Jamey Johnson Driven By Fans, Not Awards

Jamey Johnson is the envy of a lot of fellow artists right now. Nominated for four CMA awards, including New Artist and Album of the Year, it's certainly an honor to be recognized by the industry. But for Jamey, it's really all about the fans.

"When we go out on the stage every night, we never know what to expect, but every night there they are," he tells Michigan radio station B93. "They're excited, they're passionate, they're enjoying this music for the same reason that we do. And we are them. We're not prima donna musicians that came to Nashville and got everything handed to us. These guys have had to hang drywall, paint and cut grass. When you've worked for it that way, you appreciate it so much, standing on that stage and delivering that music to people who are delivering it right back by singing along with every song that we do. That's worth more to me than any awards show or ceremony or plaque. The only thing that drives me and my guys is those people. Why else would you do it?"

Jamey also believes there are more than a few artists out there who try too hard. His philosophy is not to try pleasing everyone else. "I just think when it comes to music, the most original stuff you're gonna get is the stuff that just happens," he reasons. "You can't go back in and ... suck out the vibe of it, or suck out the spontaneity of it. It's not going to work."

Next up for Jamey is a special performance at the 2nd Annual ACM Honors event, Sept. 22 in Nashville. Performing three songs by one of his musical heroes, Hank Williams Jr., Jamey will be joined by Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Randy Houser.