Travis Tritt | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #327

today's episode is brought to you by. liquid death. you'll be surprised it's water. today's episode is brought to you by. magic mind. procrastination is a thing of the past. with this beautiful sipper go to. magicmind.co and use code. theo magic for 20 off. flow state now comes in a bottle. today's guest is uh well he's a.

he's a soundtrack of a lot of a lot of. lives. many lives and he's um i mean just a. real archipelago of talent. um you know i really my god i just. well you'll hear all about it i'm. honored to uh to be able to be in his. presence today. and to uh to uh have a conversation. with the um musical superhero. mr travis tripped.

[Music]. [Applause]. and how's it been like having kids like.

is was it was it hard to go from like. being a kid because i feel like with. fame and popularity there's this. you know when i can't imagine your. position in my position i notice a. little bit there's more. opportunity to stay a kid yeah right. things are just. you know life there's more fun going on. you're part of the fun you're bringing. the fun. was it hard to go from that to like. wanting to be like a parent and getting. into that vibe like was that was that. ever a thing. it you know it was a process it um.

i got married right out of high school. and did what everybody else did you. either. did one of two things you either went to. college which that wasn't. an option for me damn no judgment bro. you know. college is hard exactly or you got. married and went to work. so i got married to my high school. sweetheart. and went to work for heating and air. conditioning wholesale company down in. georgia. so was that hvac were you getting in the. attics or were you just selling the. equipment i was selling the equipment. okay but i was also going to school.

like uh two or three times a year to. find out. all of the you know updated products and. kind of be a troubleshooter. you know for for all the products so. i did that and i started out on the. docks loading trucks and worked my way. up to. manager of the store for in about 18. months. damn and were you a hard worker uh yeah. i mean. well that's right around that same time. is when i started. wanting to play music as well and so.

that. marriage lasted for about two and a half. years. and as soon as that marriage was over um. i started playing clubs at night. and then six days a week monday through. saturday and then i would play. i would go and get get up the next. morning and go and do my gig so it. that nearly killed me even though i was. very young right it nearly killed me. just those hours and do you think if you. had stayed married in that first. marriage would you think you think you.

would have had the same career was there. inspiration that came out of getting. a separation at that young age was it. were you just too young to even. be able to put any of that any of those. feelings into music didn't he. i wouldn't even have thought about it. probably at that particular. time thought about music yeah as a. full-time gig. i mean i played occasionally with you. know i had a little band that i played. with you know every now and then but. not very often and uh i was kind of. my wife at the time she kind of.

discouraged me from doing that. too because you know when you're a. new young couple yeah you don't want. your husband out. you know running around all over the. place man yeah and it's not even. look play doing a live performance it's. not a real job to people until you start. to really make it i feel like that's. right. i mean until then you're just a really. you're just somebody who's trying to. break up marriages around the area. i feel like like people are like this. [ __ ] is a little strange. it's a good analogy it really is so but.

that whole thing just. uh it just worked out and i. i did i did the day job and the night. job. for oh i don't know several eight months. maybe and i started realizing that i was. having more fun at my night job. than i was at my day job and oddly. enough i was making more money. at my night job my day so i. went back to my my uh vice president.

and said look you know if i don't take. this shot now. i'll never know i'll end up being an old. man one day and i'll never know. whether or not i could have made it in. the in the music industry so i. i quit that job and and never looked. back. was there a person that kind of like. chatted with you and influenced you. my best friend scott's dad actually he. introduced me to jerry clower who i was. telling you about is one of my favorite. comedians. and um and just a storyteller you know i. just miss. so often now we everything's glanced.

over the art of storytelling and it's. all just like uh. almost like everything's an equation of. what sells you know and. um and jerry clower just did it he just. put me in a comfortable place but. my friend my best friend when i was. young his dad. was from mississippi and he introduced. me to jerry clower and then he said to. me one day. i said you know i think about doing. stand-up comedy and he goes well you. have to go do it you know you have to go. and take that chance because. otherwise it's your life will be there. you can always come back.

you know was there anybody like that in. you that kind of. or was it just you playing that kind of. influenced you to keep moving. the uh vice president of the heating and. air conditioning wholesale company. that i told you about he also was a. really good guitar player. and he had had of course it was a kind. of a family business and. his uh his whole family his dad had been. president of the company and. they had groomed him to basically do. that but. when he was very young i think he had an.

offer from carlos santana to go out on. the road. and play guitar with carlos santana. that's huge he's. wonderful and he passed it up oh and so. when i went to. him and told him about what my dreams. were he's like man do it. because he said i will be that guy in my. rocking chair. at however however old 80 years old. wondering man i wonder if i could have. if i could have made it in the music. industry man and he gave me.

he also gave me a kind of a safety net. because he said look man if it doesn't. work. your job here is always safe so i knew. something i had something to fall back. on. yeah but it worked out great man i mean. it was just it seemed like you're doing. it seemed like. it's paid off for you yeah you know from. an outsider's perspective. um do you uh do you miss sometimes like. um. like i've gotten to some light levels of. success in in my. work in the past few years and and it's. been a long series of work.

but it's kind of weird i felt like when. i got to a certain level of like uh. like mild popularity or comfort like. that every all my problems would go away. right or other things would disappear. but really you're just still right there. oh it's it's it those things never. change. you know and the more success that you. do have. first of all the busier you are yeah you. know i remember the first two years. when i started releasing records in in. 1989. the first two years i was home.

each year a total of 14 days each year. and no two days were ever together thea. they they were all. it was just like one day here because. you're either. you're either writing or recording or. you're out on the road performing. concerts or. you're doing videos or doing press or. doing whatever. yeah and it's every single day when it. takes off like that. um it just it's every single day and.

i don't have the luxury of being. travis tritt uh 40 hours a week right. you know why wouldn't it be nice. wouldn't it be nice you could you lock. out at a certain hour. it would be man you're like all right. i'm just donny tripp. you know what i'm saying joe schmoe. yeah yeah wouldn't that be nice that. would be great out of it. it'd be great but on the other side of. that coin. i found that for me the old saying about.

find something that you love to do and. find a way to make a living with it and. you'll never work a day in your life. and that's really true for me i mean you. know yeah there's. there's it's not all glitz and. a lot of people out there think it's. celebrity all the time and they think. it's glitz and glamour and all this. stuff. but that's that's not it at all as a. matter of fact. when i come home a lot of people that.

that i correspond with through social. media or whatever. they think that the only people that i. hang out with. are celebrities right right or people in. that. and that's the furthest thing in the. world from the truth in my case. i go back home when i get off the road i. go back home. and hang out with people that i've known. for some of them i've known since high. school that's cool. and like 30 years you know and they're.

all every single one of them. you know these are not they're not even. involved in the entertainment industry i. mean they're. most of them are blue-collar. hard-working people that go out and work. with their hands. and uh they keep me grounded. they keep me grounded if i if i came. back home and started. acting anything other than the travis. that they know. and have known for all these years man. they wouldn't hesitate in one second. oh man put me right back in my place.

exactly exactly. was there a time like because yeah it's. a rot when things get busy especially in. you guys's world like it is. it's such a rocket ship i mean i did. about a year and a half of touring and. it was so intense like. around the world and it was just intent. it was just like there were countries i. don't even remember being in. right really and this happened a year. and a half you know it's just like yeah. it's almost bizarre kind of just the the. pace that you go at and. um was there a time when you had to kind. of check your ego at all because the ego. is a dangerous thing it's not even. something we control.

you know that ego it can start to. because you see a reflection of yourself. so often in posters and in people's. smiles they're so excited to see. like little things like that can creep. into your soul and build you up. did you ever struggle with it uh i don't. know that i. necessarily struggle with ego but. obviously when you're just trying to get. started and especially back in those. days. it's everybody's in competition with. each other. and there weren't uh as far as.

all of the people that were the. newcomers they. they didn't hang out a lot you know. together with each other i mean. everybody's kind of. and they're very secretive they're. keeping their stuff to themselves. because. they don't want to rush almost or. something exactly they don't want. anybody else to know. exactly what it is that they're doing. for their recipe for success wow. and so it gets competitive and i've. always been a competitive guy yeah. you know i like to compete and i like to. win yeah um.

so there there comes a point in time. where you have to. realize that hey a little friendly. competition there's nothing wrong with. that but at the same time. you have to remember that. you know nobody was more surprised to. have the career. success than i was i remember in the. early days man. you know you dream about it you dream. about wanting to have that. but it becomes a reality i mean when it. becomes a reality.

i remember being on stage man and i'm. you know. you'd be in these big huge arenas that. seated. you know 25 000 people and it's sold out. and they're there to see you and i'm. looking at the band and looking at the. guys and it's going. can you believe this [ __ ] is happening. it is this is. this is unbelievable to me tell me i was. dreaming baby. that's unbelievable yeah wow yeah. yeah there's something sometimes there's. some surprising moments you can never.

really. live in the fame or in the popularity. it's almost like it's something that's. bigger than you it's. exactly it's like um you can't really. wear it that much it doesn't feel like i. mean i guess you could if you really. wanted to that would almost seem bizarre. but. um it's almost something that even. though you're sitting in it. you marvel at it almost like you're in a. pond but you have waders on or something. for sure like it's not seeping into you. but you're right there in it. i think it's uh for me.

i am no more the extrovert. that i am on stage uh. in real life than you could ever imagine. i mean i'm just i've i've always been. you know i kind of. you know i'm i'm one of those guys that. you know i kind of keep things on the. down low. you know and that sort of thing um. and any partying i did back in those. days i did. pretty much with a very small group yeah. uh.

and it was hidden from the public yeah. of course that was before cell phones. and all that other stuff. everybody had cameras everywhere that. that didn't happen back then. but um for me. it was about just um. i don't know maintaining uh. the love for the for the music but being. able to. you know when the when the when the show. is over it's almost like you put on.

that's going to sound bad to say but. it's almost like you put on. this this suit that is travis tritt. right on stage of course and then as. soon as you come off stage that suit. comes off and. the real me the real my real personality. comes back. right through well i think it's almost a. necessity because you also. want to be a showman at that point like. there's a level of. it's not really expectation but you want. to give people their money worth you. want to put on your.

best absolutely self at those you know. especially at that moment where they. come to see you and you came to see them. it's like watching a college football. game you know. if you watch the team right before they. run on the field. what are they doing they're jumping up. and down they're banging each other in. the head with their helmets. and they're firing each other up to go. out there on this field man. there is nobody on this planet that's. going to do. better at what we're about to do on this. field. today than us and that's exactly the.

kind of thing. that i have always had to do in order to. be able to get up enough nerve to go out. on. stage and backstage i would tell myself. i started doing this. as a ritual and i still do it to this. day if i'm backstage. and the lights are going down and. they're getting ready to you know. fire off the band and i'm getting ready. to run out there. i am backstage jumping up and down. and firing myself and i'm telling myself. in my head.

there's no other time that i think this. way but at that particular moment. i'm thinking to myself there is nobody. on this earth living or dead. that is going to be able to do a better. job. of entertaining these people than what. i'm about to do. right now i am and i fire myself. up yeah of course as soon as i come off. stage i realize there's a whole. hell yeah you know that a whole lot.

better at this than i am. but in order to get you know whatever. you have to know look it's a lot you're. going out there. and the lights are there you have to. meet the the environment it's like you. can't show up to your wedding day like. in a. in in beach clothes you know like you. got to you have to meet the moment. that's exactly right um did your son go. to school here. no um i live in in georgia. still and uh my. oldest daughter and my son my oldest son.

are both striving to be artists. in the business and they're working real. hard at it my youngest son. is my middle son excuse me my oldest one. he is his music is very different than. mine my daughter's she's kind of a. throwback to a kind of a linda ron stack. kind of. era yeah and she's wanting to bring that. kind of back. but more in a direct country. um style and my middle son he's more.

he's more southern rock blackberry smoke. yeah. kind of into some gun yeah oh yeah man. uh you know so uh but they're both very. talented and. you know it kind of makes you feel good. when your kids. come along and does it want to be a part. of the family business you know. i like that yeah that's kind of cool is. it hard to be supportive since you had. such success because success is a unique. thing it's like. there's people that deserve it that. don't get it and there's you know it's a.

real. wheel of fortune out there but is it. tough to be a parent of uh. of artists like you know knowing that. you've had success. not knowing exactly what their future. will be um. is it hard to like balance how you um. how you kind of parent that and support. it or is it easy i'm just. it's scary i mean because you've seen. i've seen so many people in this. industry. that the industry has literally chewed. them up and spit them out yeah and.

um it's your chances once again your. chances. of being successful in this industry or. being successful in sports or whatever. are minute they're. minuscule to reach that success level. so um it's it's always a thing but. i i have to tell them because i raised. my kids all three of them. from the time they were born to believe.

that. the only limitations that you have on. yourself are the ones that you put on. yourself. you can do anything you can accomplish. anything but. the biggest part of of being successful. i think. is just showing up every day and. constantly try to work to move yourself. forward. constantly try to do something. constantly try to learn something. constantly try to make yourself better. yeah um. so that you and i think when you do that.

you appreciate it more when it does. happen. was there moments where you had to trust. your instincts over what other people. were telling you or anything like that. was there moments where. you kind of like just had to follow like. an inner voice or inner vibe. uh where maybe the market or the. you know there's a lot of technicians. that are also in every business you know. was there was there times like that. along your path i started out. uh i came out with that first single. which was country club in 1989.

and i'm a member of is that that's it. that's it and it became. a top 10 hit and then we came with the. album. in 1990 and the second single was. helping me hold on third single was i'm. going to be somebody. all all those were huge and then the. fourth single i released this song. called put some drive in your country. that i had written. at uh duane allman's gravesite down in. macon georgia down at rose hill cemetery.

years ago damn mushrooms or something. you already know. just that's where they used to hang out. that's because that song. memory of elizabeth reed that was on on. a gravestone that's right down at the. bottom of the cemetery where they used. to go down there and. hang out damn so uh i just used to sit. by. the grave and just try to soak up some. of that vibe that energy. and because that's that song. had all these distorted rock guitars on. it and it.

it was a throwback to that leonard. skinner almond brothers kind of thing. man everybody in nashville tennessee. that was involved in the music industry. and everybody at. radio in country radio all of a sudden. they just. came out man claws out. and they started angry oh pissed off. because you had what taken their sound. no because i. was not following the rules. at the time of country music which were.

you can use pedal steel guitar and you. can do this and you can do that. but we don't allow that kind of stuff. you know so uh. all these writers in these country music. magazines man they start trashing me and. i turn on the radio and hear some disc. jockey or some program director. talking about oh well he's just trying. to be a rebel or he's. he's a he must be hard to get along with. some of them actually. came out privately and said it he's an.

[ __ ] yeah that's kind of cool. i think it's kind of dope dude sometimes. you hear somebody that you're an [ __ ]. it hurts you a little bit but you're. like oh that's kind of cool well it was. starting it was starting to get to me. and then they hit me with the one that. really did. the most damage at the time they said. well he's just an outlaw. damn and it was really starting to. to get to me until i met waylon jennings. we have a question that came in right. here this might be pertaining to it. actually so let's uh just pop this up.

and see if it fits in man. hey theo hey travis hey baby hey man. this is josh. southern indiana travis i've seen you in. concert. a couple of times always remember the. tribute to waylon jennings. tell me how he influenced your life and. your singing. thanks man gang gang gang brother and. i'll. and i'll attack on to that question. thank you for the question man and i. love you brother thank you for. submitting that and um. yeah you kind of got accepted by like. the.

you got that that dirty thumbs up from. the bad boys in a weird way you know. which was. what was that kind of like you know and. i guess what role did kind of whalen. play in that and um. yeah waylon told me that first time i. met him. he um i was getting ready to leave we. came into the dress we were playing a. show together at the omni in atlanta. and uh and you're younger than him by. how much i i know that by buying. a lot um 20 something years 30 something. here. so do you or is it like when you're.

spending time with him is it i mean it's. almost like. it's like a seventh grader being around. the ninth grader and assuming kind he. was a hero. i mean i loved everything about him. before i ever met him i loved his. singing voice i loved his song right now. i loved his guitar picking i loved. everything about him. but one of the things i loved about him. was he was not afraid to do things. his own way and um he sat me down. in his dressing room that first that. first time we ever met and he said. listen i've been. listen hoss i've been hearing all the. stuff that they've been saying about you.

in nashville and on these radio stations. he said let me just remind you that. everything that they are saying about. you now is exactly what they said. about me and about willie nelson. and johnny cash and hank williams jr. and david alan coe all. he just goes down the list and he said. let me ask you a question. he said um are you still. selling records and i said yeah i said. man i've been lucky everything i've done.

so far. sold platinum or better a million copies. are better and he's. he said well are you still drawing. people into your shows i said yeah man. we're playing. huge arenas and they're sold out he said. listen those are the people you should. care about their opinion. because all these people in nashville. they're saying all this stuff about you. they get their. their music for free he said these. people that come out there he said those. are the people. that work hard 40 50 60 hours a week.

to put food on the table for their. families yeah and he said. and they're willing to spend a certain. amount of that. hard-earned money to buy your music. every time you put out new music and. occasionally they'll splurge for a. concert ticket to come see you. when you play in their hometown he said. those are the only people. that matter and as long as you're. pleasing them what you obviously. are to hell with all the rest of these.

people yeah and man that was like an. epiphany for me. uh and it also it took a tremendous. amount. of weight off of my shoulders because i. realized at that particular point. waylon and all the rest of those guys. that were labeled as outlaws. they got that label by simply doing the. same thing that i was doing which is. just. wanting to do my music my own way. and do show my influences all my.

influences. which were very. widespread i lo i grew up country was. always my. center george jones merle haggard that. was my. center but i also grew up loving the. allman brothers leonard skinner marshall. tucker band. yeah charlie daniels and then of course. the eagles in boston and. and fleetwood mac and you know all this. other stuff. and then blues i was always a blues fan. still am. your voice has a lot of it man when i.

listen to some of your tunes i'm like. man this reminds me. there are moments where it goes into a. god like a. light gospel you know what i'm saying or. a light uh. it takes me through like the different. neighborhoods that were. you know adjacent to the neighborhoods i. grew up in it takes me through. there's just uh yeah i can really i can. feel some of that man well mississippi. man i mean that's. so much great blues stuff came out of. there. you know and uh that's one of the. reasons why.

that was that was always a staple if you. take if you take bluegrass and if you. take. um uh blues. and straight ahead country and southern. rock. and mix all those together and then. sprinkle a little bit of southern gospel. over the top of it that's the gospel. baby that's me. looking for the lord man that's like. jerry clower he ended up being a pastor. at the end of his time i think. yeah i think so he was a preacher at the. end of his time here's a picture right. here where you go back to that sean. here's a picture of you. and uh and mr jennings right here is it.

kind of interesting to see this photo. oh yeah that was the first time we met. really that was right before we had that. conversation. that i just told you about and was he. like uh did he carry himself like an. outlaw car oh. he had that jesse james vibe a little. his givea [ __ ] was totally broken. he didn't care dude that's awesome man. yeah man. to have that moment right there yeah. that was the first night. and did he have any traditions that you. noticed kind of backstage or what was.

kind of did he have any i. as far as traditions i don't you know. uh were you allowed to spend time with. him backstage before he kind of liked to. be by himself or did he no he was. he was always really good about you know. anytime i was around he and i. we whalen was one of the kind of people. if he liked you he lets you know it. and uh one of his. favorite sayings that that i remember. was. because a lot of people they would talk. about man when you do this many shows.

do you warm up or do you how do you. prepare for a show. and whalen's favorite answer to that. question was. i get up off whatever i'm sitting on and. go out and play music for people that's. what i do. and that answer alone just gives you an. idea of what it is. his his he was just cool man a. cool guy and a guy that was just. you know wanting to do his kind of music. his own way. and that's what what he was going to do.

and he didn't give a [ __ ]. what anybody thought about that i love. that you know. sleeping is a popular hobby. and uh and you really you you need to. start. making sure you're doing it not being. able to sleep because of politics or. pandemics. or because of a neighbor who's probably. inbred and. and he's over there trying to holler at. his own sister different things keep you. awake. helix has a quiz that takes just two.

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um you know i come from a cloth where i. didn't have much luck with the. entertainment industry so i started. creating my own stuff and. right you know went on joe rogan and. learned oh i can podcast and talk about. my life. sure i spent a lot of time in hollywood. trying to like um. get rid of whatever kind of accent i had. in my throat even though i didn't grow. up like really redneck we just grew up. kind of poor and white. right more like white trash like we. didn't have a boat right you know what. i'm saying like i didn't have bait. you know what i'm saying like those were. [ __ ] you know chicken liver was a.

delicacy i thought. you know so i thought it was sushi when. i first heard about it you know. [ __ ] it seemed pretty nice but but so. we didn't have like a country kind of. vibe we just had more of like a regular. white vibe. but when i got to hollywood they it. really was like oh here's a country it. was like there was no nuance to anything. right and i for years i would take vocal. classes trying to like get like a. straight normal voice where i sounded. exactly. and then finally one day i just said man. i just can't even. i'm just tired of pretending you know i. just don't even know what's going on. anymore sometimes and once i started to.

fall into my own world. you know in my own life is when i. started to have a little bit more. success. do you see any outlaws still out there. these days do you see any. there's a few i mean uh in just the last. few years you know you've had. people that have basically chosen to. um say to hell with whatever's going. on in nashville and they really don't. use that as as a gauge. for what they think they should be doing.

right and they're not. they're not afraid to break those rules. you know you've got guys like uh cody. jenks you know and some of those guys. jason is bill's one. uh some of those other guys that are. they just want to do their kind of music. their own way. yeah and um those are the people that i. think. uh especially in today's world they. stand out. from the crowd you know and that's all i. was trying to do back in those days to.

not only just show my influences but. also. be a little bit something different so. that people remember your name and. remember your music and they remember. your your. performances because they're a little. bit different than everybody else. you need to get people to remember you i. remember thinking. man i you know i don't care if they. remember my jokes. right i want people to come back to see. me exactly as a human as a. as an entertainer but also as so i need. to get as close to my work as a.

as i can to my humanity yes so that when. they see. one they see a little bit of the other. and i want them to come back and pay a. fair price ticket to see me as a person. i want them to be like oh we're going to. see theo like. what jokes does he tell i don't even. know that's fine if i don't. they don't even know what jokes i tell i. just want them to come and see me don't. you think a lot of that comes from. people just want to. want to gravitate towards something. that's real. i think i think especially these days. yeah you know we saw on this podcast you.

know we do a lot of. episodes where it's just me talking and. to nobody really but. um and so yeah we try to talk about like. just things that make us feel or that. make us think or. yeah you because everybody has these. things going on and it's like we've kind. of disappeared. some of that's kind of disappeared it's. everything's become so formulaic. it has it has and that's one of the. things that. you know is when you when i hear people. talk about. being a little bit nostalgic for the the. music that.

took place and not just the music but. lifestyle with all the yeah. all the stuff that's gone on in the last. few years. um i'm just in the in the process right. now of releasing a single off of a new. album. and it's called smoking a bar and it's. talking about. kind of being nostalgic for the days. when. we didn't seem to have all this upheaval. and you know. people came by neighbors came by and. talked on the porch. we all said good night we never locked. the front doors yeah even downtown you.

could still see the stars. when the world turned slower and you. could smoke in a bar. oh yeah you know that kind of thing so. and i forgot about that. there yeah i mean and people are. nostalgic for that kind of thing. especially as crazy as things. are getting um those of us that are. that are old enough to remember a. simpler time. i think we kind of long for that do you. feel like well and. well it's one of the reasons why. recently i've tried to relocate to.

nashville i still have my place in los. angeles and i'm from louisiana. originally but um. but i do notice here there is a there is. certainly a bit more of you have a. little more time for people. as humans right um and it is a bit of a. slower pace. there's a little more trust amongst. people there it is it's not as eroded. away. it hasn't been as marketed right um. you know i uh dude i remember i used to. play these have this place in st. louis the funny bone over there so it.

was a comedy club man and the first. the first show was no smoking right this. the late two shows dude those [ __ ]. were smoking bro i remember bro. like dog i didn't know if there was nine. people in there. or [ __ ] nine thousand there was so. much smoke it was. seven foot ceilings trust me and no uh. no uh i don't even think they had a damn. system to get the smoke out they had a. frickin i swear to god. they had a waitress by the window with. the window open just waving a menu at it. like. they didn't have a damn game plan bro.

and i couldn't tell you bro if it was. i saw a damn boat go through the mist i. didn't know what was going on. i said it is [ __ ] thick in here. but i would just still do my shows i had. cancer by that second show but i kept. doing them boy. i was in remission by the second day i. was there i was in remission. did you ever smoke cigarettes oh yeah i. used to smoke a man i smoked for. probably about 16 years yeah. i did about the same thing do you miss. smoking it sometimes i miss some of it. not at all.

how bad did it get for you um i never. was a heavy smoker i. at my i would always smoke when i drank. and so at the very most i was maybe a. pack a week. that's not bad you know so it wasn't bad. at all but um. i got bronchitis in um i think it was. 1992. and i went to the doctor and he said man. he said i don't give a [ __ ] if you start. back. immediately but you've got to quit.

smoking for at least three weeks. and i thought to myself well if i can. quit for three weeks man i can quit. completely. you know and then uh ever since then i'm. not completely tobacco-free i still dip. every now and then you know yeah i. couldn't dip good man. yeah well the good thing about dipping. is nobody's ever died from second-hand. spit yeah. [Laughter]. well i don't know i mean who knows. what's going on in some places who knows. what's going on some people caught up in. some wild [ __ ].

but uh dude i remember when i was young. we went. the first time we got a can of dip man. it was like cherry skull or something. yeah. and my buddy had got his driver's permit. in louisiana they gave it to you at 15. man they gave you that bastard at 15. and it didn't even have a picture of you. literally had a drawing of you on it i. was like damn that [ __ ] looks. sketchy as hell and uh. my buddy got his mom's car and we got a. can of cherry skull dude and that was. our night bro. we was just hitting puberty man so we. didn't even know nothing about really. women we knew about them but we weren't.

thinking about it right. exactly so we went out man and i got. sick on it right. and i puked out of my buddy's driver's. side window then i got so sick i said i. need to sit in the back. i puked out of each window in the back. okay look. so in the morning my buddy his mom came. back in town or whatever. she sees the car and there's vomit out. of it all three windows. so she said who you went out with some. kind of party he said. look i went out with theo he got sick he. just vomited out of all three windows. his mom to this day doesn't believe him.

she said what kind of maniac would vomit. out of three different windows. that'll make you do it it was fun. especially the first time oh yeah. dude i missed stuff like that you. remember the first time uh. remember the first time you ever drank. or anything like that or anything yeah. man man i shouldn't even tell this story. but i'm gonna tell you. yeah i was uh i was. 16 years old and my high school. was doing uh uh the play god spell.

and i was i was in you're in the play. i was singing oh damn damn on stage i. was singing off stage oh damn yeah if. they went ready for you in the center no. no no no. put them in the wings there you go yeah. and uh. the guy that was our theater teacher. he said we were doing rehearsals and. he's sipping on a coke can and. i just got a whiff of it and it smelled. like. peppermint and i thought now that's not.

coca-cola man so i asked him one day i. said what are you drinking. and he said uh peppermint snobs. and he told you and he gave me something. oh hell yeah. so the lord working man i remember. that was all i needed right there man. and it's like. yeah this is good and uh until i got. sick on it then i can't. i can't stand the smell of it to this. day oh i could imagine that's a strong. one. yeah that's a weird one but oh god i. just. i didn't sing with you just do it at the.

shows uh. yeah well i mean all my buddies i mean. we're. we're country boys no you lived out in. the country so. you know the thing everybody went to. work did what they had to do. and then when you get off work let's go. buy some beers and let's go find some. place to hang and party. oh yeah you know and that might be a. club. that might be a bonfire out back yeah. that might be. you know there was a big waterfall uh.

that was close to our our area where the. chattahoochee river ran. through and a lot of times hey we're all. going to meet at the falls tonight let's. go over there. you know so just you know stuff like. that yeah it was. you know normal normal yeah and such a. good. such a rich environment for creating. music i feel like. such a rich environment for creating um. memories and moments like i don't like. i just remember yeah things then a lot.

of songs and i felt like had a little. bit. and i hate to blanket statement like. this because it's it's not always true. but there was sometimes more. story that i could relate to. um maybe i was also at an age where i. was really just growing up and still. coming into life you know when you're. in your late teens and twenties um. but yeah there's something about like. moments that are just yours where you. can really then. create art from them whereas now so many. moments are. uh they're so manipulated before.

they you ever even put the pen to the. paper that's right because they've been. shared so many times or. back in those days man i mean and and. from its. its inception country music has always. been. in my opinion the. best genre for storytelling. of all music no matter where you're from. what your background is there's gonna be. a country music song out there. back in those days there were that is.

going to. speak to how you're feeling no matter. how you feel about your. your job your social status your. family your country um. your uh spouse your. boyfriend girlfriend whatever um. there's going to be a song that's going. to relate. to how you're feeling and the things. that you're dealing with in your life at.

that particular point. and that's one of the things i i think i. miss. the most about a lot of today's country. music because. i just miss those great stories man yeah. being able to tell those great stories. that. everybody can relate to johnny's daddy. exactly exactly dude by the time they. got to the end and they're in the damn. hospital i'm just talking. i'm at the gym bro and i'm [ __ ]. crying. i'm looking trying to do 45's and i'm.

[ __ ] see that's good. that's good because that means it. obviously. touched a really special spot. in you that made you feel if it makes. you. feel something yeah i don't care what it. is. anger fear of sadness. joy whatever it may be if it makes you. feel something. yeah that's a pretty darn good sign man. yeah man i remember i'm trying to think. of ones well we went to the dances so a.

lot of y'alls music they would play at. some of our dances once i got like later. in the high school man. and some of those man you hit those. ballads you get out there with a lady. bro there was nothing. like that there was nothing like that. man and that's where music becomes more. than just music for a lot of people too. it becomes. really kind of the soundtrack of your. life yeah that's one of the things about. music that's always amazed me it's like. i can remember. where i was for very specific moments in.

my life. and exactly what song was playing in the. background like. first time i ever drove my dad's car by. myself you know. or first time i ever went on a date. first time i ever kissed a girl first. time i. you know all these different things and. i knew exactly what. song was playing in the background. for each one of those individual things. but. because they're they're not just. something that's playing in the. background it's the soundtrack of your.

life. and every time i hear that song today. yeah any one of those songs. it takes me right back to that spot. again and i think a lot of people. music does that for them yeah i think. man my mom. my mom got one of those uh warner. brothers like music disc things for like. 19 cents she got like six albums you. know. so she picked out four and she let us. pick out two you know. and um and we would have to clean the. house to brian adams every weekend man. absolutely yeah yeah man have i told.

yeah no that's not even brianna. no that's uh uh rod stewart rod stewart. rod stewart was one of the secrets you. got leonard cohen rod stewart brian. adams. but man we would uh oh and the traveling. wheelbarrow oh yeah. dude that was a band that never got the. i mean i'm sure they maybe did at the. time but i mean that was even. before your time but it was like man. that band well that was like the. um that was like the country music.

equivalent of what the highway men were. which was johnny cash willie nelson. waylon jennings. and chris christopherson i got to go. back and listen to more of that yeah. it's good stuff man. yeah the traveling will berries man yeah. that was some treasure. that's some of the best in the business. right there. you got tom petty in there you got. george harrison. did you ever want to did you ever try to. cheat genres a little do you ever feel. like you were. trying to get out of your own like. because it's like i know it's.

not cheat genres but did you ever. was there ever a moment where you felt. like you were just sometimes your our. lives change. right and so the art we're putting out. changes with it and it's sometimes it's. hard to. you know we're like man this is this has. worked so well for me i'm almost scared. of. getting older growing into something. different or anything did you ever feel. like there were moments where your music. changed. no i really did not i've always kind of. used the same recipe. for making records and that is that i. just want to. include a little bit of each one of.

those different genres. that were so influential to me so. there's going to be uh. in the process of just recording this i. just recorded the first. album that i've done in studio. in 13 years oh dang and i recorded it. with dave cobb who produces. yeah the legend chris stapleton and. sturgill simpson. and all those guys and it's done now. yeah it's done and how do. you feel good about it i feel great. about it it's going to be out may 7th. it's called set in stone but.

people were asking me when people found. out that i was going to be doing an. album. a new album uh what's it going to be. like man are you going straight. head country are you going more toward. the rock side or are you going to do. more blues or what are you doing i said. man. the only way i know how to answer that. it's going to be a travis tread album. and that means that every travis street. album that i've ever done. has had the same recipe which is show a. little bit of the blues show a little. bit of the. southern rock rock influence show a.

little bit of that straight ahead. country stuff show a little bit of the. bluegrass. and just show and sprinkle a little bit. of southern gospel over the top of it. and that's me so that's exactly what we. did and there's. um if you uh. are particularly into one genre over. another. uh you may not like every song but. there's gonna be something on there. you're gonna like. i like that we got a question right here. from a fellow that came in let's get to. this right here.

thanks sean. what's up theo hey mr travis trick one. of my favorite artists by the way me and. my dad. just went to a show two years ago and uh. it was a blast. uh you guys got some fine looking. mullets trying to growing out myself. for travis i'm just curious some of your. new favorite artists country it's the. same as it used to be but. i just wanted your take thanks guys gang. gang. well you said cody jenks you said um. i love chris stapleton too i think he's. he's uh.

he's tremendously talented uh. yeah he's thomas it's almost like. listening to a cavern of. nostalgia comfort there's a lot that. goes in he's it's almost like a whiskey. or something he's like a really. good whiskey exactly he's really good i. love marcus king. oh yeah he was just on uh tom segura's. podcast wasn't he sean. yeah people love him he's such a neat. person as well it seems like. yeah man he's he is a talented dude. there he is yeah he's so uh there's just.

something immediately so endearing about. him when you even see him. he's got a great voice great guitar. player. great musician he's uh. and he's got a lot of that same blues. southern rock influence and he's not. afraid to show it. that larry fleet you listen to it oh i. love larry fleet yeah i actually met. larry fleet. for the first time i would i was hosting. uh. a show for a usa network called real. country. uh back about uh i might remember that.

three years ago. yeah uh me shania twain jake owen. were the were they oh jake's awesome. guys host judges. and uh one of the people that came up in. the competition. was larry fleet and i remember telling. him. um as soon as he actually won his round. and i remember going up to him. after cameras were shut off and just. telling him. man you are an amazing talent i'm.

looking forward to hearing more from you. and he just has just done some great. stuff recently. he's got a song out called that's where. i find god oh yeah. that is just oh it's one of the ones. that made me feel when you talked about. songs that make you feel. there you go i mean it's like uh. it's like somebody took a trailer hitch. from. the world and literally hooked it onto. my heart. that's right i know right so there's. something especially does there. um yeah he's a super unique man super.

talent. um i i believe that we're kind of. getting into a time where. uh morgan wally listen to morgan yeah. like morgan yeah i love morgan. yeah he came on he came on it like maybe. a month ago yeah um. yeah he's a close buddy of mine man he's. got he's he's almost. too talented yeah exactly i almost feel. like sometimes. i listen to so many of his songs i'm. like jesus christ man throw a couple bad. ones in here. you know and then he's got like he's. always like you know he's like. look guys i almost want to tell you you.

know they don't. somebody just leaked my music at walmart. and i don't know. i don't even shop at walmart i love him. bro he's such a uh. and morgan you know i love you so i'm. just uh but i introduced him to ufc we. watched some ufc fights a couple weeks. ago. um he's a special talent man he's a. special talent. um i think that people are getting more. into. i think like you're talking nostalgia. and connection. i feel like during this virus during the. pandemic that a lot of people have.

started to say. i don't know if i want this rat race. whatever this. is it doesn't the allure of it it's. almost like the curtain got pulled back. on some of just the. relentless go go for what yeah exactly. and i think a lot of us well i know for. myself i can only speak for i'm sitting. and. kind of just in myself and saying what. do i want. i want to feel good right you know i. want other people around me to feel good. i want to be able to. be a part of things that are good. exactly and i think that a lot of people.

are starting to feel that way. i think there's going to be a a. resurgence of. not country music but music that. connects people. music that makes people feel i'm i'm. looking forward to seeing. what takes place in in all of music. really. but especially in country music i'm. looking forward to seeing what takes. place. as a result of being locked down for. all these many months and and.

because you know good and well all these. great songwriters and. all these artists and all these people. they have had nothing better to do with. their time than to sit down and do. exactly that all of those things. and i think it's going to be it's almost. going to be like a baby boom. except for music i think i think we're. going to see that and that's exciting. to think about but the baby's a peddled. steel maybe that's a pregnant yeah. it's a six pound eight ounce petal steel.

guitar it's a girl. congratulations it's a progressive. instrument. we have a question that came in right. here from you might even notice this. lady she was at uh. i remember her from she was at kid. rock's 50th actually. awesome hey travis tammy here. big fan i think you had some of the best. music videos. of the 90s i think your performance in. your video tell me i was dreaming. should have won an oscar my question to.

you is. i know you've done a lot of acting in. your career which do you prefer. full-time rock star or full-time movie. star. love you i love you too that's a good. question man because at certain points. of. of popularity they start to offer you. things that they might not have offered. you you don't have to go into that room. to audition as much. that's exactly man i had no aspirations. whatsoever about being an actor. right but did it grow on you though well.

i enjoyed it and i'll tell you the. reason why. um i was always. out of my element when i was doing a. movie or a television show or whatever. it may be when i was doing. any kind of acting and. so because i was so insecure about it. and so nervous about it. i didn't just go in and learn my lines i. learned the whole damn script. i knew everybody's lying and um. because i'm i have a real hard time.

multitasking. i get real laser focused on whatever it. is i'm doing at the moment. so if i'm songwriting i'm focused on. that if i'm recording i'm. really focused on that and if i'm. performing i'm really. focused on that so doing. these acting roles it forced me to. concentrate. so much on that that i completely. took a vacation from music i didn't. think about music i didn't. talk about music i didn't try to write.

music or whatever. and i found that the benefit of that was. when i finished. a acting role and came back to the music. i found that i was more creative um. it was like man this is a fresh start. again. yeah and um i wrote better songs. um i performed better my mind was more. in the game. because if you do anything i think over.

a long period of time same thing over. and over again. it can tend to get a little bit. monotonous yeah but. if you get a break from it and then you. get a chance to come back and look at it. through a little bit different. perspective. uh it helped me tremendously i think it. helps make me a better artist and. and a better songwriter and a better. entertainer. was there um was there a role ever that. you kind of like. oh this is kind of neat like because.

acting one of the reasons that people. don't know acting if you're a touring. artist. acting takes a lot of time it's a really. long so. you know as a musician you could. probably do six shows in a daytime of. you would do one set or one scene or. half an episode of a tv program or. something so. that's one of the reasons i think a lot. of uh entertainers don't go over into. acting that aren't actors. right um was there a role or something. you felt like you kind of got into or. something man. the one i had the most fun with was.

i got to do do you remember a show. called tales from the crypt. yes i remember the beginning the opening. thing. yeah exactly okay i got to do. tales from the crypt with hank azaria. and with um ben stein. and i played we were robbing. um bodies for this. doctor so that he could try to find what. he believed was.

the soul gland in a person. and at the end i'll. go ahead and give you a spoiler away. yeah there you go right there. i get my head cut off. and i come back from the dead am. because they didn't remove my soul gland. i come back from the dead. and that was so. much fun because there were no. limitations on what the director.

basically said do whatever you want to. do come up with your own voice for it. act as crazy as you possibly can. do any wild stuff that you want to do. and this. your your parameters are just. wide open and that was. so much fun man i came up you know i. come out and of course i'm. i've got this head on backwards and i'm. i look like i'm working. your head yeah they did a they did a. todd masters who did all of the special.

effects for that. show he created a head a rubber head of. me. it was perfect that they dropped down a. well and i come back out of the well. and man it was that was just so. much fun to do that particular role. because they were. you know it's always fun to play kind of. the bad guy yeah. you know that's always fun but but. especially when it's like you're this. monster that has. returned from the dead there's no.

there's no limitations on that oh yeah. huh it's free free but it's all it's. it's open game yeah exactly yeah you're. already dead dude it's a wrap. i do whatever you want now dude i missed. the old days man that couldn't have had. peeping toms and [ __ ] when i was growing. up dude we used to do peeping tom and. when i was growing up dude. we had a guy in our neighborhood who had. a ladder and we'd have to like almost. sign it out for him because everybody. was always borrowing it. oh we get that [ __ ] on a thursday dude. we get out there dude. do some peeping time i don't even have. that anymore.

you know what i'm saying like damn it. was the last time you heard of anybody. getting arrested for peeping time. dude in high school we had a buddy who. did but yeah and everybody. all my other friends like man that's. disgraceful i'm like i think it's pretty. cool. i told him i even said hey man don't. smoke cigarettes out there and leave the. butts that's how they catch it yeah you. got it. and i said look if you can be out there. for a couple hours do a little gardening. while you're out there. there you go have some respect there you. go you're looking at yeah. have some respect dude i miss those days.

man. i just you know i'm heavily nostalgic i. love nostalgia i love like just. sometimes just laying back and trying to. feel through the moments that i had as a. child. and as a young adult and there's just. something so wonderful about like the. freshness of life then how it's. the every moment is like in a ziploc bag. and you're just cracking that thing open. for the first time. you know um was there what about like a. first kiss was there anything special. that you had like that growing up. oh yeah i mean well yeah.

falling in love oh it was fun oh. man it was awesome it was awesome i. thought it was fun. it was so severe oh yeah exactly. exactly and everything everything that. happened man. you could relate it to oh man this. relates to how i feel about so you know. it's it's just crazy but. you know the i don't think that ever. really goes away completely. you know because i remember when i met.

my wife. um i've been married three times this is. my third marriage like getting hit by. rice huh yeah. our bird seed yeah yeah man that cheap. rice. that's right my wife and i we met in 95. and we got married in 97 and we've been. together ever since. and i've heard a lot of nice things. about we were at hillary williams. birthday last night and she said oh. she had a ton of nice things she's. talking about you guys she's just. wonderful but. i knew as soon as i met her that this.

person. is it wasn't love at first sight but it. was darn sure. heavy attraction at the first sight man. because she. not only was she beautiful but she was. just so down to earth and relatable and. that's that's the kind of people i grew. up around. so we just kind of gravitated toward. each other and it just. and i i remember that how that felt and. even though it was you know 20 some odd. years ago. it's it doesn't feel like that to me it.

feels like. it was you know could have been last. week. i think some of that is adult love. whenever you kind of get that person. that you're just so comfortable being. around. um but yeah i remember childhood love it. was just like i remember i'd go to. school and i knew i was going to see. this girl katie and like. all day i was like just practicing what. face i would have on when she looked. over. you know and it was always the worst one. when she finally looked. it was always a [ __ ] worse one um.

do you remember a first kiss there was. some even just a little like smooch. around the neighborhood anything yeah. uh no offense to your wife she's the. best oh yeah. yeah well she doesn't mind that because. she knows. uh i first girl i ever kissed was a girl. by the name of uh. melody mccoy and uh i was dating her. and she was in that same play godspell. so this was all. around the same time oh yeah you. liquored up you're learning it all. absolutely i'm learning quick.

i want to hopefully the same guy that. gave you the liquor didn't teach you how. to run the smooch man that's what i'm. hoping. and i had a my first car what was it. a 1969 rambler. three on the tree 306 cylinder. damn new oh no 69. oh ramble oh my bad 69 rambler it was oh. it was a piece of junk man yeah. yeah if rambler was an appropriate name.

for it oh my god it was terrible. but it was mine and i bought it yeah how. much was it. uh 500 bucks hell yeah dude had a 1984. ford escort for six hundred dollars. somebody stole the passenger seat out of. it. so people would get in and that'd go. directly to the back nobody would have. wanted the passenger seat out of this. one man it was. awful it was terrible it was so bad. instead of you know how you turn on the. windshield washers. and spray the windshield washer fluid up.

yeah well this one had a little bulb. on the floorboard that you had to pump. like a like a water. a water gun. it was terrible like hold on there's. some bird [ __ ] out there. exactly exactly but man that yeah we. went out. uh where'd you take her do you remember. i took her to a. there's a there was a park close to our. house and they had like. swing sets and you know.

one of those merry-go-round things and. i took her to that were you nervous you. remember yeah i was nervous. yeah yeah big time but man oh. that was a great experience dude i. remember they had this girl in my. neighborhood named chrissy hunt and. she was missing a tooth or one of us was. i don't know you know i'm saying it was. that age. i don't know somebody dude between. between two of us i think we had about. 11 teeth you know and it was just. i didn't come from a heavily enameled. area you know. and uh and she was.

yeah i remember she we kind of locked. ourselves in a room or something i think. we felt so much pressure kids in the. neighborhood were always gonna kiss each. other you know just like. yeah and we were so scared and and then. i remember at one point thinking i was. supposed to like touch her breasts but i. remember touching my own i was so scared. to touch hers i started touching my own. [Music]. i didn't know what to do man i just but. i didn't want to be a. wimp you know yes absolutely dude i. think i had bigger chests than she did. at the time i mean it was just.

young you know and we had we had this. guy in our neighborhood the dad was a. elvis impersonator right. but we only had about 600 people in town. we didn't we don't need a [ __ ] elvis. impersonator let's do his alcoholic. oh okay so but i mean he also dressed up. like elvis at least you know so it's. pretty entertaining but. he would make his kids stay in the yard. and he had an electric fence dude and. one of the girls would let me go over. there and like kind of smooch her. through the electricity bro. oh man bro the stress at just god i can. still feel the stress in my neck trying. to kiss through those walls holy cow.

god wow man dude and then we had i. forgot about this. so this girl chrissy's brother he was. like i think he more preferred the. company of men you know and so he made. us. i remember this now he made us dress up. like army people. and put our hair back and like she made. her hair look short. hers in her and made me and his sister. kiss each other. dressed up like little men yeah i think. how old. dude i think we're probably about 13 boy. 12 maybe. he shouldn't have been doing that he was. only about 16 so i don't think he really.

knew what he was doing either but. when i look back on it i'm like why are. we why are we both lieutenants. and then he went into the military years. later he went in did he really yeah he. did man. awesome but uh damn yeah i just. there's something i love about that we. got a question right here that came up. from somebody. what up theo gang baby i just got a. question for travis real quick i want to. know what do you miss most about. the climb to fame in the music industry. when you're out there cutting your teeth.

on broadway or wherever you were. what you missed most about that and uh. theo why don't you use some of that. money from your butt and get your tire. fixed. hey man dude i just i had a flat tire. and i. got up to eight cans of fix-a-flat in it. before i finally. took it in man so that's who i am. procrastinator oh i was like you can. hold one more cane. they had to replace a lot of stuff when. i finally got it.

they said your tire has plaque buildup i. said plaque build up. take it to the dentist yeah dude i need. to take this somewhere else somewhere. else. um yeah what about that climate because. there's something once you kind of. achieve the left. once you and i mean your level of of of. success is a really rare level but. what do you what do you miss about that. climb what do you miss about like really. miss about some of the early moments you. know i wouldn't say i miss it. but um because you can never replicate. that exactly you can't rip. i mean you can only you know you can. only launch that rocket one time.

you know but and when it's all new to. you. you know that you're only you're only a. virgin once yeah. and the fact that um. i was playing all those bars and clubs. and stuff and i've i've told my. my son and my daughter that want to get. into music. about that uh experience. man i learned so much the hard way. playing all those smoky clubs like.

you're talking about those smoky bars. and dives and. beer joints and honky tonks and bowling. alleys and pool halls and bowling houses. is always the weirdest. oh man weird place man right you're. hitting a low note and somebody just. gets a split. but you're having to compete against all. of that and plus you're having to. compete against alcohol. to try to get these people's attention. and every one of the places that i. played man they had. they either had pool tables or they had. dart boards or they had.

uh pinball machines or maybe all of the. above so you're trying to compete. against all that. and it it was difficult man it was rough. and i went through a lot of nights where. how in the world am i going to get these. people's attention. but uh even though i hated. some of those instances that i was put. in some of those positions i was put in.

i wouldn't take anything for him now. because i learned. i learned how if the show. is interrupted for whatever reason if. you break a guitar string for example or. if a mic quits working or something. you learn how to keep people's attention. you learn how to keep the patter up. you learn how to uh. work your way through it and those are. the things that. i still pull from the that.

book of knowledge i still pull from that. every single day and i get on stage. so was there a song that you would go to. because it's funny you say that because. i remember being. in places where the the the music was. secondary to the liquor. so it's like these people are having a. good time we're gonna also let you do. comedy over here. right but if you have you want to get. every attention that's gonna you have to. do that there's nobody in here that's. going to help you do that. you know was there a song or something. you went to sometimes when you realized. okay i got to kind of reel it back in.

here ever when you were starting yeah. there were there were two there were two. songs that i really learned right off. the bat um. after playing clubs because i started. out with just an acoustic guitar. that was it and then um. i went out in probably i don't know. it was probably 1985. yeah and i went out and bought a fender. twin. amp and i bought a fender stratocaster.

and somehow no i've never even. seen one since then but i bought a. hundred foot guitar chord. the first the first two songs my first. two sets rather. that night you know because they're. serving food in there too it's a bar. restaurant kind of thing the first two. sets man i'm up there with my acoustic. guitar and i'm playing james taylor and. john denver and. you know whatever george strait but by.

the time it got to that third one. pull out that electric guitar and that. 100 foot guitar cord and i'm running out. on top of people's tables. kicking beer and [ __ ] over you know and. just but i i have their attention. coming up absolutely man absolutely and. i'm doing. uh johnny be good yeah you know and. stuff like that. traveling getting people's attention on. the other side of that coin. i found out that because you'd have. fights that would break out you know.

yeah would you play a ballad then what. do you do at that point man. i found out they're not only a ballad. but the right ballad. nobody can fight i i learned this. right off the bat man nobody can fight. if you play silent. night the christmas song. [Music]. that will stop a fight quicker than. anything on this planet.

yeah man so i learned those two things. right off the bat i learned how to take. them up. and i learned how to take them down if. it got a little bit man. crazy dude i'm so bad at karaoke my song. that i've always done is rocking around. the christmas tree right i do that at. karaoke no matter what time of year it. is. and if people like at first you're like. this guy's [ __ ] new to you. but then about it's only a two minute 16. second song. the one i do right so about a minute and. you kind of see people are kind of okay. with.

it and then you're done so you kind of. got it out of your system but i can. relate to going to a christmas carol man. yeah man. using it when you need it it worked um. what's it like to be a father man what's. that what's that experience been like. for you. man it's the greatest thing in the world. i did you know it would be going into it. did you have skepticism about because i. have a lot of fear going about going in. and being a father you're not a father. yet i uh. no i really didn't because and i guess. the reason that i didn't was because. after my second uh divorce.

i basically took about six eight years. and man i i played the field i sewed all. the wild oats. that i could have out there huh big time. okay and played the field and the good. thing about it was i. figured out during that period of time. okay this is what i do want and that. right there is what i. definitely don't want and i.

so by the time that i met my wife uh. i knew exactly what i was looking for. and i knew she was it. and so having kids with somebody like. that that you feel that way about. it's not scary at all or at least it. wasn't for me it now it would have been. extremely terrifying had it happened in. the first two marriages but. we thank gosh yeah got through both of. those with no kids. but uh i remember being excited to be a.

father. um and and. my my daughter when she was born. i uh i was with a. warner brother's records at the time and. i had been with them since the beginning. of my career. and i was looking to. get off of that label and i also wanted. to stay home and see what being a dad. was all about. so as soon as we found out she was on.

her way. i told my record label. i'm not doing any more records for you. i'm going to get out of this contract. and i'm staying home i'm not touring i'm. not doing anything. i wanted to be home the first time i. wanted to be home point. obviously when she was born but i wanted. to be home when uh. she took her first steps yeah when she. said her first words. i wanted to be home for all that so i. took from 1998.

to 2000 off just to be home and. see what this daddy thing is all about. yeah and was it pretty special oh. extremely this is her right here. extremely. yeah oh you got a beautiful little. family dude oh thank you brother that's. all three your children. yes oh dang huh yeah that's them. a couple shorties in there beautiful. ladies bro sorry. oh wow um what's your daughter's what. was the first daughter's name. tyler reese tyler's and is she the one.

that plays music you says yeah. yeah yeah she's been uh obviously before. coveted and everything hit she's been. out on the road doing a lot of shows. uh do you guys play together ever yeah. we do as a matter of fact i took her in. the studio when she was 14. and uh recorded a song for one of my. albums and we. we've been doing that song together i'd. bring her out on the road with me and. you know we'd do that song together and. then she started working on her own.

and she's doing shows on her own. and she was really i mean everything was. really. at that stage where it was she was. getting to be known by a lot of people. and then covet hit yeah but it's going. to come back it's going to come right. it's going to come right back. what's something special about tyler. just how even though even just as a. human it doesn't have to be about music. the fact that she is she's got one of. the kindest hearts i think i've ever.

ever been around she really is i mean. she can be. now she can be rough yeah you know yeah. she lost her cell phone back. um at easter of last year oh that'll. rough on a girl that's a that's. that's the females vietnam right there. though man she lost her cell phone for. about four or five hours. six hours and man. she didn't speak to me for like a week. you know because i was just trying to. help and oh yeah. it was pissing her off but she's.

outside of outside of of the stuff like. that. she's really one of the kindest hearted. people she cares about people. she cares about family and she uh. she's extremely sweet that's cool man. that's cool and uh and your son his name. is taylor you said. no tristan is my middle and then my. youngest one is. tyrion t-a-r-i-a-n oh dang like the. lannisters almost like. game of thrones yeah that's right dope.

dude yeah that's dope. um and what's tristan like tristan is uh. he's very laid back he's uh. he looks almost exactly like me um. oh he's got to get that mull going then. does he have that haircut or no yeah. he has some flow yeah praise god he's. got some fun going. yeah the kids call it lettuce you know. that. that's what they call it they call it. that cabbage that's what they call it. cabbage yeah they call it that lettuce. yeah well tristan tritt.

is he's coming into his own uh. and the more i watch him perform live. he's got a group called tristan tritt. and pale moon creek. and the more i see him. [Music]. live on stage the more. he looks exactly i look at him and it's. like looking in the mirror wow it's. interesting yeah i said i see him. and i see me it's just a fact but.

uh yeah that's him there you go there he. is on the left oh cool. yeah that's him that's cool man. that's neat to have your family kind of. be involved in what you're in and it. seems like you guys are able to navigate. it pretty comfortably without any uh. too much envy or anything like that. that's the thing i would i think would. be tough maybe it would seem like from. an outsider's perspective. if there's like envy from the kids that. makes the parenting uncomfortable or. something yeah everybody. you know our family really has always. gotten along extremely well. and i know one of the things that blows.

my mind. as i said my daughter is 23 my son is 21. and my youngest son is 17. and i know. when i was at any one of those ages. man all i wanted to do was get as far. away from my parents. as i possibly could yeah i just get out. on my own. and do my thing but. our kids and i give my wife credit for. this. she raised them with so much of a.

an appreciation for the family unit. and hey this is family blood's thicker. than water. you take care of your family amen and. so she instilled that in them and they. still. man i mean they love being with us and. we have some of the greatest times in. the world together just that's cool. going out and doing things and you know. but even like mundane things if. if my wife and i are home uh.

watching a movie or something on. television kids come walking through the. room and go. hey what are you watching and listen. watch it with you sit down and watch it. with us. you know that's very cool it's never. happened i know. i know i i would have never done that. yeah. what's something you guys are watching. today anything you and the wife sit back. and watch or a program that you kind of. enjoy. oh man we've been uh gosh we've been. watching so much stuff man. i just watched the center that's what. i'm on season one the center yeah. i haven't seen it it's like a murder. mystery kind of with jessica bill it's.

good. oh really yeah we've been watching just. i think we've watched everything that. there is available on. netflix yeah because the covered. lockdown stuff you know. everybody's just staying at home it's. going away pretty quick though do you. start to feel that a little bit. yeah we're starting to see our schedule. starting to open back up. for the next few months and it can't. happen too soon for me. man because there is something about. from from an artist's standpoint i can.

tell you that. if you love it as much as i do there is. a part of your life that is not complete. if you're not able to go out there and. do that. at some point interesting um and. i think from an audience standpoint. we have to bring live music back yeah. people are ready chomping at the bit man. i've i've been lucky uh luckier than a. lot of people. i've had the opportunity to do a few. shows here and there in different places.

but the people are just so hungry for it. because they've been locked up and. cooped up too. and there's as you well know think about. concerts and stuff that you went to. when you were young and as you grew up. and just the experiences that you had at. some of those places. there is nothing like being in a. in a live audience yeah and your. favorite band or one of your favorite. band doing some of your favorite songs.

and you've got your fist up in the air. you're playing air guitar. out in the audience and the lights are. going and. and everybody drinks your buddy exactly. the whole thing man. there is something about that that can't. be replaced by anything else. tell me how is that your song tell me i. was dreaming damn bruh. yeah that's cool is there moments where. you like get so far along where some of. you like holy [ __ ]. i forgot about this we haven't played. this one in a while this one's great. yeah that's got to be pretty we do that.

as a matter of fact that's one of the. hardest things. i think about changing the um. set list around from one year to the. next always taking some things out. taking some things out and then putting. new things in. but it's always when you run across a. song that's like. man that was that was that was a great. song and that. song meant a lot to a lot of people. it was just my imagination exactly. telling lies.

bruh i would do i used to listen to like. the most sentimental [ __ ] in the gym. i would be just and i was doing steroids. in high school i'm doing steroids just. people were like is it the steroids is. it the music what is going on bro get it. together. oh music is a powerful thing it really. is huh. it's amazing to have something that can. almost just be a key in it. and some days it doesn't do it a song. doesn't do it sometimes that's right but. sometimes you'll have heard it a hundred. times you might even liked it and then. you'll hear that one time and it just.

like. fits every little groove yeah man that's. it's the thing man. music is a very very powerful force. and uh it never ceases to amaze me how. powerful it is. in some people's lives i've had people. man i can only imagine. they could write they come up to me and. they say man when you wrote that song. you must have been reading my mail. because that's exactly what i've been. feeling for a long time. and i just didn't know how to put it. into words but you did in a. three and a half minute song you you.

said everything i've been wanting to say. that's that's powerful do you feel like. it's a gift from because sometimes i. feel like i like to do a lot of words. and talk about stuff and. uh but do you feel like it's a gift from. god or do you feel like it's something. you've created. no like you're just like a vessel kind. of i have i have. and i have no reason in the world to. understand. why i got that gift. i have no reason in the world to. understand why. uh he picked me but.

thank god he did you know i mean it's. you got to accept it. it's been great yeah it's been it's been. great because. i've i've loved music all my life and. then to have the opportunity to. play it and sing it and perform it and. write it. for a living a really good living. over all these years and provide for my. family with it. man that's it's the best it's the best. doing what you love. absolutely i got one last question for. you so i heard a uh this is a rumor and.

this is just like there's lore out there. there was a that. the song here's a quarter that you got. tired of playing because people would. throw quarters on stage. actually i didn't get tired of playing. it i got hit by one no way. when we first started playing that song. we were playing. small clubs so even and people would. start throwing quarters up on stage. and even if they three if they threw one. it's not gonna hurt anybody. right but when we when we start playing. theaters and you're.

[Laughter]. you're third third row balcony. to throw a quarter hard enough to do. that people that are crazy as hell man. so we started getting pelted. i would look down and sorry to laugh man. it's just crazy. oh no some guy in the third row like man. i think travis needs this for you. at least i didn't have leonard skinner's. problem leonard skinner had a song. way back in the 70s called give me back. my bullets.

people would throw live ammunition on. stage. oh man but this guy i was on stage. one night in uh. in knox i think it was in knoxville. tennessee and. i got hit somebody threw one from. third row balcony and it hit me right. here and i thought i'd been shot. it was just one of those things where. it's like whoa.

and you kind of lose it for a second and. then. i looked down and there's. blood just streaming i got hit right. above my right eye. damn and it's just gushing blood. so i grabbed a towel and i'm trying to. stop it and i couldn't stop the bleeding. so. bottom line is it stopped the show at. the end of the show. so we had to start making an. announcement. to people it's like look you know. if you start throwing quarters and.

somebody gets hurt. on stage you're actually cheating. yourself. because it's gonna put it into the show. right then. yeah and uh and it raises your ticket. price by a damn quarter. you know kinda but thankfully with venmo. now a lot of people don't have quarters. on them you know what i'm saying. yeah like if i even see a quarter i'd be. shocked sometimes. i got uh wow that's why i got larry the. cable guy. a couple of years ago to do a uh intro.

for me and it's like hey y'all it's. larry cable guy. uh because of the danger involved. please do not throw quarters or any. other hard objects at the performers. during the program. otherwise i'm gonna come over your house. shove a milk bone down your throat stick. a hungry dog up behind them. that's awesome man did you ever meet. jerry clower no or even get to see him. he was probably a kid you got to meet.

him i got to meet him no. way in the early days of my career. uh there was a show on uh. the nashville network which was later. became cmt. there was a show called um uh it was. ralph emery that hosted it. and uh it was nashville now. and i went on that show one night and. jerry clower was one of the other guests. and i got to meet him and he was. everything i hoped he would be man just.

what a great guy and i grew up. probably the same way you did listen to. all those records that he did you know. yeah. knock him out john marcel led better. yeah. and uh in the chainsaw you know. something yeah marcel lubedale here we. go you name all of them. that's great man man i loved him was he. um. and was he was he a big was he a big. known. star when you were young kind of when. you were to your parents i'm sure your.

parents loved him huh yeah. my parents my dad that's back in the. days of eight-track tape. and my dad had four or five jerry clower. eight-track tapes that he would listen. to you know from time to time of course. a bunch of country stuff thrown in there. too. but yeah and then he was on television. almost every weekend. wow he had a show that he hosted. i can't remember what network it was on. but he hosted. every week with uh jim ed brown.

and he was just man he was great of. course you'd see him on he off from time. to time too yeah yeah i've been watching. a lot of hee haw inter. just some uh replays of it and stuff. yeah it's really fascinating what they. did with that show. yeah it was amazing um did uh yeah i. thought about trying to even do a. documentary about him like trying to put. it together and fund it and everything. you know. just before because i know his wife is. still alive so before like some of that. disappears you know. just trying to find a way to memorialize. some of it there's a lot of that that i.

think needs to be that's one of the. biggest reasons why. i like to. recall and recollect i'm going to write. a book. at some point i did one a few years ago. but. i want to write another one and just. tell all of the stories. that i've experienced and and heard. about. throughout the years about all of my. heroes the people that came before me. waylon jennings charlie daniels oh yeah. willie nelson.

uh you got to have those things because. they'll go away even you know. exactly they'll go away if you don't. tell them they do go away. yeah and there's nobody else that knows. those stories but me. amen amen and them yeah and the lord. baby. well we got to hold on to what we can. anything else uh sean. you feel good uh travis man thank you so. much for being here with us today thank. you so much for honor man. thank you for for uh yeah i think. keeping nostalgia and just keeping my. feelings alive throughout my life i. think that's.

something that you and a lot of. entertainers of of your ilk have done. man. well thank you it's a real value to be. able to. just someone who kind of is running like. a it's almost like you're just running. this stitch every now and then through. time that kind of holds people. just close enough to the world that. they're in that makes them feel a part. of something you know well i appreciate. you listening and i appreciate the fact. that. uh you were able to recognize something. in some of the music that i did that. that touched your heart and that's good. yeah thank you man i appreciate that.

yeah the one uh. about the uh what was in the spell man i. used to. i couldn't even spell and i was singing. it all the time t-r-o-u-b-l-e. oh no no that one you made that one easy. for me. but no it's a i'm gonna be somebody oh. yeah i remember dude i remember being in. spelling class i'm thinking man i'm. gonna hear that song i'm gonna be. somebody someday. and i'll be like i'm gonna gonna dance. i wouldn't dude i was getting the effing. spelling bro but in [ __ ] the hope and.

my hard dog i had an a plus. there you go man man travis [ __ ] thank. you so much for being here thank you. thea. [Music]. that is where daddies and mamas. were saints what preachers were. preaching. you could take to the bank. kids playing outside up until. it turned dark when the world. turned slow and you could smoke in a.

ball. [Music]. trucks took a beating the working man. too you could turn on six o'clock. and get the whole truth a seed belt was. a backup. for mama's right arm when the world. turned slower and you could smoke.

you.