Eric Church is the bad boy of country music and he's not shy about it.  He bares all in Playboy about his rise to fame.

Eric Church grew up in a family of bad boys, 'They were rough and did a lot of fighting—drunk fighting.'  He now spends more time singing on stage to thousands, instead of fighting a bar full of drunks.

His Nashville career didn't come easy and he still holds a grudge about it.  Church recalls playing his music for a record label rep who told him, ‘I don’t know where you’re from, but I’d go back there. I don’t ever see these songs working in Nashville.’  Luckily, he didn't listen.  The next day Sony called to sign him to a record deal.

Eric hasn't forgotten those hurtful words.  He keeps a list of everyone who stood in his way and carries it with him on stage every night. Church also carries a chip on his shoulder and knows it.  'I’ve been kind of a lone wolf, and I’m okay with not having a lot of friends in the community.'

Church's chip actually got him fired after opening up for Rascal Flatts at Madison Square Gardens.  He broke almost every rule an opening act can't break.  He used parts of the stage he wasn't suppose to.  He played too loud and he played too long.  Church was fired as soon as he walked off stage.  His replacement: Taylor Swift, which is a better match for a Rascal Flatts crowd than Church.

Since being fired, Church has went on to win several awards on his own. He was named the ACM top new vocalist in 2011, 'Chief' won CMA and ACM album of the year and 'Springsteen' picked up song of the year honors.  Just last year, the New York Times named his concert one of the best live shows.

Love him or hate him, Church doesn't care.  Just shut up and let him sing.

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