CAN I ASK WHAT WAS THE INJURIES
TO SHOULDER?
>> I WAS WAKE BOARDING AND
PROBABLY AT THE TIME LOOKING
BACK ON IT, I WAS TRYING TO SHOW
OFF A LITTLE BIT.
>> THERE WEREN’T ANY GIRLS
AROUND?
>> A COUPLE I DID A FLIP BEHIND
THE BOAT, I LANDED THE FLIPPED
THE ROPE GOT RANT WRAPPED AROUND
MY ARM AND PULLED ME AND IT WAS
A BAD ACCIDENT.
THAT DAY HE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO
GET A JOB, I WAS LIKE ALL RIGHT,
I’LL THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF
JOB I NEEDED THAT NIGHT I WENT
TO A BAR.
>> OF COURSE, YOU GOT TO THINK
ABOUT IT.
>> THERE WAS A BAR CALLED
POTBELLY’S AND I SAW THIS GUY ON
THE STAGE AND I WAS LIKE HEY DAD
DAD, I THINK I FOUND A JOB I
WANT TO DO.
>> A GREAT.
>> I STARTED LEARNING GUITAR AND
I WENT TO THAT GUY WEEK LATER
AND I WAS LIKE LISTEN, I SAW
LAST WEEK THAT GUY ON STAGE, I
DO THAT AT HOME ALL THE TIME, I
COMPLETELY LIED.
>> THAT’S CALLED SHARPENING --
>> ARE JUST TELLING HIM WHAT I
COULD DO BEFORE I COULD DO IT.
>> YOU ARE SELLING.
>> BUT I HAD TO DELIVER ON WHAT
I WAS TELLING SO HE’S LIKE YOU
WANT TO PLAY?
I SAID YEAH AND HE SAID WHY
DON’T YOU PLAY AT NIGHT?
I WAS LIKE OH MY GOD, I DIDN’T
EVEN HAVE -- I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW
HOW TO PLUG THE GUITAR IN.
>> SO YOU’RE GOING OKAY, TONIGHT
TONIGHT.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO?
>> I WENT TO THE LOCAL GUITAR
SHOP AND THIS GUY WHO OWNED THE
SHOP, I SAID I NEED A GUITAR
THAT PLUGS IN, I HAVE A GIG
TONIGHT AND HE SOLD ME A GUITAR
AND I STILL HAVE A GUITAR TO
THIS DAY I WENT BACK THAT NIGHT
BUT I THINK I PLAYED HOME
ALABAMA AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, I MADE TIPS AND FRIENDS NOT DID
MADE TIPS AND FRIENDS NOT DID
YOU FIND OUT PIECES OF PAPERS
WITH PHONE NUMBERS?
>> THERE WERE.
I GOT PHONE NUMBERS AND I CALLED
DAD THAT NIGHT AND I SAID I
FOUND A JOB.
>> GOING FROM THE LITTLE BAR
POTBELLY’S TO NASHVILLE, THAT
TAKES A LOT OF CONFIDENCE
ESPECIALLY LEARNING THE STORY
HOW IT NAPSTER, YOUR NEIGHBORS
GUITAR AND A SECONDARY THOUGHT
AT THAT TIME BUT I SOMETIME, SOMETHING HAD TO CLICK IN YOUR
SOMETHING HAD TO CLICK IN YOUR
HEAD AND GO I THINK I COULD GO
TO NASHVILLE, WHAT WAS THAT
TRANSFORMATION LIKE?
>> I GOT TIRED OF SWEET HOME
ALABAMA AND PLAYING COVER SONG
JUST TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.
I’VE NEVER BEEN VALIDATED BY
PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT I’M GOOD.
I’VE BEEN VALIDATED BY
CONVINCING MYSELF I’VE GOT
SOMETHING TWO IN NASHVILLE I CAN
IMAGINE YOU COMING IN BECAUSE I
KNOW WHAT I FELT LIKE, I THOUGHT
I’M PRETTY GOOD AT WHAT I DO AND
THEN SECOND YOU WALK INTO ONE OF
THESE JOINTS AROUND NASHVILLE
AND YOU SEE WHO’S ON THE STAGE
SINGING, IT IMMEDIATELY
READJUSTS YOUR IDEA OF WHERE YOU
LAND IN PECKING ORDER OF
TALENTS.
THE MONSTERS OUTSIDE THESE
WINDOWS, SOME OF THEM ARE
PARKING CARS FOR A LIVING,
BARTENDING, WHAT WAS IT LIKE
WHEN YOU RAN INTO THE LEVEL OF
ABILITY IN THIS TOWN? >> I COULD GO BACK 15 YEARS AND
>> I COULD GO BACK 15 YEARS AND
SAY THAT BUT I COULD SAY WHAT I
FEEL NOW, RIGHT NOW IN MY
CAREER, 39 YEARS OLD, I’VE HAD
HITS ON THE RADIO BUT EVERY DAY
I AM ABSOLUTELY HUMBLED BY THESE
PEOPLE I HEAR WHO DON’T HAVE
RECORD DEALS SITTING DOWN ON
BROADWAY PLAYING GUITAR, SINGING
SWEET HOME ALABAMA TO SOME
TOURISTS WHO WALKS IN AND YOU
ARE LIKE WHY IS THAT GUY NOT
DOING WHAT I’M DOING BECAUSE
HE’S BETTER THAN I AM.
I’M OKAY TO SAY THAT AND I
GENUINELY MEAN THAT.
I AM SO LUCKY TO DO WHAT I DO,
THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES I FELT
THIS NEGATIVE SIDE OF MAYBE THIS
WON’T HAPPEN OR THIS WON’T WORK
OUT BUT I HAD TO SHAKE IT OFF.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF TALENTED
PEOPLE WERE THE ONES WHO MAKE IT
IT, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO DON’T
MAKE IT.
YOU AND I BOTH KNOW IT’S NOT
BASED ON THE BEST SINGER SO WHAT
IS THE DIFFERENCE?
IT’S THEY CAN HANDLE THE WORD NO
NO, THEY CAN HANDLE PUTTING
SOMETHING OUT AND NOT DOING IT,
WHATEVER NEGATIVE ANSWERS THEY
GET JUST LET THEM BOUNCE OFF AND
SAY I’M GOING TO GET A YES ONE
OF THESE DAYS AND WHEN I DO,
THAT’S WHEN I KNOCK IT OFF, YOU
HAVE TO SHUT THAT OFF BUT A LOT
OF PEOPLE DON’T HANDLE THOSE
ANSWERS VERY WELL.
THEY DON’T LIKE THE WORD NO SO
THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A DAD LIKE YOU HAD, HIS DOCTOR THE WAY HE
YOU HAD, HIS DOCTOR THE WAY HE
THINKS AND TALKS DNA BASELINE
AMERICA, THAT’S IT.
THE COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON THAT
KIND OF THINKING SO YOU ARE THE
BENEFICIARY OF HIS TYPE OF
THINKING AND THAT’S WHAT’S
TAKING YOU FROM THERE TO WHERE
YOU ARE TODAY.
>> I THINK THE BEST WAY I COULD
SUM UP HOW I’VE TRIED TO LIVE MY