In Part 2 of our deep-dive with country icon Trace Adkins, we get the stories behind his most emotional and controversial songs, from “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” to “You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Arlington.” Trace shares powerful memories from Arlington National Cemetery, his candid take on Donald Trump, and the radio days with Phil Valentine that almost got people fired.

We also dig into his acting career, how he met his wife on a movie set, the wild origin of his dog “Gary Busey,” and why he believes live shows are now the only truly “real” part of the music business.

0:43 – If Trace had to be in a tribute band forever, who would he choose? 

1:36 – Waylon Jennings’ “Honky Tonk Heroes” and how it inspired Trace’s “Dangerous Man” album cover  

3:25 – The grind of album photo shoots and making a real, gritty cover shot  

4:12 – The Phil Valentine show, stepdad life, and getting sick of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”  

5:44 – Why “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” is cleverly written, not just a novelty hit  

6:42 – How the song became the most-played country song in strip club history  

7:44 – The backroom label deals behind certain cuts and how “You’re Gonna Miss This” started as a wedding song  

9:00 – “I thought it was too sappy” – Trace misjudges a song that becomes a massive number one  

10:26 – Ashley Gorley’s hit-making juggernaut and why everyone wants one of his songs  

11:04 – Writing “American Made” for the country’s 250th anniversary  

11:38 – “Arlington” and “An Empty Chair” – songs that choke him up on stage  

12:04 – Performing “Arlington” at Arlington National Cemetery and barely getting through it  

12:43 – Why Trace only does “Arlington” for the right audiences (and never for drunks or festivals)  

14:04 – The true story behind “Arlington” and Lance Corporal Patrick Nixon  

16:26 – Playing “Arlington” on air, Phil Valentine’s reaction, and the emotional weight of the song  

17:04 – Remembering Phil Valentine: sparring on-air, sharp wit, and real friendship  

18:34 – A hilarious voicemail from Trace and joking about “your little radio show”  

19:22 – Rodeo memories, FCC close calls, and the infamous “hot and juicy” weather report  

21:18 – Live radio chaos: open mics, cussing and thinking they’d be fired  

22:16 – Trace’s new production company “Fifth Rodeo” and its cowboy-with-a-fifth-of-whiskey logo  

23:14 – Why Trace doesn’t want the pressure of doing a podcast  

24:07 – From tractors to Lululemon and voiceovers: “degradation” of the conversation  

24:19 – “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” real cowboys and concern for the horses  

25:25 – Why some ranch work still has to be done on horseback  

26:08 – Trace’s Christmas show: Celtic vibes, stories behind songs and gospel roots  

27:32 – Feeling good about the Christmas show vs. “I’m sorry, Lord” after “Badonkadonk”  

28:08 – Is memorizing dialog hard? How years on stage made acting easier  

28:58 – Directors who demand word-for-word delivery vs. those who allow improvisation  

29:46 – Meeting his wife on the set of “The Virginian” in Vancouver  

30:21 – How his wife writes, acts and why their dog is named Gary Busey  

31:50 – The Christmas parade, a weird looking puppy and the Gary Busey hair and teeth  

32:05 – Writing a song for the 250th and the Freedom 250 concert controversy  

32:48 – PBS Fourth of July, Trump’s event, and shifting TV schedules  

34:02 – The best Trump impressions Trace has heard and how Trump exaggerated his own persona  

35:43 – Riding in Trump’s limo and getting asked: “Are you reasonably faithful to your wife?”  

36:55 – Trump Jr. explains his job: “I follow him around and put fires out”  

37:42 – Wanting to be Ambassador to Australia or the “Office of Hell No”  

38:00 – How Trace judges Trump: “He’s a rich old asshole, not evil”  

39:11 – New York real estate, DC politics, and why Trump didn’t need to run  

40:00 – Meeting Trump on the plane: funny, warm, and totally different from the public caricature  

40:31 – Touring Trump’s penthouse and offices: proud of what he’s built  

41:04 – Negotiating through hyperbole: Greenland, Canada, and “shooting for the moon”  

42:23 – Dave Chappelle’s take on Trump’s debate moment about tax loopholes  

43:07 – Rand Paul vs. Trump on stage and how one debate moment flipped opinions  

43:54 – Label history: Capitol, Show Dog, Broken Bow, Verge, and coming back “home” to MCA  

45:22 – Why this next MCA album might be Trace’s last  

45:32 – New artists he likes (Ella Langley) and why she “has every tool”  

46:12 – Betting whether Ella Langley will stay country or go pop  

46:42 – Not knowing many of today’s artists and thinking “Shaboozy” was a whiskey brand  

47:32 – Loving traditional country and hopes for a pendulum swing (Zach Topp)  

47:57 – Advice for new artists in the AI era and why live shows are the last “real” thing  

48:54 – Getting fooled by an AI demo and how hard it is to tell what’s real  

49:14 – Why you should never spend your own money if people truly believe in you  

50:12 – Writing his book with twin collaborators and building the “roller coaster” story  

52:33 – Immigration, politics and realizing parts of the book were prophetic  

52:53 – Feeling uneasy before release and calling Charlie Daniels for advice  

53:55 – Charlie Daniels’ wisdom: “People who don’t like you now aren’t going to read your book”  

54:20 – Singing at Charlie Daniels’ funeral and what Charlie meant to him  

54:51 – Why he probably didn’t sell enough books to worry in the first place  

55:09 – Why there’s no audiobook yet and how a Trace-voiced edition could revive it  

56:00 – Ideas for updating the book with new chapters and addendums  

56:17 – Tease: Trace Adkins Part 3 is coming to Circling the Drain  

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