Bo Bice Lends His Voice to Civil War Documentary on PBS

Bo Bice is a music fan and huge history buff, and now he is putting his hobbies to good use. The Alabama native is lending his voice to a new documentary focusing on the music that inspired and shaped Civil War soldiers and their families, both before and during the war.

'Civil War Songs & Stories,' which is narrated by Golden Globe-nominated actor David Keith ['An Officer and a Gentleman,' 'Running Wild'], explains how specific songs helped the soldiers face both the physical and emotional trauma of the lengthy war, and offers modern-day recordings of the tunes that shaped the soldiers lives, including Bo's version of 'The Bonnie Blue Flag (also known as 'We Are a Band of Brothers.')

"I am a huge Civil War buff and believe the music of that era truly explains the legacy," explains Bo on his website. "Music has always been a great narrative of time and performing 'Bonne Blue Flag' was an honor."

Other artists lending their voice to the documentary include Crystal Gayle, Maura O'Connell, Elizabeth Foster, and a duet by William Lee Golden from the Oak Ridge Boys and the Statler Brothers' Jimmy Fortune.

'Civil War Songs & Stories' will air on May 18 and May 27 on PBS. Check local listings here.

Bo was the runner-up of Season 4 of 'American Idol,' before losing to country music's reigning superstar, Carrie Underwood. But while he is still pursuing his passion of country music, the married father of three boys says he has never regretted the outcome of the show.

"I think that the Lord's put me exactly where He wants me to be. I'm just grateful that I got to see my dreams and hers come true, too, because Carrie's a close friend and I love her," he told The Boot. "So I got the best of both worlds in this situation, because I got to see her succeed and I got to see success for myself, so I don't need really a whole bunch of accolades to surround myself with to know that I'm a good man and that I love music and my fans. So for me that's the accolades. Whenever I walk in that door from a hard day of work or being on the road, I've got three beautiful sons and wife that come running into my arms. That's the kind of goal that you just can't melt down and make into a trophy."

Bo continues to perform several shows each month. His summer itinerary includes stops in North Carolina, Alabama and Colorado. Keep track of his schedule here.