FIRST, THANK YOU TO EVERY single person who has touched my life. I have told many stories here of those who have shown me love and friendship, but not all. You know who you are, and I love and appreciate you. Most especially, I thank those who in some way helped guide the turns that have led me here.
To Keith Urban, who wrote the wonderful foreword to this book, thank you for your friendship.
To my family, thank you for always supporting me in every decision and dream. While “star friends” are all great relationships I treasure, it is my family who makes every moment possible.
To my writing coach/editor/therapist, Samantha Marshall, who helped to beautifully weave my random stories into readable coherence, always keeping my grammar and punctuation in line. Thank you for the pure enjoyment it’s been to share with you how best to bring my life to print. I will miss our writing (therapy) sessions.
Thanks to my CMT family also. Without you, many of my adventures never would have happened: Brian Philips, Dingo O’Brien, Curt Miller, Quinn Brown, Leslie Fram, Ashlee McDonald, Lauryn Snapp, Cory Linton, Heather Lee, Keith “Cracker” Durham, Katie Cook, Marley Sherwood, Ashley ShahAhmadi, Dustin Stout, Anne Oakley, John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux, Alecia Davis, Yasmin Mohammed, Ritch Sublett, Libby Mitchell, Michelle Babbitt, and the hardworking Jimmy Corn, who has been with me on every TV shoot I’ve done over the years. Also, to all the crew people who have ever made me look or sound better than I am, thank you.
Thanks to my media agent, Paul Anderson, whose wicked smartness and keen intuition have helped me navigate my professional climb and my personal journey.
It takes a village or, as I say, a tribe. Friends you can count on, anytime for anything. Thanks to those who answer my calls and texts: Jeremy Young, Chris Swallow, Kelsea Ballerini, Gavin DeGraw, Lee Brice, Gayle King, Patrick Kelly, Jake Owen, Jimmy Miller, Justin Moore, Kelleigh Bannen, Colton Underwood, Gus Kenworthy, Luke Bryan, Jennifer Nettles, Michael Monaco, Jeffrey Nelson, Michael Ray, Jason Deere, Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, T.J. Osborne, John Osborne, Whitney Nevitt, Adley Stump, Blake Kinsman, Jaymes Vaughan, Jonathan Bennett, Lindsay Doyle, Zeke Stokes, Ty Herndon, Tyler Rich, Will Hitchcock, Dave Haywood, Donna Jean Kisshauer, Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jackson Boyd, and Shaun T. And finally, Casey Jones, who gave me the final nudge to write the book, after patiently enduring so many of my stories, saying, “You should write a book.” Oh, I thought. Maybe I should?! And so I did.
Thanks to my radio mentors: Brian Philips, Mike Moore, Smokey Rivers, Paul Williams, Rick Dees, Bob Kingsley, Stacey Brooks, Tony Thomas, Ryan Seacrest, Steve Reynolds, Jason Pullman, Julie Talbot, Rick Murray, Bobby Bones, Keith Stubbs, Blair Garner, Tracy Chapman, Chris Sommer, Rich O’Brien, John Garabedian, and every DJ and host I’ve worked with and admired over the years.
Thanks to the LGBTQ+ community, who have buoyed me with your encouragement and love. You’ve shown me that every human is important. Every human.
Thanks to my literary agent, Alan Nevins, and the entire talented team at Harper Horizon. Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, without your belief in me, my story, and this project, I would not have had the courage to put pen to paper, or fingers to laptop. And, of course, Amanda Bauch, for your loving guidance along the way.
Thank you, country music, for bringing the truth to music like no other genre. Country music is the author of so much of my life. I’m honored to be counted among the Nashville music community. You are my foundation.
And finally, thank you to Trea. You miraculously came into my life at the exact right time, showing me the depth of love I once only dreamed of. I live my life to the fullest thanks to you. I love you.