Zac Brown Advocates Healthier Day-to-Day Living

Zac Brown shows off his musical skills on a nightly basis, but he's getting a chance to proves he's an eloquent and informative speaker as well. The Georgia native recently addressed an eager crowd at the Billboard/Adweek Music and Advertising Conference in Chicago, covering a variety of topics close to the singer-songwriter's heart.

The Zac Brown Band recently partnered with Ram Trucks to launch his Letters for Lyrics campaign, which has encouraged fans to write to members of the military stationed overseas. "I have friends in Afghanistan, real people, who have gotten these letters," he explains (quote via CMT). "The smallest thing helps because the troops lose touch with home, and the media's forgotten they are over there keeping us safe." Letters for Lyrics, which offers free CDs for those who write letters, is the perfect way for him to combine two of his passions. "I'm blessed to be an artist and a business person," he adds.

Zac is also passionate about healthy living, including banning the use of harmful chemicals in household items, and hopes to use his celebrity status to raise awareness about their dangers. "In the first ten minutes of your day, you rub sodium lauryl sulfates on your teeth, then put aluminum under your arms, then add aspartame to your coffee," he says. "You can't even go into a gas station and find something that's good for you. I'm not a political person. This is just what I believe."

He also believes in limiting chemicals in his food, and tries to support area farmers when he performs his shows by requesting homegrown food backstage. "We want to use local farms for the food, and we're having full tractor-trailers built that have full kitchens," he says. "Each one can feed a thousand people. So really, all we need is a field."

With the band's sophomore album, 'You Get What You Give' being released tomorrow (September 21), it may seem likely that Zac would feel a little trepidation about following up their debut, platinum-selling CD, 'The Foundation.' But, the singer says, he is confident in the finished product. "We are really proud of this album," Zac tells The Boot. "We spent a lot of time working on it and can't wait for everyone to hear it." Find their tour schedule here.