All About Zach Bryan's Parents, Dewayne and Annette Bryan

The country singer's music is inspired by his late mom

Zach Bryan's parents are never far from his mind when he’s writing or performing.

The Grammy-nominated singer was born in Japan, and he and his older sister, MacKenzie Bryan Taylor, were later raised in Oklahoma by their parents, U.S. Navy veterans Victor Dewayne Bryan and Annette DeAnn Bryan (née Mullen).

After his parents divorced when he was about 12, Zach lived with his father, who had full custody, but he remained close to Annette.

Annette died in August 2016, and Zach’s first studio album, DeAnn, was named in her honor. He has since released three more studio albums, including his 2023 self-titled project.

“My mom was my best friend ... She knew me better than I knew myself, and better than anyone will ever know me,” Zach wrote in part on Instagram shortly after her death. “A beautiful woman, with a beautiful heart full of kind words and smiles she gladly shared with me. Every memory, and every moment is embedded in my soul.”

Today, Dewayne is a regular at his son’s shows, often showing his support by hosting block parties and tailgates ahead of Zach’s concerts. “I can’t keep track of all this, to be honest,” he told Tulsa World of his son's stardom. “There’s just no way to describe what it’s like being the parent of this person.”

Here's everything to know about Zach Bryan's parents, Dewayne and Annette Bryan.

Dewayne and Annette raised Zach in Oklahoma

Dewayne and Annette wed on May 5, 1989, while stationed overseas in the U.S. Navy. Zach was born in Japan, where Dewayne was a master chief.

The “I Remember Everything" singer was in eighth grade when the family moved to Oologah, Oklahoma, a small town about 30 miles outside Tulsa. Around this time, Zach’s parents divorced when he was about 12, according to The New York Times.

Dewayne remarried Anna Rodgers, a nurse and clinical research coordinator. According to his Facebook profile, Dewayne has been a managing partner of Bryan and Son's Property and Bryan and Son's Transport since 2022, and he worked as a 1st Class Engineer at Oklahoma State University.

Zach’s Oklahoma roots are evident in his music, which includes titles like "Oklahoma Smoke Show,” “Oklahoma City” and “Tishomingo.” His website also touches on his Midwestern pride, stating Zach is “proud of his small-town roots and whose music is fueled by a desire to stay true to himself.”

They welcomed two children

Dewayne and Annette had two children together. Their daughter, MacKenzie Bryan Taylor, was born on Sept. 22, 1994. They welcomed their second child, son Zachary Lane Bryan, on April 2, 1996.

MacKenzie is a comedian, and, just like he does with Zach, Dewayne promotes her shows on social media. He captioned a flyer for her September 2023 gig in part, "The girl that made me a dad will fix your sad with her spice filled funnies.”

In August 2022, Mackenzie shared a video on Instagram in which she jokingly performed Zach’s song, “Revival,” in the style of Shakira — as her dad hung lights up while she performed her set.

Zach has called his sister “my favorite person on the planet.” MacKenzie and her partner, Morgan Taylor, wed in October 2021.

Zach followed in his parents' footsteps and joined the Navy

Dewayne retired as a Master Chief Mechanist's Mate after almost 24 years of active service in the U.S. Navy. He later received his associate's degree from Rogers State University in 2013.

“I am a Christian man, a dad, and a husband who works hard, believes in my fellow man, and love to eat and cook steak and BBQ,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile. “My passion is in service to others and cooking the best burnt meat around."

Like his parents, uncles, grandfather and great-grandfather before him, Zach also joined the U.S. Navy at age 17. In an interview with Ship2Shore, he spoke about being an aviation ordnanceman, whose job was assembling, repairing and loading weapons.

Throughout his career, Zach was stationed in Washington and Florida and served tours in Bahrain and Djibouti. After eight years, he was honorably discharged in 2021 so he could pursue his music career.

Annette died in 2016

Zach described his mom to The New York Times as “an Oklahoma sweetheart, homecoming queen cheerleader, like a small-town freaking famous person almost.”

Although Annette struggled with alcohol and Dewayne was given full custody of their kids after the divorce, Zach said he was always close with his mother.

Annette died on Aug. 3, 2016, at the age of 49, and Zach processed his loss through songwriting. While some believed he was repressing his feelings, he told the publication that the person he confided in was no longer with him.

