Gretchen Wilson Holds on to Her Roots

Country fans get up close and personal with Taylor Swift, Randy Travis, Gretchen Wilson, Sara Evans, Joe Nichols, Bucky Covington and Jake Owen on June 5, 2008 at the CMA Celebrity Close Up series, hosted by Lorianne Crook, which will air on GAC later this year. Photo credit: David Vespie.

July 17, 2008 — Ever since "Redneck Woman" turned her world around, Gretchen Wilson has made it a point to remain true to her roots, and that shows in plenty of ways — in her career, her parenting and her own personal development.

On the career front, Kris Kristofferson told her she should give acting a try. Gretchen hasn’t said no, but music remains on the front burner and that’s kept her from taking the idea too seriously.

"My managers have tried having discussions with me," she told Lorianne Crook during taping for the GAC special CMA Celebrity Close Up (Click here to watch a sneak peek!). "I’m so busy now, I can’t imagine."

As a parent, Gretchen’s given a lot of thought to raising her daughter, Grace, in a manner that will help her understand the money her mother is now making is not something to take for granted. Gretchen is careful about the size of the allowance she gives Grace, and she tries to connect that allowance to chores so that Grace will understand the concept of earning your income.

"Everything doesn’t just get given to you," Gretchen told Lorianne.

In her personal life, Gretchen continues to see herself as a woman with simple tastes. She prefers run-of-the-mill coffee over lattes and designer blends, and she still washes her own clothes.

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to make changes. She’s given up smoking, though she hasn’t yet broken the habit of chewing tobacco. But she also doesn’t recommend it.

"It’s disgusting," she told Lorianne. "It’s harder to quit than cigarettes — don’t even start!"

Gretchen appears on CMA Celebrity Close Up with Randy Travis and Taylor Swift. The show debuts at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.