“A good country song takes a page out of somebody's life and puts it to music.”

“Fads are the kiss of death. When the fad goes away, you go with it.”

“I go through a thousand songs to find ten for a new record.”

“It's my instinct more than my voice that keeps me on top.”

“Listen to advice, but follow your heart.”

“Sure, I can sing a country song, but so can a lot of people.”

“The artists in country music who stopped having hits are the ones who were led into something that wasn't them.”

“You learn the most from life's hardest knocks.”

“You seldom hear any young artists in country music.”