Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations all pride all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death leaving only what is truly important.

I grew up between the two world wars and received a rather solid general education the kind middle class children enjoyed in a country whose educational system had its roots dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

I have a lot of boyfriends I want you to write that. Every country I visit I have a different boyfriend. And I kiss them all.

My dad and grandpa were in the army and as a country singer you're constantly playing at military bases all across the country and meeting soldiers and their families and hearing their stories.

I had always loved music. I grew up listening to classic country Waylon Jennings Merle Haggard. My dad loved Vern Gosdin and Keith Whitley. So I kept going to class and started getting totally into playing guitar and teaching myself these songs.

I always had a standard of back when I was doing the country music I always told people I would never record a song that I wouldn't sit down and sing in front of my mom and dad.

My dad is a bank president and my mom was an accountant and they didn't think that seeking the life of a freelance writer was very practical you see. Of course I was just as determined to do it.

I went to my dad when I was 17 and said 'I want to be a country music star.' Which every dad loves to hear. And he said 'I want you to go to college.' So we had a discussion. And I'm pretty stubborn. I'm a lot like him. And he said 'If you go to college and graduate I'll pay your first six months of rent in Nashville.' So he bribed me.

My dad was a huge country music fan but he also had a band and he sang. So he'd listen to a lot of music and the songs that he'd learn for the band were more from the male artists. So my earliest country memories were Waylon Jennings Conway Twitty George Jones Johnny Paycheck even.

I was into all kinds of music as a teen - country music because my dad was in a band that played country and whatever my sister and brother were into.

I had the opportunity to go to law school and my dad who was an accountant couldn't believe I wanted to walk away from that and start cooking.

My dad is like a cactus - introverted and tough. I'm a people person like my mom but I got my competitiveness from my dad. He came to this country from Belarus with nothing and built a real business. He's my hero for giving me that need to run a business and for having enormous confidence in me.

My dad was a Communist Party member who fought for his country.

I haven't been baptised. My dad's not in the church and is not a religious person. My mum is more spiritual - she does Thai-chi and goes to Stonehenge and things like that. I'm proud to be pagan. Finland is not really a religious country. I'm still looking for my god.

My Dad used to tell us: 'En este pais ustedes van a poder lograr todas las cosas que nosotros no pudimos' 'In this country you will be able to accomplish all the things we never could.'

Now my dad is with me traveling with me and a big part of this whole thing is I like to mix it up a little bit you know. Who gets to take their father on a private jet across the country and stay in first class hotels? So we're enjoying it but I'd stop if it's not possible.

My dad said to me growing up: 'When all is said and done if you can count all your true friends on one hand you're a lucky man.'