Adam Hood Thanks Miranda Lambert for Career Jump-Start

Adam Hood has come along way from playing small clubs near his hometown of Opelika, Ala. Now his audiences are in the thousands, as he shares the stage with artists like Pat Green, Leon Russell and Willie Nelson. The singer-songwriter credits one person -- Miranda Lambert -- and a providential stroke of good luck, with kick-starting his career.

"I was playing a show in New Braunfels, Texas, at a place called Tavern on the Gruene," he recalls to Billboard. "It was a Tuesday night thing they do with Ray Wylie Hubbard -- he does a songwriter's show, and they broadcast it on the Americana station down there. I was playing there. I was told by Miranda's mom that their car broke down that night, so instead of getting it fixed and driving on , they said, 'Let's give it a night, go get a place to stay and have a drink.' They walked in, and we were playing. I finished my set up, and she came up and introduced herself to me. I gave her the CDs that I had out then. A few weeks later, she and her mom both called and said they couldn't stop listening to the record. They invited me to play her birthday party in Chicago."

The former part-time flower deliveryman acknowledges he may not be in the situation he is now, writing for Carnival Records (headed by Miranda's producer, Frank Liddell), with his debut album released in October, if not for the 'Baggage Claim' singer's belief in him.

"I owe her the world," says Adam. "We toured together for a while, and anytime something would happen with a support act, they would call and ask if I could do a couple of shows, and I would get to open for her, by myself. It's been really nice. They've been as big of cheerleaders as anyone in the business."

Adam's new album, 'The Shape of Things,' hit shelves earlier this year, but the tunesmith still has plenty of goals for the new year. "Touring, writing," he reveals. "Things are really going well for me right now. I'm getting good cuts. I'm happy, and I'm just going to try to keep life balanced and make sure that I have a job when 2013 rolls around."

Adam will return to his home state to play a show tonight (December 30) in Dothan, followed by a New Year's Day show in Oklahoma and a series of shows in Texas. See his tour schedule here.