Despite a busy tour schedule, Bo Bice finds time for his proudest accomplishment: fatherhood. Visit the Photo Place

>> ROCKER HAS KEPT COMPANY WITH EVERYONE FROM LYNYRD SKYNYRD TO MICKEY MOUSE EX-'IDOL' CONTESTANT BO BICE STAYING BUSY

Bo Bice settled into his own after 'Idol,' as both a musician and a family man

Date published: 2/26/2009

BY JESSE SCOTT

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

If Bo Bice were a novel, you'd likely be hooked after breezing through the first few pages.

Since placing second behind Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of "American Idol," Bice has continued to inscribe the pages of a promising musical and personal journey.

Among his proudest chapters is being a great dad to his sons, Aidan, 3, and Caleb, 6 months.

"My son [Aidan] now thinks I'm cool because I got to hang out with Goofy and Mickey Mouse," said Bice in a phone interview from Nashville. "Only after I met Mickey did he think that," he laughed.

In February, Bice reunited with a handful of "Idol" grads (including Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and David Cook) at Disney World in Orlando for the grand opening of "The American Idol Experience." Park guests now have the chance to participate in an interactive competition similar to that which Bice knows so well.

Looking back, Bice is immensely grateful for the "Idol" exposure and is now focused on simply doing what he loves.

"There are a lot more pros than cons when it comes to my 'Idol' experience," he said.

"There are always going to be people in the industry that simply won't let you in because of a logo. But it's exciting that people got to see a transformation from someone who was a nobody to someone who finished second place on a show seen by 35 million people."

Part of Bice's evolution has been going from playing small acoustic shows to big-time venues. He will hit the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna on Sunday.

"I used to play in this club with one drunk guy," reminisced Bice. "He would clap and beg me to play 'Free Bird' on acoustic."

These days Bice brings his country-style Americana to swarms in the form of stellar renditions and his own original songs. His live shows are high-energy and simply fun. He has played with everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to A.J. Croce, and has even performed for U.S. troops in the Middle East.

What: Former 'American Idol' runner-up Bo Bice performs, with guest Patrick Mitchell. Where: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Cost: $25 Info: 703/938-2404 Web: wolftrap.org

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Date published: 2/26/2009