name	Asker
native name	Askeroni
idnumber	0220
county	Akershus
district	Viken
capital	Asker
demonym	Askerbøring
language	Bokmål
coatofarms	Asker_komm.svg
munwebpage	www.asker.kommune.no
mayor	Lene Conradi
mayor party	H
mayor as of	2007
area rank	385
area total km2	101
area land km2	97
area water percent	0.03
population as of	2007
population rank	11
population total	52210
populationpercent	1.11
population density km2	538
population increase	15.7
utm zone	32V | utm_northing 6633966 | utm_easting 0580439 | geo_cat adm2nd }}

Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital. Asker was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old ''Asker'' farm, since the first church was built here. The name (Old Norse: ''Askar'') is the plural form of ''ask'' which means "ash tree".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 7 October 1975. The arms show a green background with three silver-colored tree trunks () and are thus canting arms. The trees are ashes, which were cropped every year to provide food for the animals. The trees thus developed after many years a very typical shape, which was characteristic for the area.

Geography

Its main parts are Asker, Gullhella, Vollen, Vettre, Blakstad, Borgen, Drengsrud, Dikemark, Vardåsen, Engelsrud, Holmen, Høn, Hvalstad, Billingstad, Nesøya, Nesbru, and Heggedal. Asker is a notably coastal place with many beautiful beaches, but it is also a place of hills and woods. The district is known for many important businesses. It is also known for gardening. The Skaugum estate, where Crown Prince Haakon of Norway lives with his family, is situated here. The first IKEA store outside of Sweden opened in Asker in 1963 .

Culture

Although Asker is principally a rural municipality, the expansion of Oslo has resulted in its becoming an affluent suburb. Thus numerous celebrities now reside in the area. According to SSB (Statistics Norway), Asker ranks as the 2nd wealthiest municipality in Norway based on median household income.

Asker is also the home of the Frisk Tigers, who won the Norwegian Hockey championship in 1975, 1979, and 2002. Asker Skiklubb is the largest sports club in Norway. It has a long history dating back to 1889. Many of Asker's famous people have been successful individuals associated with the sports club.

Asker, more notably Blakstad, was a stronghold for the Baglers, who contended with the Birkebeiners during a civil war during the Viking period.

The city is the home of Asker svømmeklubb. Asker women's football club has been home to many international players including four who played in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China.

Politics

Asker is politically dominated by the conservatives, and the mayor is Lene Conradi who is a member of the Conservative Party of Norway ''(Høyre)''.

History

The ''Maud''

In 1916 (or 1917) the ''Maud'', which had been built in local shipyards, was launched into Oslofjord. The ship which had been constructed and built especially for Roald Amundsen and was to sail through the Northeast Passage. After being seized by creditors in Seattle, Washington, United States, she was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company as a supply vessel. After being renamed the ''Baymaud'' she sailed to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada where, in 1930, she sprung a leak and sank. In 1990, the ship was sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to the town with the expectation that she would be returned to Asker. Although a Cultural Properties Export permit was issued, the price tag to repair and move the ship was 230 million kroner ($43,200,000) and the permit expired.

Notable residents

* Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

* Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway

* Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

* Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway

* Tryggve Andersen (1866–1920), writer

* Nini Roll Anker (1873–1942), writer

* Dina Aschehoug (1861–1956), painter

* Lauritz Askvold, painter

Harriet Backer (1845–1932), Artist>painter

* Arne Bendiksen (1926–2009), singer and songwriter

* Johan Bojer (1872–1959), writer

Erik Bye (1926–2004), journalist, singer, Celebrity>TV personality

* Jens Evensen (1917–2004), Norwegian lawyer, judge, politician, trade minister, international offshore rights expert, member of the International Law Commission, judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague

* Pål Arne Fagernes (1974–2003), Javelin thrower and boxer

* Hallvard Flatland, TV-host

* Arne Garborg (1851–1924), poet, lived there for a period

* Einar Gerhardsen, prime minister in three periods, from 1945–1951, from 1955–1963 and from 1963–1965

* Erik Gjems-Onstad, Order of the British Empire

* [[Halvard Hanevold, Olympic Gold in Biathlon

* Morten Harket, singer in a-ha.

