Dierks Bentley Reveals the Story Behind His Name, How He Knew His Wife Was The One

Dierks: I will. She is always complimentary of me no matter what I'm wearing or looking like. She's a big supporter. People always ask her that if she's freaked out that her husband is on the road and girls are freaking out, but I've been doing this a long time and she knows who I am.

Glamour: Dierks is your middle name. What's your first name?

Dierks: Frederick. It's Frederick Dierks Bentley, but my whole family goes by their middle name—my sister, my brother. So from day one, I've always been called Dierks. My mom was really upset when I named my son properly. I told her that his first name was actually going to be his first name! That's how normal people do it, so I don't know why she did it that way! People wonder if Dierks is a stage name.

Glamour: You do have the perfect country name.

Dierks: People tell me it's a horrible name! Like maybe I should have gone by Buck Bentley? But if you say so. [Laughs] I've seen it spelled and pronounced wrong so many times.

Glamour: OK, so "Drunk on a Plane." How many times have you indeed been drunk on a plane? And has everyone asked you that?

Dierks: Everyone always assumes I'll be drunk on a plane now, but I'm like, "No, it's 9 in the morning!" [Laughs] As professional musicians, we spend a lot of time on airplanes and have many Southwest drink coupons. We have actually drank a plane out of beer an hour into the flight. The crew was like, "Folks, due to a certain band on the plane, we're out of beer."[Laughs]

Glamour: So I shouldn't at all be terrified that you have your pilot's license!

Dierks: Ha! I love flying, and I fly long distances. I was going to fly down [to Dallas], but the weather wasn't cooperating. I really love flying, but it's really nice to jump on a plane, sit back, and let someone else do the heavy lifting, but flying is my main passion for sure.

Glamour: On a more serious note, I know how personal "Riser" is to you after the loss of your dad. How did you rise up after that incredibly difficult time?

Dierks: It comes down to perspective. I just met a Make-a-Wish kid and that helps keep things in perspective. My dad was 88 years old, and that's a pretty good number to check out on. I'm also realistic that it's a dull pain that just never goes away and that's normal, but natural. You still need to recognize it. When my dad passed away, Bono actually wrote me a letter...

Glamour: The Bono? Do you know Bono?

Dierks: Yeah, I do. He said, "I don't know how close or far away you were, but it's just a stinker." That's a great word for it. It's just a stinker. There are so many worse things happening in the world right now, so your dad passing away in his 80s? But still, it's just a stinker. My dad was with me for my first ACM win, and now I'm nominated for seven and the song "Riser," but in the end my son was born, so it's this full-circle-of-life thing. I think perspective is the key because if you're lucky, that's the order it happens in.