Jerrod Niemann wasn't full of bull when he announced earlier this year that if the bull he owned, High Noon, would pull in some winnings, he'd donate the bucks to making sure children in need had access to musical instruments. And now that High Noon has racked up more than $100,000 in prize money, the "Drink to That All Night" singer is proving he's a man of his word.
When Niemann became a Back Seat Buckers Celebrity Stock Contractor back in January, he knew exactly what he wanted to name the bull he selected. The title of his third album was "High Noon." The album was a major success, powered by the singer/songwriter's second No.1 smash single, "Drink To That All Night." So, Niemann figured giving the bull the name of a successful album would set it on a course to excellence. And he was absolutely right, because High Noon recently won the 2014 Back Seat Buckers grand prize and $100,000 in prize money at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. And, before that amazing win, High Noon also won $2,250 after placing 4th/5th in the Springfield Invitational.
Niemann had announced earlier this year that he would donate all the bull's earnings to his nonprofit, Free the Music USA (FTMUSA), an organization dedicated to supporting music education by collecting and distributing used instruments for children and teens in need. Just like he gave High Noon a name based on an album title, he named the organization after his 2012 album, "Free The Music."
"I'm still smiling thinking about the amazing news," Niemann said in a press release. "When teaming up with my friends at Back Seat Buckers to purchase a bull to compete in rodeos for charity, I was very excited. I was hoping we'd be able to get in there with High Noon and raise some funds for children and their opportunities to have music as a steady part of their lives, but I didn't realize we could be blessed enough to do so well."
Back Seat Buckers is the bull ownership program created by PBR and ABBI. It allows anyone to become a stock contractor and provides complete care, housing and training for bulls during their first year of ABBI competition. Niemann joins past celebrity bull owners Wayne Gretzky, John Elway, Jared Allen, Reggie Jackson, Boomer Esiason and others.
Niemann kicked off his headlining Get Your Buzz Back Tour on Oct. 24 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Donations to FTMUSA in the form of gently used instruments will be collected at each stop on the tour. His latest single, "Buzz Back Girl," is currently climbing the charts.
