Trace Fans Excited He's Decided to Quit - Smoking That Is

It's only nine more days till the 51st Grammy Awards air live on CBS and we are hoping to get a high definition peek at Trace who is, of course, nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.  Wouldn't that be a hoot to see him accept that?

By the way, don't you just love those guns to the left?


Just four days after the Grammy's, Huntington, West Virginia will hear Trace's first live concert of 2009.  Tickets are still available, but not many.  I am anxious to hear which songs from the X album he performs; "Marry for Money" for sure, but fans will be yelling for "Can't Outrun You", a beautiful song that he has said may not be right for a big venue.

GAC reported yesterday that Trace has been smoke-free for about seven weeks, news that has the fan boards on his website humming with congratulations and encouragement.  I'd like to add congrats too.  You can't be a Trace fan without admiring the man's strength, determination, and perseverance.  Below is the GAC story ...

Jan. 29, 2009 — Trace Adkins seemed a tad testy at this week’s Grammy nominees party in Nashville, and there’s good reason: He’s suffering from nicotine withdrawals.

Trace stopped smoking about seven weeks ago, and misses the habit immensely. Fellow Grammy nominee Charlie Louvin, in fact, planted thoughts of a cigarette in Trace’s head at the party by asking Trace — in the middle of a conversation with GAC’s Suzanne Alexander — if he wanted to go for a smoke.

"I hadn’t thought about it," Trace sarcastically said on the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville, "in like five minutes!"
No doubt the doctor had counselled Trace more than once to cut out cigarettes, but what finally convinced him to stop for good was a health problem that he simply couldn’t shake.

"I had a chronic cough that wouldn’t go away," Trace said. "I went in the hospital and had some tests done. I’m fine. They just told me ‘You gotta quit smokin’, you know.’ And so I did, and I had 26 good years, 26 good years — enjoyed every one of ‘em I smoked."

Trace Performance Worth Enduring 30 Minutes of Political Satire

I admit to being partial to Trace's acoustic performances of my favorite songs ... okay any song. Last weekend I endured half an hour of offbeat political humor to view an acoustic version of "Marry for Money" on The Spike Feresten Show. It was worth it. Trace connected with the audience and the bluesy beat had the them clapping along. If you missed it, I've added a link below (hint: fast forward to about 33 min.). Tongue in cheek, Trace described the song as a "sensitive piece".

Talkshow With Spike Ferensten

Ferensten found Trace's personal life more interesting than the music, describing Trace as the 50 Cent of Country Music while referring to Trace's long list of accidents, scraps, cuts, and beatings. Ferensten and the audience were in awe when Trace confirmed that he had been shot through the heart by his second wife; Ferensten saying that he didn't know you could live after having a hole through your heart and Trace responding "I didn't either".

Three weeks after its debut, Trace's new single "Marry for Money" is steadily climbing the Billboard Charts to #29. But it's biggest climb was in the Radio and Records Country National Airplay, where in one week it went from 37 to 29.

In this economy, I think it's a sure bet that the song will keep on rising. It's a fun song to sing along to, and presents a light hearted answer to the money crunch even if we wouldn't actually follow through with it.  Then again, some of us would. 


His X album is #18 up from #20 last week among Top Country Albums. It is also climbing steadily on Billboard's Comprehensive Albums peaking this week at #33. The Comprehensive Albums category ranks the biggest selling albums in the United States regardless of the product's age or method of sales.

Country Music Hall of Fame Honors Trace With Exhibit

Trace and another country music favorite, the late, great John Hartford are being honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame with special exhibits of each.

Trace Adkins: “You’re Gonna Miss This,” a spotlight exhibit on one of country music’s biggest contemporary superstars, will be unveiled January 27 at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. The exhibit, located within the Museum’s permanent exhibition, will run through August 2009.

