Uncle Kracker

Biography

Matthew Shafer (born June 6, 1974), also known by his stage name Uncle Kracker, is an American singer and musician. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a turntablist for Kid Rock's backing group Twisted Brown Trucker and launched a solo career in 1999. He is best known for his singles "Follow Me×Follow Me2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Follow Me (DJ Homicide remix)3:342Follow Me (album version)3:393Follow Me (radio version)3:41", "Drift Away", and "Smile×Smile13 July 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Smile3:22" – all of which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Early life

Shafer was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, on June 6, 1974. With his brother Mike Shafer, he visited a nightclub in Clawson, Michigan, where a turntables competition was occurring. His older brother was competing against a then-unknown musician, Kid Rock, with whom Shafer soon became friends. In those times, he was mainly rapping. He went to L'Anse Creuse High School. In 1994, Kid Rock asked Shafer to play turntables for his band called Twisted Brown Trucker. Shafer knew nothing of using turntables, but since his brother was an experienced DJ, he agreed. He only performed at live shows at the time, until he began recording for Rock's album, Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp; Shafer was a featured vocalist on some of the tracks. He then began working on a solo album, but he continued being the DJ for Kid Rock. Upon the release of Rock's multi-platinum album, The History of Rock, Shafer decided that it was time to release his first solo album, Double Wide×Double Wide13 June 2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro1:202Better Days4:513What ’Chu Lookin’ At?5:124Follow Me3:355Heaven4:196Steaks ’n Shrimp4:147Who’s Your Uncle?3:568Whiskey & Water4:439Yeah, Yeah, Yeah5:0010Aces & 8’s3:5411You Can’t Take Me3:16, in 2000.

Double Wide

Double Wide was Uncle Kracker's first solo album. Released on June 30, 2000, it peaked at Number 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart and is Shafer's most successful and highest-selling album. The album was produced by Kid Rock, with mixing additional production by Michael Bradford. The first single taken off the album was "Follow Me×Follow Me2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Follow Me (DJ Homicide remix)3:342Follow Me (album version)3:393Follow Me (radio version)3:41", which was co-written with Bradford, and peaked at Number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2001. The album spent the next 10 months on the Billboard 200, and "Follow Me" also had a long chart run. His second single, "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah×Yeah, Yeah, Yeah2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (radio edit #2 w/ intro)3:532Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (radio mix #1)4:183Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (album version)4:57", failed to hit the Hot 100 chart; however, the song has been released one year earlier in the soundtrack of Shanghai Noon. Double Wide was certified 2× multi-platinum on November 29, 2001.

No Stranger to Shame

After a great deal of touring to promote the first album, he began to work on a follow-up album. Entitled No Stranger to Shame, it was released on August 27, 2002. The album reached No. 43 on the Billboard albums chart. A hit single was released, a cover version of Dobie Gray's 1973 Top 5 hit, "Drift Away" – also including Gray as a guest vocalist. Kracker's version of this song peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100 one week to the day after Gray's 63rd birthday, and it set a record for most weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, remaining atop this chart for 28 nonconsecutive weeks. Other singles released from No Stranger to Shame include "In A Little While", which peaked at No. 59 on the Hot 100 and No. 26 on the Adult Contemporary charts. A third single was released, "Memphis Soul Song×Memphis Soul Song5 August 2003 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Memphis Soul Song (remix)3:47", which charted on the Adult Top 40 at No. 35. A special remix of "Memphis Soul Song" was also released, featuring harmonies by legendary singing group The Jordanaires, who had famously sung harmonies with Elvis Presley. The album was certified gold by the RIAA within a year of its release. Soon after this period, Kracker became good friends with country music star Kenny Chesney and the two began a successful touring partnership together, brought on by the success of Kenny's hit single "When the Sun Goes Down", featuring Uncle Kracker both on the single, and prominently in the video.

Seventy Two and Sunny

After touring, Shafer began working on a third album which he called Seventy Two and Sunny. It was his first not to feature a parental advisory label as well as the first one to not feature any hip-hop songs, and moved onto a pure country sound. The album featured two singles: "Rescue×Rescue8 June 2004 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Rescue (country remix)4:05", which only charted at No. 20 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart but did not chart on any other charts, and "Writing It Down," which did not chart at all. Shafer did have some success that year though when he was featured on Chesney's track, "When the Sun Goes Down", which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and went on to achieve Gold status. Seventy Two and Sunny has sold about 200,000 copies. It peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard 200.

