true? >> true. i cnn original christmas song at a rotary club luncheon . they had this 13-year-old songwriter. the first song ever wrote was a christmas song, it wasn't bad. in some ways, it is better than somethings i have tried to write lately. you know, i stumbled upon it. the next thing i know, they invited me on the local christmas show. the very next time i played the jamboree, they let me open for the judds. the biggest thing in the world at the time. >> i was going to say, this is a 12-year-old kid. >> in the words of my dad at the time, he was really good about not thinking everything i did was great. he said, you know, you are 14. you're cute. but, you are going to be 18 and not as cute. you better be good at 18.