How Bones Goes About It

Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, taught Bobby Bones a lot about life.

"My stepdad worked at the sawmill, and he hated his job," he recalls. "I never wanted to be someone who hates going to work."

That's good, considering he juggles several jobs.

In addition to his Nashville-based syndicated radio show and podcast, he's a published author, American Idol mentor and past winner of Dancing with the Stars. He produces and hosts The Grand Ole Opry's weekly television show, Opry, and he has a side gig fronting a comedy band called Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots.

Did we mention that the band and his Pimpin' Joy apparel line have helped raise more than $16 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital?

His new series, Breaking Bobby Bones, debuted May 31 on Nat Geo. "I'm excited to see where it goes," he says.

Where Bones goes — literally — is around the country, learning new skills and putting them to the test. He also tells the stories of people he meets — how they got into an unusual trade or survived a traumatic situation. In one episode he might be doing underwater repairs, and in the next he could be dangling 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon.

Nat Geo president Courteney Monroe and Bones had long discussed ideas for a TV show, but things kicked into high gear after Bones appeared last year on Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

"There were three things I wanted," he says. "I wanted it to be funny. I wanted to be able to teach people something. And I wanted it to have heart, and not just to give back, but to make people feel something. I feel like we've hit all three with this show."

Bones hopes showcasing people who have challenged themselves and worked hard to make their dreams come true will inspire kids living in poverty or people struggling with serious issues to see that it's possible to improve their lives.

He still challenges himself, too. "I hate heights. I didn't want to hang over that cliff at the Grand Canyon, but I also didn't want to hate myself longer for not doing it than it would take me to do it."

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 5, 2021