My mother is a very fun-loving person. She has been through a lot in her life. She has had a couple of divorces. When I was in high school she was a single mother. That's when I learned to do my own laundry.

The beauty is that it's all a part of this wonderful dream I had in college. It's beautiful to see what it's turned into. It's the journey that I'm most proud of.

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

I can say that I don't see myself with the foot on the gas pedal as hard as it's been down for 16 years.

Certain nights, when everything's perfect and we have thousands of people partying their asses off, I break my rule and have a drink onstage. I've never done a show drunk. Well, I take that back. In the early days I did.

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

On the road, in my bunk, I sleep better than I do anywhere else in the world.