Trace Adkins

Trace Adkins

Atkins performing aboard USS Abraham Lincoln in November 2002.
Background information
Birth name Tracy Darrell Adkins
Born (1962-01-13) January 13, 1962
Sarepta, Louisiana, US
Origin Springhill, Louisiana, US
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • actor
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active 1988–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website traceadkins.com

Tracy Darrell Adkins, known as Trace Adkins (born January 13, 1962), is an American country music singer and actor. He made his debut in 1995 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released ten more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations. In addition, he has charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including the Number One hits "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", "Ladies Love Country Boys", and "You're Gonna Miss This", which peaked in 1997, 2007, and 2008, respectively. "I Left Something Turned on at Home" went to No. 1 on Canada's country chart. All but one of his studio albums have received gold or platinum certification in the United States; his highest-selling to date is 2005's Songs About Me, which has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for shipping two million copies. Adkins is widely known for his distinctive bass-baritone singing voice.[1][2]

He has also made several appearances on television, including as a panelist on the game shows Hollywood Squares and Pyramid, as a 2008 finalist and as the 2013 winner on The All Star Celebrity Apprentice, as the voice for recurring character Elvin on King of the Hill, and in television commercial voice-overs for the KFC fast food restaurant chain and the "Firestone Tire and Rubber Company". In addition, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck, which was released in late 2007. He has appeared in numerous films, including The Lincoln Lawyer and Moms' Night Out.

Early life and education

Sarepta, Louisiana, honors its home-town celebrity, Trace Adkins

Adkins was born in Sarepta in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. His paternal grandparents were Rayford D. Adkins (1921-1987) and the former Mavis Giles, later Mavis Tilley (1923-1999). His parents are the former Peggy Carraway, who was the high school sweetheart married to Aaron Doyle Adkins (1942-2014), who worked for forty-seven years at International Paper Container Division in Springhill.[3] Adkins has two brothers, Clay Adkins, and Scott Devin Adkins (1971-1993), who perished at the age of twenty-one in a pickup truck accident near Plain Dealing in Bossier Parish.[4] His maternal uncle was the Christian musician James W. Carraway (1923–2008).[5][6] His musical interest came at an early age when his father taught him to play the guitar.[7]

At Sarepta High School, since defunct, Adkins joined a gospel music group called the New Commitments. He was also a member of the FFA. Later, Adkins attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. A walk-on offensive lineman on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team, Adkins left the team after his freshman season due to a knee injury, without ever playing in a game.[8]:26[9][10] Adkins never officially graduated; after leaving college he took up work at an oil rig. Trace worked as a pharmacy technician before pursuing a career in music. He lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident while using a knife to open a bucket, and asked doctors to reattach the finger at an angle so that he could continue to play guitar.[7] Adkins then moved on to playing in honky tonk bars for the next few years in the Ark-La-Tex area and eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s. In late-1994 Adkins met Rhonda Forlaw, who was an executive at Arista Records Nashville. Forlaw had numerous music industry friends come out to hear Adkins over the next few years. Scott Hendricks of Capitol Nashville signed him "on the spot" one night while Adkins was playing at Tillie and Lucy's bar in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

Music career

Early career

Adkins' first single, "There's a Girl in Texas", was released in 1996, reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was followed by the release of his debut album, Dreamin' Out Loud, later that year. The album produced several hit singles, including his first Top 5 single, "Every Light in the House", his first Number One in "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", and another Top 5 hit in "I Left Something Turned on at Home". The latter single was also a Number One hit in Canada. His second album, Big Time, produced a Top 5 in "The Rest of Mine", but subsequent singles proved less successful.[7] A change in management delayed the release of Adkins' third album,[11] but the album (titled More...) was eventually released in late 1999. Although the album's title track reached Top 10, More... failed to achieve gold status. Adkins daughter, Mackenzie, was featured in the "More" video.

