Keith Anderson and Coach Brooks Again(couldn’t get enough of him).

Race-car legend Kyle Petty was just dying to wear my crown, so we made a swap.

Lieutenant Governor Mongiardo and his niece and friends. 

Halfway 2 Hazard equalled halfway to heaven for me this weekend as I was invited to jump head first into complete country music bliss.  40,000 people crammed in their cars(at $20 a carload it’s amazing how many people can fit in one car) arrived early Saturday morning and prepared themselves for the Woodstock of country music.  The event was held to benefit abused children, a cause very close to my heart.  I opened the show then was invited back to the stage to sing “Here’s To Finding A Good Man” with Danielle Peck(one of the nicest, most beautiful girls I’ve ever met).  The line up included Me(haha), Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Danielle Peck, Krista Marie, Lee Brice, Halfway to Hazard(the two boys who made all this happen), Gabe Garcia, Keith Anderson…etc…with special guests Lt. Gov. Mongiardo, Coach Brooks(my new best bud), Kyle Petty(the recently crowned miss kentucky), and many many more.  They rolled in on their mini mansion tour buses and helicopters appearing to be typical stars, but were as far from that stereotype as we were from the closest town.  Big stars have big hearts.  The naive small town mentality of mine (that is going to get me stampeded) was in rare form as I decided to sign autographs and take photos in the crowd of 40,000…the state troopers saved my life…haha…I couldn’t believe how many wonderful people waited in line to have their shirts, jeans, cowboy hats, guitars, foreheads, and babies…yes babies signed.  I went through 6 sharpies of fun.  I love the people in east Kentucky.  I am so proud to represent those good, hard working, genuine people.  They embody all the reasons why I wanted this job so badly in the first place.  There is nothing like meeting so many of these great people every single day.  I’d sign their babies any day.