* Vigdis Hjorth, author

* Anders Jacobsen (footballer)

, politician (Founder of Progress Party (Norway)>Progress Party ''(FrP)''

* Wenche Myhre, singer

* Arild Nyquist(1938–2004), poet, painter, singer and songwriter

* Alf Prøysen (1914–1970), writer/musician, lived there for a period

Valgerd Svarstad Haugland politician, Christian Democratic Party (Norway)>Christian Democratic Party

* Dyre Vaa (1903–1980), sculptor

* Sondre Slettetveit, Professional Counter-Strike: Source Player

* Tom Hilde, ski jumper

Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Asker: - Eslöv, Skåne County, Sweden - Garðabær, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, Iceland - Jakobstad, Länsi-Suomi, Finland - Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - Rudersdal, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark - Tórshavn, Tórshavnar kommuna, Faroe Islands

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway

Asker municipality's official website Asker Museum

Asker public library

Asker skiklubb

Visit Asker - official website and visitors guide for Asker

Frisk Asker Tigers Budstikka (local newspaper for Asker and Bærum) Asker videregående skole (School for Upper Secondary Education) The Open University in Asker (Folkeuniversitetet) Church of Asker Asker Svømmeklubb

Category:Municipalities of Akershus Category:Villages in Akershus

bg:Аскер da:Asker de:Asker et:Askeri vald es:Asker fo:Asker kommuna fr:Asker gl:Asker bpy:আসকের id:Asker, Norwegia it:Asker kl:Asker lt:Askeris hu:Asker község nl:Asker ja:アスケー no:Asker nn:Asker kommune nds:Kommun Asker pl:Asker pt:Asker ro:Asker ru:Аскер sl:Asker fi:Asker sv:Asker kommun vi:Asker vo:Asker war:Asker zh:阿斯克尔

name	Jon Hamm
birthname	Jonathan Daniel Hamm
birth date	March 10, 1971
birth place	St. Louis, Missouri United States
alma mater	University of Missouri
occupation	Actor
years active	2000–present
domesticpartner	Jennifer Westfeldt }}

Jonathan Daniel "Jon" Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor who works primarily in television. For much of the mid-1990s, Hamm lived in Los Angeles as a struggling actor appearing in small parts in multiple television series, including ''Providence'', ''The Division'', ''What About Brian'' and ''Related''. In 2000 he made his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood's space adventure, ''Space Cowboys''. The following year, Hamm appeared in the independent comedy, ''Kissing Jessica Stein'' (2001) in a minor role.

Hamm gained global recognition for playing advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'', which premiered in July 2007. Hamm's performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2008. Aside from his work on ''Mad Men'', Hamm appeared in the 2008 science fiction remake, ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' and claimed his first leading film role in the independent thriller ''Stolen'' (2010). Hamm had a supporting role in the 2010 crime film ''The Town'' and in ''Sucker Punch'' and ''Bridesmaids'' in 2011.

Early life

Hamm was born on March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Deborah, a secretary, and Daniel Hamm, who ran a decades-old family trucking company that declined due to the growth of container shipping. Hamm's parents divorced when he was two years old, and he lived with his mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri, until she was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 10. Hamm moved in with his father, but after a few years his father became ill and died when Hamm was 20. Teachers and friends' parents filled in as parental figures.

}} Hamm attended the private John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where he was a member of the football, baseball, and swim teams and dated future actress Sarah Clarke. Hamm's first acting role was as Winnie the Pooh in first grade; at 16, he was cast as Judas in ''Godspell'', and enjoyed the experience, though he did not take acting seriously. Following graduation in 1989, Hamm enrolled at the University of Texas, but left during his sophomore year, after his father's death. Hamm returned home to attend the University of Missouri. At Missouri he answered an advertisement from a theater company looking for players in a production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', auditioned, and was cast in the production. Other roles followed, such as Leon Czolgosz in ''Assassins'', Hamm's only musical to date.

After graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Hamm returned to his high school to teach eighth-grade acting as a gesture of repayment for the school's support during his adolescent years. One of his students was Ellie Kemper, an actress best known for her role on ''The Office''.

Career

Early work

Hamm has known actor Paul Rudd for many years, and visited Hollywood to see him in 1992. Not wishing to stay in a "normal career", Hamm moved to Los Angeles permanently in 1995 with an automobile and $150. He moved into a house with four other aspiring actors and began working as a waiter while attending auditions.

