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The Marty Smith Podcast #15 – Rhett Akins

 If you listen to 90s country, you know Rhett Akins. Songs like “Don’t Get Me Started,” and “That Ain’t My Truck,” were all over the radio. The Georgia native charted a dozen singles over the course of the decade. Later, he stepped away from performing and became a successful songwriter. Since then, he has penned songs for some of the biggest names on country radio today. Additionally, his son, Thomas Rhett, is out there showing the world that talent runs in their blood.

Rhett Akins stopped by the Outsider studio to talk to Marty Smith about his long dirt road to success. Akins has an incredible story and can spin a yarn with the best of them. You’re going to want to check this one out.

Highlights from Rhett Akins’ Chat with Marty Smith

In the first moments of the interview, we learn that Rhett Akins was walking on air when he stepped into the studio. He found out that he would be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame just moments before this conversation was recorded. That gave Akins and Smith a great starting point in discussing his road to the top.

As with all great success stories, Rhett Akins’ life as a songwriter started with what many would see as a crushing blow. After a great meeting with the suits at the label, he was dropped. At that moment, he wanted to walk away from music for good. However, Akins told Marty Smith, “I’ve always been a songwriter and I love songs. I said, ‘By God if they don’t want me to sing ‘em, I’ll write ‘em.’ So, I put my nose down, and here we are.”

His Songwriting Paved the Way for Thomas Rhett

Rhett Akins is happy with what he’s doing now. He no longer has to play the Nashville game. However, he still gets to do what he loves. Furthermore, he knows that his transition to songwriting paved the way for his son to rise to fame. In his eyes, this was God’s plan from the moment he was dropped from his label.

Thomas Rhett was in college and needed to take on an internship. So, he asked Rhett Akins if he could be an intern at the publishing company that Akins wrote for. He pulled some strings and made it happen. However, after a short interview, the publishing company head knew that there was something special about Thomas Rhett. It took him all of ten minutes to know that he was sitting across the desk from a future superstar.

So Much More

If you want to get all the details on the above stories and more, you’ll have to tune in to this episode of The Marty Smith Podcast. Rhett Akins discusses how his time playing high school football shaped him. He also told Marty all about hanging out with Merle Haggard, hunting with Hank Jr., and smoking weed with Willie Nelson, and so much more. You definitely don’t want to miss this one.

For more about Rhett Akins and other artists, watch the full video podcasts on Outsider’s Youtube or listen on Podbean or Apple Podcasts (below).