Overview of #672 - Trace Adkins
Theo Von sits down with country legend Trace Adkins for a loose, funny, and surprisingly candid conversation that mixes music history, Louisiana culture, touring life, and a handful of unforgettable personal stories. The interview moves from childhood toys and rural life to Trace’s career milestones, his current 30th anniversary tour, and the hard-earned perspective that comes with decades in country music.
What They Talked About
Country music career and hit songs
- Trace reflects on a long run of major songs and albums, including:
- “Every Light in the House Is On”
- “I Left Something Turned On at Home”
- “The Rest of Mine”
- “Arlington”
- “You’re Gonna Miss This”
- “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”
- He explains how some songs just feel like hits the moment he hears them, while others take on a life of their own after release.
- He says he’s now less interested in “competing” in the radio game and more focused on performing for the joy of it.
Louisiana roots and small-town life
- A big part of the conversation centers on Sarepta, Louisiana, where Trace grew up.
- He talks about:
- His mother, Peggy Adkins, serving as mayor of Sarepta
- The town shrinking after the mill closed
- How the local school used to unify the whole community
- Theo and Trace also riff on Louisiana’s civil law / Napoleonic law system and how it differs from common law states.
Early jobs and the road to music
- Trace shares his working-class background:
- Offshore oil rig work
- Pipefitter’s helper work
- Time on a drilling rig
- He describes how music slowly became serious:
- Writing songs while working offshore
- Meeting musicians in Lafayette
- Competing in a country band contest in Dallas and then Nashville
- He says those early experiences gave him the “fever” for music and eventually led to his record deal.
Songwriting and emotional material
- Trace talks about how songs often arrive from a phrase, feeling, or moment that “rings the bell.”
- He says creativity can feel like something you have to deal with when it comes knocking.
- He also shares that “Arlington” was especially personal because it was written about Patrick Nixon, a Marine, and his family was brought in before release to give the song their blessing.
Touring, longevity, and age
- Trace says he’s planning to make another country record.
- He explains that he keeps performing as long as:
- He can still sing the songs in the original key
- He can still hit the notes and deliver the performance
- He compares it to aging out of football: if he can’t do it at a high level, he doesn’t want to do it.
- Theo and Trace also discuss how touring changes over time and how artists eventually settle into a different relationship with the road.
Personal Stories and Memorable Moments
Childhood toys and dangerous old-school play
- Trace and Theo trade stories about old toys like:
- A gas-powered tether car
- Lawn darts
- The Tugger toy dog
- Boxing gloves given to children at Christmas
- They laugh about how much more dangerous toys used to be.
The Gary Busey dog story
- Trace tells the origin of his dog named Gary Busey:
- He saw a tiny dog with two sets of teeth and wild hair
- Said it looked like Gary Busey
- The name stuck
- The conversation turns into a joke about Gary Busey’s eccentricity and damaged reputation.
Serious injury and the shot that nearly killed him
- One of the most intense parts of the interview is Trace recounting being shot by a wife/ex-wife during an argument.
- He says the bullet went:
- Under one arm
- Out the other
- Straight through his chest
- He was airlifted to Vanderbilt and underwent major surgery.
- He later needed a second open-heart surgery to repair the septum.
- Trace says he doesn’t believe she intended to kill him, but the incident was catastrophic and life-changing.
Family and relationships
- Trace says he’s been married four times and jokes about how that history makes him no authority on relationships.
- He shares the idea that love only works when both people are giving it equally.
- He and Theo riff on heartbreak, marriage, and what people learn from failed relationships.
Neighborhood watch, sandals, and random bits
- Theo and Trace go deep into absurd side conversations about:
- Neighborhood watch duties
- Men wearing sandals
- Blake Shelton sandal rumors
- Cannoli and door-to-door Italian food
- The tone stays playful and loose throughout, with lots of improvisational banter.
Key Takeaways
Trace Adkins’ perspective on success
- He’s deeply grateful for a career that went far beyond what he thought he was capable of.
- He sees his success as more than he could have dreamed, and says he’s content with how things turned out.
- He believes the best approach is to:
- Stay true to your style
- Don’t chase trends
- Keep giving fans the version of you they came for
Longevity comes from staying authentic
- Trace is clear that he doesn’t want to become a parody of himself.
- He wants to keep performing as long as the voice and delivery are still there.
- He credits his voice, his lower range, and his experience as things that have improved with age.
Humility matters
- He says his early football days humbled him, and the music industry has humbled him too.
- His advice is essentially to accept when it’s someone else’s turn and keep moving.
Notable Songs and Career Moments Mentioned
Songs
- Every Light in the House Is On
- There’s a Girl in Texas
- Arlington
- Welcome to Hell
- Honky Tonk Badonkadonk
- Brown Chicken Brown Cow
Career milestones
- First single released in 1996
- Early radio success and multiple number-one records
- A major breakthrough period followed by a “sophomore jinx” slowdown
- A current 30th anniversary tour
- Plans to record another country album
Final Impression
This episode is less a formal interview and more a long, entertaining hangout with a country icon. Trace Adkins comes across as funny, grounded, and self-aware, with a working-man’s background and a storyteller’s timing. Between the hit songs, the Louisiana memories, the wild medical story, and the touring wisdom, the conversation paints a strong picture of a man who has lived a lot, survived a lot, and still loves the work.