I got an opportunity to be on a tribute to the Rolling Stones in the late '90s and did a rockin' version of 'Paint It Black' - that's probably the biggest stretch of anything that I've personally done. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music, but I understand where my parameters are.

Tracy Lawrence

Categorized in : Understand Opportunity Music Black

All roads lead to another road for renegades, rebels, and rogues.

Tracy Lawrence

renegades rebel rogues

Sticks and stones may break me, but the words you said just tore my heart in two.

Tracy Lawrence

games heart two

My biggest advice to people now is that when you go through something traumatic, you've got to go talk to somebody. You've got to be able to understand it, make peace with it inside yourself, and you've got to be able to let it go.

Tracy Lawrence

let-it-go advice people

Oh yeah, we are very worried that it will be shut down in three weeks, it's good to go back to work.

Tracy Lawrence

us-news

I'm like an old turtle these days. I don't run wide-open everywhere, but at the end of the day, I'll be where I'm supposed to be.

Tracy Lawrence

end-of-the-day end day run

I want to be thankful for all of the things that I've been blessed with, and I've had a great run. I have a huge fan base, and I'm still able to work a lot. I don't know if I'll ever have another big impact record on commercial radio again, but you know, everybody's gonna have to face the reality that their day's gonna come to an end, too.

Tracy Lawrence

day you work thankful

Having children has been one of the biggest things that has happened to me in my life.

Tracy Lawrence

my-life me life children

If you just focus on making singles, you lose the personality of the record. Because everything is not meant to go to radio.

Tracy Lawrence

lose you focus personality

Everyone wants to be an arena act, and it's making country music evolve. People are cutting things more for that arena environment. But who's to say that that is a sign of any more of a successful career than what James Taylor has been able to do, when he still comes and plays the Ryman every two years?

Tracy Lawrence

environment music country people

I've never been one to stay in a complacent place where I just let the grass grow around me.

Tracy Lawrence

grow place never me

The group of guys I came up with in the 1990s were very innovative. I remember some of the older guys were complaining about how the music had changed, and they were being left behind. I didn't want to be one of those guys who sat around and complained because they weren't growing and evolving.

Tracy Lawrence

behind group music remember

Performing live is a part of who I am.

Tracy Lawrence

live i-am who performing

I've never been an artist that really got into fluff songs. I like songs that have substance to them. I think sometimes that may hurt me commercially a little bit. But I like to cut things that have the power to speak to people on an emotional level. That's the power of country music to me.

Tracy Lawrence

me music power people

I love to sing swing and shuffle stuff. Radio may not play it coast to coast, but I love playing them. Man, they fill the dance floor up. People who live the night life at these honky-tonks eat this stuff up.

Tracy Lawrence

man dance love life

Toward the end of the '90s, it got pretty rough for me - a lot of emotional unrest and problems with my relationships. That affected my career.

Tracy Lawrence

problems end me emotional

I grew up in a very Christian household. We went to church every Sunday whether I wanted to or not.

Tracy Lawrence

up sunday church christian

I grew up very heavily involved in a United Methodist Youth organization. I grew up going to church camp for years. I ministered, and country music stole me away. It was just where my heart wound up. It's what I wanted to do.

Tracy Lawrence

me youth music heart

Things are always going to evolve and change. You might not always like the direction of it, but people's tastes change.

Tracy Lawrence

direction you change people

I listen to everything from Lady Gaga to Lady Antebellum. I've got Frank Sinatra. I've got old stuff, new stuff. Iggy Azalea. I've got everything.

Tracy Lawrence

listen lady new everything

Fame and fortune and the interstate is great and fun, but it ain't life.

Tracy Lawrence

great fame fun life