GREATEST NATION THE WORLD HAS
EVER KNOWN.
>> HEY FOLKS, WELCOME TO THE
PURSUIT.
I CREATED THE CONCEPT OF THIS
SHELF TO BRING INSPIRATION TO
YOU, THE VIEWER.
TELLING STORIES OF SOME OF THE
MOST CREDIBLE AMERICAN DREAM
CHASERS ALIVE TODAY TO PROVE NO
MATTER YOUR POLITICS, RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS, RACE, GENDER OR CREED,
IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF THIS
GREAT COUNTRY, YOU HAVE THE
GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO CHASE THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
I’VE INVITED MY LIFELONG BEST
FRIEND TO JOIN ME TO DISCUSS MY
PERSONAL STORY PURSUING
HAPPINESS, THIS IS GOING TO BE
FUN.
WORK HARD, DREAM BIG AND I PRAY
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FIND TRUE HAPPINESS IN THE PURSUIT.
TRUE HAPPINESS IN THE PURSUIT.
♪
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO
NASHVILLE, I MISSED YOU.
>> LIKE TO BE HERE.
>> YOU ARE MY LONGEST FRIEND,
I’VE BEEN FRIENDS WITH YOU
LONGER THAN ANY OTHER PERSON IN
THE WORLD AND YOU’VE SEEN A LOT
OF WHAT’S GONE DOWN IN MY STORY
AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE
PERFECT GUIDE TO BE HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, I’VE
KNOWN YOU SINCE 1993 AND WE’VE
BEEN FRIENDS 28 YEARS.
THE THING IS, I DON’T KNOW A LOT
ABOUT PRIOR, HOW DO YOU GO FROM
AMARILLO TEXAS TO THIS?
>> GROWING UP IN TEXAS, I GREW
UP AROUND REALLY HARD-WORKING
PEOPLE PEOPLE WHO TOLD ME AT A
YOUNG AGE, HEY JOHN, IF YOU WORK
HARD ENOUGH AND THINK BIG
ENOUGH, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT
MIGHT HAPPEN.
MY DAD’S PROBABLY THE GREATEST
INFLUENCE ON ME THAN ANY OTHER
HUMAN IN GROWING UP IN TEXAS, I
DOUBT THE PREACHER SO YOU THINK
ABOUT PREACHERS, BECAUSE ALL
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PREACHERS,
THE ONES YOU SEE ON TV AND THE
ONES IN BIG CHURCHES, THAT’S NOT
MY DAD.
MY DAD PREACHED IN PRISONS, WAS
32 MARTY CROSS, PREACHED ON THE
STREET IN THE FRONT CORNER SEE
GOSPEL SONGS AND WITNESSING TO
PEOPLE ON THE STREET ONE DAY I
WAS LIKE FIVE YEARS OLD AND HE
SAID JOHN DANIEL, THAT’S WHAT HE
CALLED ME BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO
TO TAR LESSONS?
I SAID SURE, DAD.
I TAG ALONG WITH HIM TO GUITAR
HE’S GOT ADULTS SITTING IN A
CIRCLE TEACHING THEM MY SAT NEXT
TO HIM THE HANDS ME A GUITAR AND
HE SAYS FOLLOW ALONG AND I SAY
OKAY, HE SAYS YOU’RE GETTING
PRETTY GOOD ON THAT, YOU NEED
YOUR OWN GUITAR.
I SAID THAT WOULD BE GREAT SO HE
GAVE ME FOR CHRISTMAS IN 1979, I
DON’T KNOW YOU’VE EVER SEEN THIS
BEFORE BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST
GUITAR, ISN’T THAT INCREDIBLE?
STILL HAVE THE STRINGS ON IT
FROM WAY BACK THEN.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GUITAR
AND YOUR LOVE OF PLAYING THE
GUITAR, IT REMINDS ME OF
SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED IF YOU
EVER STEPPED OUT OF LINE, YOUR
DAD REMOVED YOUR GUITAR
PRIVILEGE, IS NOT RIGHT?
>> THE WORST PUNISHMENT TO GIVE
ME.
