“The plot thickens. I got a phone call and was informed that Jamey Johnson wanted to do La Grange, but only on one condition: if I would join his fine backup musicians in the studio and help step them through it.

“I said, ‘Well, that’s something, because La Grange only has two chords!’ [laughs] As it turned out, there was another reason why Jamey and his band wanted me to come to Nashville. They had discovered that I launched a brand of tequila called Pura Vida. Like I said, the plot thickens.

“I got to the studio and said, ‘OK, when do we start?’ And they said, ‘We'll get to playing soon. How about having some of your tequila?’ [laughs] I told them, ‘Well, if there’s any way to start out playing La Grange, it’s with a shot of tequila!’

“The session lasted all day and all night, with everybody having a blast, playing solos all over. I really learned to admire Jamey as a bandleader. He turned to each guy and let him go off.

“And I played, too! When I walked in and saw a conspicuous extra chair, a conspicuous extra Les Paul and a conspicuous extra Marshall amplifier, I went, ‘Hmmm…’ And they said, ‘Here’s your strap and here’s your pick.’ I had a lot of fun with those guys. Great people, great musicians. And they certainly enjoyed the tequila!”