FRI PT 2: George Birge On Asking Luke Bryan To Be On His New Song, College Days With Glen Powell And Building A New House

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show – FRI PT 2: George Birge on Asking Luke Bryan to Be on His New Song, College Days With Glen Powell, and Building a New House

Date: January 30, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: George Birge (country artist)

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Episode Overview

In this lively and open-hearted episode, Bobby Bones sits down with country star George Birge to explore his personal and professional journey—from writing his deeply personal new single and collaborating with Luke Bryan, to stories of his college days with actor Glen Powell and family life, including building a new home. With genuine camaraderie and humor, the conversation dives into the realities of chasing dreams, the importance of family, surviving the early grind of a country music career, and funny and touching moments from fatherhood.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Writing Deeply Personal Songs

[02:22–04:54]

• George discusses the personal nature of his song "I Won't Be Long"

  • Wrote "I Won't Be Long" as his third single to radio, wanting to be more vulnerable than before.
  • Every lyric is based on real life: asking his wife Cara on a first date, building a house, watching their kids at t-ball games.
  • People connect by seeing their own memories in the song, making it extra special for him.
  • Initially found performing it emotional, but has grown comfortable with it over time.
  • On writing personal songs with strangers:

    “It takes a second to get vulnerable enough to tell the stories that people want to hear. ... The more uncomfortable a lyric makes you, the more it resonates with others.” — George Birge [03:53]

• On the songwriting process and working with new collaborators, like Tranie Anderson:

  • Advocates for opening up and sharing life stories to generate truly authentic art.

• Humorous aside:

  • Bobby jokingly refers to an imaginary George Birge song called “Erectile Dysfunction”

    “I listen to that song nonstop... George Birge had the courage to write about that.” — Bobby Bones [04:54]

2. Building a New House and Reflections on Success

[05:11–07:02]

• George on building a house:
  • Admits his involvement is mostly paying bills, while his wife leads the design.
  • Dreamed of a lakeside retreat—“a place to turn off from the world.”
  • Feels weird but proud that music allows him to afford this dream:

    “To be able to say... I have a lake house... I still feel awkward saying that.” — George Birge [06:18]

  • Reminisces about humble gigs at pizza places and the pride that comes from finally drawing crowds.

3. The Role of Family and Support in Chasing Dreams

[08:02–09:47]

• George pays heartfelt tribute to his wife, Cara:
  • She quit her job and moved to Nashville so he could pursue music, supported their family on her own real estate career.

  • “She blindly believed in me the entire time... and didn't let me quit even when I wanted to.” — George Birge [08:21]

  • Discusses the ups-and-downs of a music career, emphasizing the importance of family as the “reason why.”

4. Touring and Collaborating with Luke Bryan

[09:47–14:10]

• Bobby and George discuss Luke Bryan’s mentorship and impact:

  • Bobby played a role in connecting George with Luke Bryan, which helped George feel welcomed.
  • George shares Luke’s respectful way of treating everyone on his large team:

    “He never walks past somebody without acknowledging them... that's just how he treats everybody.” — George Birge [10:30]

  • Luke became a big brother figure, inviting George to play and sing on tour.

• Getting Luke Bryan on the new song "Ride, Ride, Ride":

  • George describes the nerve-wracking experience of sharing the demo with Luke on his bus:

    “He listens for three minutes... with his eyes closed... starts rubbing his nipple, listening.” — George Birge [12:29] (humorous) “And when the song is over, he stands up... smacks the wall, and says, ‘Play that MFer again.’” [12:34]

  • After texting his ask for a feature, Luke responded in 30 seconds: “I'm in. Let's do it.”

  • George waited a month without word, worried, but then received a selfie video of Luke in the studio singing on the track:

    “This sucker’s hard to sing.” — Luke Bryan (as quoted by George Birge) [13:00]

  • The duet will be released February 5th.

5. The Reality of Life on the Road and Postponed Tour

[14:21–15:15]

• The "Cowboy Songs Tour" had its first three shows (all sold out) postponed by a historic ice/snowstorm.
• George’s reaction:

  “I'm not gonna lie. That one hurt my feelings a little bit.” [14:33]

  • Despite disappointment, he’s excited to resume in April.
  • Bobby notes how it’s progress to see headlines call George a "country star."

    “Country star postpones opening dates of sold out tour.” [15:15]

6. Songwriting Inspiration and the Hit "Cowboy Songs"

[15:38–16:57]

• On "Cowboy Songs":
  • Idea pitched by a co-writer during a songwriter retreat: "She only dances to cowboy songs."
  • The phrase evoked vivid memories of college and his wife's love for classic Texas dancehalls.

    “Everybody kind of let their inhibitions to the wind... She only dances to cowboy songs.” — George Birge [16:49]

7. Family Life and Fatherhood

[19:58–26:33]

• Meeting his wife (Cara) at University of Texas:

  • Met at a frat party while George was dressed as a Smurf.
  • Quickly became inseparable; funny story about saying "I love you" early and she initially replied "Thank you." [20:09–21:28]

• On their two sons (ages 6 and 9):

  • Loves this phase of parenting as their personalities emerge.
  • His oldest takes guitar lessons from Lady A's lead guitarist, a big improvement over George’s own teacher.

    “My guitar teacher was drinking beer in the Guitar Center parking lot. ... You’re getting guitar lessons from the lead player of Lady A.” — George Birge [21:44]

• Would he want his kids to pursue music?

