The 62-year-old crooner claims the decision to turn to America’s most popular music genre was an easy one.
“Over a period of time I realised that the songs that I was writing translated to country,” he says. “As a songwriter I didn’t really start out thinking I was country, I was thinking I was R&B. It was just a natural progression. I am from Tuskegee, Alabama – I’m a country boy. It just felt right to do this.”
The record, named after his birthplace, will feature duets with country music’s leading stars Tim McGraw, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney and is set for release in March.