| Country Star Tracy Byrd Talks Hunting and Fishing
In Nashville, where music careers are often decided by committee, Byrd has held fast to his own creative vision, charting 13 top-ten singles, an arsenal of hits, five gold albums and one double platinum album. Unlike many who attain such celebrity, he also remains unwaveringly true to himself as a devoted family man.
Through it all, as if weaving together the different parts of his life, is Byrd's unabashed love for hunting and fishing.
It's all part of the reason why Byrd was selected as honorary chair of National Hunting and Fishing Day, set for Sept. 23.
And it's all part of Byrd's new straight-from-the-heart interview now available in a free audio file (MP3) at three Web sites: tracybyrd.com, nhfday.org and nssf.org.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which founded National Hunting and Fishing Day in 1971, produced the 9-minute audio file as a way to reach out to new audiences with a strong message about traditional outdoor activities.
In the interview, Byrd talks hunting, fishing, conservation, kids and country music, including his newly released single titled Cheapest Motel, and upcoming new album, Different Things.
He also gives a nice shout-out to Wonders of Wildlife, the National Fish and Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo. The museum is the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day and the only hunting- and fishing-focused facility that's both affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and accredited by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Byrd is the second two-time honorary chair of National Hunting and Fishing Day. The first was country music legend Hank Williams Jr. Other honorary chairs have included George Bush, Tom Seaver, Arnold Palmer, Terry Bradshaw, George Brett, Robert Urich, Ward Burton, Louise Mandrell, Travis Tritt, Wade Boggs and many other sports and entertainment figures.
"Tracy is a wonderful ambassador, helping the media and music fans understand that America's hunter- and angler-based model for conservation funding is a success story unmatched anywhere in the world," said Tony Schoonen, executive director of Wonders of Wildlife.
Byrd said, "It was an honor and a natural fit for me to be this year's honorary chairman for National Hunting and Fishing Day. When I was asked to chair again in 2006, I couldn't say ‘yes' fast enough. And, since we have a new home at Wonders of Wildlife, we'll be able to bring even more recognition to our cause. This opens more doors and gives us another opportunity to help folks understand that without hunters and anglers, conservation couldn't exist in our country."
Born Dec. 17, 1966, in Vidor, Texas, Byrd went on to study business at Southwest Texas State. He was performing at local clubs when Nashville came calling in 1992.
Today, Byrd's hits include Holdin' Heaven, The Truth About Men, Just Let Me Be In Love, Drinkin' Bone, Watermelon Crawl, Keeper Of The Stars, Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo, Put Your Hands In Mine, and I'm From The Country.
Billboard magazine writes: "Byrd's warm, rich baritone has always been one of the best voices in country music, equally capable of delivering frisky uptempos and poignant ballads."
Byrd also is an enterprising businessman, designing fishing tackle, launching his own line of food products, authoring a cookbook, and hosting television shows.
Along with Wonders of Wildlife, other sponsors of National Hunting and Fishing Day include the National Shooting Sports Foundation, The Outdoor Channel, Bass Pro Shops, Realtree, Woolrich, "Outdoor Life" and "Field & Stream" magazines, National Wild Turkey Federation, Gunbroker.com, and Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.
Q&A with Tracy Byrd
Partial Transcript of Audio File
Q: Tracy, what do you hope to accomplish in your role with National Hunting and Fishing Day?
Byrd: Just to shed a real positive light on hunting and fishing. There are people out there that try to shed a negative light on the outdoors, especially the hunting side of things. We all know that hunters were the original conservationists. I think a lot of people don't realize how much money hunters and anglers spend purchasing licenses and purchasing products in hunting and fishing stores, and a portion of that goes back into funding of conservation of fish and game.
Q: A lot of artists who love hunting and fishing have decided to keep it under wraps, but you haven't. Why have you chosen to celebrate it?
Byrd: Because it's part of my heritage. I started hunting with my grandmother when I was about four years old. Why hide something that is such a part of your life? It is something that I want my kids to embrace and enjoy throughout their lives and hopefully pass it onto their children.
Q: Why do you think it's important to teach youngsters at a young age about hunting and fishing?
Byrd: I think it is important to teach a lot of things to youngsters at a young age. The earlier you get them, the more they are going to absorb and the quicker they're going to learn all the techniques, what's right and what's wrong about using and handling firearms, fishing and boating and all the things that go along with it.
Q. Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Missouri, is really driving renewed interest this year in National Hunting and Fishing Day. Lots of new sponsors, lots of new energy, and lots of people remembering that hunting and fishing are vital to conservation. That must be especially gratifying for you.
Byrd: Well, it is. It's a great museum in a central outdoor spot. It's a great place for folks to go visit. I hope everybody can go see it, especially men and women who are really into the outdoors. They will certainly enjoy it.
Q. There are two moments in history that I want you to tell me about. One of those is your first fish. The next one is your children's first fish.
Byrd: My first fish, as with many people's first fish, was what we call a sun perch, or a bream in other parts of the country. From there, I graduated up to white perch, to crappie. And that's when I caught my first bass. When I felt the pull of a bass, I was pretty much done with crappie. All I was concerned with for a long, long time was bass and catching as many and as big a bass as I could.
Q: And the first moments of your children experiencing the outdoors?
Byrd: Actually, my son and daughter's first fish were bass. We had a great little pond around the house that was full of bass. Both of them caught bass as their first fish, and they caught them casting lures.
Q. What is your favorite thing to hunt and why?
Byrd: I love bow hunting for whitetail, because it is the most exciting thing that I have ever done. It's just an awesome feeling. I only started that nine years ago and I wish I had started a lot earlier.
Q. Have you elk hunted before?
Byrd: No, I haven't and I would love to. I have heard that's just incredible. I've mule deer hunted but haven't gotten an elk yet. I'll do that later.
Q. Do you have fellow entertainers and friends who also enjoy the outdoors?
Byrd: Absolutely! There are a lot of guys in country music that love it and a lot of guys that don't hide behind it either. Andy Griggs, Blake Shelton, Mark Chestnut, Craig Morgan, Hank Williams Jr., Troy Gentry, Eddy Montgomery, all those guys love it.
Q. What's next for you musically?
Byrd: We have a new single, called Cheapest Motel, coming out from a new album called, Different Things. I really, truly believe it's the best work that I have ever done. I know that I am better now than I've ever been at what I do. I feel like I sing better. I feel like I write better. I feel like I play better. I really have learned a lot through the years, and I'm real proud of it. | |
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