The great irony about Zach Top‘s rise in country music is that this new, traditional country singer broke through with a hit on TikTok.
There’s a tragic twist to that story, however.
“I think people are starving for stuff that’s real,” Top told Taste of Country in 2024. “The only thing I’ve ever done on TikTok is sit there with my acoustic guitar and play and sing for ’em, and there’s no lip-syncing and no hanky-panky with it all. I think people appreciate that.”
As you learn more about who Zach Top really is and where he came from, you discover the roots of this philosophy.
We’ve never featured a relative newcomer in a Secret History of Country Music episode, but Mr. “I Never Lie” seems like a good fit, because he speaks to the same audience of classic country-loving fans, and because this Washington native is just so interesting!
Who Is Zach Top?
Zachary Dirk Top was born Sept. 26, 1997 in Sunnyside, Washington. His childhood was pretty much what you’d expect from a young man as genuinely country as he is. Farm life taught him about hard work and animals. His parents raised him on legends like George Strait and Marty Robbins.
His siblings joined him in a family band that played locally and kind of cooked. There’s a great video of Top singing “Muleskinner Blues” on YouTube. Right away you see he had vocal talent early on.
Who Is Zach Top’s Father (and Is It Alan Jackson)?
It’s really hard to find any decent information about Zach Top’s real mom and dad, because every search leads to websites reporting on a viral video that suggests Alan Jackson is his dad.
Honestly, it’s a convincing theory. See for yourself:
Top says the country singer is not his real father, but he’s revealed little about his actual mom and dad. As far as we can tell, NASCAR driver Terry Labonte is not his dad, either. That’s another rumor about him.
Is Zach Top Married?
Zach Top is not currently married, but he used to be. In 2020 he married a woman named Kinzi whom he’d started dating in college.
In fact, he recently shared that she was the reason he dropped out of college. That wasn’t the story he told his parents at the time, but it’s water under the bridge now.
As recently as 2023 he was talking about his new bride with love in his eyes, but in early 2024, she filed for divorce. That’s according to her Instagram, but she chose to keep details private, and we’re not going to forward any unchecked rumors on social media.
These days, Zach Top is dating a model named Amelia Taylor. They first stepped out together at the 2024 CMA Awards, and since then, they turn up frequently on her social media pages.
She’s a fun follow on TikTok especially:
How Tragedy Brought Zach Top to Nashville
You’ll have to watch the above Secret History video to learn which tragedy brought Zach Top to Nashville. There you’ll also learn why we think he’s a country music traditionalist who is here to stay.
Zach Top is currently on tour with Dierks Bentley. His new album Ain’t In It for My Health drops in August 2025 and includes his single “Good Times and Tan Lines.”
These 23 modern country singers prove that traditional country is alive and well. Cody Johnson, Justin Moore, Aaron Watson and newcomers like Triston Marez and Lauren Mascitti are staying true to country music’s roots. Scroll down to find an artist you’ll love.
There’s some great traditional country music out there, but you may need to hunt for it. We did the legwork with this list of 50 modern traditional country songs (from 50 different artists!).
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes