When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig – 8 dollars to play rhythm guitar in a polka band. Pretty soon, I ended up playing in all the bars within driving distance...

Cruelty is all out of ignorance. If you knew what was in store for you, you wouldn’t hurt anybody, because whatever you do comes back much more forceful than you send it out.

You want to be a good parent and you want to be a friend, and it’s hard to be both. You have to balance it as well as you can.

I like to play small clubs.

I never gave up on country music because I knew what I was doing was not that bad.

I was influenced a lot by those around me – there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.

And as far as guitars go, I loved Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West’s stuff.

Three chords and the truth – that’s what a country song is.

I was born in Abbott, Texas, a little small town in central Texas, and I was raised by my grandparents. And my parents divorced when I was six months old, and my grandparents raised me.

It doesn’t hurt to feel sad from time to time.

All I do is play music and golf – which one do you want me to give up?

The whole house came up and I came up with it… I was just praying to the Lord to take care of me.

When I’m driving the highway by myself is when I write best.

If a song was ever good, it’s still good.

Fortunately, we are not in control.

I didn’t come here and I ain’t leavin’.

I would like to see more airplay for all artists, no matter what age. I think there’s a lot of money being spent toward the young guys, but a lot of the older guys are...

I’m from Texas, and one of the reasons I like Texas is because there’s no one in control.

America, to me, is freedom.

There are only so many notes so there must be only so many melodies.

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.

The first time I got onstage was when I was about 5 years old. It was at a church social, and I had a poem to recite.

Freedom is control in your own life.

I started out writing poems before I figured to put melodies to them and play the guitar. Somewhere, there’s a book out there on all those early songs and poems. I hope no one ever...

I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants...

As long as there’s a few farmers out there, we’ll keep fighting for them.

I think I’m basically the same guy I always was. Maybe I’ve learned, through experience, to rein in some of the anger and temper they say redheads normally have.

I been a long time leaving but I’m going to be a long time gone.

There’s a great enthusiasm for good country music all over the world.

I got along without you before I met you and I’ll get along without you a long time after you’re gone.

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can – must have some sort of responsibility, because they’re in there and they were elected,...