In my office, I have framed album covers by Dottie West, Connie Smith, Tammy, Dolly, Loretta and Jessi Colter.

When you come close to selling out, reconsider.

I think it is very important in this business to be an individual

I think you can have moderate success by copying something else, but if you really want to knock it out of the park, you have to do something different and take chances.

It takes so many people to make a success story like that. It starts with the song and the songwriters, then Mark Wright's producing, all of the players that played on it, me singing, the marketing department, the promotion department at the label... It takes a lot of people to make a hit like that.

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.

My first big show was with Tim McGraw and Mark Chesnutt, and that was overwhelming. There was probably 25,000 people there. I was nervous, (but it) was exhilarating.