The country singer was born, raised and still lives in Georgia

NEED TO KNOW

• Travis Tritt says remaining in Georgia has helped him stay original and grounded as a songwriter
• The country star was inspired by Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Alabama to avoid relocating to Nashville
• Tritt recently postponed several concerts as he recovers from pneumonia

Travis Tritt may have made his name in country music, but he never did make his way over to Nashville for good — and that’s just how he likes it.

The “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” singer, 63, was born and raised in Georgia and still lives there, a decision made very much on purpose.

Tritt said on the Pickin’ It Out with Aaron Pope podcast on Wednesday, Oct. 7 that he paid attention to country legends like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, who “stayed pretty much out of Nashville” after finding fame and continued living in their native California.

Though he long wondered why that was, it became clear to him in the 1980s, when he watched as Alabama became one of the biggest bands in the world while staying put in Fort Payne, Ala.

The singer said he realized that in Nashville, “everybody starts thinking the same and borrowing from each other and copying each other… and before you know it, originality is totally gone.”

“I just never wanted that on me. I go to Nashville to record, go to Nashville to do whatever I needed to do, but I never wanted to move there,” he said. “I never wanted to live there. I wanted to live right here in Georgia where I was born and raised.”

Tritt said being near where he grew up was incredibly fruitful in his songwriting, as he’d often go for a ride and pass his old high school or an old hangout spot.

“The seeds for songs would be planted right then and there, and I can’t tell you how many songs I wrote, just based on riding around the area that I grew up in,” he said. “It brings back a memory that you can sit down and start putting on paper and put a melody to and write about things that are true in your life. That keeps you grounded.”

The Grammy winner said that when he first signed a record deal, he was encouraged to make the move to Music City, but reminded everyone that he was just an hourlong flight away, or a four-hour drive.

“Anytime I need to be here, I can be here in no time flat. But I want to stay far enough away from that that I’m not influenced by it on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “I just keep doing what I always have done, and I think that’s an important thing that really has kind of gotten lost, to be honest, over the years in music. People not being able to think outside of that box, ‘cause they’re right in the middle of the box.”

Tritt announced on Sept. 25 that he’d been diagnosed with pneumonia, and has since canceled and postponed a number of concerts, most recently three set for this weekend.

“Thank you for understanding, continued support, and well wishes as Travis continues to recover,” read a statement shared to social media on Oct. 7. “He looks forward to being back on stage soon.”

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