What is your current single and/or album? My new album “Who I Am” dropped November 20th. The debut single from the album is “Sending Me Angel.” If ever we needed a song like “Sending Me Angels,” The time is now!
What was a typical Thanksgiving meal look like for your family? Oh my goodness! Two days before Thanksgiving my mom would begin to pull out the dishes she only used for special occasions. I loved seeing that big, white platter with a turkey painted on the inside come out of the buffet. On Thanksgiving Day that platter would be piled high with turkey, chicken and ham, and all of those wonderful meats were served next to the biggest carb fest you’ve ever seen. We’d have homemade dressing that melted in your mouth, sweet potato casserole with lots of gooey marshmallows on top, green bean casserole topped with crunchy onion rings, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts–to help us feel less guilty, cranberry sauce, pistachio salad, dinner rolls, and four or five different kinds of desserts–including the traditional pumpkin pie adorned with a dollop of Cool Whip. We’d eat until we were about to pop, go into the den to watch a football game with the family, then graze from our tabletop bounty the rest of the day.
What were your Thanksgiving traditions when you were younger? As a boy, my brother and I would stay in our pajamas and watch the Macy’s Day parade together until we saw Santa Claus wave at us though the television screen. Our mom made the morning special by popping into the room asking if we’d seen Santa yet. It wasn’t until years later that I realized building the anticipation was her way of keeping us out of the kitchen!
How has your Thanksgiving celebration changed since you have became an adult? Our Thanksgiving traditions live on. Only now, it is our children, and even grandchildren, who watch the Macy’s Day Parade with the same eagerness and innocence that My brother and I had. We gather around a beautifully set table with our family and eat way too much, and then we sit around and watch a movie together and play board games. Perhaps the only thing that’s changed is the amount of gratitude I have for life. I look at the faces of my family, and I understand how precious life is. My thankfulness grows BIGGER and BIGGER every year. I am a blessed man to be a part of daily miracles.
How will COVID-19 impact your Thanksgiving celebration this year? We won’t be traveling this year. I have a son and daughter-in-law in Atlanta who are having their first baby due on December 31st. For safety reasons they are staying in Atlanta this Thanksgiving, and we will remain in Nashville with our son Tristan and his five daughters. I imagine there will be a lot of face-timing Thanksgiving Day!
What is your favorite Thanksgiving Day memory? Well, you won’t see this memory in a Norman Rockwell painting, but one year, my wife forgot to thaw out the turkey, and we were hosting a big gathering of family and friends. There were no thawed turkeys to be found in any of the stores, so on this particular year, she served all of those fabulous Thanksgiving sides and desserts with hotdogs! We all laughed until we cried when she unveiled a platter of weiners. It turned out to be one of the best Thanksgivings ever–certainly the most memorable. Two days later we had some killer turkey sandwiches.
What are you most thankful for this year? Everything!
Do you prefer artificial Christmas trees or real trees? 100% REAL.
When do you decorate your Christmas tree? We usually decorate the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I don’t like to blend the holidays, although I have to admit, this year I believe we could all use a little Christmas–the sooner the better.
What is your favorite Christmas song? What makes it your favorite? I love the simplicity and purity of “Away In a Manger.” It beautifully tells the story of our dear Savior’s birth. It is perfect.
What is your go-to holiday drink? Years ago my answer would have been very different, but these days, I’d have to say a glass of sparking water with a splash of lime. Throw in a cherry, and it looks very festive!
What is your favorite Christmas present that you have ever received? My son was injured serving our country during his second tour in Iraq. He spent six weeks in a hospital in Germany recovering from his injuries. To see my son walk through our front door on Christmas Day was the best Christmas gift I have ever received!
What were your Christmas traditions when you were younger? I grew up in Illinois, but every Christmas we would load up the car on December 23rd and travel to my Granny Atwood’s house in Mississippi where we would meet up with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. That little five room house sat in the middle of no where and was busting at the seams. There would be thirty of us in that house–with no indoor plumbing. The kids slept in sleeping bags scattered across the floor. All of the women helped with the cooking while the men sat on the front porch singing, playing music and telling stories. Somehow Santa found us–all of us–at Granny’s every year. There was so much laughter and joy. Christmases were magical at Granny’s house.
How have your Christmas celebrations changed since becoming an adult? Nothing has changed much for me. We still celebrate the birth of Jesus. We embrace family and family values, and we count our blessings. It’s all about LOVE. It always has been.
How will Christmas be different at your house this year be different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Not really. We are homebodies at Christmas. We will gather together as best we can. We will still celebrate the day together with family even if some of our family members are miles apart. I think this will be a big year for Verizon and AT&T.
What is your favorite Christmas memory? My mother was very poor growing up. She always wanted to be a high school majorette, but there was never enough money to indulge in such extravagances. When my wife heard about my mom’s unfulfilled dream, she ordered her a baton along with a pair of white marching boots and a pair of tassels. When my mom opened the gift on Christmas Day she burst into tears. She was 70 years old, but she finally had her baton and boots. Later that day, she marched down the hall way twirling her baton and wearing those boots–strutting around like a peacock. She was so happy. I will never forget that day or that gift.
How do you spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day? I help put the Christmas decorations away and reflect about the year behind me and the clean slate before me where anything is possible.
How do you spend New Year’s Eve? Usually I am performing somewhere with my wife close by. I want to start every knew year with a kiss from Roxane.
How will the pandemic impact your celebrations? I am not sure. I think the crowds will be smaller if folks are planning on an evening out. I think I just might bring in the new year at Atwoodwood.
What do you typically eat on New Year’s Day? Black-eyed peas, cabbage and pork tenderloin!
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution for 2021? No matter the circumstances, I hope to live life to the fullest and appreciate the fact that some of the greatest joys in life are found in the little things. Look for the blessings.