2001–04

In 2001, Adkins was injured in a tractor accident and had to temporarily cancel touring.[12] Shortly after the release of his Chrome album, he entered a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program in Nashville.[13] Chrome was his first album to reach the Top 5 on the country albums charts; its title track reached Top 10 in late 2002.[7]

In 2003, Adkins released two albums—a Greatest Hits collection and Comin' on Strong.[7] The same year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.[14] He also made appearances as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares,[15] and did voice-overs in commercials for fast-food chain KFC.[16] Only one single, "Then They Do", was released from this Greatest Hits compilation. This album, which succeeded the Greatest Hits collection, produced two singles: the Top 5 single "Hot Mama" and "Rough & Ready", which peaked at No. 13.

Adkins and Travis Tritt played the roles of prison convicts in a February 2004 episode of the television series Yes, Dear (Greg & Jimmy's Criminals).

2005–07

In March 2005, Adkins released his album entitled Songs About Me.[7] The title track was released as its first single in December 2004. The album's second single, "Arlington", generated controversy over its content (a first-person account of a fictional soldier who was about to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery).[17] It was followed by "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", which became a highly successful crossover hit, bringing Adkins into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.

2006 saw the release of Adkins' seventh studio album, Dangerous Man. "Swing", the album's lead-off single, peaked at No. 20, while the follow-up "Ladies Love Country Boys" became Adkins' second Number One single on the country charts and his first since "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" in 1997. Adkins daughter, Brianna, was featured in the "Ladies Love Country Boys" video. The album's final release, "I Wanna Feel Something", proved unsuccessful on the charts; as a result, Adkins announced that he would stop supporting the single.

In August 2007, Adkins released a single entitled "I Got My Game On".[18] Originally, the song was planned to be the lead-off to a new album, tentatively titled Game On; however, Adkins decided not to release a full album, and instead released his second Greatest Hits compilation, American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II, for which "I Got My Game On" served as the lead-off single.[19] The album has also produced Adkins' fastest-climbing single to date in its second single, "You're Gonna Miss This".[20] "You're Gonna Miss This" has also become his third Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs, as well as the most successful single to date on the Billboard Hot 100 (#12), Billboard Pop 100 (#19), and Hot Digital Songs charts (#8).

Adkins released his first book, entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck.[21]

2008–present

In November 2008, Adkins made an appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He rode with his family on the "Jimmy Dean" float and performed his popular song "You're Gonna Miss This." In 2009, Adkins appeared in local Kansas City commercials to advertise season tickets and the 50th season of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs.

Adkins recorded a duet with country legend Ronnie Milsap called "My First Ride" to benefit fire-fighters and police officers in the U.S. and Canada. Then, after the song's release the label said 'no' to radio stations playing it with no explanation given. Milsap led a protest at Capitol Records to "Free Trace" and allow the song to be played.

In November 2009, Adkins embarked on the Shine All Night Tour, a co-headling venture with fellow country artist Martina McBride. Also in 2009, he recorded a duet with Blake Shelton titled "Hillbilly Bone," which was released as the lead-off single from Shelton's upcoming sixth album.

On October 18, 2009, Adkins made an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help Ty Pennington and his design team build a new home for the Marshall family.

In January 2010, Adkins parted ways with his long-time record label, Capitol Nashville, and subsequently signed with Show Dog-Universal Music.[22][23] Adkins' first single with the label, "This Ain't No Love Song," was released on May 17, 2010, and served as the lead-off single to his ninth studio album, Cowboy's Back In Town. It debuted at No. 54 on the chart for the week of May 29, 2010. The album's second single "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow" released to country radio on January 10, 2011.

Two men in a small Dodge pickup truck lost their lives after crashing into one of Trace Adkins' tour buses on February 13, 2010. The truck was believed to have crossed the "no passing" line in the center of the road which resulted in the crash. Several members of Adkins' band were aboard the bus, but did not suffer any major injuries. Adkins himself was not on board the bus at the time.[24]

On October 10, 2010, Adkins sang the National Anthem at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

On December 18, 2010, Adkins performed at WWE's annual extravaganza Tribute To The Troops to amazing reception by the soldiers in attendance.[25] He appeared once again on the May 13, 2011, episode of SmackDown live from Nashville, Tennessee, as the special member of the WWE audience.

