Return to story

>> ROCKER HAS KEPT COMPANY WITH EVERYONE FROM LYNYRD SKYNYRD TO MICKEY MOUSE EX-'IDOL' CONTESTANT BO BICE STAYING BUSY

February 26, 2009 12:35 am

BY JESSE SCOTT

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

If Bo Bice were a novel, you'd likely be hooked after breezing through the first few pages.

Since placing second behind Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of "American Idol," Bice has continued to inscribe the pages of a promising musical and personal journey.

Among his proudest chapters is being a great dad to his sons, Aidan, 3, and Caleb, 6 months.

"My son [Aidan] now thinks I'm cool because I got to hang out with Goofy and Mickey Mouse," said Bice in a phone interview from Nashville. "Only after I met Mickey did he think that," he laughed.

In February, Bice reunited with a handful of "Idol" grads (including Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and David Cook) at Disney World in Orlando for the grand opening of "The American Idol Experience." Park guests now have the chance to participate in an interactive competition similar to that which Bice knows so well.

Looking back, Bice is immensely grateful for the "Idol" exposure and is now focused on simply doing what he loves.

"There are a lot more pros than cons when it comes to my 'Idol' experience," he said.

"There are always going to be people in the industry that simply won't let you in because of a logo. But it's exciting that people got to see a transformation from someone who was a nobody to someone who finished second place on a show seen by 35 million people."

Part of Bice's evolution has been going from playing small acoustic shows to big-time venues. He will hit the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna on Sunday.

"I used to play in this club with one drunk guy," reminisced Bice. "He would clap and beg me to play 'Free Bird' on acoustic."

These days Bice brings his country-style Americana to swarms in the form of stellar renditions and his own original songs. His live shows are high-energy and simply fun. He has played with everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to A.J. Croce, and has even performed for U.S. troops in the Middle East.

"We went over there in February for an acoustic run, and toured back home all throughout the year," said Bice. "By the end of the year, we ended up back in Iraq. We really got to see all ends of the spectrum over there--from the most rugged, beautiful terrain in Afghanistan to the desolate deserts in Iraq."

For Bice, success is measured by experience more than anything else. "Every day of my life has just been eaten up by blessings," he said. "For example, this last tour I ran into an old teacher of mine. Throughout the country, I've run into people from high school. And I've played with so many amazing people. At the end of the day, those are the moments no one can take from me."

It has been quite a journey for the Alabama native, full of highs and lows. Bice now finds himself in a state of contentment.

"I think happiness for me is exactly where I am right now," he said. "Since I've been able to really step away from everything, people have really gotten to see this side of me the family guy, the husband and the good dad."

Jesse Scott is a freelance writer in Fredericksburg. Reach him at
Email: jesserobertscott@gmail.com.