I was 17, and a friend said, 'Man, you've got to listen to this song,' and he played 'Man to Man.' From there on, I was hooked on country. Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black. Every show that came through America West Arena, I was there.
I always give a lot of credit to Ronnie Dunn for making me fall in love with country music.
I've heard that the true love of country music is alive and well. That gives me so much hope and so much happiness.
There's a great enthusiasm for good country music all over the world.
The country crowd just has fun.
Everybody knows in the business how I feel about country music. I'm an old traditionalist. Then they just call me an old man and stuck in my old ways, but with all the fans I've got out there, I can't be all that wrong. I do love traditional country music. I love the good stuff.
A lot of my fans, and a lot of country music fans, they still wear boots.
I love country music. I don't ever feel restricted by the genre.
Country fans need to support country music by buying albums and concert tickets for traditional artists or the music will just fade away. And that would be really sad.
I've always stood up for country music.
I love being a part of country music. I love going out and... doing things for the first time for country music. I always enjoy that.
I think country music is Lynyrd Skynyrd. I think a lot of the country music is what we do, but I don't think rock & roll is dead at all.
I'm not from the South, but I love country music. And country music is really big in the Midwest. Connie Smith came from Ohio. Jessi Colter was from Arizona.
I'm not trying to claim I'm a country singer, but I do love country music.
I believe in the future of country music, but a future without roots is like a kite with no string.
It means so much being a part of country music and the Opry.
Country music fans are the best everywhere and they've always made me feel like I'm at home, no matter what zip code I'm in. I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for blessing me with such an incredible career that I truly enjoy.
I was like, 'I'm never gonna do country, I'm never gonna give in, you'll never see me wear a cowboy hat.'
I lean traditional, but 'Head Over Boots,' it's pretty country.
New country music comprises about five percent of what I hear per year. I enjoy it, but I don't really take note of who's singing it or writing it.
Obviously, I love country music, so I wanna be able to live in the country music genre and then play to country music fans.
A lot of people that I've met who don't like country music just haven't been introduced to the old country.
From watching Lester (Flatt), I learned that it's important to be loyal to the people who made you and bought your music. He called me up to the front of the (tour) bus on the very first trip I went on with him. Lester pointed out two elderly people who were walking towards the but. He said, 'Those two people have been coming to see me since the mid 40's. That's what a country fan is all about.'
I love country music, always have and always will.
I'm more into the old-school country myself, like Dolly Parton, and I guess it wouldn't be typical, but I really love Linda Ronstadt.
