It is my duty to be a father to my kids.

I catch as much hell from the hard-core conservative people as I do the far left. The only difference is that the far right don't bring the hate to the table that the far left does. And that's my party. They just deal in so much hate. I mean the far left, not the Democrats, the far left really deal in hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.

Things use to be real nice, til they got out of hand. Since they moved in, they call themselves the Taliban.

If we were to sit and discuss abortion and legalizing marijuana and gay marriage and all those things, you'd be surprised where you'd see me on the side of some of that stuff. People get their opinions - as soon as you're a real flag-waving patriot, then all of a sudden you're a conservative.

My deal will always be one solo performance-nominated or not. Not some thrown together rock tribute.

My first gig, I was about 17 or 18. But I'd been singing a long time. I got a guitar when I was 8, and started trying to write songs as a teenager.

Raise up your glasses against evil forces; Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.