Ask The Artist

Dream Duet

Today's Fan Question: "If you could record a song with Merle Haggard, what would that song be?" (Janet Graves, Midwest City, OK)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Ms. Janet I would probably like to record something with Merle Haggard that I wrote with him. I've always considered him one of the greatest songwriters of all time. It would be an honor to be on a song with him from the beginning and of course to be able to sing [it] with him would be another huge honor.

Take Your Daughter to Work Day

Today's Fan Question: "Do you get to take your daughter with you on any of your tours?" (Courtnee Carrizales, Clovis CA)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Ms. Courtney I get to take her with me on some of the tour in the middle of the year when she's out of school. She is only nine years old so she's still in grade school. As long as the trip is not too long I like to take her out if it's a day or two trip. But for the most part, school is what's most important.

Making It

Today's Fan Question: "At what point in your singing career did you realize you finally made it big?" (Cathy Jackson, Beebe,AR)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Cathy, I don't think I've ever realized that still to this day. I think we've got a lot of work to do. The moment that I got started making music that I wanted to make — that's when I realized that this is what its supposed to be about. So as long as I'm able to do that, I think I'll be content and happy with my life no matter what success level we're at.

Fan Love

Today's Fan Question: "What is the strangest or funniest thing a fan has ever done for or to you?" (Tiffany Tanner, Meriden CT)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well, we've had a lot of strange incidences with a few fans, but for the most part I think everybody enjoys a good sense of humor. The best thing that a fan has ever done for us [was] during the fan club party in 2007. The fan club had started a foundation of hope in the name of my father for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. It's always been a goal of mine to start something that helps people be aware of that disease that ultimately took my father. So I have always thought that was the greatest thing that fans have ever done for me.

Carrying On

Today's Fan Question: "What impact do you hope your music will have on the long term history of country music?" (Sue Champagne, Jacksonville, FL)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Sue, I hope that it stays the same. I hope that we carry on a tradition and that carries on to someone else in the future. I hope that is the one thing that's preserved — that we have carried on traditional country music. I hope that people will look back one day and say, 'That guy carried it on.'

They Can't Take That Away From Me

Today's Fan Question: "What was the best piece of advice you have ever been given--and what would your advice be to those shooting for their dreams?" (Kathy Abramowitz, Deer Park, NY)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: The best piece of advice I've ever been given was more of a general statement to the musician crowd by BB King. He said, 'Get as much sleep as you possibly can if you're ever going to go on the road because you never know when you're going to be able to get it.'

That's the best piece of advice I've been given. As far as advice from me, I would say, no matter what anybody tells you, it's always going to be your dream and they can't take that away from you. It's a matter of you realizing it and that's the hard part. I would say anything's possible.

European Vacation

Today's Fan Question: "Now that we're in "vacation season," where would you go on your dream vacation?" (Robyn Patino, Sacramento, PA)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Robyn, I'd probably tour Europe. That's always been a goal of mine. I've always wanted to go over there and see things that are really old. We have a lot of history here in America, but nothing that's dated back thousands of years like Europe. So that'd be where I'd go.

Catching a Few ZZZs

Today's Fan Question: "What do you do in your spare time?" (Larry Seaburg, Belfair, WA)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: In my spare time, my favorite hobby is to sleep. Everybody knows that. I like to golf a little bit. My daughter is just now starting to play golf, which makes me very proud. It's a great way to spend some time with her.

Joe Covers Merle

Today's Fan Question: "At a concert in Minnesota, you did a cover of "If I Could Only Fly" by Merle Haggard. Any chance you'll be releasing that on an upcoming album?" (Carrie Kuhlmann, Goodland, MN)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well it's funny you should ask that Ms. Carrie. We have done that song on this new album Real Things. It is the last track on the album and it came out great. It's one of my favorite songs on there. By the way, Ms. Lee Ann Womack stopped by to sing a little bit on it. It was a great song before, and I think Ms. Lee Ann kicked it up a notch. We were proud to be a part of such a good record.

Best Practical Joker in Country Music

Today's Fan Question: "You seem to have such a great sense of humor! What was the best practical joke someone played on you--and did you ever get them back?" (Paula Gargus, Madison Heights, MI)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: I think the best practical joke anybody ever played on me was during the Toby Keith tour, when they actually took the wheels off the trailer on the last day of the tour. After the show, we were kinda puzzled. They started loading up the equipment while we were still playing on stage. So they got me pretty good, and of course it was the last day of the tour so we didn't have a chance to get them back. Bit I'm looking forward to the next Toby Keith tour, by gosh, 'cause we got a lot of them planned.

It's All Good

Today's Fan Question: "What is the best part of your job, and the worst part of your job?" (Sonali Shah, Mesa, AZ)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: The best part of my job is meeting the fans, getting to tour and seeing everybody's reaction to the music, live. That's always rewarding. I guess the worst part of the job is…well there ain't no worst part of the job. It's all good. It's better than any job I've ever had.

Touring Down Under

Today's Fan Question: "G'day Joe. Would you ever consider touring here in Australia?" (Aleta Tulk, Mareeba QLD)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Ms. Aleta, that funnel web spider frightens me quit a bit, but I think we could probably see fit to come down there for a tour anyway. I've always heard that it's a great place to go and they love country music, so absolutely. We'd love to come down there.

My Little Girl

Today's Fan Question: "What has been the most rewarding or satisfying part of your life so far?" (Carol Durrenberger, Southampton, NJ)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Well Ms. Carol, I'd say the most rewarding or satisfying part of my life so far is my little girl, and knowing that I'm still here with a job. I never though I could have a job singing, but here I am making a pretty good living at it. I got a beautiful little girl to go with it and that's pretty rewarding to me.

Buddy Blake

Today's Fan Question: "You and Blake Shelton seem to be good friends and have a lot of fun with each other. How did you both meet?" (Jill Schmitz, Watertown, WI)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Ms. Jill, we met while we were both on a label that's informally known as the 'Artist Protection Program' — Giant Records. We were both waiting around to get a record released on Giant and kind of counting our dollar bills and biding our time. We came to be good friends because we both had a lot in common. You know, we just kind of waited and watched about four million suns set on our broke asses. There ya go!

Would Joe Eat Worms?

Today's Fan Question: "If you could be on any reality show ("Survivor," "Real World," "Fear Factor," etc.) what would it be?" (Keri Beth Brewer, Oakman, AL)

Read Joe's Answer:

Joe: Ms. Keri Beth, shame to say it, I don't really watch reality TV shows. But if I had to be on anything, I'd like to go for the guts though. I'd say "Fear Factor" 'cause you never know, one or two drinks in me and, 'My God, yeah — some of that stuff looks pretty tasty.