Craig Morgan will be at The Wedge on Friday

Like hot dogs and apple pie, combining country music and patriotism is an American tradition.

That makes rising country singer and 10-year U.S. Army veteran Craig Morgan a Nashville force to be reckoned with. In the decade since he left the armed service, the Kingston Springs, Tenn., native has released four albums, including his most recent “Little Bit of Life,” as well as scored memorable hits such as “I Got You,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Almost Home” and No. 1 single “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”

“I like to think we got better at what we do,” said Morgan, calling from a tour stop in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “We’re writing better songs, doing better material and producing better records. Because I produce my records, I’ve learned a lot in the process. I’d think in talking about what the critics are saying, that I’m the storyteller guy, it wasn’t something I attempted to achieve, it just happened on its own.”

Morgan will be performing at The Wedge on Friday.

For the full story, see Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.