“I think my mom dying really solidified the darkness in life to me,” he said. “It opened that thing in you that’s like, ‘Hey, be a man now.’ "

Zach shared a tribute post for the second anniversary of Annette’s death, writing, “There’s a lot of things to do in two years that I wanted to tell you about. I love you more than life and I miss you like hell. Keep looking out, Mom, I’m doing it.”

Zach's family is supportive of his music career

Zach began writing poetry around age 12, and two years later, his grandfather gifted him his first guitar. He eventually put his poems to music and started writing songs with his friends.

The "Something in the Orange" vocalist found songwriting to be therapeutic but didn't expect to pursue it, telling YouTuber Grady Smith in 2019 that it had “been something to ease my pain over the years, and now it's coming to this."

Zach began sharing his music on social media while still serving in the Navy, with videos of him singing going viral in 2017. He took time off from service to record his 2019 debut album, DeAnn.

“Zachary’s always had this ‘jump off a cliff and build his wings on the way down’ attitude,” Dewayne told Tulsa World about how his son approaches life. “Sometimes it’s frustrating, but I think he’s maintained it through this.”

Zach named his first studio album in honor of Annette

Zach told Smith that Annette was “like my best friend in the world,” and her death in 2016 “got to me.” His first studio album, DeAnn, was self-released in 2019, and the title was in honor of Annette, whose middle name was DeAnn.

The “Hey Driver” singer spoke of going over to his mother’s house, where Annette would make him sing songs for her, yelling and hollering when he played and often crying when she recorded him. Zach recalled his embarrassment when his mom would post on Facebook to urge friends to “listen to my boy sing!”

"She always just believed in me a lot. She knew me more than anybody,” he said. “I think if I had a few things to say to her, they'd probably be in a few of those songs that are on DeAnn.”

In August 2020, he shared a poignant message to Instagram in honor of the first anniversary of DeAnn, noting the album was full of “this beautiful woman's spirit.”

“As much as a select few claim that I have changed them, or helped them, or saved them, I want everyone to know that my life was also saved when I made this record,” the 2023 ACM Awards New Male Artist of the Year winner captioned an Instagram slideshow. “It was made with the purest mindset there was.”

Dewayne has joined Zach onstage

Zach’s dad loves showing up for his son, going to Zach’s shows as often as he can.

“I cry every time,” Dewayne told News on 6 of attending his concerts. “Each one is brand new.”

Dewayne has become a popular figure with Zach's fans: He is involved with the Zach Bryan Fan Group on Facebook, hosts tailgates and gives out tickets, or “Dad Comps,” to fans at shows, according to Tulsa World.

"I like to go to the shows. I like to interact with people. I like to host block parties and tailgates. Now when people ask me about my career, I tell them I'm a professional tailgater,” he told News on 6.

Dewayne is a music lover in general, regularly sharing posts about musicians on social media and promoting local Oklahoma artists. Ahead of Zach’s two sold-out hometown arena concerts in Tulsa in August 2023, Dewayne threw a block party featuring local artists who “all want to do what Zach’s done.”

Dewayne isn't just out in the crowd — he's performed with Zach, too. In October 2022, he joined his son onstage for a rousing rendition of “Revival."

Dewayne is a cancer support awareness activist

For three years in a row, Dewayne has walked across Oklahoma to raise awareness for cancer and special education.

Dewayne set out on the first walk in 2021 to raise money for a special education teacher in Texas who was battling cancer. For his third walk in 2023, he spent three days walking over 60 miles from Claremore to Copan, raising money for two local non-profits. Along the way, he read the names of 200 people who are currently going through treatment, in remission or died from cancer.

The cause is close to Dewayne’s heart — he’s named these treks “Dad’s Walk” in honor of his father, who died of lung cancer. "I want people to know that’s there’s things available and that any one of us can get out and do something,” he told Fox23 News.

Zach is happy to spread the word about his father's endeavors each year.

“My old man’s walking 67 miles to raise money for a cancer treatment facility and a school for disabled youth the next few days so if you see a big bald dude walkin’ across an entire state today give him a ‘hooyah’ and a honk for me,” the “Heading South” artist wrote on X in 2023.

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