What’s that saying, scars are tattoos with better stories?
Well Jon Pardi has one heck of a story to tell, after recently taking to social media to show off the scars on his stomach that he got from being stabbed 5 times at the age of 18.
It’s a story Pardi has told before, revealing in a 2014 interview that he was stabbed three times in the stomach and twice in the arm during a fight:
“I just got in a fight, and I ended up getting him, and he pulled out a knife and… I got (stabbed) three times in the stomach, and two little slashes on my arms.”
Unfortunately for Jon, there wasn’t a hospital nearby…at least not one that could help with a stabbing:
“‘Cause we were out in the country, it was up in the hills, and it was at somebody’s house and my buddy’s now a paramedic firefighter, ’cause his whole family are firefighters… we just got in his car, we just drove to the hospital, the first hospital didn’t have emergency services. And the second, we had to go to another one it was like ten minutes away. We got in there, and they didn’t know diddley, and then they put me in an ambulance and took me to Sacramento.
It was a long journey, man.”
Thankfully the guy who did it ended up behind bars – but it sounds like he got off a little light for stabbing somebody five times:
“Yeah, he got assault with a deadly weapon. He had, like four months in jail, for a felony.”
Luckily Pardi doesn’t seem to be any worse for the wear, except for the gnarly scar on his stomach. And he recently showed it off while addressing the “mean grandmas” who questioned his scars:
Pardi has always been one of those artists who don’t get enough credit in today’s country world. As an artist firmly planted in the mainstream, he’s scored plenty of #1s throughout his career, namely with smash hits like “Head Over Boots,” “Dirt On My Boots” and “Heartache on the Dancefloor.” However, when you take a look at his discography as a whole, you quickly realize that Pardi is one of the last remaining traditionalists in the genre who still frequently receives mainstream attention.
Whether it’s his underrated gem of an album, Heartache Medication, or his breakout sophomore effort, California Sunrise, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, or his most recent release, Honkytonk Hollywood, it’s been more than apparent that Pardi is one of the most successful commercial artists who’s still dedicated to preserving a classic country sound.
Last night he kicked off his 19-show Gamblin’ Man Tour, which started in Richmond, Virginia and runs through November 14 in Independence, Missouri.
Gamblin’ Man Tour Dates
9/18/26 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena *
9/24/26 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
9/25/26 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
9/26/26 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center
10/1/26 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park
10/2/26 – Macon, GA – Atrium Health Amphitheater
10/3/26 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
10/8/26 – Loveland, CO – Blue Arena
10/9/26 – West Valley, UT – Maverik Center
10/10/26 – Nampa, ID – Fort Idaho Center
10/23/26 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater
10/24/26 – Athens, GA – Akins Ford Arena
11/5/26 – Laredo, TX – Sames Auto Arena
11/6/26 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater
11/7/26 – Round Rock, TX – Round Rock Amp
11/12/26 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Alliant Energy PowerHouse
11/13/26 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
11/14/26 – Independence, MO – Cable Dahmer Arena
