Craig Morgan doesn't have much trouble staying humble.

Despite recording more than enough hit singles to make him a star on the country music circuit, Morgan need only look to his past to keep it all in perspective. That past includes a poor upbringing, followed by enlistment in the U.S. Army, which is probably why Morgan plays plenty of shows for military service members and helps his road crew with the loading and unloading of concert supplies.

Morgan, known for writing about life's little pleasures, will play at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo on Saturday, Feb. 9, and before the show, he talked to 210SA about his military service, how it affected his point of view and why he doesn't play much music in his rare downtime.

How do you look back on your military experience today?

I think about it every day because some of my best friends are still in the military, and I still have close relationships with them. Every day, I'm watching what's going on (overseas), and I'm maintaining communication with some of them. I do my best to stay apprised, but it doesn't mean I'm aware of every roadside bombing and every incident that pops up on the news.

As a former service member, is it tough to see what's going on overseas right now?

It is for me, just because of that relationship and having been there. I feel guilty a lot and feel like I should be there doing more. ..... When I first started out in music, it was really difficult because I felt I needed to be there with my buddies. But now, I realize that I get to do things as an entertainer that I never could do as a soldier. We've raised funds the last few years for organizations, such as Wounded Warriors and the U.S.O., and I've been given a platform that I never would have had as a soldier. I'm able to speak. As a soldier, that's not your job, and it's something that's still difficult for me. As a soldier, you just do the job and don't talk about it. I still find it difficult to raise a voice, even sometimes in support. But I will say it's gotten easier because there are so many people who don't know what they're talking about who tend to raise their voices anyway.

After leaving the military, what were some of the jobs you held before hitting it big with music?

Man, I did everything. I worked at Wal-Mart, and I was even a sheriff's deputy. I did anything and everything I could do to take care of my family while pursuing music. I probably would have worked as a sheriff's deputy had the music not worked out.

How much did your humble beginnings help shape the person you are today?

Every bit of it ..... All the child development people say the first few years are crucial, and that holds true today. I was brought up to appreciate things, and I was taught respect. Without a doubt, that shaped the person I am today, or at least it shaped the person that I hope I am.

Is that why you still help out with the road crew?

That, and the military too. In the military, you lead by example, and I'm a firm believer that in this business, it's your career. A lot of people when things don't work, it's easy to blame everybody else. I don't blame everyone for anything when things aren't working out.

Having a family at home, do you play much music on your time off?

When I'm not on the road or not working, I don't do it much at all anymore. I used to. I played all the time, and I would hang out and write, but that's probably because I didn't have work or shows to do. I didn't have gigs. Now, unless I'm writing or out on the road, I don't do it much. I focus my time on my family. Music is how I make my living. It's not my life.

CLINT HALE | 210SA