Acclaimed singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson has been showered with plaques, trophies and award statuettes, but they aren't the answer to his dreams. "My dream already came true," says the Alabama native who has rocketed to Nashville stardom. "All I ever wanted was to get to just ride around and sing country music. It's cool when things happen along the way, because those are things I never thought I could achieve. But whatever happens, I'll just keep on doing what I do. I wake up every day and go play some more country music." The things that have happened along the way include songwriter awards for 2005's "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," which Jamey co-wrote for Trace Adkins. In the spring of 2007, the Academy of Country Music gave Jamey a Song of the Year award for co-writing the George Strait hit "Give It Away," and the Country Music Association did the same later that year. - Jameyjohnson.com Jamey Johnson is one of the fortunate individuals to have counted the late Merle Haggard among his friends, and his honest, sympathetic approach to songs about working-class life makes him one of the country legend's closest modern analogs. The two performed together on numerous occasions and, in 2012, Haggard joined Johnson for a version of Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard's "I Fall to Pieces" that appeared on Johnson's album Livin' For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran. Following Haggard's death on April 6th, Johnson shared his memories of the country legend's friendship and invaluable songwriting advice. There was a time when I really wasn't right, and I didn't have any inspiration or motivation to write songs. Then Merle told me, "I wish you'd write some more songs just because I want to hear them." Those were the words that got me crawling out of my slump and trying to find my voice again.