In March 2011, Adkins released "Just Fishin" which featured his youngest daughter, Trinity, in the video which was shot at their farm. The song reached #6 on Billboard.

On June 4, 2011, at approximately 3:35pm, Adkins' home in Brentwood, Tennessee burned down.[26]

On October 20, 2011, Adkins sang the National Anthem at game 2 of the 2011 World Series in St. Louis.

In April 2011, Adkins revealed that he had a crush on the Baylor Lady Bears' head coach, Kim Mulkey, while the two were in college at Louisiana Tech, then dedicated his performance of "One in a Million You" to her.[27] Mulkey's sister arranged a phone call in December 2011 between the singer and coach, during which Kim Mulkey invited him to sing at Baylor's home game against Connecticut;[28] Adkins, unable to attend, arranged to perform the National Anthem at the Lady Bears' February 2012 home game against the Texas A&M Aggies.[29] In March 2012, Adkins visited the Lady Bears while on tour in Kansas City to encourage them before their NCAA Championships semi-final match; the team attended one of his concerts later that week.[30]

In February 2012, Adkins appeared as a guest vocalist on Meat Loaf's album Hell in a Handbasket.[31]

Adkins performed "The Star-Spangled Banner"at the West Virginia Mountaineers' home football game against the Baylor Bears on September 29, 2012; his was just the third live performance of the national anthem in the 32-year history of Mountaineer Field.[32]

Adkins released a new album, Love Will..., on May 14, 2013. The album's first single, "Watch the World End", was released to country radio on May 13, 2013. In September 2013 it was announced that he was no longer on the Showdog roster according to the official website.

Adkins released his first Christmas album, The King's Gift, on October 29, 2013.[33]

On April 6, 2015, it was announced that Adkins had signed with Broken Bow Records.[34] In August 2015, Broken Bow announced that Adkins was one of the first artists signed to the label's new imprint, Wheelhouse Records.[35] The album's first single, "Jesus and Jones", was released to country radio on January 18, 2016. The album's second single, "Lit" released to country radio on July 25, 2016.

On July 4, 2016, Adkins made a surprise appearance at his hometown Independence Day celebration in Sarepta, Louisiana. He joined on stage the Backbeat Boogie Band with several unrehearsed songs.[36]

March 15, 2015 SiriusXM Radio Host

Adkins started hosting his own SiriusXM radio show on March 15, 2015, a weekly countdown of Billboard's Top 30 country songs from the same week the show is airing, but from a different year. The Throwback 30 show plays on SiriusXM Y2Kountry.[37]

Celebrity Apprentice

Adkins was a January–March 2008 contestant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice.[19] Each celebrity contestant was playing for donations to their selected charity. Adkins played for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. Adkins chose the charity because his daughter suffers from life-threatening reactions to peanuts, milk and eggs. Ultimately he was the runner-up of that season, losing to Piers Morgan.

Adkins returned for the All-Stars version of The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. He was project manager for his team, Plan B, in the first task, which was to sell meatballs and won $670,072, a Celebrity Apprentice record for a first task, for his charity The American Red Cross. Together with Vegas illusionist Penn Jillette, he made it to the finals again (becoming the first and only person in the history of the show to do so), where Adkins won and became The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. He also broke the record for the highest amount of money raised for his charity by any one person in the history of the show, with $1,524,072 raised for the American Red Cross.

In 2008, Adkins released the single "Muddy Water," the lead single from X, which was released on November 25. The video for "Muddy Water" has an appearance by fellow Celebrity Apprentice competitor Stephen Baldwin as a man being baptised in a muddy river, and later approaching Adkins as a friend. X includes the Top 20 hits "Marry for Money" and "All I Ask For Anymore," both of which peaked at No. 14.

