Smallscreen Features

Trace Adkins on Hank Williams, Joe Stampley and the new American Country Awards, interview

By April MacIntyre Dec 5, 2010, 21:49 GMT

06/09/2010 - Trace Adkins and Blake Shelton - 2010 CMT Music Awards - Press Room - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN, USA © Bob Charlotte / PR Photos

The American Country Awards with Trace Adkins will be a no miss affair, as the big man is the host and performing on the show. 

Two things you learn quickly when talking on the phone to Trace Adkins, he doesn't mince words, and his voice is a deep, bottomless pit of baritone that gives Chuck Norris a run for his manliness money.  He's very funny too.

Adkins has lived the rough neck life, drinking, divorce and DUI's, which have only added to the Country cred of this big ex footballer who came up in Louisiana.  The American Country Awards will be all the more entertaining with Adkins steering the ship.

Adkins says of his career, "Oh, well, it's been a roller coaster ride.  I mean there are highs and lows and there will be couple of years where you're having some big hits and things are going great and then it seems like you'll hit a cycle, at least in my career it's been that way.  Then things will slow down for a year or two and it'll pick back up.  I've been enjoying some success here recently.  I've had an opportunity to do a lot of different things that it has exposed me to more people and so that's great.  I'm having fun with it.." 

He was grateful to be where he is currently: I'm at a beautiful place in my career now.  That is a point where I can ask that question, 'Is this going to be something that I think will be fun to do?'  If the answer to that question is, 'Yes,' then the other things don't really matter that much, you know the money and all that.  It's just, 'Is it going to be fun?'  When I ask that question to myself about this hosting gig and that answer was, 'Yes,'  and I'm going to go do it.

Trace hosting this new award show will definitely be fun.

The American Country Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Monday, December 6 from 8:00 - 10:00 PM (ET/tape-delayed PT) on FOX.

Monsters & Critics along with other journalists, had a little chat with Trace Adkins:

Monsters and Critics:  If you could bring back a Country great who's not with us anymore to perform, to show some of the younger artists how it's done maybe, who would it be for you?

T. Adkins Well I don't know if it would be to show people how it's done but it sure would be interesting to bring Hank Williams back for one show, wouldn't it?
If nothing else just to see if he'd show up sober. 

M&C Are there any other acts that you grew up with, any local acts, obscure acts that really shaped you musically when you were younger?

T. Adkins Well, Joe Stampley.  I grew up about ten miles from where Joe Stampley is from.  He was a big deal to me.  He had some bit hits in the 70's.  He would be an obscure one, probably, that I would point toward.

M&C Reality television has been very good to you and Donald Trump sure loves you.  I’m just wondering what you make of it all doing the reality shows and what not?

T. Adkins Well, I don't intend to do anymore of it.  The only reason I did that was because of a charitable aspect.  My career is fine.  I don't really need to do that stuff unless if it's for like I said, unless if it has some nobler aim like a charitable thing.  I'm not going to go run through the jungle and try to survive just because I prove that I can.  That would be the shortest show in history anyway.  They'd just say the first day I'd just take a big stick and say, “Everybody get off my island or I'll kill you,” and that would be the end of the thing.

M&C Yes, I would fear for the life of anyone that handed you plate of bug parts or bull testicles saying, "You've got to eat this." 

T. Adkins: (laughs)

TV America.  What you think of a Las Vegas setting for a show and what you think of Award shows in general?

T. Adkins Well Awards show, in general, I'll go there first.  Speaking from the artist's perspective, it's like a family reunion, really.  From the artist's perspective, that's what we look forward to.  A lot of people think that we all hang together and run together and we really don't.  I mean, we're all so busy trying to keep this career thing going that we don't have a lot of time to visit with each other.  That's what those Award shows give us the opportunity to do is catch up with one another and just hang out together some.  From that aspect, they're a lot of fun. 

This Award show I'm really excited about because it's about time that we got a major Award show on a major network that gives the fans an opportunity to vote.  I think we should have that.

TV America:  Just one fun question, no matter where you are you're always the biggest guy in the room; you always have the deepest voice in the room.  Let's say, at least, you get a guy Toby Keith who's almost as big as you, and you get Josh Turner who sings almost as deep as you do.  Is it kind of fun sometimes to be with those guys who were sort of your kind of singers and people …?

T. Adkins Well, it's always fun to be with people who are almost as much as a man as you are, but not quite.  Don't print that because see in print that's not going to come out right.  It's going to sound arrogant and that's not how I meant it.  I thought it was funny.

TV America:  Well, Blake Shelton said that when he's with you he feels like he's a kid and you're the grown up.  It's just kind of a fun impression of people.

T. Adkins That is the way it is when you're with Blake Shelton and it doesn't matter who it is.  Miranda is the grown up in that relationship.  Trust me.  He's just like herding a child around, but that's what we love about Blake though.

D. Hughes Christmas is coming up.  You have five daughters and grandkids and stuff like that.  Talk about your family gatherings for Christmas.

T. Adkins They're loud.  It's just a very traditional thing.  It's warm and fuzzy and kids running all over the place and people eating too much.  A fist fight will probably break out, that's Christmas.

D Hughes:           What is it that you're most looking forward to for Monday night?  What is the thing that you're least looking forward to for Monday night?

T. Adkins Well getting dressed up is the thing I'm least looking forward to.  I may not even do that because it's my Awards show.  I don't have to—I can dress how I want to.  I can set the standard, if I choose, but the thing I'm most looking forward to is the trophy girls.

ABC News Radio: There's been a lot of newer acts like in Steel Magnolia and Easton Corbin that I've talked to lately that are going to get some exposure on national television with this show.  Do you think that's something that the American Country Awards offers as a chance for some of the country's newer artist to get exposure like that?