  • Says pursuit of music is always tough, regardless of connections; emphasizes the necessity of authentic connection with fans.

    “No matter what head start you have in music, it’s tough... there are no shortcuts.” — George Birge [22:55]

• Advice on fatherhood for Bobby (who’s expecting):

  • “Bring them everywhere. ... It helps them see how you act, exposes them to the world, and gives you things to talk about.” — George Birge [24:02]

• On challenging early days as a parent:

  • Shares emotional story about his older son being born prematurely at 3 pounds and dealing with the NICU.
  • Diaper talk: “A four pound baby's blowout is still a blowout, man. It's a lot.” — George Birge [24:46]

8. College Memories & Friendship With Actor Glen Powell

[26:33–28:10]

• George’s college years and connection with Glen Powell:

  • Glen (now an actor in Top Gun, etc.) was George's “little brother” in the fraternity.

    “I think he was born like that, man. ... You could hear the background music in the slow mo when he walked into the party.” — George Birge [26:58]

  • Glen remains down-to-earth and supportive; they still keep in touch.

• College pride & sports:

  • Both are die-hard Texas Longhorn fans; George jokes about teaching his kid not to be a bandwagon fan. [28:10]

9. Stories from UT Golf Team and Nearly Ruining a Golf Recruit’s Career

[28:26–31:00]

• George walked on to the University of Texas golf team, playing one year.
• Relates a story about taking a top golf recruit to a party where he got in a fight, and how the coach blamed George for almost “ending the walk-on program.”
• Full circle: George recently played as a celebrity with former teammate Jordan Spieth at the PGA event The Memorial.

10. The Reality of Recognition & Humorous Anecdote

[32:14–35:16]

• George reveals he gets recognized daily—Bobby and friends playfully tease him about it during a trip to Chicago.
• Humorous set-up: Bobby confesses to encouraging a fan to say hi to George at dinner, but insists the fan was genuine.

  "I said, when we sit down, there's gonna be an artist with us. If you know who it is, you should go and say hi." — Bobby Bones [34:24]

• George is a good sport, laughing at the whole experience.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On honesty in lyric writing:

  “The more uncomfortable a lyric makes you, the more it resonates with others.” — George Birge [03:53]

• On support from his wife:

  “She blindly believed in me the entire time... and didn't let me quit even when I wanted to.” — George Birge [08:21]

• On touring with Luke Bryan:

  “There's not one person in his hundred something person crew that had one bad thing to say about Luke Bryan. ... He never walks past somebody without acknowledging them.” — George Birge [10:30]

• On playing new music for Luke Bryan:

  “He listens for three minutes... with his eyes closed... starts rubbing his nipple, listening. ... stands up... smacks the wall, and says, ‘Play that MFer again.’” — George Birge [12:29]

• On raising kids:

  “Bring them everywhere. That was the best advice that I ever got.” — George Birge [24:02]

• On his college buddy Glen Powell:

  “He was born like that, man. ... You could hear the background music in the slow mo when he walked into the party.” — George Birge [26:58]

• On being recognized in public:

  “I get recognized, like, once a day... they wore me out for the rest of the day.” — George Birge [32:46]

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Important Timestamps

• [02:22] – Writing "I Won't Be Long" and vulnerability in songwriting.
• [05:11] – Building a home and the dream of a lakeside retreat.
• [09:47] – Touring with Luke Bryan and lessons learned.
• [11:26] – Asking Luke Bryan to be on "Ride, Ride, Ride".
• [13:00] – The story of how Luke agreed and recorded vocals.
• [14:21] – Tour postponed due to weather but resuming soon.
• [15:38] – Writing "Cowboy Songs" and college inspirations.
• [19:58] – Meeting and courting his wife at University of Texas.
• [21:37] – Raising sons, their interests, and taking after dad.
• [24:02] – Parenting advice: bring your kids everywhere.
• [26:33] – Fraternity stories featuring actor Glen Powell.
• [28:26] – Walking on to the Texas golf team and pranking a recruit.
• [32:14] – The Chicago fan recognition prank.

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Episode Tone

Warm, humorous, genuine, and reflective, with authentic stories, playful ribbing, and lots of mutual respect. The camaraderie between Bobby Bones and George Birge makes for an engaging listen, packed with heartfelt anecdotes and honest insights into the country music hustle and the joys of family and friendship.

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For fans of country music, aspiring songwriters, or anyone who loves a good story about grit, dreams and real-life triumphs, this episode delivers plenty of inspiration, laughs, and memorable moments.

Transcript

[Bobby Bones]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human I'm Bobby Bones from the Bobby Bones Show. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or if you're just thinking about getting started, check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Bobby Bones here and you know I love when companies show up for our military and veterans. Hyundai does exactly that with their Veterans Employment Transition Program. They recruit and support vets within the Hyundai dealership parts and services. Hyundai also offers programs like Military to Metapro, helping veterans find civilian careers in manufacturing and Fold of Honor, providing scholarships to families of America's fallen and disabled service members within the company. Hyundai's Stars and Stripes employee group honors and supports vets and their families. Learn [e-mail] Friday, February 6th Kick off.

[Announcer]

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[George Birge]

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[Bobby Bones]

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[George Birge]

Yes. You always make me feel so good when I come hang out with you guys. Bobby. That's why I love you buddy.

[Bobby Bones]

Tell me about writing that song. I won't be long cause that's a good one. First time I heard it I was like man, I've heard it 10 million times so now it's just like white noise. But the first couple times I heard it I was like man it makes me emotional. Tell me about the song.

