Trace Adkins Talks Practical Pairing With Toby Keith

Toby Keith and Trace Adkins are well into their America's Toughest Tour, and it seems that Trace's initial reaction to the pairing was right. "I've thought for years that it made a lot of sense for Toby and I to tour together," the singer tells The Boot. "The music we do is not dissimilar. We both go to the ends of the spectrum. First we do something totally offensive, and then we do some kind of a sweet ballad or a gospel song."

All jokes aside, the two men do share a similar style, and thus a similar fan base. Additionally, both are outspoken in their support of the military and neither worry about being politically correct. The set lists from their shows include songs that share their respect for soldiers, including Toby's 'Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue(The Angry American)' and Trace's 'Arlington.'

Many of the show reviews call the stage "testosterone filled," but what else would you expect from these two towering country boys? When told that Toby had rated Trace high on the toughness scale, the Louisiana native replies, "I know Toby. We come from that same cut of cloth, out of the oil fields and that whole mentality ... to both of our detriments at times. I wouldn't want to find out which was the toughest and I hope he doesn't either."

While Trace is completely at home sharing the stage with Toby for the summer, his daughters might wish he were touring with someone a little more feminine. "The music blaring at my house is usually Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus," the proud father admits. "I don't have any control over it. But I am a hero to them because when I did the Opry with Taylor, my kids got to go in her dressing room and hang out with her. And when Miley played in Nashville last year, they got to go in her dressing room and meet her. They think a lot of me for those two things!"