When your son Andrew was seven, he was shot in the face in a road rage incident. You write in your book that you forgive the man who did it.
Skaggs: My son, he's the one that showed the forgiveness before I did. He was the one that set the pace and said, "Dad we've got to forgive this guy because he doesn't know Jesus. He doesn't have love in his heart like I do." It really convinced me. The Scriptures say "out of the mouth of babes," and it really truly was. To walk into a hospital and see your son lying there with a bullet hole in his face is not an easy thing, but I knew if he could go through it and forgive, then what excuse did I have? I'm the father, I'm supposed to be the leader, showing him the way, and he showed me that this was what needed to be done.
You say that when you were a country singer you got flack for talking about religion during your concerts.
Skaggs: I did, I got a lot of flak for that. I think it's something you can mature in, knowing how to do that in a way that maybe doesn't rub it in people's faces or offend people so much. I think my record label felt that if I did it, it was going to hurt my record sales and offend people. I think too when you're immature probably as I was, I think when someone tells you that you can't do something then that makes you want to do it even more.
Do you still talk about faith from the stage?
Skaggs: I do but the kind of music I'm playing now, bluegrass -- gospel music is one of the threads through the fabric of the music. Gospel is a very strong, intrinsic part of bluegrass so it's accepted a lot more.
How important is your faith?
Skaggs: It's the most important. If I didn't have my faith, I couldn't make it. It's the foundation I stand on. I believe in the Bible, I read it, I pray. My mother taught me how to pray and I've never forgotten that. Faith, family and music are the foundation stones I stand on.
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