TULALIP – If Hank Williams Jr. was not an entertainer, he would be on a fishing boat or a hunting guide.

“Those are two of the best things I could be doing if I am not doing a show,” he said via an email interview July 6. “I don’t book shows during hunting season at all.”

But he is a country singer and will be performing on the Tulalip Amphitheater stage Wednesday, July 8. He obviously still loves what he does, even after performing for decades.

“I only do twenty-five shows a year,” he said. “I perform where I want to, when I want to and for who I want to. I have the most loyal, hardcore fans in the business.”

The son of the legendary Hank Williams, Williams Jr. started performing at a young age.

“I am eight years old, my mother puts me out on stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time, and everyone expects me to go out and sing daddy’s songs,” he said. His dad died when he was 4.

Because of his status, he was influenced by some of the all-time greats.

“You have people like Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, and so many others visiting mother and teaching me how to play banjo or piano,” he said. “It’s not easy to say I had one influence. I had many.”

He said he knows he is fortunate to have been taught by such successful musicians.

“Remember all of those folks I just mentioned had number one hits with some of daddy’s songs,” he said. “So they were over at the house quite often.   Now, let’s add in that June Carter Cash was my godmother, and I was over at her house growing up.”

Williams plays a number of instruments, but he learned them early in life so, “It just came naturally to me,” he said. In the shows he plays piano, fiddle, electric and acoustic guitar, and sometimes dobro.

Williams’ life has revolved around music, but he said he did not push it on his children.

“I want my family to be happy no matter what they are doing, and if music is their path, so be it,” he said.

As it turned out, music has been in the path for most of his kids.

Only “Katie is staying far away from it,” he said.

Shelton (Hank III) and Holly are making records and touring, while Hilary and Sam are dabbling in it, their dad said.

Williams Jr. said his songs are almost like children.

“You know, songs are like your kids. You actually like something about every one of them,” he said.

Because of the connection with his own dad, “Tear In My Beer” is one of his favorites.

That was “special because of finding daddy’s voice on those old acetates and being able to make that video with him,” Williams Jr. said.

He added that many fans like “Country Boy Can Survive” because of its simplicity, and “Family Tradition” because it’s a good singalong.

“When I perform I do ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ when I sit down at the piano, and I do ‘Kawliga’ when I play the fiddle, so I think so many of my songs and daddy’s songs are timeless,” Williams Jr. said.

Many people know Williams Jr. because his song for more than two decades was the theme for “Monday Night Football.” He hinted that something similar could happen again.

“Well that was a one-year deal that turned into an American anthem,” he said. “It lasted over twenty years and was something that not just football fans looked forward to every Monday night. It was a good run, and who knows I might pop up at another network real soon.”