[George Birge]

I always get nervous when I Send you songs because I know you're going to be honest. And that's why I like you, is because we're actually friends. And this is as I was kind of starting to grow as an artist. This is my third single to radio. I'd had my first two hits that had changed my life and kind of opened some doors for me. And I felt like with the third song, I just wanted to, like, be a little bit more open as a songwriter, tell a little bit more of my story and dig a little bit deeper. And so that was his swing for me. And it was one of the coolest songs that I've ever been a part of writing. Just because every line of the song is true. From, you know, being nervous to ask Cara, my wife, on a first date, to taking a starter house to the studs, to us going to t ball games and watching our kids play. These days, it's all, like, real life stories, which it makes it fun to sing. And I think because we drilled down so deep on all those pictures, other people have been kind of connecting with it in their own lives. And that's probably made the song the most special for me is to hear people kind of plugging their own memories into it. But what I didn't think about was because it is such, like, a real and raw song for me is, like, the first month that I played it, I got choked up every time I played it, and now I've played it enough where I'm fine. But, like, the first month, I was like, man, I'm gonna have to do this for the rest of my life.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it weird going into a room writing with other people, and you're being really, really personal? Does it feel like, oh, man, I'm kind of pouring my guts out to folks and I don't really know him that well?

[George Birge]

100%, yeah. And it's something that takes some getting used to, too, because, like, like you said, that was my first time training. Anderson is a writer on that song with me. She's an amazing songwriter, and it was literally the first time I'd ever been in the writing room with Tranny. And so we had started this song, and it was great, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. And then we just kind of started talking about life, which is a great way to kind of pause in the writer's room if you feel like things aren't going the exact direction you want. And so we just started talking about life. And she's an incredible piano player, and she started playing piano and just kind of had this way of kind of putting me at eas. And it was when we started, like, telling those stories and getting to know each other a little bit that the song fell out. But it takes a second to, like, get vulnerable enough to tell the stories that people want to hear. And something that I've learned kind of as I've started to grow as an artist and as a songwriter, is the more that you feel, like, uncomfortable sharing a lyric or a more nervous that a lyric makes you. A lot of times, the more it resonates with other people because it is real and it is raw, and it's. It's real life, which is country music.

[Bobby Bones]

I always admire a lot of the real honesty. Your song Erectile Dysfunction, I don't know how you do it.

[George Birge]

It's a jam, dude.

[Bobby Bones]

I listen to that song nonstop. And I'm always like, george Burge had the. Just the bravery tell me that. The courage to write about that.

[George Birge]

The sequel, Little Blue Pill is actually.

[Bobby Bones]

That's parentheses. Erectile dysfunction. Parentheses. Little blue pill. You talk about house from studs on your Instagram. You're building a house?

[George Birge]

Basically, yes.

[Bobby Bones]

How much are you actually doing?

[George Birge]

Zero. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

The pictures make it look like you're in the mix.

[George Birge]

The beauty of social media. No, I would say my extent in this was finding a lot that I really liked and signing the checks when the bills come in. My wife has been, like, an incredible designer. She picked a floor plan. She's been working with the builder to make it, like, a comfortable spot for us and the kids that we want to go hang out. But our whole deal with this is I grew up by the water down in Texas. The lake is kind of like my retreat where I turn off from the world. And when we're out playing just concerts and we're out in big cities with tons of people all the time, it is what I've always dreamed of. But when I get home, we wanted this place to kind of, like, turn off a little bit. So I wish I could say I was Paul Bunyan out there cutting the trees down and building it with my bare hands.

[Bobby Bones]

Somebody's gotta play music.

[George Birge]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it weird that you get to pay for a new cool house because you've been playing music and it's finally caught on?

[George Birge]

It is the weirdest thing in the entire world, and I still don't totally believe it. To be able to say that, you know, I have a lake house is. Is. I still feel awkward saying that just because it's not something that I ever thought that I would have. But it also makes me super proud to talk about with my wife because we dreamed about that forever. And she's been coming to see me play shows since it was two people at the Mellow Mushroom on the drag at ut. So. Used to play at a pizza place. I used to play at a pizza place at open mic too. It wasn't even like they invited me to go. I was there waiting to.

[Announcer]

You're just like casually eating your pizza and you're like, all right, you guys.

[Bobby Bones]

Mind if I hop up real quick and play a couple songs?

[George Birge]

I wish it wasn't, but it was literally that.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What is it like playing at a pizza place?

[George Birge]

The worst.

[Bobby Bones]

Because you're fighting for attention.

[George Birge]

Yeah, it. I mean, it's a platform, It's a microphone. It's an opportunity to sing in front of an audience. But nobody is there to hear your music on purpose. How about that? Like, they're. They're going to be around and maybe if you do a great job, you can learn how to entertain people. But yeah, I think that getting started in music in any form or fashion is tough, man, because nobody is gonna, like, give you the benefit of the doubt or is gonna say that, like, hey, you know, you're a star in the making. You kind of have to go earn it. And a lot of times, like, people are not going to listen and, you know, kind of toughens you up a little bit and you have to really want it. And I think that that's why we take so much pride in is is we have finally turned that corner where, you know, we're showing up and people are buying tickets and we've got sold out shows now. And, you know, I looked the other day and Kara had like a little tear in her eyes side stage because, you know, it was. We're not used to this, the people showing up like that. So it's starting to get really fun and it's opened a lot of really cool doors for us.

