How Cole Swindell became one of George Birge’s “super close friends”

Having mentors and close friends is important in the music industry. And for George Birge, Cole Swindell‘s been that person to him for many years.

“[Cole’s] become one of my super close friends and a bit of a mentor, too,” George tells ABC Audio. “He’s just such a nice guy. He’s a great songwriter. He’s an unbelievable entertainer.”

“He was one of the first artists in town to, before I had anything going on, be a cheerleader and a champion for me,” the “Mind on You” singer says.

“I’ll never forget, you know, the first time he heard my song on the radio, he called me and he’s like, ‘Hey, man, let’s go play golf. I heard you on the radio for the first time. We’ve got to celebrate,'” recalls George.

“To have a guy care like that, it makes you want to root for him and it makes me very thankful to call him a friend,” he adds.

George is approaching the top 10 of the country charts with his latest single, “Cowboy Songs.”

He recently wrapped his run with Sam Hunt on the Locked Up Tour and will hit the road in 2025 for Dylan Scott‘s Country Till I Die Tour. 

For George’s full list of tour dates, visit georgebirge.com.