In the new Fox television drama ‘Monarch,’ Trace Adkins plays Albie Roman.
Trace Adkins is undeniably devoted to country music.
The 60-year-old musician, who will play Albie Roman in his first starring television role on the new FOX drama “Monarch,” recalled telling doctors exactly how to reattach his finger after a drilling accident severed his pinky.
Adkins, a former offensive lineman from Louisiana, told Fox News Digital exclusively about the terrifying incident when he was working offshore on an oil rig and was forced to make a game-time decision to fix his finger in a way that would allow him to perform indefinitely.
“I cut it off while working offshore on a drilling rig,” he explained before performing at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. “When they put it back on, it didn’t work anymore, so they had to fuse the joints. So I showed him what I wanted.”
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Despite the real danger, Adkins was only concerned with music and told the medical team, “I said, ‘Put it like that, so I can put it around the neck of the guitar.'”
The “You’re Gonna Miss This” singer has dozens of Top 40 singles, a greatest hits collection, and studio albums certified by the Recording Industry Association of America, as well as Academy of Country Music Awards.
“That’s what he did,” Adkins explained. “At the very least, I can hammer the strings.”
When Adkins reflected on some of his wildest stories, nearly losing a finger seemed tame.
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“I’ve been shot, cut, beaten up, and all kinds of things,” he explained. “By some broncos and on down the line.”
But it was all about the music on Saturday night, when he returned to the Grand Ole Opry to perform.
“I’ve never had a bad time out here,” he explained. “I adore this institution, what it represents, and what it means to country music, and I take my membership in the Grand Ole Opry very seriously.”
“I’m always aware that I’m representing the Grand Ole Opry.”
Adkins made his Opry debut in 1996 at the Ryman Auditorium and was inducted into the organisation in 2003. Members can only be invited to join the Opry by other members, and only 228 people have ever been inducted, with 68 still alive.
“How many places does being a member of the Grand Ole Opry hold at the top of my list of accomplishments?” he wondered. “There are a few before you get to the second one, but I love the Grand Ole Opry.”
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Cailtyn Smith, who sings “The Card You Gamble” for “Monarch,” told Fox News Digital that she is “grateful” for the opportunity to perform at the Opry.
“Being here at the Opry is always an honour,” she said. “It’s always a mind-blowing experience to step into the circle that all of my idols, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, and Reba McEntire, have stepped into (McEntire). It’s always a spiritual, holy moment… to be able to walk in and share my stories and sing here.”
Smith revealed some of the artists who inspire her.
“I grew up listening to ’90s music, so all of these magical ’90s women… Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, The Dixie Chicks, you name it. The greatest music ever composed, “She stated.
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“In the last few years, I’ve had the honour of opening for these women, singing on their records, or writing songs for them, so it’s been an incredible, fun journey living here in Nashville, living the dream.”
Adkins will soon return to television in a new role on “Monarch,” opposite Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel, with Shania Twain and Tanya Tucker making cameos. He admitted that he was initially intimidated by working with Sarandon, who plays matriarch Dottie Roman, but quickly warmed up to her.
“It was terrifying at first, but then I realised she’s so good, so professional, that she’ll carry the scene,” Adkins said. “All you have to do is hang on and make it to the buzzer, and she’ll take care of it.”
When asked how it felt to kiss the Academy Award winner, he simply said, “It was an honour.”
Adkins also stated that he did not “really lean on anybody” for advice while preparing for the role, despite the fact that his friends Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw have years of TV experience. McGraw recently starred in the “Yellowstone” prequel, “1883,” and Shelton has been on “The Voice” for years.
“Blake’s thing is an entirely different animal,” he explained. “You can’t compare those things.” Adkins stated that he had not spoken with McGraw, but added: “Tim is an excellent actor, and I have always admired his work. I’ve just kind of done my own thing, and I haven’t had to rely on anyone for much advice.”