[Bobby Bones]

I feel like your wife and I think a lot of wives, especially yours, because I know you guys have sacrificed a lot because for a long time you're just grinding, trying to stay even while you got kids, while she's like managing the kids and the how and just making sure that everything is together while you're on the road. Just trying to get a shot at it, right?

[George Birge]

Yeah, it's something that I wish I could just shout from the rooftops. And I do try to do that on my social media too. But, like, I owe her so much because she blindly believed in me the entire time. And, you know, like you said, when. When you're starting, it's. It's literally zero dollars, like, you're going out and losing money to play shows. And we were trying to start a family. We had moved to a new city where she had quit her job in Austin, Texas, and moved with me to Nashville on a whim of, like, trying to chase this dream, you know, and she's got her real estate career that she was crushing at at the time. And, you know, I'm in here bringing nothing to the. And she still bet on me and, like, didn't let me quit even when I wanted to. And so, like, I could not be prouder to get to celebrate this with her. And. And I do my best to try to spoil her because of it too.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you ever have a moment where you're like, ah, this may not be it? And she was like, no, you got.

[George Birge]

To keep going, like, every night. Yeah, pretty much every night. Yeah. I don't know, man. It's. Even when things are going good, this industry can just hit you like a freight train sometimes. And it's. You have to have that. No matter how high or how low you get, you have to have your reason why. And for me, that's like my family and my friends, and I've tried not to. To stray too far from that. And I do try to, like, let myself celebrate every now and then. But, like, as long as you've got that. That core of, like, hey, if this all goes away tomorrow, which eventually one day, it is all going to go away for everybody. But as long as you. You have your reason that you're there, like, it makes the highs and lows a little bit easier.

[Bobby Bones]

Let's talk about another artist. Luke Bryant. You went out on tour. Luke Bryan. Pretty cool guy, huh?

[George Birge]

One of the best guys I've ever met, which I have to give you some props on. When I got the tour, you being one of my super close friends, I text you, I was like, dude, you're not gonna believe this. I got the Luke Bryan tour, and the first day I met Luke Bryan, he was like, hey, man, Bobby Bones sent me a text message, said, you're a pretty cool guy. So. And that, like, opened it up for me. He started inviting me up on the bus after shows. He brought me on stage to sing with him, and all of a sudden, he was like a big brother to me. And you want to talk about a. That just, like, loves on his people. There's not one person in his entire hundred something person crew that had one bad thing to say about Luke Bryan. They all just love him and he treats everybody. One thing I learned from him, when we go out and open for people bigger than us, I always try to, like, take in, like, why is this guy a superstar? How did it get here? And one thing I noticed about Luke is, like, no matter how big or small you are, he. He never walks past somebody without acknowledging them, even if it's a person cleaning the toilets or whoever it is, you know, hey, how are you? I'm glad you're here. How's your day going? And that's just how he treats everybody. And he brings this energy to the room. And it was something that I really admired and really have tried to, like, put into place in what I do too. But just, you know, also getting to see somebody go out there and play for 90 minutes and still not be able to play all of his number ones because he has so many hits, it was wild to. To kind of just get to be in the presence of that and learn from him. And yeah, he's a great guy.

[Bobby Bones]

So you announced earlier this week that you got Luke to be on your next song. The song's not out yet, so you put a little bit on the Internet. And the song is called Ride, Ride, Ride. When you ask Luke Bryan to be on a song, what happens? How do you do that?

[George Birge]

It was the most surreal experience of my life. So already I'm just kind of pinching myself that I'm on tour with Luke and that we're starting to be friends. And then kind of as the tour progressed, he would invite me on the bus after shows and we kind of play guitar and just talk life and advice. And Luke loves to make people squirm. That's like one of his favorite things is just to kind of put you out of his com, out of your comfort zone. And so we're on the bus one night and, you know, I feel like I'm just barely getting to call my friend. He looks at me, he goes, burge, plug your phone in and play me a song I never heard before.

[Bobby Bones]

And I'm like, he wants you to play a song Maybe you've written maybe.

[George Birge]

Yes, demo or demo or something on his bus on his Bluetooth. He's sitting there sipping his wine, and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. Come like, when am I ever going to get another opportunity like this? And so I had this song, I had an idea that I wanted Luke to feature on it. And I just said, screw it, and I pulled the trigger, and I played it. And he listens for three minutes, and however many seconds the song is with his eyes closed, and I can't tell if it's going good or. Or what's happening, he starts rubbing his nipple, listening.

[Bobby Bones]

Rubbing his nipple. What does that mean? I like this one.

[Announcer]

I'm uncomfortable.

[George Birge]

And when the song is over, he stands up and he smacks the wall, and he says, play that MFer again. And so I knew that he was kind of into it, and so the next day, I sent him a text message. And I was like, hey, man, I know this is crazy, and I know that it has to make sense in your world, but I couldn't help but think this song would sound incredible if you featured on it. I know it's a long shot, but let me know. And he texted me back, like, 30 seconds later. He was like, I'm in. Let's do it.

[Bobby Bones]

Really?

[George Birge]

Which was crazy. And then I didn't hear from him for a month, and I was like.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, did he have the song?

