This weekend sees the 26^th annual Downtown Hoedown, the country’s largest free country music festival, take place at Hart Plaza in Detroit. Headlining on Friday night is hometown hero and former “American Idol” contestant Josh Gracin.

Gracin’s rise since his appearance on that TV show has been nothing short of meteoric, with his debut self-titled album quickly going gold and the four singles pulled from that record reaching the Billboard top 5. His appearance at the Hoedown to in support of the April 1 release of “We Weren’t Crazy,” alongside mega-selling siren Jewel, marks another milestone in Gracin’s career. Metromix spoke to the man of the moment to find out what's new after surviving Simon Cowell's criticisms and the Paula Abdul's cuckoo mentality.

How did a former marine from Michigan get introduced to country music?
When I was 12 years old, I heard it on the radio. My favorite station was 99.5, which played pop and dance music, but as I got slightly older I switched to country music. I listened to a lot of eighties music as I was growing up, but when I started listening to country music, Garth Brooks was an amazing influence. Then it was people like Travis Tritt, and other artists that came before him.

When you were starting out, did you find that there was any kind of country scene here in Michigan?
At first, I really didn’t think so. But it spread really quickly and I was surprised at the response that the music started getting. They do the annual Hoedown now, and there are always masses of people that come out to it. It’s great to see the impact that country music is having on Michigan.

When you entered “American Idol,” were you concerned about how you’d be perceived by serious country music fans?
It was a very touchy situation. After going on there for a couple of weeks and hearing what the judges were saying, then I felt uncomfortable because I had to sing all kinds of music. But I really wanted to keep singing country so I decided to go all out.

How do you look back on the “American Idol” experience?
It was very positive. I got to reach a lot of people, and I gained a lot of tools. There was a lot of pressure with all the rehearsals. After each show you go straight into thinking about the next song and the next week, so it was very high-paced and that helped me prepare for my career.

A couple of seasons after you, a different country artist, Carrie Underwood, won. Was that good to see?
That was definitely good to see. She reaches a lot of people and can turn kids onto country music, which can only be a good thing.

Concerning the first album, was there anything that surprised you about the whole process?
It was definitely an experience. The first album was a milestone for me, and I was just excited to get in the studio and record. I guess the thing that surprised me was how much action goes into it. You don’t just go in there, record and leave. I was singing the same verse, the same chorus or the same part of a song over and over and over, until the producer got what he wanted. It was definitely a lot of work.

How does your new record “We Weren’t Crazy” differ from the first?
The second record is a lot more me. It has more of a sensual feel. I have more personal experiences to write about, and so the record is a lot more intense.

Are you looking forward to headlining the Hoedown in front of a hometown crowd?
Definitely. We’ve got a lot of exciting things planned. I’ve wanted to get on that stage ever since the first one. It’ll be great. And we’re playing after Jewel. That’ll be great because her music is so different to mine, but still so good.

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring country artists in Detroit?
The most important thing is to be yourself. I know everybody says that, but you have to figure out who you are at the beginning, because it’s very difficult to do that later with everything else going on.

You made the move of relocating to Nashville. Do you miss Michigan at all?
Oh, definitely. I read the Free Press, Detroit News and all the sports sites every day to see what’s going on. That’s a routine for me. I think the Pistons are gonna do it this year. As long as Rasheed [Wallace] decides he’s gonna play, we’ll win.