Randy 'Cadillac' Houser rides into town

Country musician Randy Houser will take The NorVa stage on Friday. The singer-songwriter has been nominated for top new solo vocalist in the fan-vote category of the Academy of Country Music Awards. H is sophomore album, "They Call Me Cadillac," dropped in September and peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's country albums chart. It has spawned two radio singles: "Whistlin' Dixie" and "A Man Like Me."

We caught up with Houser by phone while he was in Sanford, Fla., for a show at a nightclub called The Barn. It was one of many club dates on his calendar. "We are always touring," he said.

You started a Mississippi-based band that was big on its local scene called 10 lb. Biscuit, is that right?

Yes, it is. We played everything from country to alt-country. We just wrote our songs, and it was music for the people, which is kind of what my shows are these days. It's hard for me to sing and have it not come out country (he laughs).

Why do they call you Cadillac?

My buddies have been calling me that for years. You know how sometimes a nickname sticks and you don't really know where it came from? I had written the song (the title track of his album), and it seemed pretty appropriate to name the album after the song.

What's the story on the unofficial video that went viral for your 2008 song "Boots On," showing a young boy rocking out to the music in a car?

The little boy, Drake Dixon, just really dug the song. His nanny is a photographer around Nashville, and she said that whenever she would play the song, he would grab the little fly-swatter guitar and act like he was playing. I thought she was exaggerating a little bit at first, but she was like, "No. You don't understand. I'm going to film this." So that's the actual footage you see in the video. They were in a Costco parking lot. The video makes it look like he is in my car, but he's not. He lives in Nashville, so anytime he sees me, he runs up and jumps right on me.

In 2005, Trace Adkins had a hit with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," but as co-writer of the song, did you ever think about performing it?

Only in songwriters' showcases or something like that. That's more his song. We wrote that song with him in mind. (Houser wrote the crossover hit with country artist Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson.)

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

It's not any one event. It's getting to do what I love, and that's how I pay my bills.

You can help Houser win top new solo vocalist. Visit www.randyhouser.com to cast your vote, then watch the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 3 on CBS.

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com