Dierks Bentley Reveals His Life Began When He Had Kids

Dierks Bentley is a successful country music singer and songwriter, but what really made him into the man he is today? His family! The "5-1-5-0" singer recently opened up about his family and how important it is to be a father.

The "Drunk on a Plane" singer revealed to Esquire in a recent interview that his kids, and of course his wife, are responsible for the man we all see today. "I thought I was a man until I had kids, and then I realized that my real life had just begun," Dierks told the magazine. 

"It tears away the person you were before, builds you up to become the person you have to become the person you have to become, makes you learn a lot of skills — a lot of man skills. That all comes with a kid. Especially three of them."

The 38-year-old singer loves his children, but backtracked in his interview and admitted that his wife, Cassidy Black, was the original person to make him a man. "My wife made me the man I am before my kids. Women are very wise, knowingly and unknowingly. They have a lot more going on upstairs and in their soul than we do. My wife, I always felt, has been very wise and has kinda dragged me along, getting me to this spot of manhood," he explained.

Dierks revealed that before he had his family he would be the last one off the bus when he would get back from tour. Now he has something to rush home for. "I learned, once I had kids, that you really try to cut the corners off your work. I got back into flying — got my pilot's license — so instead of leaving the night before a gig, I can leave the day of and get one extra night at home, one extra morning," the singer said.

Despite having an amazing wife and children, Dierks does love his job, especially when he gets to meet his idols. In an interview with Rolling Stone Country, Dierks admitted that he has had a couple of fan girl moments in the past.

"The first time I met George Strait was in April of 2004 on tour. He was walking down the hallway and I got the nerve up to say hi to him. He was getting ready to go onstage and I was with my band in the dressing room and I said, 'I'm going to do it. I'm going to make my move,'" Dierks told Rolling Stone.

"I said, 'George, hey, it's Dierks. I'm so excited to be a part of this tour.' He had his [musician earplugs] in and he said, 'I can't hear you, I got my ears in. I'll talk to you later,' and he walked onstage. That was big time fangirling."