Changes Afoot For Gretchen Wilson

Country fans get up close and personal with Taylor Swift, Randy Travis, Gretchen Wilson (pictured), 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.

June 6, 2008 — Gretchen Wilson experienced huge changes in her life when "Redneck Woman" took her from barkeep obscurity to national stardom, but the changes haven’t stopped there. She’s healthier, more confident and more educated — all shifts that she talked about with Lorianne Crook during an interview Thursday at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

The biggest change, of course, is the much-publicized upgrade of her educational status. She earned her GED last month, an accomplishment that daughter Grace acknowledged by giving Gretchen a stuffed monkey. Gretchen had never had a single algebra class, so math became her toughest subject, although some other basic tenets created their own challenges.

"You forget how to take a test," she told Lorianne. "That’s a big part of it."

Earning her diploma led to a change in Gretchen’s view of herself, increasing her self-confidence. She also changed one of her "uncool" traits, giving up smoking, though she still chews tobacco.

"It’s disgusting," Gretchen said of dipping, "and it’s harder to quit than cigarettes. Don’t even start."

Despite the things that have changed in her life, one aspect Gretchen’s not likely to alter is her status as a single woman. She’s so busy, she noted, that she has little time for dating, and her relationship with Grace demands her top priority.

"I don’t think," Gretchen said, "I’d betray that for any man."

Gretchen’s comments came during the CMA Celebrity Close Up series, five half-hour interviews in front of a public audience that were part of the CMA Music Festival. Lorianne built the session around questions supplied by fans, and GAC shot the chats with Gretchen, Randy Travis, Taylor Swift, Joe Nichols and Sara Evans for specials that will air July 19 and July 26.