Happy Hour

Uncle Kracker's fourth studio album is entitled Happy Hour×Happy Hour11 September 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Smile3:222Another Love Song3:323My Girlfriend3:014Livin’ the Dream3:455Corner Bar4:186Me Again3:367Good to Be Me4:128I Hate California3:389Hot Mess2:5210Hey Hey Hey3:2911I’m Not Leaving4:3012Mainstreet3:2713Celebrate3:4114Josephine3:3015Let Me Love You3:37. The album was in the works for five years and was delayed due to Atlantic Records' decision to bring in Rob Cavallo to produce the album right as they were finishing their cut of the album in late 2007. An early promo version of the album contained the tracks "Happy Hour", "Vegas Baby", "I'm Not Leaving", "The One That Got Away", and "That's What's Happenin". "Smile×Smile13 July 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Smile3:22," the first single from the album, was released on July 13, 2009, and has peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was released on September 15, 2009. "Smile" also became his first solo entry on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it debuted at No. 57 for the week of November 7, 2009, and peaked at No. 6 in September 2010. A music video for the track "My Girlfriend" was released in November 2009. The album also features country singer Jesse Lee (also on Atlantic Records) in a duet they wrote called "Me Again."

Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions

A six-song EP, Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions×Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions22 June 2010 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Smile3:322Good to Be Me4:023Me Again3:414I'm Not Leaving4:345Livin' the Dream3:486Letter to My Daughters3:08, was released on June 22, 2010. The EP features country remakes of songs off the Happy Hour×Happy Hour11 September 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Smile3:222Another Love Song3:323My Girlfriend3:014Livin’ the Dream3:455Corner Bar4:186Me Again3:367Good to Be Me4:128I Hate California3:389Hot Mess2:5210Hey Hey Hey3:2911I’m Not Leaving4:3012Mainstreet3:2713Celebrate3:4114Josephine3:3015Let Me Love You3:37 album. The singles released were a remake of "Smile×Smile13 July 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Smile3:22" and "Good to Be Me", featuring Kid Rock.

Midnight Special

On November 16, 2012, Uncle Kracker released his fifth studio album, Midnight Special×Midnight Special16 November 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1You Got That Thang3:482I'd Be There3:123Four Letter Word3:384Blue Skies3:445When I Close My Eyes4:016In Between Disasters3:297Happy3:338Nobody's Sad On a Saturday Night3:189Nuthin' Changes3:4410Who We Are3:1211It Is What It Is3:35, produced by Keith Stegall. Sugar Hill Records and Vanguard Records released the album under parent company Welk Music Group. The album was a full-fledged country record, and was his first that did not feature the involvement of Kid Rock in any capacity. The first single to come off of the album was "Nobody's Sad on a Saturday Night", followed by "Blue Skies". Shafer performed songs from the album while on the road with Kid Rock for his $20 Best Night Ever Tour during 2013.

New singles and Coffee & Beer (2018–present)

On August 10, 2018, Kracker released his new single entitled "Floatin'", along with an accompanying music video.
On May 4, 2020, "No Time to Be Sober×No Time to Be Sober1 May 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1No Time to Be Sober2:52" premiered with a simple lockdown music video. On December 21, 2020, "Silver Bells" released for Christmas.
On June 9, 2023, Uncle Kracker released the single "Sweet 16".
On July 20, 2023, "Reason to Drink" was released.
Uncle Kracker toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top on their Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, which commenced on July 21, 2023 in West Palm Beach and concluded on September 17 in Camden.
On October 19, 2023, "Cruising Altitude" released after the finished tour.
"Beach Chair," Uncle's latest single with accompanying video directed by The Manning Brothers, was released on May 31, 2024.
On July 12, 2024, Uncle Kracker released his first album in a decade entitled Coffee & Beer×Coffee & Beer12 July 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1High on My Horse2:242Coffee & Beer4:553Reason to Drink3:264Life Goes On3:205Just Like That2:426Cruising Altitude3:247Beach Chair3:388Get Back Home3:399Lonely Lets You Down3:1210You Should’ve Loved Me3:1111Rockabye3:0312Sweet 163:2213Mark on Me4:09.

Personal life

Shafer was married to Melanie Haas from 1998 to 2013. They had three children together. Shafer has two children with his second wife.
In 2007, Shafer was arrested for a second-degree sex offense charge and released on $75,000 bond after a 26-year old woman alleged he groped her at a nightclub. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to a year of probation, saying he did touch the woman but denying any sexual intent and claiming the incident happened after the woman bumped into him at the club.