}} Finding employment as an actor was difficult despite representation by the William Morris Agency because, unlike other actors his age, he could not be cast in youth-oriented productions like ''Dawson's Creek'' due to his older appearance. In 1998, having failed to obtain any acting jobs after three years, he was dropped by William Morris. Hamm continued working as a waiter, and briefly as a set designer for a softcore pornography film. After repeatedly failing to obtain promising roles, he set his 30th birthday as a deadline to succeed in Hollywood, observing that:

In 2000, Hamm obtained the role of romantic firefighter Burt Ridley on NBC's drama series ''Providence''. His one-episode contract grew to 19, and led him to quit waiting tables. Hamm made his feature film debut with one line in Clint Eastwood's space adventure ''Space Cowboys'' (2000); more substantial roles followed in the independent comedy ''Kissing Jessica Stein'' (2001) and the war film ''We Were Soldiers'' (2002), during filming of which he turned 30. His career was further bolstered when he played the recurring role of police inspector Nate Basso on Lifetime's television series ''The Division'' from 2002 to 2004. Other minor roles followed on the television series ''What About Brian'', ''CSI: Miami'', ''Related'', ''Numb3rs'', ''The Unit'', and ''The Sarah Silverman Program''. Hamm's ''Mad Men'' castmate Eric Ladin had said that one of the reasons he looks up to Jon is that while he "made it" later than most actors, Hamm never gave up on acting.

Worldwide recognition

Hamm received his breakthrough role in 2007 when he was cast from more than 80 candidates as the protagonist character Don Draper in AMC's drama series ''Mad Men''. In the series, set in a fictional 1960s advertising agency, he plays a suave advertising executive with an obscure past. Hamm recalled, "I read the script for ''Mad Men'' and I loved it. [...] I never thought they'd cast me—I mean, I thought they'd go with one of the five guys who look like me but are movie stars", and that an actor with a "proven track record" would likely have been chosen if another network had aired the show. He went through numerous auditions, and explained each time to the casting directors what he could bring to the character, if given the part. Alan Taylor and ''Mad Men'' creator Matthew Weiner thought that Hamm was too handsome for the role, but decided that "it was perfect to cast sort of the perfect male in this part"; Weiner also sensed that the actor had not been raised by his parents, similar to Draper's backstory.

Hamm used memories of his father to portray Draper, a well-dressed, influential figure in business and society hiding great inner turmoil and facing changes in the world beyond his control. ''Mad Men'' debuted on July 19, 2007, with almost 1.4 million viewers. It quickly developed a loyal audience, with the show and Hamm receiving strong reviews. Robert Bianco of ''USA Today'' was complimentary of Hamm, noting that his interpretation of Draper was a "starmaking performance". ''The Boston Globe'''s Matthew Gilbert called Hamm a "brilliant lead". For his work, he won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in 2008. Also in 2008 he was nominated for both a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor and an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2009, Hamm was again nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same categories, and received another Emmy nomination for Best Actor. In 2010, Hamm received his third Golden Globe nomination.

Hamm's next film role was in the 2008 science fiction film ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Although the film received negative reviews, it was financially successful, earning $230 million worldwide at the box office. Hamm hosted the sixth episode of the 34th season of ''Saturday Night Live'' on October 25, 2008. He played various roles, including Don Draper in two sketches. He returned to host again on January 30 and October 30, 2010. In 2009, Hamm guest starred in three episodes of the NBC situation comedy show ''30 Rock'' as Drew Baird, a doctor who is a neighbor and love interest of Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey). For these performances, he received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Hamm's film projects post 2009 included the independent mystery thriller ''Stolen'' and his first leading role, in which he plays a man trying to demystify the circumstances surrounding his son's kidnapping. ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Frank Scheck stated that the feature never came together, and said that Hamm was unable to do much with his "underwritten role". Hamm had a voice cameo in the animated feature ''Shrek Forever After'', released in May 2010, as an ogre leader named Brogan. He appeared as an FBI agent in ''The Town'' with Ben Affleck; after receiving "about 40 scripts that were all set in the 60s, or had me playing advertising guys", Hamm was pleased that the film offered a role "the opposite to Don Draper". The feature received generally favorable reviews, and earned $144 million worldwide. His next acting role was as defense attorney Jake Ehrlich in the independent drama ''Howl'', based on Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem of the same name. On December 12, 2010, Hamm made a guest appearance as an FBI supervisor on Fox's animated series ''The Simpsons''. Returning to film, he appeared in Zack Snyder's 2011 action-fantasy movie ''Sucker Punch'', as the character High Roller, and the doctor. Hamm has signed on to appear and produce the independent feature ''Friends With Kids'' which centers around a group of friends whose lives are changed as the couples in the group begin to have children.

