Over the weekend, Shaboozey caught up with Cody Alan during a surprise appearance on SiriusXM’s The Highway Music Row Happy Hour: CMA Fest Edition. Part of their conversation found the thriving country singer sharing how his stage name, Shaboozey, came to be.
He explained to Alan that he spent most of his childhood hearing his Nigerian birth name, Collins Obinna Chibuez, being mispronounced. One day his high school football coach incorrectly spelled his name as “Shaboozey.” This small mistake turned out to be monumental in his life and career.
“I have a strange name for anybody to pronounce. I think everyone just kind of read it and was just like, ‘Shaboozey’ and I was like, you know what? I’m not going to fight it,” he shared.
What began as a nickname on the field eventually followed him into the studio. At first, music was just a hobby for Shaboozey. He used his talent as an escape from the pressure of school, which he admits wasn’t really his thing.
“I just wasn’t good school. I was good, but just not the homework and all that stuff.”
When it came time to pick a stage name, the singer/songwriter turned to his friends to help him find the perfect name that would be easily recognizable while still being significant to him.
“I just asked my friends, I was like, ‘man, what do you guys think my stage name should be?’ And I remember the story vividly. They’re like, ‘man Shaboozey, just do that.’”
Shaboozey says he was hesitant at first, but after his managers convinced him that it would stand out and tell his story well, he stuck with it.
Clearly, the guidance from his friends and team members proved to be right. Between his breakout hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and the slew of powerful performances he’s delivered, Shaboozey has proven that a name that has made a major mark in country music.
This conversation took place live from Eric Church’s bar Chief’s, located on Nashville’s lower Broadway. This marked the first time The Highway’s Music Row Happy Hour has taken place in Chief’s during CMA Fest.
Shaboozey was one of many artists who made surprise appearances throughout the four-day festival. Some stopped by just to catch up with one of the weekend’s hosts Buzz Brainard, Cody Alan, Macie Banks and Ania Hammar, while others also delivered an acoustic performance.
Some of the other superstars that made an appearance included Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Dasha, Bailey Zimmerman, Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, Eric Church, Rascal Flatts, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green and more.
A slew of rising stars also got the chance to give their latest updates and showcase some of their newest releases live from the Neon Steeple stage – such as Hudson Westbrook, Josh Ross, Noah Cyrus, Vincent Mason, Austin Snell, Alana Springsteen, Ashley Cooke, Lanie Gardner, Warren Zeiders, Tucker Wetmore, Carter Faith, Elizabeth Nichols and many more.
The Music Row Happy Hour takes place weekly at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Nashville in Tennessee with Buzz Brainard as the show’s regular host. The event live broadcast runs 3–7pm CST every Friday. Fans have the opportunity to attend in person or experience the lively show by listening on The Highway (channel 56) or streaming on the SiriusXM app.
The post Shaboozey Shares The Accidental Origin Of His Stage Name appeared first on Country Now.