Scene & Heard

"When I went on the road at age 13 with Lester Flatt, it felt totally natural to me," remembers Marty. "I knew it was what I was born to do. I don't think my mom would have let me go on tour with Marilyn Manson, but the deal with Lester was structured and he was like a grandpa.

"Lester was a master architect at what we do. The best piece of advice he gave me was that music isn't about taking all the awards, selling all the records and making all the money in three years and then disappearing. He said the thing you want to do is keep showing up every January -- and always be glad to see the fans."

Later, Marty hit the road with Johnny Cash.

"With Lester, I got to see the country; with Johnny, I got to see the world -- and see it through the eyes of a megastar. His advice to me was 'Son, don't sweat the small stuff. Keep your eye on the big picture.' That was great."