Bailey Zimmerman Marks Fifth No. 1 Hit with Steak Dinner and Chocolate Milk
By Website Content Manager
Zimmerman is celebrating in style as his Luke Combs duet “Backup Plan” just claimed the top spot at country radio.
Bailey Zimmerman is savoring a career milestone after scoring his fifth No. 1 at country radio with “Backup Plan,” his collaboration with Luke Combs.
To mark the achievement, Zimmerman kept things simple but memorable — celebrating with a plate of steak and a tall glass of chocolate milk, even sharing a snapshot of the quirky meal on social media.
The song, written by Jimi Bell, Jon Sherwood, and Tucker Beathard, appears on Zimmerman’s latest album Different Night, Same Rodeo. During a conversation with Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen, the Illinois native recalled the first time he heard the track and why it resonated so strongly.
“The first time I listened, I thought, ‘Man, this feels like it could kick off a Johnny Cash record,’” Zimmerman shared. “It didn’t come across cheesy like some songs in that vein can. It just hit me differently — it reminded me of things my grandpa and dad always told me, like keeping your head down and putting the blinders on. It gave me chills.”
From the start, Zimmerman felt Combs would be the perfect fit for the song. At first, though, he didn’t even have Combs’ number. That changed after the two connected at the Concert for Carolina event.
“We hung out and clicked right away, like we’d been friends forever,” Zimmerman recalled. “After the show, Luke slipped me a note thanking me for playing and gave me his number. I knew then I had to send him this song.”
Combs agreed, and soon the collaboration was born — with Zimmerman still in awe of the superstar’s generosity.
“Luke Combs is a legend, plain and simple,” Zimmerman said. “He didn’t have to get on the song, or let me play it with him at Stagecoach, or shoot a music video — but he did. Not just because he believed in the track, but because he’s a genuine guy. Everything about him is real, and I’m lucky to call him a friend.”