LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Two days into Habitat for Humanity's annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Week Project, hosted by and , and the country legends were feeling the burn.
鈥淲ell, we're sore," Yearwood said, laughing. "We鈥檙e all here for the same reason, which is to help everybody have a roof over their head. So, it鈥檚 a great cause. It鈥檚 a great experience.鈥�
This year, the project is held at a large-scale affordable housing neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. Construction began on Sunday, coincidentally marking . It was celebrated with a for the former president care at home.
鈥淵ou learn several things鈥� when working alongside the Carters," Yearwood said. "You learn that you better be working all the time 鈥� if you look like you're standing there idle, President Carter will ask you if you need a job, if you need something to do."
鈥淭his work site without them, we're calling that 'being Carter-ed.' If you get caught without a job, you鈥檝e been Carter'ed."
Brooks and Yearwood first became involved with Habitat for Humanity following Hurricane Katrina and were named in 2016. Yearwood says they鈥檝e built alongside the former president and first lady on every annual work project they鈥檝e participated in, with the exception of this one.
Yearwood also told The Associated Press she's working on new music, writing when the songs come to her, but there's no rush. 鈥淲e got married almost 18 years ago to be together, to not be apart," she says. "So, whoever鈥檚 touring the other one is there, whether they鈥檙e on stage or not. So, we work together all the time.鈥�
Brooks has spent a large part of the year performing at a Las Vegas residency, which .
鈥淚t's a moment of magic for us. Always has been," he says of the shows. "We鈥檝e been pretty lucky in the fact that everything we do comes back to people loving people. Inclusion, inclusion, inclusion. This is the perfect example of it. If you come to Vegas, you鈥檒l see a room full of it, and I鈥檓 very lucky to get to play for those people.鈥�
Habitat might prove to a musical inspiration as well. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a pretty sweet rhythm so you can pick up some good old, good old hammer tracks here,鈥� he jokes.
"And it鈥檚 funny how you鈥檒l find yourself just start to sing a song or hum a song to the rhythm of the atmosphere. So, it鈥檚 in our lives. You can鈥檛 escape it. And it鈥檚 fun to get to share it with these people.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
