Trace Adkins ‘Proud’ to Let Other Songwriters Pen His Hits

Trace Adkins may be the creative genius behind some of the concepts for his chart-topping songs, but you won't find the Louisiana native's name in the credits. Instead, the tunesmith prefers to pass his ideas on to his songwriting friends, who turn his inspiration into songs he then records on his albums.

"It's not important to me. I don't have to [write them]," Trace tells ABC News Radio. "I'm fortunate to be in that position."

The former oil-rig worker used to have a passion for penning songs, but admits his inspiration has been stifled in recent years. "The politics and the businesses of pursuing this career has cost me that creative thing."

Whether he has a hand in writing his songs or not, the methods the married father of five uses to select songs for his albums is working just fine, thank you. Amassing 30 Top 40 hits in his 15-year career, his latest single, 'Just Fishin,' continues to reel its way up the charts. The former 'Celebrity Apprentice' runner-up acknowledges that his latest album, 'Proud to Be Here,' is filled with tunes that mirror his own life more than any of his previous projects.

"The people that do know me know my story, the near death experiences and all the craziness, but that really wasn't what I was looking at," he tells The Boot. "I thought about the fact that I'm still in this business after 15 years, still around and still trying to contribute. That's really what I was thinking about when I named the album that."

'Proud to Be Here' came in at an impressive No. 2 on the charts when it was released earlier this month. The deep-voiced singer heads to California for a show tonight (August 19), followed by stops in California, Pennsylvania and Virginia. See his entire schedule here.

Watch the 'Just Fishin'' Video