From Home Runs to Hit Records:
Chris Lane’s Full-Circle Return to Charlotte
Country music star Chris Lane '07 recently performed a pre-game concert for fans on campus. It was a far cry from the open mic nights during his college days.
By Christy Jackson
Photos by Ryan Honeyman and Kat Lawrence
Video by Ozzie Hernandez and Harrison Hieb
Swinging for the Fences
Chris Lane ‘07 once swung for the fences in UNC Charlotte’s baseball stadium. In fact, he was the first player to hit a home run in the Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.
Today, he’s swinging for the top of the country music charts. And it’s working. He’s gone from open mic night at Boardwalk Billy’s Raw Bar and Ribs to releasing three studio albums, including the Gold-certified “Laps Around the Sun,” and scoring seven charting singles with three hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
The former 49er standout recently returned to campus for a special pre-game show before Charlotte hosted Chapel Hill, bringing the energy despite stormy weather. Lane wasn’t alone. His twin brother Cory ‘07, also a star on the 49er baseball team, is now the drummer in his band.
Returning to the Field (and the Stage)
You and Cory were both standouts on the Charlotte baseball team. What’s it like to come back to campus now as a performer instead of an athlete?
It’s surreal. I chose Charlotte because I’d get the chance to start right away, and at that point I thought baseball was my future. To stand on the same campus where we once played ball and now bring music to fans is wild.
How did your time at Charlotte—and in baseball—shape the way you approach music?
Baseball taught me discipline and how to outwork people. As a student-athlete, you’re waking up at 5 a.m. to lift, going to class, practice, study hall, then doing it again the next day. That mindset carried into music. I knew if I wanted something to happen, I had to grind for it.
Injuries eventually changed your path. How did you go from baseball to music?
I had surgeries that kind of closed the door on baseball. That’s when I picked up a guitar. I taught myself to play, and the first song I learned was probably a Kenny Chesney tune. Baseball had been my dream, but I found another one.
Just Believe in Yourself
How did you go from teaching yourself guitar in your college apartment to a record deal?
It was a grind. I had to hustle, travel, lose money on shows, just to get in front of people. I had to come up with ways to stand out. One of the things I did was create medleys – hip-hop mixed with ’90s country and rock—that nobody else was doing. People loved it, and I think that helped me get noticed. People were coming out to my shows and being really supportive. Eventually, I had record labels flying out to watch me play. Next thing I know, I had offers on the table. It was an unorthodox way of breaking in, but it worked. And I wouldn’t change a thing about how I got here.
Do you remember the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio?
I do. I was home in Kernersville for Thanksgiving. I pulled into a Sheetz just so I could record myself hearing it for the first time. It was unbelievable—something I never thought would happen. It felt like all the sacrifice and hard work was paying off.
Who inspired you most as you were starting out?
Probably Kenny Chesney. I saw him play so many times in Charlotte. He’s one of the main reasons I wanted to learn guitar and pursue music. He gave me the bug, and he’s still one of my biggest influences.
So, now, what advice would you give a student watching you on stage at Charlotte, thinking, “I want to be like Chris Lane”?
If a country boy from Kernersville who had no clue what he was doing can figure it out, anybody can. You just have to believe in yourself, outwork everybody and surround yourself with great people. Put in the work, and great things can happen.
Lane and his wife, Lauren Bushnell Lane, live in Nashville with their two sons, and they are expecting their third child in November 2025.
Learn more about Chris Lane’s music, concert dates and upcoming tour with Rascal Flatts.