Dierks Bentley’s love affair with country music began in his teens.

Music had been a part of his life since he was small, but at around age 17, he heard Hank Williams Jr. sing “Man to Man” and the sound lit a fire inside him that still burns to this day.

“I just knew this was what I wanted to do,” he said.

It didn’t happen overnight, but Bentley is now one of country music’s biggest stars, with multiple hits and awards to his name. The singer-songwriter is bringing his “Off the Map Tour” to Ford Amphitheater.

At 19, Bentley decided to move to Nashville to chase his dream. For years he worked day jobs to make ends meet while playing unpaid gigs at local dive bars.

It was a rough existence, but it gave him the chance to hone his craft in front of live audiences. After finally getting a regular, weekly playing gig, he eventually landed a recording deal with Capitol Nashville in 2002.

“Those were some tough years,” he said. “But I don’t regret any of it.”

Bentley, who last played Colorado Springs during his 2024 “Gravel and Gold” tour, said Ford Amphitheater is one of his favorite venues to play.

“I love (the Ford Amphitheater),” he said. “It’s a large venue, but it has an intimate feel to it.”

The musician has a long-standing affinity for the Centennial State, he said. In 2018, Bentley released his album “The Mountain,” which he wrote and recorded in Colorado. He and his family lived in Telluride for most of 2020, riding out the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic there before moving back to Nashville. He opened a restaurant and bar, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, in Denver in 2021.

“Colorado is a beautiful place,” he said. “The mountains, the scenery. … I always have a good time there.”

Bentley spends most of the year on the road, which can be difficult for a family man.

“Being away from my family is the hardest part,” he said. “But I love my band, I love my crew and I love playing live music. Being on stage with the guys — there’s nothing like it.”

He recently took a brief respite to spend Father’s Day at home with his wife and kids, attending his son’s hockey tournament and doing “dad stuff” around the house.

“(My kids) aren’t overly caught up in what I do,” he said. “I don’t have a bunch of gold records hanging on the walls at the house. At home, I’m just ‘Dad and it’s the greatest job in the world.”

Bentley likes to take his kids on the road with him whenever he can and fans can expect to see them when he makes his tour stop in Colorado Springs, he said.

“They love it,” he said. “They love the fans and they’re proud that so many people come out to see their Dad play.”

Fans can expect a dynamic show featuring favorites like “Drunk on a Plane,” “Free and Easy,” “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Burning Man.” Country artists Ricky Skaggs and Cole Goodwin will also be featured.

“I like to treat each tour like it’s the last one I’m ever going to do,” he said. “I don’t ever want a fan to leave one of my shows feeling like they got cheated.”

IF YOU GO

What: Dierks Bentley’s “Off the Map” tour

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Ford Amphitheater, 95 Spectrum Loop

Price: $79 and up; fordamphitheater.live