You have to be tough-skinned and willing to accept criticism, and at the same time, just try to do music that you like and you are proud of and not just whatever you think it's going to take to get you on the radio.

If you just do 50 to 60 shows a year, it's not that much time away from home.

The music business doesn't take up that much of my time. I probably should put a little more energy into it.

Probably some of the songs I never even really listened to the lyrics. Half of them I'd hear off the radio and was probably singing the wrong words and didn't even know it.

A country song is a song about life.

You just write about things that happen.

As long as I'm still able to have a hit on the radio and sell a few albums and some tickets, I don't see that it would be worth retiring.