Trace Adkins on Cigarettes: Gonna Miss This

Trace Adkins photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Jan. 29, 2009 — Trace Adkins seemed a tad testy at this week’s Grammy nominees party in Nashville, and there’s good reason: He’s suffering from nicotine withdrawals.

Trace stopped smoking about seven weeks ago, and misses the habit immensely. Fellow Grammy nominee Charlie Louvin, in fact, planted thoughts of a cigarette in Trace’s head at the party by asking Trace — in the middle of a conversation with GAC’s Suzanne Alexander — if he wanted to go for a smoke.

"I hadn’t thought about it," Trace sarcastically said on the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville, "in like five minutes!"

No doubt the doctor had counselled Trace more than once to cut out cigarettes, but what finally convinced him to stop for good was a health problem that he simply couldn’t shake.

"I had a chronic cough that wouldn’t go away," Trace said. "I went in the hospital and had some tests done. I’m fine. They just told me ‘You gotta quit smokin’, you know.’ And so I did, and I had 26 good years, 26 good years — enjoyed every one of ‘em I smoked."

Trace should feel right at home when he attends the Grammy Awards Feb. 8 at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre — it’s a smoke-free facility. But that’s still more than a week away. There’s a Super Bowl to be played in the meantime, and Trace — who played football for Louisiana Tech — is probably going to watch it, even though he’s expecting a one-sided game.

"That Steelers defense is so strong," he observed, "I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals maybe kicked one field goal and that would be about it."

Trace’s prediction for Sunday’s final score: Pittsburgh 21, Arizona 3.