Scotty Hasting’s rise in country music is the ultimate comeback story. The singer and former U.S. Army sergeant had to reinvent himself both physically and mentally after taking 10 bullets in an ambush while serving in Afghanistan in 2011.
Like many veterans, the Purple Heart recipient’s battles didn’t end when he left Afghanistan—they only began. Hasting not only had to learn how to walk again, but also had to rewire himself, both physically and mentally, to function as a left-hander after his injuries tore through the nerves of his right hand. After being medically discharged from the Army, he faced a new enemy—PTSD and depression.
Learning to navigate life as a lefty, Hasting excelled at archery, which became a therapeutic outlet. “The one that I really found a purpose and I found therapy in was archery, and I started shooting,” he recalls. He worked hard enough to be recruited by the U.S. Paralympic Committee, but when COVID shut down the country in 2021, that outlet was taken away. At what could have been one of his darkest moments, Hasting found a lifeline in music, learning to play guitar as a left-hander. This new calling and purpose now has him touring the world in support of his latest song, “Scars.”
Now, he’s on a mission to help fellow veterans find their own path to healing. “I think that a sense of purpose is the thing that can keep you moving forward,” Hasting says. “A lot of times, in the veteran community, we have an epidemic of suicide, and a lot of the time it’s because they’ve lost that sense of purpose.”
Scotty Hasting’s music career has been nothing short of remarkable. He has performed on some of country music’s most iconic stages, including the Grand Ole Opry, and has shared the spotlight with legends like Lee Brice and Dolly Parton on an emotionally charged remake of “Til The Last Shot’s Fired.” Hasting’s original songs, such as “Scars,” showcase his journey and resilience, while his performances at the National Memorial Day Concert and the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy have allowed him to honor fellow veterans through music.
Securing a record deal with Black River, Hasting continues to use his platform to inspire and heal. As he says in the Country Muscle Podcast, “I started music as therapy for me. I only ever wanted to do music because it was therapeutic for myself. I never thought in a million years that this would become a career, or that it would be where it is now. It’s insane.”
For Scotty Hasting, Before Songwriting, It was Sports and Service
Before music and the military played major roles in his life, Scotty Hasting was a power-hitting high school first baseman in an athletic family—his brother was an offensive lineman for Ohio University. “My sport was baseball. I played semi-pro baseball before I joined the Army, and, yeah, baseball was my life for a long time,” Hasting recalls.
Growing up, Hasting’s identity was forged on the field. He describes himself as “not that great,” but his stats tell a different story: a .275 hitter with four home runs in the first six or seven games of his last season. “I was very slow. That’s why I played first base,” he says, laughing. “But I could hit the hell out of the ball—if I hit it, it was going far.”
Baseball has become a popular sport among country music artists. Morgan Wallen and ERNEST were both pitchers who faced each other on the mound during high school. Brett Young was a standout pitcher for Ole Miss, while Brian Kelly starred at both Florida State and Belmont.
“I think I could hit off Ernest,” he jokes. “Brett Young is who I wouldn’t want to go against—no thanks. I’d rather not. Bet he still has some heat.”
Scotty Hasting Required Reconstruction after Afghanistan
Everything changed after Hasting was shot in Afghanistan, suffering injuries that left him unable to use his dominant right hand. “I’ve since taught myself how to throw left-handed and stuff like that. But, yeah, it’s a whole new world on the left side,” he admits. For an athlete whose muscle memory was built over years of right-handed play, the challenge was immense.
Yet, the lessons of baseball—teamwork, grit, and relentless competition—became the foundation for his recovery. “Going from baseball, which is a team mindset and is very competitive, to the military, which is also a team mindset and very competitive, it’s just been part of my life for so long,” Hasting says. That same drive now fuels his music career and inspires others facing adversity.
On April 21, 2011, U.S. Army Sergeant Scotty Hasting’s life changed forever during a routine patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan. What began as a day like any other quickly turned into a nightmare when Hasting and his squad were ambushed by a gunman just 12 feet away. In a matter of seconds, Hasting was struck 10 times—five bullets tore through his brachial plexus, four ripped a chunk from his hip, and one went clean through his leg.
The reality of his injuries set in during his three-day evacuation to Walter Reed Hospital. The true extent of the damage became clear when he tried to walk for the first time. “Once I got to do that, I went to stand up and walk—and my leg just didn’t move. So I had to relearn how to do all that. It was crazy. It was very hard.” Hasting spent nine months at Walter Reed, enduring daily surgeries and therapy. But the hardest part, he says, was retraining himself to do everything left-handed. “I’m naturally right-handed, and I had to learn how to do everything left-handed.”
Family, fellow soldiers, and adaptive sports like archery became his support groups. “They pushed you to be better than you were yesterday. And that really helped with my transition from the injuries,” Hasting says.
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Music Became Scotty Hasting’s personal Home Run
After nearly nine months of rehabilitation, Hasting found an unexpected lifeline in archery. The adaptive sport, recommended by the surgeon general upon his discharge, struck a chord with the former athlete. “The one that I really found a purpose and I found therapy in was archery, and I started shooting,” he recalls. He worked hard enough to be recruited for international competition, and the sport also helped him navigate through his PTSD. “As long as I stayed active, the PTSD I suffered from would subside for that period of time,” he says.
When that outlet was shut down during the pandemic, Hasting faced a major hurdle. He had two options: do nothing and let his PTSD worsen, or find a new purpose.
“I started music as therapy for me. I only ever wanted to do music because it was therapeutic for myself. I never thought in a million years that this would become a career, or that it would be where it is now. It’s insane.”
Songwriting has since become his sanctuary. “Being able to take those emotions and those feelings and put them somewhere else… being able to take them out of myself and put them on a piece of paper in song form, it changed everything, and it changed it so drastically, to the point that it truly saved my life,” he shares.
Now, whether he’s on stage or speaking to veterans, Hasting’s message is clear: Find what you love and let it guide you out of the darkness. “I think that you just need to find something that you love to do, and do it all the time, and eventually it will reveal itself,” he advises.
As he continues performing across the country, including at the Grand Ole Opry, Hasting hopes his story will inspire others to believe in second chances. “Even if it’s so much as going down to the animal shelter and hanging out with the dogs and stuff and helping around the animal shelter, because being around dogs gives you a sense of purpose, the ability of taking care of something, or just finding comfort in those dogs. I think that it’s important just to find something you love to do and do it all the time.”