Superstar puts life experiences into his music

Country music giant Trace Adkins will bring his high-energy show to the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell on August 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Adkins has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in country music today and he's one of the genre's true rugged individualists. His deep baritone and unshakeable sense of self have made him a star, but it is his music and the life he brings to it, that has appealed to so many of his fans and made his body of work so important.

His songs have insightful lyrics and cover a wide range of interests and come from many of his own life experiences. Adkins, a former oil driller, gospel singer, and aspiring pro-football player, took a long road from his hometown of Sarepta, L.A. to country music stardom. For more than a decade, he played more than 300 shows a year in roadhouses and honky-tonks throughout Louisiana and Texas, before moving to Nashville, where he was eventually signed to a record deal.

When he broke onto the scene in the mid-1990s, Adkins' debut album sold more than a million copies and it didn't take long before he had a string of hits including "Every Light In The House Is On," "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," "I Left Something Turned On At Home," "Chrome," "Hot Mama," "I'm Tryin,'" "Rough & Ready," "Songs About Me" and many more.

Since then, he's sold millions of records and won dozens of awards. Five of his CDs are either gold or platinum-certified and he's become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and a regular on late night talkfests. Adkins has also been featured in numerous print magazines including People and USA Today and has even tested the waters at acting and voice-over work.

Adkins latest CD, "Songs About Me," made its entry at the top of the country albums chart, becoming his second chart-topping CD in the past 18 months. The album is filled with more of the kind of grit and passion for which he's best become known, and has already produced a No. 2 hit single and video with the title cut. His follow-up single, "Arlington" is already causing quite a buzz at country radio and getting significant airplay. The powerful ballad is sung from the point of view of a deceased military man who has been buried in our national cemetery and pays homage to veterans without making a political statement.

Adkins is playing to packed houses across the country and says he never performs the same show on any two nights - that each one is predicated on what kind of environment he's in. So whether he's roaring good-time rockers or caressing heartache ballads, Adkins promises to give his fans all he's got and not leave anything on the bus. With that kind of philosophy, it's no surprise that he's developed such a huge fan base, for which he's says he's extremely grateful for.

"Country music fans are the best everywhere and they've always made me feel like I'm at home, no matter what zip code I'm in," says Adkins. "I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for blessing me with a career that I truly enjoy."

Tickets are $25, $35 and $50. To purchase advance tickets call (406) 755-5508 or visit www.majesticvalleyarena.com.

For additional news & complete list of tour dates, visit www.traceadkins.com.