[George Birge]

He had the song.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[George Birge]

He had the song I sent. I sent it to him when I asked him the full song, and I sent him the lyrics, and I didn't hear from him for a month after he said yes. And I kind of, in my head was like, well, that's it, you know? He said yes and then forgot about it. Whatever. And about a couple days later, I was playing golf with Jordan Davis, who's become a friend, too, and I was telling him a story. I was like, man, I'm not sure if, you know, Luke is still into it or if he fell off or whatever. He's like, man, he's like, that's exactly what happened to me with buy dirt. He was like, I didn't hear anything from him from a month or two. And then one day, I just got the song back with his vocal on it, and it was the best thing I'd ever heard. And I was like, okay, fingers crossed. And sure enough, about two weeks later, I get a video from Luke. Selfie video in the studio, and it's him. And he's kind of holding the lyric sheet in front of his face, and then he pulls it down and reveals his face, and he goes, this sucker's hard to sing. And he sent it back, and it really wasn't hard to sing. He sounded absolutely amazing on it. So I am. I'm beyond fired up to have him on it.

[Bobby Bones]

So we'll get to hear the whole Thing in like a week or something, right?

[George Birge]

Yes, it is coming out February 5th.

[Bobby Bones]

Give us like one second of it. No more than one second. So one Mississippi, go. Okay, you, that's enough. Wow. What a song.

[Announcer]

Wow.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[George Birge]

Everybody says it really grabs you off the first night.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I started rubbing my nipple. I heard one second of that. Close my eyes. Wow. You had to cancel shows because of the weather? Like the first of your tour? Man, that sucks.

[George Birge]

You know, I'm not gonna lie. That one hurt my feelings a little bit. But you can't control weather. This is our first headline tour, the Cowboy Songs Tour. Seeing my name on the top of the bill, it's something I dreamed about forever. And then I was all in my head about if we were going to sell tickets. And then the first three shows ended up being sold out. And we had a brand new show and a light show and smoke and everything. And I was like, man, this is it. It's all finally coming together. And then three days before the tour was supposed to start, the most historic ice and snowstorm ever blew in and canceled all three of the shows. So we have pushed it back to April. It's going to be a little bit warmer. And I can't wait to go see everybody. But I'm not going to lie. Sitting on my hands here in Nashville waiting for the tour to start has hurt a little bit.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, the good news is I saw a headline about your tour being canceled, and the headline made me feel good for you because the headline said, country star postpones opening dates of sold out tour. You got listed as country star, Dude.

[George Birge]

I'm not going to lie. I sent that to my manager, too. I was like, did you see that? Did you see where they called us?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, sir, country star. I've been saying that forever. A country star before you had songs.

[George Birge]

Hey, man, thank you. Put it out there.

[Bobby Bones]

George Burge is in studio with us. So tell me about writing cowboy songs.

[George Birge]

That was one that was not my idea. But as soon as the idea got pitched in the room, I instantly could visualize it. We were out at a buddy's house. We had kind of. We'd do these songwriter retreats sometimes where we get out of town and. And spend a couple nights just so that if we get on a song or if we need to take a break or whatever, we can kind of let it come to us. And that's one of my favorite ways to write. Just because sometimes when you're doing it office style, it feels like, oh, you know, I gotta go home and take care of the kids or I gotta do whatever. And sometimes it's hard to let the creative process really flow like that. And so we were out on a little trip for three days, and day two, my buddy was like, hey man, I've had this title and it's running around in my head, but I can't quite nail it. The idea is she only dances to cowboy songs. And as soon as he said it, I was like, man, I know exactly what that means. And I just kind of started getting flashes of me being in college, chasing my wife around dive bars in Texas when, you know, a George Strait song would come on or whatever. You'd see everybody kind of flocked to the dance floor. Everybody kind of let their inhibitions to the wind. And it was just like that was what I kind of pictured. And so I tried to kind of capture those gritty 6th street nights in Austin, Texas. Carefree, fun. She only dances to cowboy songs. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Bones. Hey, it's Bobby Bones from the Bobby Bones Show. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or you're just thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry. In the latest season, hosts Austin Hankowitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business. They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss and using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Bobby Bones here. And you know I love when companies show up for our military and veterans. Hyundai does exactly that with their Veterans Employment Transition Program. They recruit and support vets within the Hyundai dealership Parts and services. Hyundai also offers programs like Military to Metapro, helping veterans find civilian careers in manufacturing and Fold of Honor, providing scholarships to families of America's fallen and disabled service members within the company. Hyundai's Stars and Stripes employee Group honors and supports vets and their families. Learn [e-mail] Friday, February 6th Kick off.

[Announcer]

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[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

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[Bobby Bones]

You met your wife at University of Texas?

[George Birge]

I did, freshman year.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow. You stayed together through college?

[George Birge]

We did. Never broke up once. She is an absolute saint, man. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

What were you doing when you met her? Were you at a frat party or something?

[George Birge]

It was a frat party, absolutely. Yeah. I was dressed as a Smurf. I. I had a bed sheet put on like one of those Smurf diapers around me and my whole body painted blue. And I think I had had just enough liquid courage to ask her on a date and by some miracle she said yes. And we ended up going to Jack in the Box that night and hanging out together. And then that wasn't the date. That wasn't the date? No, that wasn't the dating. Carol would kill me if I said that too. But we ended up hitting it off and then it was like we couldn't wait to see each other. And we ended up hanging out almost every day after that. Asked her to be my girlfriend. I don't know if people still do that, but I did like, I did the official like, hey, will you be my girlfriend? Thing. And then the bad part was, I think like three months in, I knew I was crazy about her out of the get. She was a cheerleader at Texas. She's the prettiest girl I've ever. I was a big dork in high school, and, I don't know. College is, like, a cool new start for me. So I was. I was kind of putting on this, like, fraternity guy thing, But I wasn't that guy, you know, I'm not that cool. But I. About three months in, I knew I loved her, and I said it probably too early. I was like, hey, I love you. And she said. She said, thank you. Oh, that's terrible. Hey, man. But we're married with kids now, so I played the long game.

