Trace Adkins joined The Bobby Bones Show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album and shared stories behind his biggest songs, a devastating injury, acting roles, and life experiences that shaped his career.
In discussing all of his biggest hits, Akins shared special things he remembers about each one. “Every Light in the House” remains Bobby Bones favorite song from Adkins' debut era. Adkins said the song still holds a special place for him because it was the track that “put him on the map” and launched his career. “There’s a Girl in Texas” was technically his first single, “Every Light in the House” became his first major hit after reaching the Top 5 on the charts. Bones is still surprised the song never reached No. 1 status. Adkins received advice from former Capitol Records executive Bill Catino, who told him that most listeners do not distinguish between a Top 5 song and a No. 1 song because both receive heavy radio rotation in many markets. Adkins added that he could tell when some songs were huge in certain regions while not in others based on how a crowd reacted when he played the song on tour.
The live version of “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing" has changed, Adkins noted the version now has more of an R&B groove than the original recording because the arrangement evolved over time. Bones then brought up “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” one of Adkins’ signature songs. Adkins admitted he loves the song but he hopes it is not the only thing people remember him for. The song was written after Randy Houser, Dallas Davidson, and Jamey Johnson were drinking at the Wildhorse Saloon and joking about line dancing. Adkins said Johnson’s demo recording made him laugh out loud and convinced him the song had to be recorded. Although Adkins believed the song could become a single, he admitted he was unsure whether his label would take the risk because of its playful lyrics. He compared it to another song, “Brown Chicken Brown Cow,” which he thought would be a major hit but ultimately struggled because many stations considered it too suggestive for airplay. When Bones asked if he still performs “Hillbilly Bone,” Adkins said he includes a short snippet of the due with Blake Shelton during a medley and joked that he only does it “to piss Blake off." Adkins and Shelton still keep in touch, though Adkins no longer hunts much these days. He grew up hunting to provide food for his family but eventually lost interest in killing animals when he no longer needed to hunt for survival. Instead, he now enjoys watching deer and turkeys on his property through wildlife cameras and at his feeders.
Bones found out Adkins had an injury after seeing him with a cane backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Adkins revealed that he suffered a devastating injury after falling roughly 12 feet off a scaffold while workers were repairing part of his home. Adkins does not remember the actual fall, but woke up with a worker cradling his head. After being taken to a local hospital, doctors quickly transferred him to Vanderbilt because the injury was so severe that bones were protruding through his leg. The sight of his bones caused him to pass out, something that had never happened to him before despite experiencing numerous injuries throughout his life. He spent weeks in the hospital and revealed doctors even discussed amputating his leg below the knee because of extensive nerve damage. Surprisingly, Adkins said he initially encouraged the idea because he believed recovery with a prosthetic might be faster than enduring years of rehabilitation. Adding that his years of working with military veterans had shown him how advanced prosthetics and orthopedic technology have become so it didn't seem like a scary option. However, his wife didn't like the idea at all and encouraged him not to take that path. Despite numerous surgeries and physical pain, Adkins said his voice remains strong enough to perform all of his hits in their original keys. As long as he can still meet his own performance standards onstage, he plans to continue touring.
In other moments of the conversation, Bones shared he recently became a father for the first time to a daughter. So he asked Adkins for daughter tips given that he has five daughters. Though, Adkins admitted he still feels confused by girls despite raising them for decades. His main parenting advice was to be patient and to understand that daughters require a different approach than boys. Adkins also reflected on his journey into country music. He originally sang bass in a gospel quartet and never imagined becoming a solo country artist until he watched Ed Bruce perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Seeing another deep-voiced singer succeed convinced him there might be a place for his style in country music. Adkins also spoke about acting and named his biker role in Moms' Night Out as one of his favorite performances because the character allowed him to have fun and show off his humor. He admitted that he did not realize the film was faith-based until arriving on set for filming. He noted that he should have read the entire script ahead of time, but he didn't. He also discussed appearing in The Lincoln Lawyer alongside Matthew McConaughey and said McConaughey was exactly like the laid-back personality people see publicly.