"Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" singer attracts hundreds to bookstore.
Country star Trace Adkins blew into town Wednesday night, greeting several hundred fans at Barnes and Noble who were there for the first Southern California signing of his book “A Personal Stand.”
The book, a collection of his life experiences, philosophies and shot-from-the-hip advice, seemed to be going over well with the crowd standing politely in a long line that snaked through the stacks.
Norma Wilder was the first in line, playing hooky from her job to get her wristband and stake out a good spot.
“I love his deep voice,” she swooned. “I want to see if he’s as good looking in person as he is in the magazines.”
Right behind her was a mother whose son is currently in the Army serving in Iraq. She clutched two books; one for her and one to send overseas.
“I told him Trace was coming and he got so excited,” she said. “He said he was learning one of his songs and wanted me to get the book, even if the line was long.”
Adkins talks about his respect and admiration for the military in the book. He toured Iraq and Afghanistan with the USO and remembered coming home feeling that the soldiers had given him so much more than he’d given them.
The book came about after Adkins’ manager bugged him to put his colorful stories and opinions down on paper. Working with California writers Keith and Ken Zimmerman, he came up with a transcript, but the most important help came from his wife.
“She types faster than I do,” Adkins said, smiling. “Plus she would tell me ‘you can’t say that. My mama’s gonna read this.”
Asked if his mother had read the book, Adkins said that she was working her way through the chapters slowly.
“There’s some stuff in there I don’t think she wants to know,” he said.
Security was high, with some uniforms mixed in with the Stetson crowd. Barnes and Noble even called in extra customer relations staff to help move the line along. Adkins seemed to take it in stride, oozing smooth Southern charm and smiling at the fans.
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