Spokesperson

In 2012, Adkins signed a deal with truck stop chain Pilot Flying J to become the company's new spokesman.[38]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1987 Square Dance Bayou Band Member as Tracy D. Adkins
2008 Trailer Park of Terror The Man
2008 An American Carol Angel of Death/Trace Adkins
2010 Tough Trade Scared Television movie
2010 Lifted Jimmy Knox
2011 The Lincoln Lawyer Eddie Vogel
2012 Wyatt Earp's Revenge Miflin Kennedy
2013 Kix Brooks A Country Christmas Sheriff Arrington
2013 The Virginian The Virginian
2014 Moms' Night Out Bones
2014 Palominas Judge Guilt Roads
2016 Traded Ty Stover
2016 Deepwater Horizon Massive Man

Television

Year Show Role Notes
2003 King of the Hill Big John Episode: "Livin' on Reds, Vitamin C and Propane" (voice)
2003-2004 Hollywood Squares Himself 10 episodes
2004 Yes, Dear Curtis Episode: "Greg and Jimmy's Criminals"
2004-2005 King of the Hill Elvin Mackleston 3 episodes (voice)
2005 Higglytown Heroes Cowboy Hero Episode: "Higgly Hoedown" (voice)
2005 Blue Collar TV Himself Episode: "Battle of the Sexes"
2005 My Name is Earl Himself Episode: "Pilot"
2007-2009 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Himself 2 episodes
2008 The Young and the Restless Himself Episode: "#1.8885"
2008-2011 Celebrity Apprentice Himself 16 episodes
2010 Ace of Cakes Himself Episode: "A Four Letter Word for Pastry"
2012 American Dad! Transvestite Episode: "The Unbrave One" (voice)
2013 All-Star Celebrity Apprentice Himself 12 episodes
2013 To Appomattox John Gregg 4 episodes
2015 The Night Shift Smalls Episode: "Moving On"
2015 Moonbeam City Sizzle Conrad Episode: "Glitzotrene: One Town’s Seduction"

Personal life

Adkins has two daughters, Tarah and Sarah, with his first wife, Barbara Lewis and three daughters with his current wife, the former Rhonda Forlaw: Mackenzie, Brianna, and Trinity. Adkins is a supporter of the United States Republican Party and performed at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.[39] He also performed the National Anthem at Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Haslam's second inauguration in 2015.[40]

As a youth, Adkins was in an automobile accident in which his 1975 pickup truck rear ended a school bus. He broke some ribs and his nose was partially torn off. Adkins was forced to give up college football after a severe knee injury at Louisiana Tech. He has also experienced a number of serious injuries as an adult, including being shot by his second ex-wife in 1994.[41] The bullet went through his heart and both lungs. He survived and chose not to press charges.[42]

In early 2014, Adkins checked into rehabilitation for alcoholism after getting into an altercation on a cruise ship.[43] In March 2014, Trace Adkins and his wife Rhonda filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[44] Rhonda dismissed her divorce petition in June 2015. As of August 2016, no judgement for divorce has been entered and the couple remain married.[45]

Discography

Studio albums
Compilation albums

Awards

This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Year Award Result
1996 ACM Top New Male Vocalist Won
2008 CMT Male Video of the Year - "I Got My Game On" Won
Grammy - Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "You're Gonna Miss This" Nominated
Grammy - Best Country Song - "You're Gonna Miss This" (Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller) Nominated
2009 ACM Single of the Year - "You're Gonna Miss This" Won
Grammy - Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "All I Ask For Anymore" Nominated
Grammy - Best Country Song - "All I Ask For Anymore" (Casey Beathard & Tim James) Nominated
2010 ACM Vocal Event of the Year - "Hillbilly Bone" with Blake Shelton Won
CMT Award - Collaborative Video of the Year - "Hillbilly Bone" with Blake Shelton Won