[Bobby Bones]

How long until you got it back, though?

[George Birge]

I think I got it back like, a week later. Yeah, I think. But it was. I knew early for sure.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So you have two kids?

[George Birge]

We do. Two little boys, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Do they just fly growing up? Is that true? Do they what does it fly by time?

[George Birge]

Oh, my gosh. It's. It's a little scary how fast it starts to move. But I will say that this zone that we're in right now, 6 and 9, is the most fun that I've ever had. Their little personalities are starting to come out. They'll come play golf with me. They love music. The lead guitar player from Lady A lives down the street from me, and he's been given my oldest guitar lessons. Slim shout out for being an awesome guy. But it. So my oldest is learning how to play guitar and learning country music, and I think that's, like, the coolest thing for me. I told him. I was like, man, you know, My guitar teacher was drinking beer in the guitar center parking lot. Like, you're. You're getting guitar lessons from the lead player of Lady A. You're doing pretty good, buddy, but we're having a blast. And so far, they've got a lot of the same interests that I do, which makes it really fun being a dad.

[Bobby Bones]

Do your kids want to do music?

[George Birge]

They love music. You know, they're so young right now. They've kind of got stars in their eyes with it, but they're also doing great in school. I'm trying to encourage them to do anything else because it's a tough road, man. It's a. It's. It's a tough road.

[Bobby Bones]

Probably a different road, though, if your dad. I think multiple number ones.

[George Birge]

I think I could steer them in a better direction than I went. I also could be, like, the Nashville case study of, like, how to make the worst decisions possible. I think that's A lot of Nashville artists falling in every bear trap that you could fall in. So I could definitely give them some advice, but it doesn't matter what head start you have in music, it's tough. And, and I think that that's why it is, why people are so drawn to it too, is there are, I mean, you can get head starts, but there's no shortcuts. Like, at the end of the day, you have to connect with people and nobody can do that for you. And that was a lesson that I had to learn. Moved to town too, you know, like, hey, man, if this guy would post me on my social media or like, you know, if this guy would take me on tour or if this guy would do a song with me, you know, then I could be famous. But at the end of the day, it really is like you have to do it for yourself. You have to connect with people. You have to. No matter how small that fan group is, if it's five die hard fans that you connect with, you have to start that and build that and turn it into something. And so all that to say, yes, I could point them in the right direction with music, but it's, it's a tough road, no matter who's doing it.

[Bobby Bones]

Give me some advice about being a dad.

[George Birge]

I'm so excited for you. By the way. Bring them everywhere. That was the best advice that I ever got. And it's something that I still try to do and something that, you know, I feel like our family is so close because of it. So I would say, you know, take your kids wherever you can. I think that, that it helps them see how you act in social settings. It helps expose them to the world, like the good and the bad. See you win. See you fall on your face sometimes. And it's like, you know, when you, when you live life together, you have stuff to talk about and connect over.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you change many diapers?

[George Birge]

I did. I'll never forget my, my oldest was a, was a super preemie. He was born at three pounds.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[George Birge]

And so it was a little scary. We didn't know if he was gonna, gonna make it. And we, we did about a month and a half of the nicu and it was, it was a tough time. And, and he's big bruiser, healthy now. But I remember the first time that I was able to change his diaper. He was a little like bird and I was scared I was going to break his leg. I had two fingers holding his leg up, just dangling and you know, a four pound baby's Blowout is still a blowout, man. It's. It's a lot. And then when they got a little more sturdy, it was easy for me. I just kind of slap them down and. And wipe it up and. And on to the next one. But those first few months, changing the preemie diapers were something else.

[Bobby Bones]

Eddie acts like baby poop is the absolute worst thing. I was told by others there's not a lot of food in there, so it just is gross because of the association, but it's really not. You tell me.

[George Birge]

I'm kind of with Eddie, man. I have a. I have a hair trigger gag reflex too, man. And, like, you'll see some colors you don't want to see, some smells you don't want to see. The texture is rough. It's. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it, but it's. When it's your own, it's easier, right? Like, it's. When it. When it's your own blood, it's a little bit easier. So shout out to my sister, my Aunt Katie. She was great about wiping diapers when they weren't even hers, so I love her for that too.

[Bobby Bones]

I was doing. On the doll, I was practicing where you put the fresh diaper underneath the diaper they're wearing. So when you pull it off, if they continue to blow out, it just blows into that diaper and you throw it away as well. Is that what was your style?

[George Birge]

Yep, that's what I did. The diaper under the diaper was great, but they also, man, they'll sell you on all kinds of. All kinds of things. The pee pee tents, you know, put a tent over the top of it. So the pptp. That's right. So you don't, you know, take a stream to the face or, you know, all kinds of things. But I think the diaper under the diaper, that's a. That's a tried and true OG method.

[Bobby Bones]

I know we've talked about it before, but our audience, a lot of them are new. We talked about you being in a frat, but Glenn Powell was your younger frat brother.