T. Adkins That's one of the things and that's important.  Also, there's another award category in this show that nobody else does, which is there's an award for touring.  The fans get to vote on what their favorite tour of the summer or of the year was.  That's a different thing and that's great.  Yes, there should be a chance for up and comers to try to peddle their wares.

ABC News radio:  How have you been preparing that to host this show?  I know you've done some things like this, but what's been going on with your preparation?

T. Adkins I've just had a couple of conference calls with the writers and the producers and it's basically gone like this, "That's not funny.  You're going to have to write something better than that.”  That's where we're at right now.

TheDeadbolt.com:  After such an emotionally year with the oil spill and the economy.  What does it mean to you to host the Awards especially knowing it's based around the fans?

T. Adkins Well, obviously, not a lot of thought went into it on their part choosing me.  But, I think it'll be something that it'll be fun to do and we all need that right now.  Just something, hopefully, with a little levity and let's not take everything so seriously for a couple of hours and just have some fun and listen to some good music.  Give some people a pat on the back and have a good time.

TheDeadbolt.com:  After growing up and seeing Award shows with George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, even Alabama, how does it feel knowing that kids are now looking at you the same way?

T. Adkins That's okay.  That's cool.  I'm happy with that.  I'm just glad that I've been around long enough to be in this position, to get tapped to do something like this.  I never would have dreamed I would ever been hosting an Award show on a major network, I mean come on.  Twenty years ago, I would have just laughed if somebody would even suggested that.  This is great for me. 

I'm going to run a tight ship too.  I'm not going to let people give them big, long, drawn-out acceptance speeches.  I'm just going to walk out there and say, "That's enough," and we'll just move on.

TheDeadbolt.com: When you look at the evolution of country music, what's the heart of country that's stayed the same over the years, like from George Jones or Loretta Lynn's, to nowadays with you in the midst?

T. Adkins Country music is always gone through changes and transitions and there has been all kinds of different music, various types of diverse stuff that's come and gone.  Today's no different.  If you listen to a country music station, you're going to hear more diverse stuff than you will anywhere else just about.  It's a big house.

Starry Constellation Magazine:  What have you found the most challenging about hosting these awards?

T. Adkins Well, nothing's been challenging yet.  We've just kind of gone over the script a couple of times.  It's actually been fun to talk to the writers and get some sense of direction as to which way we're going to go with this thing and how we're going to have the most fun that we can possible have.  I'm looking at it as a challenge because, of course, I've never done anything like this before.  But I always find that stimulating when you get outside your comfort zone and do something that's different.  This is certainly that.

Starry Constellation Magazine: What will fans get to expect from your live performance on the show?

T. Adkins I don't know.  I'll do the best I can and just try not to suck too bad.  Hopefully, I don't get fired.

Starry Constellation Magazine: In the middle of the Awards show?

T. Adkins That would be terrible, wouldn't it?  Come back from a commercial and somebody else's up there doing the thing.
Yes, we could break new ground though, fire the host in the middle of the show.

Starry Constellation Magazine: What would you like to say to everybody who is a fan and supporter of you and your music and will be tuning into the show?

T. Adkins Well, this show is an opportunity for the fans to speak and for the fans to vote, you know.  It's about time that we had an Awards show that the winners are not chosen by industry insiders that may have a political agenda or their own personal motivation, vote for whoever makes them the most money.  This is voted on by the fans.

TV MegaSite: You have such a great voice, not just singing, but speaking voice.  Is there anything that you do to preserve your voice and keep it in good shape?

T. Adkins Well, I smoked for 30 years and drank a lot of whiskey to get it like this.  I don't do that anymore.  I got it about where I wanted it and I quit doing that stuff.  Well, thank you, that's a nice compliment.  From years of singing in smoky beer joints, I just kind of developed some tungsten vocal cords and it very, very rarely fails me.  I just don't have a lot of vocal trouble.  It just always seems to be good for me.

The Associated Press:  You seem to be diversifying your resume, lately, your acting and hosting and the other things that you do.  Is that something that's important to you to have feet in different areas?

T. Adkins Well it's important to me because I enjoy it and I want to do stuff that I have fun doing.  Like I said earlier, stuff that challenges me is stuff that stimulates me.  I'm not saying that I'm bored with singing.  I don't mean that at all, but just getting over into other areas and trying to do different things is stuff that I enjoy doing that.  I enjoyed the acting thing.  I had fun doing that.  When I have time to do it, I do it.  I'm not expecting to take a year off anytime soon from music to just focus on that, but as long as I can do it on the side and have fun doing it I'll continue to do it.  Stuff like this that comes along, I'm very honored that somebody would trust me with an Award show like this.  That's crazy.

AP:  I've heard you said recently, you're kind of everybody's straight man.  I think that's been true for the most part.  Here's a chance, I would hope, the writers are not playing you as the straight man in every gag.  Is this something that's sort of pushing your skills or pushing you into a new area?

T. Adkins I really don't know how to answer that.  I don't know how it's going to come off.  I mean this maybe my first and last hosting gig, ever.  Well, I hosted a Christmas party at my house one time.  So, this is like my second, but this may be the last one.

AP:  You have touched on this already but I'll kind of ask you in a focused way, around Nashville a lot of the wags are saying, “Do we really need another Awards show?”  But in all seriousness, how will this be different than all the other award shows?

T. Adkins Well and that's what I said too when I first heard about it.  I said, "Really another award show?"  But we do need this because we need an Award show that the fans get to vote and that's what this show is because their opinions are really the ones that ultimately matter the most.  They're the ones that pay our bills.  They're the ones that buy the tickets and the downloads and the CD's.  There should be an Awards show where they get to voice their opinions.  I'm not surprised that the wags would say that.  That's how they are.  That's what wags do.