IT WAS NOT A SPANKING OR DO YOUR
HOMEWORK THREE TIMES, IT WAS
TAKE THE GUITAR AND PUT IT IN A
CLOSET, YOU CAN’T PRACTICE.
THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVED PLAYING
THE GUITAR.
MY MOTHER IS FROM TENNESSEE SO
GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL SHE SAID WE
NEED TO GO BACK TO TENNESSEE AND
I SAID ALL RIGHT, LET’S GO TO
TENNESSEE.
I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE MY FRIENDS -- WHEN WE
MOVED, BECAUSE AUDIT OPPORTUNITY
CAME BY A FRIEND OF MINE MY
SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SPONGES THAT
LOOK, OPRYLAND IS HAVING
AUDITIONS AND I SAID THAT’S COOL
COOL.
I’VE BEEN THERE A MILLION TIMES,
A LOT OF LIVE MUSIC SHOWS THAT
YOU SHOULD AUDITION.
I SAID THEY ARE NOT WOULD YOU
HIRE ME, YOU HAVE TO DANCE BE
ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS AND I
SAID I DON’T THINK THAT’S MY
THING, YOU KNOW THERE’S GOING TO
BE A BUNCH OF GOOD-LOOKING GIRLS
AND I’M LIKE WELL, THAT’S NOT MY
GIG BUT YOU NEVER KNOW, THERE
MIGHT BE GIRLS HANGING OUT SO I
SAID OKAY, FINE, I’LL GO DO IT.
I TOOK OFF AND I GOT UP AND I
SANG, PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES AND EVERYBODY STARTED CLAPPING
AND EVERYBODY STARTED CLAPPING
AND I SAID OKAY, THAT’S GREAT,
I’M STILL NOT GOING TO GET IT
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DANCE AND
STUFF AND THAT’S NOT WHAT
HAPPENED.
THEY CALLED BACK A COUPLE OF
WEEKS LATER AND THEY SAID I’M
HIRED.
SO I MET THIS GUY NAMED DEAN
SAMS AND HE BEEN WALKING THERE A
FEW YEARS AND HE SAYS YOU’RE A
GOOD SINGER, YOU SAYING HI AND I
SAID I GET UP THERE PRETTY GOOD.
HE GOES, DO YOU PLAY BASS?
I SAID I HAVE A LITTLE BIT AND
HE SAYS GREAT, I’M PUTTING A
BAND TOGETHER IN TEXAS AND HE
HANDS ME A CASSETTE INCEST
HERE’S 20 SONGS, WILL HAVE
REHEARSAL FRIDAY IT IS LIKE
MONDAY.
I SAID THANKS, DEAN SO I GET IN
THERE WITH THESE GUYS AND THEY
REALIZE I AM A TERRIBLE BASS
PLAYER BUT I CAN SING NOTE
HIGHER THAN THE LEAD SINGER AND
THAT’S AN IMPORTANT THING.
THEY SAID OKAY, YOU’VE GOT TO
GET ON THE BASE AND WE’D LIKE TO
PLAY 200 SHOWS THIS NEXT YEAR
HOLIDAY LOUNGES IN COUNTY ROADS
AND SURE ENOUGH, 1996 MY FIRST
NUMBER ONE SONG, COME CRYING TO
ME.
WHEN I HAPPENED, IT BLEW MY MIND
MIND.
I GOT A NUMBER ONE SONG IN MY
DAD CALLS ME STILL LIVING IN HIS
BASEMENT AT THIS TIME MY DAD
GOES HEY, SOMETHING SHOWED UP
FOR YOU FROM BMI THAT LOOKS LIKE
A CHECK.
I SAID OPEN IT UP, I’M ON THE
PHONE SOMEWHERE AND HE OPENED IT
I MEMBER HIM AND HE GOES THIS
CAN’T BE RIGHT.
I SAID WHAT IS IT X HE TELLS ME
THE NUMBER AND I SAID I COULD
NOT BELIEVE THIS NUMBER ON THE
CHECK, I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
>> WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?
>> GRANDPARENT, THEY WERE RICH,