Since his troubled childhood days in Appalachia, Milsap has been drawn to the simple and plaintive sounds of country. His voice is well capable of singing blues, R&B, pop and rock sounds, and his 40 chart-topping hits cover a wider stylistic terrain than any other superstar of country music. And Milsap has often described himself, happily, as a crossover artist. But in the new century, his visits with Stubbs at WSM and at the Grand Ole Opry piqued an interest in once again singing more elemental country songs.

And that he has indeed done, famously, satisfyingly and profitably, for much of the past forty years, and now he's Country Again. With one of modern music's most remarkable careers already under his belt, Milsap could relax, stay out of the studio, stay off the road and wait for someone to fashion the inevitable bronze plaque that will one day hang with his heroes in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Instead, he's driven to wake each day and do what others would call work and what he considers sustenance. "This life is such a wonderful journey, and I want the chance to live every bit of it," he says. "And music is a huge part of that. I live and breathe it every day."