Personal life

Since 1997, Hamm has been in a long-term relationship with actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt. They own homes in Los Angeles and the Upper West Side in New York. In an interview discussion about his relationship with Westfeldt, Hamm said: "We may not have a piece of paper that says we're husband and wife, but after 10 years, Jennifer is more than just a girlfriend. What we have is much deeper and we both know that. To me, people [should] get married when they're ready to have kids, which I'm not ruling out." Hamm, along with Westfeldt, has appeared in Gap related campaign advertisements. In April 2009, Hamm and Westfeldt formed their own production company, Points West Pictures.

Although his role as Don Draper requires him to smoke, Hamm gave up smoking when he was 24. He revealed in an interview that while on set he does not smoke actual cigarettes, but herbal cigarettes that do not contain any tobacco or nicotine.

Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, Hamm was named one of ''Salon.com''s Sexiest Man Living in 2007, and was named one of ''People'' magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2008. Hamm also won ''GQ''s 'International Man' award in September 2010. In November 2008, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named him one of their Entertainers of the Year. He again was named one of the magazine's Entertainers of the Year in 2010. Hamm is an avid golfer and tennis player. He is a devoted fan of the National Hockey League (NHL) team the St. Louis Blues, even appearing in two television spots advertising for the team. He is also a fan of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the St. Louis Cardinals.

In March 2010, Hamm was hired by Mercedes-Benz as their new voiceover for their campaign with the S400 Hybrid vehicle. Hamm replaced actor Richard Thomas.

Hamm and Westfeldt are advocates of animal rescue and have adopted their own dog, a mutt named Cora, from the Much Love Animal Shelter in California

Filmography

Feature films

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2000	''Space Cowboys''	Young Pilot No.2
2001	''Kissing Jessica Stein''	Charles
2002	''We Were Soldiers''	Capt. Matt Dillon
2006	''Ira and Abby''	Ronnie
2007	''The Ten''	Skydiving Guide Chris Knarl
2008		Dr. Michael Granier
2009		Hank Ackerley	Voice OnlyUncredited
		Tom Adkins Sr.
''Shrek Forever After''	Brogan	Voice Only
		Uncredited
	Adam Frawley
	Jake Ehrlich
		High Roller/Doctor
	Ted	Uncredited
2012	''Friends with Kids'		Also Producer

Television

! Year	! Television Show	! Role	! Notes
		Burt Ridley
''The Trouble with Normal''	Jackson
''The Hughleys''	Buzz	Episode: "Lies My Valentine Told Me"
2001	''Early Bird Special''	Red-Headed Cop	Episode: "Pilot"
	''The Division''	Inspector Nate Basso
''Gilmore Girls''	Peyton Sanders	Episode: "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis"
	''CSI: Miami''	Dr. Brent Kessler	Episode: "Three-Way"Episode: "Payback"
	Dr. George Forrester	Episode: "Who's Your Daddy"Episode: "The Lonely Hunter"
''Charmed''	Jack Brody	Episode: "Ordinary Witches"
	''The Unit''	Wilson James
''What About Brian''	Richard Povich
''Numb3rs''	Richard Clast	Episode: "Hardball"
''Related''	Danny	Episode: "Related"
2007	''The Sarah Silverman Program''	Cable Guy	Episode: "Muffin' Man"
2007–present	''Mad Men''	Don Draper	Appears in every episode
2009–2010	''30 Rock''	Dr. Drew Baird	Episode: "Generalissimo"Episode: "St. Valentine's Day"Episode: "The Bubble"Episode: "Anna Howard Shaw Day"Episode: "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land"Episode: "Live Show"
	''Childrens Hospital''	Derrick Childrens	Episode: "The Sultan's Finger"
''The Simpsons''	FBI Investigator	Episode: "Donnie Fatso"

Music Videos

! Year	! Artist	! Video	! Role	! Notes
	The Lonely Island	"Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde" (ft. Rihanna)	Bank Hostage	cameo
Herman Dune	"Tell Me Something I Don't Know"	Non-specific	lead

Awards and nominations

|- |rowspan="6"|2008 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="8"|2009 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''30 Rock'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="6"|2010 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''30 Rock'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="7"|2011 |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- ||''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Critics' Choice Television Award Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |align="center" colspan=5| |}

References

Further reading

Rochlin, Margy. "Those Were the Good Old Days? Hardly". ''The New York Times''. September 30, 2007. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Alston, Joshua. "Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm: Get 'Bad,' Get 'Mad,' And You'll Get Glad". ''Newsweek''. December 31, 2007. Accessed June 4, 2009.

