For Trace Adkins, this is no holiday badonkadonk

Trace Adkins has sold more than 10 million albums. He has had four No. 1 country singles. He's even acted in nearly a dozen films.

But in a telephone interview from Nashville as he finished rehearsals for his new Christmas-themed tour, Adkins says he's nervous.

"It's unlike anything I've ever done," Adkins says. "I mean, you come up with an idea like this and then you watch it grow and become what you hoped it would become, and then you have to actually go out and put it in front of people and prepare yourself for what may come."

He will put it in front of Minnesotans in shows in Rochester and Onamia this week.

Based on his new Celtic-themed Christmas album "The King's Gift" — Adkins' first holiday disc — the show will not feature Adkins singing his hits "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," "Ladies Love Country Boys" or "You're Gonna Miss This," but instead yuletide favorites such as "Away in a Manger" and "We Three Kings."

In addition, it features Adkins in spoken-word fireside chats that are sometimes historical and sometimes humorous.

That, Adkins says, is inspired by his work with Disney World's Candlelight Processional, which he has performed several years and will again this year. The annual event combines a retelling of the Christmas story with live performances of holiday music by a massed choir, 50-piece orchestra and a dozen celebrity participants

"You have to have some specialized musicians to do this Celtic stuff, and there's a whole herd of 'em on the stage," he said.

"The King's Gift" album was 15 years in the making, Adkins says.

Back then, he was in the studio with guitarist Michael Spriggs, an accomplished guitarist who's a native of Ireland. In addition to playing on several of Adkins' records, Spriggs has done instrumental Celtic records.

Adkins says he told Spriggs, "Man, I love those records you make, and I'd like to do a Christmas record with that feel. And he said, 'Well, let's do it, man!' And so he and I, being both the procrastinators that we are, we jumped right on it and 15 years later we got it finished."

The disc was actually recorded last winter. "I said … If it's not cold enough for me to wear an overcoat, I don't feel like singing Christmas songs," he says with a laugh.

Adkins also tapped Nashville-based singer Lily Costner, whom he says he admired but didn't know was actor Kevin Costner's daughter until keyboardist Jon Coleman told him while suggesting her for background vocals. "And he said, 'I bet Kevin would sing on this record.' And I said, 'Naah.' And so she asked him and, yeah, he said yes." The Costners both sing on "Silent Night," and Lily Costner is on the tour.

Despite his apprehension, Adkins, 51, says he has been choosing projects that challenge him — like "Celebrity Apprentice," which he won last March. He'll also again host Fox TV's American Country Awards Tuesday, with race car driver Danica Patrick.