys, redefined by their grit.