Illustrated with photos and film clips from the Museum’s collection, the exhibit features the three-piece suit, shirt, tie, cufflinks, cowboy boots and custom-made cowboy hat Adkins wore on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice.

Another exhibit, John Hartford: Ever Smiling Ever Gentle On My Mind opens Friday January 24, 2009. The exhibit examines many aspects of Hartford’s career, including his songwriting success with the country-pop standard “Gentle on My Mind”; his experimental and influential approach to traditional music; and his endeavors as an artist, performer, steamboat pilot, author and historian.

I have the sweetest memory of meeting John Hartford a couple years before he died in 2001. I worked as PR manager for a beautiful paddle wheeler/casino boat captained by Don Sanders on the Ohio River. Captain Don called me to ask if I would put together a gift package of some mementos from our boat for a friend of his who would be in town that evening. He asked me to meet him on the riverbank at 10:00.

Standing next to Don, I watched in wonder as the Delta Queen pulled next to shore and dropped her gang plank. All lit up with lights she was beautiful and graceful, not needing to throw a line, the boat just hovered. Then down the gang plank came John Hartford, the fiddle still in his hand from that night's performance. I've never been able to thank Don enough for inviting me along and I'll never forget the honor of shaking hands with a legend on a river bank under the stars and the shadow of the Queen.

Vote

"Marry For Money" Gets Hot Country Song Designation

"Marry For Money" was released two days ago as a single and already Billboard has it designated as a Hot Country Single.  Billboard is showing it in the Top 50 for this week and the week isn't over. 

Billboard's Deborah Evans Price had this to say about Trace's newest single release.

Trace Adkins continues to impress as one of country's most versatile talents, segueing effortlessly between such poignant ballads as the Grammy Award-nominated "You're Gonna Miss This" to the stirring gospel-flavored "Muddy Water" to this hilarious romp. "Marry for Money," culled from his excellent "X" collection, proves once again that the singer can do it all and do it well. It's a humorous look at a man who married for love and got his heart broken, so he decides next time to go for big bucks. Cleverly written by Dave Turnbull and Jimmy Melton, "Money" is sheer fun and Adkins' tongue-in-cheek performance is full of personality and panache. Already a concert favorite, this song promises to be a sure-fire hit. —

Trace Is Back At It

UPDATE: According to his website, Trace is back at work and is promoting his X album with television appearances. It says ... “On January 21, he kicks-off 2009 with a special appearance on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, where he’ll perform his new single, “Marry For Money.” He also makes an appearance on “TalkShow with Spike Feresten, the new Saturday late night talk show on Fox returning for its second season in a new one-hour format. Trace’s segment airs January 24.”  By the way, his people have confirmed that "Marry For Money" will be his next single and will be released January 12th.

Some describe Trace as a singer, songwriter and actor, while I read in one review of the X album, that Trace was a nonsongwriter, which I am pretty sure is not actually a word.  From the limited research I have done, I found six songs written and recorded by Trace. Four came from his early albums, one re-released on the soundtrack for “The Trailer Park of Terror” and the last is the theme song to a reality television show.  Trace is an excellent wordsmith, yet these days is so sought after as an entertainer that he doesn't seem to have time to write.  Luckily, there are droves of songwriters in Nashville writing songs just for him.

Below is a list songs written and recorded by Trace.

A Bad Way Of Saying Goodbye
Album: Dreamin' Out Loud
(Trace Adkins/Sam Hogin/Jim McBride)

There's A Girl In Texas
Album: Dreamin' Out Loud
(Trace Adkins/Vip Vipperman)

Snowball in El Paso
Album: Big Time
(Trace Adkins/Trey Bruce)

The Rest of Mine
Album: Big Time
(Trace Adkins/Trey Bruce)

"Welcome To Hell"
Greatest Hits Collection 1 and
From the Movie Trailer Park of Terror
Written by Trace Adkins and Bobby Terry

''Black Gold''
Theme son for truTV series Black Gold
Written by Trace Adkins