This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

And we return to our American stories.

John Rich is a country music singer and songwriter, among many other things, as we'll

soon learn. He's a former member of the band Lone Star, and since 1998 has been changing the

country music game with Big Kenny in their band Big and Rich. Here's John with his story.

You know, my dad's a preacher.

He started preaching at 19 years old when he was still in college.

I never preached in the big churches, never draw a big paycheck or anything like that.

He really focused more on either really small churches or prison ministries or street ministry. Matter of fact, my dad went to 34 martygras in a row

without missing one, went down there in the biggest party of the year and would sing and preach on the corners in the French quarter,

which I don't have to tell you how crazy that must have looked. But he did it 34 times in a row,

so he was getting results and kept at it. So, you know, because of that and not a lot of extra

income coming in, we lived pretty lean. We had missed meals,

but we lived in a double-wide trailer, Amarillo, Texas out in the fan handle. And, you know,

that's how I grew up. I was taught young that hard work counts, that big ideas count if you're

willing to go risk it and go out there and fail.

You never know where you might wind up. That's what was always sold to me.

Hey, John, you just never know where you might wind up. So don't be afraid of anything.

Go out there and get them. You're an American kid. You know, you've got the right to pursue happiness.

All of that was told to me to young age. So that stuck with me throughout

my entire life to this exact interview. Well, you know, anybody that's willing to go to

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