Hainey, Michael. "The Man In The Gray (Indestructible) Suit". ''GQ''. January 1, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2009.

Wilson, Benji. "Jon Hamm: Why Mad Men was an instant star". ''The Daily Telegraph''. March 14, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Seltzer, Ian. "Jon Hamm: Suave, Successful, Mad Man". ABC News. July 14, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2009.

Ryan, Maureen. "'Mad Men' Calvacade of Stars, Part 2: Jon Hamm". ''Chicago Tribune''. July 15, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Guest, Jocelyn. "Jon Hamm of 'Mad Men' on the Future of Don Draper". ''New York Magazine''. July 24, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Neuman, Clayton. "Q&A; – Jon Hamm". AMC. October 26, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Wolf, Jeanne. "Jon Hamm's Sudden Fame". ''Parade Magazine''. Accessed April 27, 2009.

Hill, Erin. "Jon Hamm: 'Everyone Deserves a Little Good-Natured Ribbing'". ''Parade Magazine''. March 11, 2010. Accessed March 11, 2010.

Torvalds, Linus. "Pearls before swine..". ''LINUS' BLOG''. February 28, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2011.

External links

Category:1971 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from Missouri Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners

ar:جون هام da:Jon Hamm de:Jon Hamm es:Jon Hamm fr:Jon Hamm it:Jon Hamm he:ג'ון האם ka:ჯონ ჰემი nl:Jon Hamm ja:ジョン・ハム (俳優) no:Jon Hamm pl:Jon Hamm pt:Jon Hamm ru:Хэмм, Джон fi:Jon Hamm sv:Jon Hamm tr:Jon Hamm

name	Trace Adkins
background	solo_singer
birth name	Tracy Darrell Adkins
birth date	January 13, 1962
height	6'6"
origin	Springhill, Louisiana, USA
instrument	VocalsGuitar
genre	Country, country rock, blues rock
years active	1990–present
label	Capitol Nashville, Show Dog-Universal Music
associated acts	Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, 38 Special, Ronnie Milsap, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton
website	TraceAdkins.com }}

Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins (born January 13, 1962) is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album ''Dreamin' Out Loud'', released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations. In addition, he has charted more than 20 singles on the ''Billboard'' country music charts, including the Number One hits "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", "Ladies Love Country Boys", and "You're Gonna Miss This", which peaked in 1997, 2007, and 2008, respectively. "I Left Something Turned on at Home" went to #1 on Canada's country chart. All but one of his studio albums have received gold or platinum certification in the United States; his highest-selling to date is 2005's ''Songs About Me'', which has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for shipping two million copies.

He has also made several appearances on television, including as a panelist on the game shows ''Hollywood Squares'' and ''Pyramid'', as a finalist on ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', as the voice for recurring character Elvin on King of the Hill, and in television commercial voice-overs for the KFC restaurant chain. In addition, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled ''A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck'', which was released in late 2007.

Early life

Adkins was born and reared in Sarepta in Webster Parish in north Louisiana. His parents are Aaron Adkins, a mill worker, and the former Peggy Carraway. His maternal grandfather was the Christian musician James W. Carraway (1923–2008). His musical interest came at an early age, when his father taught him to play the guitar. In high school, he joined a gospel music group called the New Commitments. He was also a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA). Later, Adkins went on to study at Louisiana Tech University, where he also played defensive end for the Bulldogs football team. Though he never officially graduated he took up work at an oil rig. He lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident while using a knife to open a bucket, and asked doctors to reattach the finger at an angle so that he could continue to play guitar. Adkins then moved on to playing in honky tonk bars around Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s. An executive of Capitol Records spotted Adkins playing at a honky tonk, and soon afterwards signed him to the label. His brother, whom Trace describes as his first fan, was killed in a truck accident at the age of 21. Adkins is married to his third wife Rhonda Forlaw; together they have three daughters (Mackenzie, Brianna, and Trinity). Adkins also has two daughters from his first marriage (Tarah and Sarah).

