Justin Moore photo by Kristin Barlowe, courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Justin Moore’s “Small Town USA” has gone as high as it possibly can on the national charts, reaching No. 1 this week in both Billboard and Country Airplay.

It’s a big moment, but so is a small addition to his family: Justin and his wife, Kate, have a daughter due in February. They plan to name her Ella Kole, and it appears Justin waited to tell the rest of the world about it until he finally felt comfortable with becoming a dad.

“Initially when Kate told me, it scared the crap out of me!” he admits. “And I was kidding her after I heard, with as much as we’ve been on the road this year, asking her if she was sure the kid was mine!”

“It definitely was a surprise, but it is truly a blessing,” he adds. “I’ve always wanted to be a dad. We found out a bit ago that we were gonna have a girl, and I had thought for the longest time that we were gonna have a boy. I guess that’s how every man is — he wants a boy first. But I’m already dreading 16 years from now when I have to go kill some guy for looking at her wrong! In all seriousness, we are both very excited.”

Thanks to Justin’s itinerary, Kate’s having to spend much of her pregnancy without him. This week is typical: Justin plays the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, then takes off on Thursday for a run that has him performing in nine different cities in 10 days. Most of the shows are, appropriately, in small towns. And a date in Houston Oct. 2 has him opening for David Allan Coe, who’s namechecked on “Small Town USA.”

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