[George Birge]

He was. He was a year younger than me.

[Bobby Bones]

The actor Glenn Powell, who is Top Gun, what else has he been in?

[George Birge]

He's in that. That.

[Announcer]

Oh, the one with Sydney Sweeney.

[George Birge]

Yeah, he's got the chad powers thing, 11 abs.

[Bobby Bones]

Was he. Was he super hot? He was in college.

[George Birge]

He. I think he was born like that, man. I remember when Glenn joined our fraternity, like, watching him walk into a party for the first time and watching that.

[Announcer]

Guy'S My little brother.

[George Birge]

It was like he wasn't even in the movies yet. And you could hear the background music in the slow mo when he walked into the party. But that also, he was like the most humble, cool guy ever. And so, like, I couldn't be more happy for his success. We text all the time. I just text him yesterday and he roots for me, sends me a text every time we have a, you know, a little success in our world and we still catch up at Texas football games every now and then. But to see him taking over the world the way that he has makes me so proud. And nobody deserves it more. He's a. He's a genuinely great dude, worth rooting for.

[Bobby Bones]

And both of you guys are hardcore University of Texas.

[George Birge]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, you both wear it once you're there.

[George Birge]

It's kind of in your blood, man.

[Bobby Bones]

I was there, but I didn't go to school.

[George Birge]

No, I know, but it's not in my blood. I'm an Arkansas guy.

[Bobby Bones]

We grow up being like, Texas is bigger than us. We don't like them. The university. I love Austin. It's my favorite city. But it was tough being a Razorback living with Vernon.

[George Birge]

Well, I super commend you too because you, you ride or die too with your team. With the Razorbacks here.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[George Birge]

There's no bandwagon in you. My youngest, I'm trying to teach him because we'll watch football together all the time and whatever team is winning at that current point in the game is who he'll change to rooting for. So I'm like, hey, buddy, you can't. Nobody likes a bandwagon guy. You got to pick and stick with it.

[Bobby Bones]

So.

[George Birge]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You played golf at University of Texas. Did you win a tournament to get on the team?

[George Birge]

I did. There was, I like to joke that I single handedly started and ended the walk on program at Texas. There was a walk on tournament that they had had every year. Whoever wanted to come play could play in it. And it gave you a chance to walk on, but the coach still had to make the decision that you were able to walk on. And so I played it and I wanted. I think I wanted about like six shots. I played really well and it gave me an opportunity to play in front of the coach. And then I played 18 holes in front of coach. He rode around in a golf cart watching me play. And I remember being so dang nervous, but I ended up playing okay. And he gave me a bag and a locker and a spot on the team. And then right around the End of my career. I only played one year at Texas. Right around the end of my career, they had a senior in high school come for his campus visit, and he was, like, the prize recruit for Texas, and he was the guy I guaranteed to go the PGA Tour, and he asked me to take him out. So I took him out to a fraternity party, and he got knocked out within, like, first 15 minutes of being at the party from talking trash.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, punch. Knocked out.

[George Birge]

Punched. Knocked out. Black eye. And I remember.

[Bobby Bones]

Black guy or black eye?

[George Birge]

Black eye. Black eye.

[Bobby Bones]

Black eyeball.

[George Birge]

Got it, Got it.

[Bobby Bones]

I didn't know if you were like, white guy, black guy.

[Announcer]

Hold on. Talking trash about what?

[George Birge]

You know, when you're high school, college age, testosterone. It was just, you know, he was running his mouth to somebody. You know, I don't really. I've never really been a big fighter guy. So anyways, he showed up to practice the next morning with a black eye as, like, the prize recruit at Texas. And coach still has never let me live that down from.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, it's your fault. Since you had.

[George Birge]

Since I took him out. Yeah. So I think I was the last walk on ever at the University of Texas.

[Bobby Bones]

I thought it was going to be.

[George Birge]

Like, in that guy Jordan. I think I ruined his career, actually.

[Announcer]

Oh, no, the guy with the black eye.

[Bobby Bones]

Black eye.

[Announcer]

Yeah, the guy with the black eye.

[George Birge]

That's it. That was good.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Did he ever play there?

[George Birge]

He did, and he played well, and he was actually a great kid. Got to know him a little better, but, yeah, I was able to walk on at Texas. I was a bench warmer there, and I did get to know Jordan Spieth. I got to play with Jonathan Vegas, who's on tour now, and kind of full circle moment. The Memorial, which is Jack Nicholas's tournament in Columbus. I got to play with Jordan Spieth as a celebrity, and he was my pro that I was paired with on the PGA Tour, and so I kind of joked with him. I was like, you never thought you'd see me on the PGA Tour, did you, buddy? So that was pretty cool.

[Bobby Bones]

That's fun. I got to play with Jordan a couple times. I lost a bunch of money to him. My favorite thing about playing with Jordan is he took my money.

[George Birge]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Some of those pros, I feel like, no.

[George Birge]

Oh, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

He was like, I'm happy to take your money.

[George Birge]

Oh. He's like, yeah, he'll make you pay him in cash, like, end of the round. Like, you're not even going to get a drink until you. The money's in his hand.

[Bobby Bones]

The guy respected that. He took the money. So you're still going your other shows. February 5th, you're back on. You're good. Weather's good.

[George Birge]

Weather's good.

[Bobby Bones]

You're going to be in Springfield, Missouri.

[George Birge]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Then after that, you're going to be in Witcho, Kansas.