Early career

Adkins' first single, "There's a Girl in Texas", was released in 1996, reaching the Top 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was followed by the release of his debut album, ''Dreamin' Out Loud'', later that year. The album produced several hit singles, including his first Top 5 single, "Every Light in the House", his first Number One in "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", and another Top 5 hit in "I Left Something Turned on at Home". The latter single was also a Number One hit in Canada. His second album, ''Big Time'', produced a Top 5 in "The Rest of Mine", but subsequent singles proved less successful. A change in management delayed the release of Adkins' third album, but the album (titled ''More...'') was eventually released in late 1999. Although the album's title track reached Top 10, ''More...'' failed to achieve gold status.

2001-2004

On July 5, 2001, Adkins was charged with driving under the influence in Nolensville, Tennessee. The singer pled guilty and was sentenced to 11 months in jail; however, the sentence was suspended after 48 hours. In addition, he had to pay $350 in fines, and his driver's license was suspended for one year. Shortly afterward, he was injured in a tractor accident and had to temporarily cancel touring. He later entered a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program in Nashville, shortly after the release of his ''Chrome'' album. ''Chrome'' was the first album of Adkins' to reach the Top 5 on the country albums charts; its title track reached Top 10 in late 2002.

In 2003, Adkins released two albums: a Greatest Hits collection and ''Comin' on Strong''. The same year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He also made appearances as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares, and did voice-overs in commercials for fast-food chain KFC. Only one single, "Then They Do", was released from the Greatest Hits compilation. ''Comin' on Strong'', which succeeded the Greatest Hits album, produced two singles: the Top 5 single "Hot Mama", and "Rough & Ready", which peaked at #13.

Adkins and Travis Tritt played the roles of prison convicts in a February 2004 episode of the television series ''Yes, Dear'' (Greg & Jimmy's Criminals).

2005-2007

In 2005, Adkins released his ''Songs About Me'' album. The album's second single, "Arlington", generated controversy over its content (a first-person account of a fictional soldier who was about to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery). It was followed by "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", which became a highly successful crossover hit, bringing Adkins into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.

2006 saw the release of Adkins' seventh studio album, ''Dangerous Man''. "Swing", the album's lead-off single, peaked at #20, while the follow-up "Ladies Love Country Boys" became Adkins' first Number One single on the country charts since "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" in 1997. The album's final release, "I Wanna Feel Something", proved unsuccessful on the charts; as a result, Adkins announced that he would stop supporting the single.

In August 2007, Adkins released a single entitled "I Got My Game On". Originally, the song was planned to be the lead-off to a new album, tentatively titled ''Game On''; however, Adkins decided not to release a full album, and instead released his second Greatest Hits compilation, ''American Man: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2'', for which "I Got My Game On" served as the lead-off single. The album has also produced Adkins' fastest-climbing single to date in its second single, "You're Gonna Miss This".

"You're Gonna Miss This" has also become his third Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs, as well as the most successful single to date on the Billboard Hot 100 (#12), Billboard Pop 100 (#19), and Hot Digital Songs charts (#8).

Trace released his first book, entitled ''A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck''.

Celebrity Apprentice

Adkins was a January–March 2008 contestant on NBC's ''The Celebrity Apprentice''. Each celebrity contestant was playing for charitable donations for their selected charity. Adkins was playing for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, which provides education, advocacy and research support to families dealing with the daily nightmare of serious and/or life-threatening food allergies. The musician chose the charity because his 6-year-old daughter, Brianna, suffers from life-threatening reactions to peanuts, milk and eggs. Adkins made it to the finale as one of the two finalists. Donald Trump ultimately "hired" Adkins' rival, tabloid editor Piers Morgan, who had selected his own charity. Adkins' efforts for FAAN didn't go unnoticed: A couple of weeks after the show ended, a poker player and fan of Celebrity Apprentice donated $1,000 from a media tournament to FAAN. In 2008, Trace Adkins released the single "Muddy Water," the lead single from ''X'', which was released on November 25. The video for "Muddy Water" also has an appearance by fellow Celebrity Apprentice competitor Stephen Baldwin as a man being baptised in a muddy river, and later approaching Trace as a friend. ''X'' also includes the Top 20 hits "Marry for Money" and "All I Ask For Anymore," both of which reached a peak of #14.

