Photo courtesy of Average Joe Entertainment.

Colt Ford is a walking, talking 300-pound celebration of country music and country living. His songs pay tribute to the people, pastimes and attitudes that define a lifestyle embraced from Texas to Wisconsin, from Florida to Washington State and a lot of places in between. For all the bigger-than-life excitement that defines his music and his stage show, though, Colt is quick to point to what lies underneath it all.

"I'm just an average Joe who's been blessed with the ability to write music and who loves to perform," he says. "I talk about everyday real country life and I believe in real country values—God, family, friends, and hard work. And if that ain't country, I don't know what is."

His connections to the lifestyle run deep. An avid sports fan and outdoorsman, he wrote "Buck 'Em" for the Professional Bull Riders Association, and "Huntin' The World," the award-winning theme song of the popular Outdoor Channel show of the same name, and he capped a lifetime of appreciation for country music's rich musical heritage when he made his debut early in 2010 on the Grand Ole Opry.

Colt's specialty is spoken-word country in the tradition of a line of hits that travels from Toby Keith's "I Want To Talk About Me" to Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" (a song he covers to huge effect in concert) through Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses" and C. W. McCall's "Convoy" to Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" and "What Is Truth." His latest CD, Chicken and Biscuits, sets his world-class story-telling ability to cutting-edge music played by some of Nashville's best players. It brings together the energy of hip-hop and the depth and rootedness of country in a project destined to carry Colt's unique sound to an even wider audience.

Chicken and Biscuits, produced by Jayson Chance and Shannon "Fatshan" Houchins, is Colt's second studio album, following his 2008 breakthrough Ride Through The Country, which catapulted the Georgia native to mainstream status, with sales of more than 150,000 and paid downloads approaching half a million. C&B "is one hundred percent me with a lot of growth from the first record," he says, "but I didn't lose who I was." A high-octane excursion through the best of life and love, it celebrates country women ("Chicken & Biscuits," "All About Ya'll," "She Ain't Too Good For That"), country life ("Cricket On A Line," "We Like To Hunt"), and the blue collar people who keep it all running ("Tool Timer" and a fiery remake of C.W. McCall's classic "Convoy"), among other subjects.

The project provides plenty of examples of the wealth of peer respect and support Colt has earned. It features a long list of all-star guest vocalists, including Rhett Akins, James Otto, Randy Houser, Josh Gracin, Darryl Worley, Joe Nichols, Ira Dean and DMC, to name just a few. The world-class musicians backing the project include a Who’s Who of Nashville’s session greats, on board because of their appreciation for Colt’s musical approach.

Chicken and Biscuits perfectly captures the spirit that has energized packed houses across the country and spurred many Colt fans to drive hours to follow his shows from town to town. It's a reaction that has made him one of the most genuinely grateful and fan-friendly performers in the business—he is in touch with fans on a daily basis online and he is adamant about meeting with them after his shows."I’m a big boy and you can bet I get tired up there," he says, "but I do what I do visiting with people and signing autographs because I have the best fans in the world. I’m inspired by their energy and I want to give them everything I’ve got."

In part the connection is there because Colt Ford is cut from the same cloth as the people who flock to his shows. He grew up outside Athens, Georgia, drinking in Southern country culture with the water, developing a deep appreciation for the outdoors and enjoying every kind of popular music that floated across the airwaves in a state whose musical icons are as diverse as they are talented."I never got into music," he says. "Music got into me. It's always been a part of my life."