Why Rodney Atkins Refused To Change His Name For Country Music

The music business is a hard business to break into.  It takes a lot of sacrifice and work.  But there are a few things that you just don't do.  For Rodney Atkins that was changing his name. 

Atkins is a pretty popular name in the country music scene.  There is Chet Atkins and Trace Adkins, who are both well known.  So if you aren't related to either one, you really won't stand out-at least that is what record labels said.

Well no matter how much pleading happened, Rodney Atkins refused to change his name and the reasoning is both touching and sad.  You see Rodney Atkins was given up for adoption as an infant.  His birth mother couldn't take care him so she did what she thought was best.

Atkins ended up in Holston Home, in Greeneville, Tennessee.  This adoption center was where everything happened.  He had bad respiratory infection and was colicky.  So that made for a loud baby.  The head of the facility tried to find him a loving family and got a lead about Allan and Margaret Atkins.  They had wanted a baby so badly.

Unfortunately due to health reasons they were unable to adopt at that time.  But a new couple came in and took little Rodney home.  Unfortunately, they couldn't handle the colicky noise so they took him back to the adoption facility.

Yet another couple stepped up and took Rodney home.  They too couldn't handle the baby, so they returned him to the home.  You see Rodney was need of a special set of parents who could care for him.

The facility was beginning to think that this little boy would never be adopted out.  Just then, they received a call from the Atkinses.  Mrs. Atkins had fully recovered and they desperately wanted a baby.  They rushed down and took little Rodney home.

And the best part, they didn't bring him back.  They loved him and healed him in sorts.  So when the mention of changing his name for his career came up, Rodney knew it wasn't even an option.  Because to him, family is the most important thing in the world!

Rodney Atkins Live In Amarillo: Thursday April 4th at the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St. , Amarillo. Tickets are $25 Plus Fees; you buy at all Panhandle Ticket Outlet locations or at the Civic Center Box Office