Acting

Adkins made his acting debut in an episode of the sitcom, "Yes, Dear," in 2004. He appeared on the May 2, 2008, episode of CBS's ''The Young and the Restless'' playing himself and singing an acoustic version of "You're Gonna Miss This" to the characters of Nicholas and Phyllis. He made his feature film acting debut in the 2008 film ''An American Carol.'' In 2011 Adkins took on the role of Eddie Vogel in the thriller "The Lincoln Lawyer (film)" starring Matthew McConaughey in a film adaption of a Michael Connelly book.

2008-Present

In November 2008, Trace Adkins made an appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Trace rode with his family on the "Jimmy Dean" float and performed his popular song "You're Gonna Miss This." In 2009, Adkins appeared in local Kansas City commercials to advertise season tickets and the 50th season of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs.

Adkins recorded a duet with country legend Ronnie Milsap called "My First Ride" to benefit fire-fighters and police officers in the US and Canada. Then, after the songs release the label flexed its muscles and said 'no' to radio stations playing it with no explanation given. Milsap led a protest at Capitol Records to "Free Trace" and allow the song to be played.

In November 2009, Adkins embarked on the Shine All Night Tour, a co-headling venture with fellow country artist Martina McBride. Also in 2009, Adkins joined fellow country artist Blake Shelton in recording a duet titled "Hillbilly Bone," which was released as the lead-off single from Shelton's upcoming sixth album.

On October 18, 2009, Trace made an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help Ty Pennington and his design team build a new home for the Marshall family.

Two men in a small pickup truck lost their lives after crashing into one of Trace Adkins' tour buses. The truck was believed to have crossed the "no passing" line in the center of the road which resulted in the crash. Several members of Adkins' band were aboard the bus, but did not suffer any major injuries. Adkins himself was not on board the bus at the time.

In January 2010, Adkins parted ways with his long-time record label, Capitol Nashville, and subsequently signed with Show Dog-Universal Music. Adkins' first single with the label, "This Ain't No Love Song," was released on May 17, 2010 and served as the lead-off single to his ninth studio album, ''Cowboy's Back In Town''. It debuted at #54 on the chart for the week of May 29, 2010. The album's second single "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow" released to country radio on January 10, 2011.

On October 10, 2010, Adkins sang the National Anthem at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, before the Cowboys' losing game against the Tennessee Titans.

On November 22, 2010, Trace Adkins was a guest on the Fox Business Channel's Freedom Watch and commented on the TSA's new procedures at American airports for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

On December 18, 2010, Trace performed at WWE's annual extravaganza 'Tribute To The Troops' to amazing reception by the soldiers in attendance. Trace appeared once again on the May 13, 2011 episode of SmackDown live from Nashville, Texas, as the special member of the WWE audience. Most recently, on an August 15th, 2011 episode of WWE RAW from San Diego, CA Adkins was featured at ringside.

On June 4, 2011, Adkins' home in Brentwood, Tennessee off Concord Rd. (SR 253) burned down. Many news stations broadcasted this as breaking news.

Injuries

As a youth, Trace was in an automobile accident in which his 1955 pickup truck hit a bus head-on. Both his arms, a leg, and some ribs were broken and his nose was partially torn off. Trace was forced to give up football after a severe knee injury at Louisiana Tech. He has also experienced a number of serious injuries as an adult. His little finger on his left hand was partially severed and surgically re-attached.

Discography

Albums

1996: ''Dreamin' Out Loud''

1997: ''Big Time''

1999: ''More...''

2001: ''Chrome''

2003: ''Greatest Hits Collection, Vol. 1''

2003: ''Comin' On Strong''

2005: ''Songs About Me''

2006: ''Dangerous Man''

2007: ''American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II''

2008: ''X''

2010: ''Cowboy's Back in Town''

2010: ''The Definitive Greatest Hits: 'Til the Last Shot's Fired''

2011: ''Proud to Be Here''

Awards

! Year	! Award	! Result
1996	ACM Top New Male Vocalist
	CMT Male Video of the Year - "I Got My Game On"
	ACM Single of the Year - "You're Gonna Miss This"
	ACM Vocal Event of the Year - "Hillbilly Bone" with Blake Shelton

References

External links

Official website

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sarepta, Louisiana Category:Louisiana Tech University alumni Category:American country singers Category:American shooting survivors Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football players Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Show Dog-Universal Music artists Category:Survivors of stabbing

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