A Rock: Hardy explains his passion for rock collecting

A Rock: Hardy explains his passion for rock collecting
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for ACM

A ROCK isn’t just the name of Hardy‘s debut album, it also connects to one of his favorite pastimes. 

When he’s not writing hit songs or performing for fans all over the country, Hardy can be found fishing for rocks in creeks and riverbeds. His passion for rock collecting goes back to his childhood growing up on his family’s hunting property in Mississippi where a friend introduced him to the hobby.

Hardy’s favorite rock is the arrowhead, which dates back 12,000 years and was used by Native Americans as a weapon and hunting tool. 

Hardy is clearly a natural rock hunter, as the first time he picked up a pile of gravel, he found an arrowhead immediately. “One scoop, first time I ever attempted to look for one and it was right on top and I was like ‘well, I’m hooked,'” Hardy recalls.  

The singer would also frequent the Tallahala Creek that runs through Mississippi in search of the rare ancient arrowheads. “Apparently, that’s the only place in the country that that rock exists. But you can find it all over the southeast, which is crazy,” he says.   

Hardy has such an affinity for the arrowhead that he has a tattoo of one on his back. 

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