Brantley Gilbert wrestled with moving to Nashville or maintaining residence in his home state of Georgia. There were a lot factors to consider, including his mama.

"A little bit, yes sir," Brantley answers when Taste of Country asks if he's a mama's boy. "When it all comes down to it, when I’m going through something I can’t handle on my own she’s the first person I call."

Gilbert is working on putting a house on the 12-acre riverfront property he recently bought. He says it won't be a real big house, but the advantage is he's just 10 minutes away from his mother. The two have grown closer since the singer's more rebellious teenage years, and more recently they've learned to lean upon each other. The song 'Indiana's Angel' from Gilbert's self-released album, 'Modern Day Prodigal Son,' is about his mother.

"[It's] just talking about how strong of a woman she is," the 'Country Must Be Country Wide' singer says. "You know she moved out of Indiana, moved down here with my dad, didn’t really have any friends, made some friends and just pretty much … My dad and her got divorced recently. And she’s been pretty strong through the whole thing. I’ve kind of been there for her. The roles have kind of switched a little bit. But it just kind of talks about the angel she is."

Gilbert will soon be headlining the 2011 Taste of Country Christmas Tour. While he is on the road, his mom takes care of his dog, a pit bull named Alley that the singer rescued from abusive bar patrons before a show in Macon, Ga. It doesn't sound like he has any plans to put roots down in Nashville any time soon. A more quiet life along the riverbank suits him just fine.

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