Collin Raye has his eyes on a special project: an album of Hank Williams songs, as an homage to the country music icon.

"I’m a big Hank Williams fan, and you don’t hear anything about Hank Williams anymore," Raye tells The Boot. "There are people in the industry right now that have record deals that don’t know that Hank [Williams] Jr. had a dad, and they know Hank Jr. only from Monday Night Football. That’s a little pet project I’d like to do."

To Raye, it's just as important to honor his heroes as it is to forge his own path in country music.

"Two years ago, I did a Glen Campbell tribute album because I knew Glen was sick, and I wanted to do a tribute to him while he could still comprehend it," Raye explains. "So we did an album for him of all these songs. I’d love to do something like that again."

While his penchant for tribute projects doesn't mean that Raye has given up on future albums of new material, for now, he is focused on recording and performing songs that speak to him regardless of their origin.

"In the last couple years, I see myself primarily as a singer of great songs," Raye notes, "whether they’re my songs or other people’s songs."

Fans can keep up to date with Raye on his website. His Campbell tribute, Still on the Line, is available via Amazon.

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