Trace Adkins’ – A week before Trace Adkins marks 30 years in country music at the Ryman Auditorium, he’s already planning a two-night celebration built around the songs fans came to hear—no theatrical detours, just familiar favorites, a simple pre-show routine, and a Memorial
When Trace Adkins says he was headed to Home Depot. it sounds almost like part of the performance—just a man with a practical mission and a familiar grin. A week before he celebrates 30 years in country music at the Ryman Auditorium. the country star was on the way to get some chain because he’d been hanging a chandelier and “we didn’t have enough chain. ” he said.
It’s an offhand detail, the kind that makes the build-up feel real. Even after three decades of hit songs, sold-out shows, and movie roles, the Louisiana native still carries the same grounded energy that helped fans connect with him early on.
In January 1996, Adkins signed with Capitol Records. The announcement introduced him to readers as a “new tower of singing power” through a column in the entertainment section of Brad about you. written by Brad Schmitt. whose piece dated from that time. Adkins had just celebrated his 34th birthday then. and he looked back on the start of his climb with a mix of gratitude and clarity. His debut single. “There’s a Girl in Texas. ” reached the top 20. he said. before “Every Light in the House” hit top five and “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” went to number one.
For a moment, he thought it would stay easy. “I just thought, ‘Here we go,’” he said. “This is what I wanted to do and this is just how easy it is. Then it got harder.” Now. looking back. Adkins says the advice he’d give that younger version of himself is simple: be patient. He wanted the trajectory to continue, he said, but that was unrealistic.
That patience is paying off in the way country fans understand best: the songs they know. Three decades later. Adkins is celebrating a career that includes 12 million albums sold. more than 2 billion streams. multiple Grammy nominations. and a catalog packed with staples like “You’re Gonna Miss This. ” “Ladies Love Country Boys. ” “Chrome. ” “Songs About Me. ” and “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.”.
The celebration comes in two Ryman shows. Adkins will perform on May 22 with Jason Crabb joining him, and on May 23 with Carolyn Dawn Johnson. He doesn’t try to dress it up as something else.
“I do a greatest hit show,” he said. “I want to give the fans what they know, what they want to hear. I don’t want them to leave going. ‘I wish he would have done that hit.’” He compared it to seeing George Strait and hearing a new-album pitch instead of classics like “The Chair” and “Amarillo By Morning.”.
The plan is straightforward: focus on the music itself—his rich bass vocals and the catalog that carried him from being a Tillie & Lucy’s pub singer to one of country music’s best-recognized stars. Adkins also doesn’t promise elaborate production or overcomplicated theatrics. Instead, he leans on what’s already built.
His pre-show routine is equally simple. He said he used to smoke Marlboros and walk out on stage, but he doesn’t do that anymore. Now it’s “just a cup of coffee and let’s go.” He said he hears about people doing vocal warm-ups and scales. but “I’ve never been that guy.” He described his approach as going out. “kick off and run down the field.”.
Still, simplicity doesn’t mean nerves disappear. Even after years of performing, Adkins says he gets nervous playing the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry. He’s been a member since 2003, after Little Jimmy Dickens famously stood on a stepladder to invite him. Later that year, Adkins was officially inducted by Ronnie Milsap, one of his personal heroes. Adkins said he has “such reverence and respect” for both buildings. and that it “still makes me nervous. like I haven’t deserved to be there.”.
There is one performance that shakes him even more.
“The only performance that still rattles me more than those stages is singing the national anthem,” Adkins said. If he messes it up, he warned, “you’re on YouTube for the rest of your life.”
Because the Ryman shows land near Memorial Day weekend. Adkins explained how veterans approach him to talk about what “Semper Fi” and “Arlington” mean to them. He said he doesn’t do “Arlington” unless it’s “in the right setting or the right time of year.” Memorial Day. he added. is when he feels the song belongs.
“So that’ll be in the set list at the Ryman for sure,” he said.
Adkins also hinted the Ryman nights could include surprises. “It’s going to be a little different from just our standard touring show,” he said. “We’re home. We’ve got a lot of friends around here, some of the finest musicians in the world, and might coax them to come out.”
The story of Adkins’ 30 years in country music is often told through chart climbs and career milestones—but on these Ryman dates. it’s also being told through something smaller and more personal: a man making sure the chain is long enough for a chandelier. then making sure the set list is built around the songs fans have been waiting to hear.
Trace Adkins Ryman Auditorium CMA Fest 2025 30 years in country music May 22 May 23 Jason Crabb Carolyn Dawn Johnson Memorial Day weekend “Arlington” “Semper Fi” Grand Ole Opry Capitol Records