10/07/2026
50 years. Hard to believe, and even harder to fit into 20 pictures.
Looking through these, I keep thinking about how much life can happen between photographs. These capture some pretty incredible moments, but the stories and the people behind them are what mean the most to me.
As a kid from Alabama, I wanted to entertain the world. Singing, making people laugh, finding a stage wherever I could. I didn’t know exactly where it would lead. I just knew I wanted to make people feel something and hopefully leave them a little better than I found them.
That dream has taken me places I never imagined. Some of the people in these pictures knew me before any of it. Others, I grew up watching and listening to, never thinking I’d one day share a stage with them or call them friends. That still gets me.
There’s plenty these photos don’t show. The work, the uncertainty, the disappointments, and the people who helped me find my footing when I needed it. At 50, I’m grateful for those people and those chapters, too. They’re part of how I got here.
To my family, my friends, and the musicians, actors, and actresses I’ve shared the stage with: thank you for the memories, the laughter, and the things you’ve taught me along the way.
And to the fans, my Soul Patrol, everyone who voted, showed up, bought a ticket, or kept listening: you helped turn a kid’s dream into a life I love. Getting to entertain you all these years has been a privilege. I hope you know how much that means to me.
The funny thing about turning 50 is that I still feel like that same kid from Alabama. Just with a few more stories and a stronger opinion about hotel pillows.
And thankfully, the gray hair has been ready for this birthday for decades.
My heart is full. There’s more I want to do, more people I want to meet, and plenty of show left in me.
Here’s to 50. Thank you for being part of it.
