 Walker described his voice to CMT as " raspy [ and ] rugged . " He cites George Jones ( also a Beaumont native ) as a primary influence , as well as James Taylor and Bob Seger ; he has also said that , because he grew up in a largely African @-@ American neighborhood , his singing style was influenced by rhythm and blues music . In addition , he said that after his diagnosis , he realized that " you need to love your family " and said that , because he considered his songs positive in nature , he felt that he could connect to younger listeners . 
