Gretchen Wilson Talks About New Album, Family and More

Award winning country music artist Gretchen Wilson, who has made a home in the hearts of fans everywhere, took a moment with me to talk about her new album, balancing family and career, famous friends, and her passion for education. So listen in as I talk to the lady that made being called a "redneck woman" a good thing, and one we would all be proud to call "friend".

MM: You're a CMA, ACM, and Grammy winner, the owner of your own record label (Redneck Records), and a New York Times best seller, but like me and a lot of our readers, I'm betting that the thing you are proudest to be called is "Mom." It has to be incredibly difficult to manage all of your projects and still get that family time in. How do you manage to do it all, do it all so well, and still look so good doing it?

GW: Wow, thanks for that compliment, Mindi. I really am most proud to be called a mom, and I look at that as the most important thing I do. One thing I do every day is drop Grace off at school in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. Everyone knows not to schedule anything during those times if it can possibly be avoided. Same thing goes with my touring schedule. I try to build my touring around Grace's school year. When she's in school, I try to limit touring to weekends. We try to plan longer runs when she's out of school. I don't ever want to miss a school play or something else Grace has going on.

Grace and I are also very fortunate to be surrounded by my family, who all live near us. We have cook outs, ride four-wheelers, fish and ride horses, and it's really comforting for me to know they're there.

I never realized how much time and effort went into owning and running a record company, but I'm having a blast digging into all of the different aspects of the music business. When this rocket ship took off in 2004, I didn't always know how the people around me were representing me. I had very little input on what was being planned. People pretty much pointed me in a direction and said, "Go!" Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for the success I've had, the places I've gotten to visit and the people I've met, but those first few years were out of control. I have input on every aspect of my career now, from music to touring to album artwork, pictures, interviews, promotion ideas - literally everything. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I feel like I've surrounded myself with people who will be honest with me and are all focused on a common goal.

MM: You've got a new album, I Got Your Country Right Here, coming out on March 30th, 2010. This is your fourth album, and you've said it's the "album of your career". Considering your past success, hearing that certainly whets our appetites. What is it about this album that sets it so far apart from the others?

GW: I had more creative input on writing or picking the songs for this album than the other three. The music on this album really represents who I am as an artist and where I am in my life right now. We cut a lot of it at my studio, which has a great feel and a great sound. I feel like this is the first female Southern Rock album.

MM: In your video for "Work Hard, Play Harder", we see another Wilson County resident we know and love, the one and only Charlie Daniels, as well as Hank Jr., who you sang my personal favorite of his, "Outlaw Women", with on CMT. I'm sure that like many of us, you were a huge fan of both before you made it big. Do you ever still pinch yourself when you realize that not only are you living the dream, but also hobnobbin' with so many major artists as both a peer and a friend?

GW: Hank and Kid Rock were both in my first video "Redneck Woman" video. I couldn't believe either one would take the time hang with this new artist they didn't even know at the time. They've both become great friends - people I can call for advice or lean on when things got tough. Charlie is almost a father figure to me. He, Hank, and Larry the Cable Guy were all in my "All Jacked Up" video. That makes a long day a lot more fun. I've gotten to sing with Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart several times, which is amazing because they are musical heroes of mine. One of the highlights for me was when Charlie spoke at my graduation ceremony when I got my GED. It doesn't get any cooler than that! It has been amazing getting to meet so many people, but at the end of the day, you realize they're no different from anyone else - they just sing for a living.

MM: We know you're headlining Music At The Mill in Lebanon, TN on February 27th, an event benefiting McClain Christian Academy, and that even after your success in the music industry you made sure you completed your GED at the age of 34. You also won the National Coalition for Literacy's 2009 Literacy Leadership Award for your work promoting literacy and adult education. Education is obviously close to your heart, so before we let you get back to that very full plate of yours, can you tell us what you'd like to say to that man or woman who somewhere, right now, is thinking it's too late to go back?

GW: You just said it, it's never too late to go back. I remember making a comment to a reporter early on in my career about getting my GED. But it wasn't until Grace started school that I thought I really needed to do it for her, so that she could never use me as an excuse for not finishing school. Little did I realize what an impact it would have on so many other people. I get letters and emails almost daily from people saying I inspired them to stay in school or go back to school. That blows me away.

Last year I spoke in front of a Congressional panel about the importance of funding adult education, which was just unbelievable to me. And then getting the literacy award at the Library of Congress, of all places, is just beyond words. We've all heard of "No Child Left Behind", but we can never leave the parent behind. If the parents aren't educated, there's no incentive for their kids to stay in school. That's why it's so important that adult education and literacy programs are always fully funded and accessible.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen. Gretchen Wilson really is as great as we've always suspected and her humble, down to earth personality just adds to her appeal even more. Don't you just want to call her up for coffee or a girls night? Me too. But if you're like me, and her number is not on your contact list, you still don't have to wait until March 30th to grab a little more Gretchen. You can snag a copy of her Greatest Hits album now. You'll be pleased to know it features a live version of Gretchen singing Heart's Barracuda that absolutely rocks. If you need an immediate fix, you can get more on Gretchen and even sign up for email updates on her official website, www.gretchenwilson.com.