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Trace Adkins's Biography at AllMusic". Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Trace Adkins". Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Aaron Doyle Adkins". Findagrave.com. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Local Accident Still Under Investigationm". Findagrave.com. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  5. ↑ McCall, Michael (June 13, 2004). "A Dream Come True for Trace Adkins". American Profile. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Trace Adkins: A Personal Stand". Cmt.com. November 26, 2007. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Huey, Steve. "Trace Adkins Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  8. ↑ Sweetland, Phil (September 2000), "Trace elements", American Cowboy, pp. 24–27
  9. ↑ Gardiner, Amy (February 13, 2012). "Singer Trace Adkins reunites with Baylor's Kim Mulkey". USA Today. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ Tracy Adkins is not listed in Louisiana Tech's letterwinners list. "Letterwinners" (PDF). Louisiana Tech 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl Media Guide. Louisiana Tech University. 2014. p. 176.
  11. ↑ Edward Morris (2001-07-12). "CMT.com : Trace Adkins : Trace Adkins Nixed Song That's Now His Album's Lead Single". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  12. ↑ Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "CMT.com : Trace Adkins : Trace Adkins Completes Rehab Program". Web.archive.org. 2003-01-21. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  14. ↑ Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ USA WEEKEND Magazine
  18. ↑ Benson, John. "Adkins Impatient To Unveil New Single, Album". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
  19. 1 2 "Trace and Trump". Country on Demand. 2007-10-26. Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  20. ↑ "Trace Adkins brings "The Boardroom" to Nashville". That's Country.com. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  21. ↑ "First Book by Country Star Trace Adkins Hits Bookshelves Nationwide". Hot Schatz.com. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  22. ↑ "Adkins Joins Show Dog Universal". MusicRow. 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  23. ↑ Roughstock Staff (2010-01-13). "Trace Adkins Joins Show Dog-Universal Records". Roughstock.com. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  24. ↑ "Trace Adkins' Tour Bus Involved in Fatal Crash". TMZ. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  25. ↑ "WWE "Trace Adkins, Diddy-Dirty Money, Cedric the Entertainer and Ariel Winter to perform on WWE Tribute to the Troops"". WWE.com. 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  26. ↑ "Country Star's House Burns Down". Huffington Post. 2011-06-05.
  27. ↑ ZEPFAN269 (2011-04-15). Trace Adkins. YouTube (published 2011-04-18). Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  28. ↑ Cherry, Brice (2012-02-08). "Affection for Kim Mulkey brings Trace Adkins to Waco". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  29. ↑ Gardiner, Andy (2012-02-13). "Singer Trace Adkins reunites with Baylor's Kim Mulkey". USA Today. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  30. ↑ Mulkey's biggest fan. ESPN. 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  31. ↑ "Legacy Recordings Announces The Stateside Release Of Hell In A Handbasket, The New Full-Length Studio Album From". Meat Loaf. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  32. ↑ "Trace Adkins Will Perform Anthem Saturday In Morgantown". WCHS Radio 58. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  33. ↑ Sterdan, Darryl (August 29, 2013). "Miley Cyrus, NIN top the 2013 fall music preview". Canoe.ca. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  34. ↑ Stark, Phyllis (April 6, 2015). "Trace Adkins Eyes Radio With BBR Music Group Deal: 'I Can Ring the Bell Another Time or Two'". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  35. ↑ "BBR Music Launches New Label, Starting With Trace Adkins and Granger Smith". Taste of Country. August 31, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  36. ↑ Maggie Martin (July 16, 2016). "Trace Adkins headlines Sarepta July 4 celebration". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  37. ↑ Quan, Denise. Trace Adkins Gets His Own SiriusXM Radio Show, Rolling Stone, March 13, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Pilot Flying J". Pilot Flying J. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  39. ↑ "GOP's musical lineup includes stalwarts Journey, Kid Rock and Trace Adkins - Washington Post". Articles.washingtonpost.com. 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  40. ↑ http://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/news/politics/2015/01/17/gov-bill-haslam-2015-inauguration/21924177/
  41. ↑ John Geromeap (2007-12-13). "Trace Adkins' life an open book with 'A Personal Stand'". NevadaAppeal.com. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  42. ↑ Miller, Samantha (June 23, 1997). "Mr. Invincible". People. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  43. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20776357,00.html
  44. ↑ "Trace Adkins Is Getting Divorced After 18 Years Of Marriage". Huffington Post. 2014-03-27.
  45. ↑ http://tasteofcountry.com/trace-adkins-divorce-settled/
  46. ↑ http://tasteofcountry.com/trace-adkins-new-music-jesus-and-jones/
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