Caleb Followill Biography

Caleb grew up watching his brother Nathan play music in the church when he was just seven. Over time, he picked up playing the drums and joined his brother and played music together. At the same time, he was introduced to bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Clash by the songwriter Angelo Petraglia. This newfound discovery influenced him deeply, and he knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. His brothers, Jared and Nathan, and his cousin Matthew came together to form their own band Kings of Leon in 1999. The band was named in honor of their grandfather Leon. While Caleb took the role of the lead vocalist, Nathan was the drummer, Jared the backing vocals and bass guitarist, and Matthew was the lead guitarist. After the formation of the band, they first signed up with the label RCA Records in New York.

Their debut album was ‘Youth and Young Manhood’ that was released in 2003. However, it failed to attract the attention of serious critics. Their next album ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ was released in 2004 and managed to draw in a diverse audience. From this album, ‘The Bucket’ soon became a popular song that entered the Billboard charts. The band’s next album ‘Because of the Times’ (2007) became commercially successful and entered the top 10 of the Billboard charts. It was also certified gold and platinum in different countries. Since then, Calib and other brothers have enjoyed widespearead success. Their following albums ‘Only by the Night’ (2008), ‘Come Around Sundown’ (2010), and ‘Mechanical Bull’ (2013) were massive hits across the world. Their two singles ‘Sex on Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody’ (both part of ‘Only by the Night’) became blockbuster singles and were covered widely by other artists. The band subsequently won the Grammy in the Best Rock Performance category for ‘Sex on Fire.’ Later, they won three Grammys for ‘Use Somebody’. The latest album is ‘WALLS’ released in 2016. This album, too, received favorable reviews from the critics.

Caleb is also a co-founder (alongside Jonathan Waxman, Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn) of the Music City Food + Wine Festival in Nashville. This festival aims to bring talented musicians and chefs together. Apart from music, Caleb and his band are actively involved in philanthropy and often associate with charitable causes. In a fund-raising event for the charity Absolute Return for Kids, Caleb and his brothers raised over $28 million. The band also generously contribute their earnings to the International Red Cross. Caleb is currently touring across the country for live performances.

Caleb Followill was born on January 14, 1982 to Ivan Leon Followill and Betty Ann in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Since his father was a United Pentecostal evangelist, the family was always travelling and preaching. Caleb has been married to the Victoria Secret supermodel, Lily Aldridge, since May 12, 2011. The couple has a daughter named Dixie Pearl and they recently announced that there are expecting another child in 2018. He was previously in a relationship for a short time with the actress Kimberley Stewart. In his spare time, Caleb loves cooking and experimenting with food. His favorite dish burger. He has confessed that he has been struggling with alcohol abuse and has even checked into rehab after scrapping a tour.

Caleb was inspired to become a musician after he heard Thin Lizzy’s vocalist Phil Lynott.