Justin Moore’s Hometown Honors Him With Arkansas Traveler Award

Justin Moore has never strayed from his small-town Arkansas roots, and his hometown of Poyen, Ark., has presented him with a very special honor to recognize his support of his home state.

Moore has often drawn on his roots for his songs, particularly with his debut single, "Small Town USA," which he wrote while feeling homesick after moving to Nashville to pursue his country music career. In fact, Moore was so homesick that he moved back to his tiny hometown in 2014 — that's where he and his wife are now raising their family.

“It’s so peaceful, man. That’s why we moved back there,” he tells Taste of Country. “Nashville was really good to me, I lived here for almost 10 years. It was awesome and I spend a fair amount of time here now, but it was good for me to get back home and be around my family, most importantly … I love the simplistic nature of where I grew up.”

Moore has never made any secret of his love for his home state, proudly proclaiming his support for many of its sports teams, especially the Razorbacks. He was honored over the weekend at a ceremony in Poyen, where Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson presented him with the award.

The Arkansas General Assembly created the Arkansas Traveler Certificate in 1941 to honor both out-of-state visitors and Arkansas natives who have a love and appreciation for the Natural State. The award was named for William Cumming's famous song from the 1800s, “The Arkansas Traveller and Rackinsac Waltz,” which inspired one of the most recorded songs in American history, “Arkansas Traveler.”

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