ARE COUNTRY WAS PROFOUND ON THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
THAT MAKES AMERICA THE GREATEST
NATION THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. >> HELLO.
>> HELLO.
HONKY-TONK THE THAT ONE AND HEY
FOLKS, I’M JOHN RICH AND WELCOME
TO THE PURSUIT.
I THINK MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE
IN SETTING GOALS, LAYING OUT
PLANS AND WORKING TOWARD AN END
RESULT.
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS.
SOMETIMES YOU COULD SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE WITH A CERTAIN DREAM
WHOLE LIFE WITH A CERTAIN DREAM
IN MIND ONLY TO HAVE IT TAKEN
AWAY IN A FLASH.
COUNTRY MUSIC STAR THOUGHT HE’D
BE A BIG TIME PRO GOLFER.
WHY?
HE LOVED IT AND WAS GREAT AT IT.
MAKING HIS WAY THROUGH THE RANKS
WHEN HE RAN INTO A LIFE ALTERING
ACCIDENT RESULTING IN
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY OF HIS
SHOULDER WITH TIME ON HIS HANDS
AND A LIFELONG DREAM ENDED, HE
HAD TO REBUILD AND RETHINK AND
REFOCUS HIS LIFE.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF HARD
WORK, DETERMINATION AND DIGGING
DEEP, HE BEGAN LANDING HIT AFTER
HIT INCLUDING HERE’S CAREER
SONGS LIKE BAREFOOT BLUE JEAN
NIGHT AND HONKY-TONK. ♪
♪
IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN ONE OF
YOURS GOOD OLD FLORIDA BOY, JAKE
I WANT. ♪
♪
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
WITH VISIO, IT’S BEEN A WHILE.
STARTING OFF IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU
GOT A TWIN BROTHER, YOU SAW MY
SON CASH WHEN HE WALKED IN HERE
AND IS HITTING BASEBALLS AND
PLAYING BASKETBALL BASICALLY
DOING ANY SPORT HE CAN GET IN
AND PLAY.
WAS THAT HOW IT WAS IN YOUR
HOUSE?
>> ABSOLUTELY, I SAW HIM WALKING
AND, THAT IN A WILLFUL AND THAT
SOMETHING I NEVER TAKE FOR
GRANTED.
I HAVE A TWIN BROTHER.
AS A KID, I ALWAYS HAD SOMEBODY
TO THROW THE BALL WITH.
ALWAYS A COMPETITION AND I
CREDIT THAT TO HOW I LIVE MY
LIVE NOW.
I’M THANKFUL FOR THOSE YEARS AND
THAT PART OF MY LIFE WHERE I
WOULD CONSTANTLY HAVE SOMEBODY
PUSHING ME TO BEAT HIM TO BE
BETTER.
>> YOU’VE GOT TWO GUYS EXACT
SAME AGE LIVING IN THE SAME
HOUSE, IS EVERYTHING A
COMPETITION?
>> YES, WE WERE BEST FRIENDS AND
STILL ARE BUT STILL DIFFERENT.
IT’S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT -- IT’S
NOT LIKE CHILDREN TRYING TO MAKE
THEIR PARENTS MORE PROUD OF ONE
THING THE OTHER BUT IT WAS
INGRAINED IN US AS KIDS TO BE
THE BEST WE COULD BE.
>> WAS MUSIC COEXISTING
SOMEWHERE IN YOUR HOUSE?
>> WHEN I LOOK BACK AND THINK
ABOUT WHEN I WAS TEN AND OLDER,
HALF BROTHER, STEVE, HE WAS 11
YEARS OLDER THAN ME, HERE’S A
21-YEAR-OLD AND HE WOULD PLAY EVERYTHING FROM MIKE TESLA,
EVERYTHING FROM MIKE TESLA,
ROLLING STONES.
>> AND THE INTERNET SHOWS UP AND
EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER
POSSIBLE THINK ABOUT HEARING
THINGS LIKE CLICK, CLICK.
>> WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE IT WAS
LIKE 2000, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL
IN 2000 SO RIGHT WHEN NAPSTER
CAME OUT AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK
AT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, YOU THINK
I CAN’T BELIEVE PEOPLE WERE
STEALING SONGS, I ACTUALLY THINK
THANK GOD FOR THAT BUT I DIDN’T
HAVE MUCH EXPOSURE TO OLD
COUNTRY BUT I REMEMBER BECAUSE I
LOVED ALAN JACKSON AND GEORGE
STREET, ALAN JACKSON TALKED
ABOUT HIS LOVE SO I THINK WHEN
YOU GET INTO THAT, YOU WANT TO
GO BACK AND LISTEN BUT I WASN’T
AT A PLACE MY LIFE TO JUST LAY
MONEY DOWN ON AN ALBUM OR
WHATEVER BUT ALL THE TIME
NAPSTER CAME OUT AND I’M LIKE
ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD
TALKING -- SILVER WINGS.
IT OPENED MY MIND AND THAT’S
WHEN I STARTED LEARNING THE
SONGS SO AT THAT TIME, THANK GOD FOR THAT BECAUSE I OPENED THE
FOR THAT BECAUSE I OPENED THE
GREATEST COUNTRY.
>> YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED A
COMPANY CALLED PANDORA BACKMAN,
YOU’D BE A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR
MAN, WHAT YOU THINKING?
PANDORA.
[LAUGHTER]
>> IT WAS NOT BAD.
>> SO THAT’S AWESOME THE MUSIC
IS FLOATING AROUND, THE SPORTS,
IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY FUN
HOUSE TO LIVE IN.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOM AND DAD LIKE
WITH LITTLE JAKE?
>> NOTHING COMES EASY IN THIS
LIFE, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, YOU GOT TO MAKE OF YOURSELF AND HE
GOT TO MAKE OF YOURSELF AND HE
TOLD ME STORIES WHEN HE WAS 18,
I HAVE TWO KIDS AND WORKING FOR
JOBS, THREE JOBS, HE’S LIKE I
NEVER REALLY SLEPT.
JUST ONE JOB FROM ANOTHER.
I REALLY CREDIT EVERYTHING I’VE
EVER DONE IN MY LIFE TO MY
FAMILY FOR TEACHING MORALS AND
VALUES AND HOW TO WORK HARD.
>> A VERY REGIMENTED WAY TO
THINK AND A STRONG WAY SO WHEN
YOU ARE GETTING READY TO GO TO
COLLEGE AND LOVING HITTING GOLF
BALLS, OR THEFT CONVERSATION
LIKE WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO TO
COLLEGE AND YOU THOUGHT YOU
WANTED TO HIT GOLF BALLS IN
COLLEGE?
>> MY DAD WAS A SEMIFINALIST SO
HE IS A GREAT PLAYER AND I WAS I
WANTED TO FULFILL THESE DREAMS
MY DAD NEVER GOT TO AND I WAS
GOOD AT IT BUT I DIDN’T GET A
SCHOLARSHIP AND I WAS THE KID
WHO QUIT A LOT.
MY DAD PROBABLY GROWING UP AS A
QUITTER PROBABLY.
I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO KNOW, IT’S OKAY TO TRY
THINGS AND IF YOU DON’T ENJOY
IT, MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE
AND THAT’S HOW I WAS.
I THINK IT’S MISCONSTRUED THAT I
WENT TO COLLEGE ON A
SCHOLARSHIP, I JUST WENT TO PLAY
GOLF BECAUSE I BROTHER GOT A
FULL RIDE AND I THOUGHT SHOOT,
I’LL WALK ON THE GOLF TEAM AND
THAT SUMMER I GOT HURT AND MY
DAD, BEING THE THAT I TOLD YOU
HE IS WAS LIKE GET A JOB.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU’RE NOT JUST GOING TO SIT
AROUND AND IF YOU’RE NOT GOING
TO DO SOMETHING, YOU’RE JUST NOT
GOING TO SIT AROUND COLLEGE AND