I grew up in east Tennessee, and everybody knew everybody's business.

I love living my life in flip-flops. I met a guy in the islands a while ago who told me he hadn't worn a pair of shoes in three years! I thought, 'Man, that's the life!'

I love the fact that I can go out there on stage with a guitar and sing a song that means something to somebody.

I was on one bus with my band and crew for seven years. I didn't come to town with a karaoke tape. I didn't get on a TV show. There were no shortcuts. Anybody who wants to follow my model is welcome to it. You don't want to follow my path.

It sounds like a cliche, but it... you do sing about what you know about. And I grew up in a small town, and I grew up in a place where your whole world revolved around friends, family, school, and church, and sports.

I realized that I wanted to get better in every way. As a person, as a friend, as a songwriter, as a musician, as an artist, record producer, you name it.

There were [in 21] all those times in my life that I didn't know this was going to happen. I didn't know if anybody was going to care about our music.