[George Birge]

We're rolling.

[Bobby Bones]

Oklahoma City.

[George Birge]

We're rolling.

[Bobby Bones]

Adding little comments. We go through all of it. George burge.com. if you want to get tickets or go over to George's socials, you can find the links to the tickets there. Super excited for you. I hope this song hits number one again.

[George Birge]

Oh, thank you, buddy.

[Bobby Bones]

I was with Kenny Chesney, and he was talking about. He had. He has so many number twos that are. That are massive songs.

[George Birge]

I watched. I watched that interview yesterday. First of all, it was awesome, and it fired me up to see you on Netflix, which is crazy. But also, that was. That was inspiring to me to hear. It was no shoes, no shirt, no problem. He said, went number two. And I was like, and you think of some of the other ones. Now we're rooting for number one. But wherever it lands, life's good. I never thought I'd be here in the first place. And before I go, I do have one question to ask you.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, we're ready. Here we go.

[George Birge]

Eddie, you're involved in this, too. So recently, we all took a trip to Chicago to hang out.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[George Birge]

It was awesome. Yeah, it was so much fun. A little boys day trip. And I had told y', all, I was like, man, life's kind of crazy. I can't believe it. But, like, I'm getting recognized, like, once a day.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, my God. So I. I asked him, I said, how often do you get recognized? Because I had been recognized a little bit that even there. And I was like, what about you? How often? He goes, I get it. Like, once a day. And we're like, once a day. We're like, stop it.

[George Birge]

So Amy, they wore me out for.

[Bobby Bones]

The rest of the day.

[George Birge]

Made me wish nobody was saying anything.

[Bobby Bones]

We were thinking.

[George Birge]

Wish I never said, yeah, right. And, like, we're walking past this security guard to go up the Sears Tower, and Eddie's, like, talking to the security guard. He's. Ask her. He's like, hey, you recognize this guy? Wearing me out. And we sit down to dinner, and we hadn't sat down to dinner for 30 seconds, and a guy comes up to me. He's like, hey, man, are you George Bird. I am a huge fan. And he's like, so good to see you. And then I look at Bobby, and he has this stupid smile on his face. I got to know, did you pay him?

[Announcer]

My guess is that they had that guy.

[George Birge]

They.

[Announcer]

They either got him or paid him or did whatever.

[George Birge]

I have to know. I can't sleep. Is that your question? Yeah, that's my question. That's for sure.

[Announcer]

Something y' all would do, you know.

[Bobby Bones]

It made George feel good, so it is what it is.

[George Birge]

I need. I need an answer.

[Bobby Bones]

It happened. It made you feel good. It doesn't matter. First of all, I didn't pay anybody.

[Announcer]

Yeah, but you could ask.

[Bobby Bones]

No. Who knows? I think I definitely didn't pay anybody.

[George Birge]

We know Eddie.

[Bobby Bones]

The guy was a.

[Announcer]

That's how Bobby would get us. I didn't pay, but Eddie maybe did with his money.

[Bobby Bones]

The guy was a George Burch fan, man.

[George Birge]

He didn't say he was. Even if you're lying to me, that fires me up.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you. I will say the guy is a George Burge fan for sure. So he didn't invent the, hey, are you George Bursch?

[Announcer]

But, like, did you.

[Bobby Bones]

It doesn't matter what happened.

[Announcer]

And then did you have to say, you know, she only dances the cowboy songs?

[George Birge]

He's like, I don't know that one, but maybe the second one.

[Bobby Bones]

No. Okay. Can I be honest?

[Announcer]

That's what we're asking.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. What happened was we got down and people went to the bathroom.

[George Birge]

Like we.

[Bobby Bones]

Because we had been walking around Wrigley Field and stuff. And so a guy said, hey, Bobby Bones. And I said, what up? And he said, hey, big fan. And I said, when we sit down, there's gonna be an artist with us. If you know who it is, you should go and say hi. I didn't tell him who you were. And then he then saw him. Googled him, and who knows? Probably not googled him, but he came up and he actually went to one of his shows.

[George Birge]

Oh, well, then there you go.

[Bobby Bones]

So I think that counts. Yes.

[George Birge]

You just needed a little prodding. But that's what your great friend also.

[Bobby Bones]

He said hi to me, and then I said, oh, you think this is something? Wait to see who sits down with us.

[George Birge]

Us?

[Bobby Bones]

I didn't say who. And then he saw George had gone to a show, went and said hi to George, knew George had nothing to do with that. If we had sat down and he had known George, he may have gone to Eddie and been like, hey, are you Placido? Flamingo? Whatever. So, no, I don't take. He knew who you were.

[George Birge]

Y' all are the best. But we did.

[Bobby Bones]

When George said that we would not stop, we were like, dude, you better be careful. Everybody around here is recognizing you. You can't go anywhere.

[George Birge]

They were my private security for the rest of the trip.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, you guys go to Georgia shows and good luck with this next song. Regardless, it's a monster jam, and we can't wait for the Luke Bryan and George Burrige Ride, ride, ride. As soon as we get it, we'll play it.

[George Birge]

Dil, you're the best.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, there he is, the great country superstar.

[Announcer]

Recognized once a day.

[Bobby Bones]

Recognized once a day. George Burge. Everybody.

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[Bobby Bones]

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[George Birge]

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[Bobby Bones]

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[George Birge]

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[Bobby Bones]

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[George Birge]

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[Bobby Bones]

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