I was always sort of mystified and excited about the world of country music. Something about it struck me as enchanted.
Gene Autry was the most. It may sound like a joke - Go and have a look in my bedroom, It's covered with Gene Autry posters. He was my first musical influence.
I never get tired of exploring Americana or country music, and I always have a little bit of a crooner in me that never seems to go away.
I always thought I was singing American folk music.
Country music historically has been sort of middle-aged people's music.
I have such a deep love for traditional country music.
Cowboys had guitars. And they sang country 'cause they lived in the country.
I listen to a lot of really old western and country music. There's a lot of cool stuff in there... all the heartbreak of the country darkness.
Even by the time I was four or five, I had Gene Autry records.
Country music is the people's music. It just speaks about real life and about truth and it tells things how they really are.
The history of country music is as important as any other art form.
I always liked the idea of the guitar - because cowboys played the guitar.
I thought I'd gone to heaven, because I grew up watching Roy and Gene Autry.
I love Marty Robbins, I love Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline.
My definition of country music is really pretty simple. It's when someone sings about their life and what they know, from an authentic place.
Country music originates with the colloquial, rural aspects of white America. It's really, truly, rural white America's blues.
I grew up listening to my mother's collection of Hank Williams, George Jones and Marty Robbins records.
I know all the songs that the cowboys know'bout the big corral where the doggies go,'Cause I learned them all on the radio.Yippie yi yo kayah
Basically, country is my kind of music - the simple melody, the simple lyrics.
I got country music in me.
Country music is me, it's what I've grown up with, and it's what I do.
Country music is so related to gospel. It seems I could go down that road pretty easily.
Country music, to me, is what I grew up on.
And one of my favorites was Eddy Arnold of course. He just had that smooth, soulful voice.
