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Two New Songs..."Hits & Grins" Show...Golden Guitar Awards

BILL BLOG

Friday January 20, 2023

 

Friday morning and the weekend is on us. Winds have calmed down after ramping up here in Nashville yesterday bringing cooler temperatures in. After being in the 60’s the past few days the high is just 48 today. Bring on the weekend.

 

YESTERDAY

I had the pleasure of writing two songs with Tim Stafford over in Knoxville on our computers. Tim brought a really funny song idea for me to help him make even funnier, and I brought him a bluegrass tune for him to make even grassier. So that worked out well. Tim’s idea was about a lady who works at Family Dollar General Store who has a bit of an attitude and considers herself a Queen, when she’s anything but that. I think Tim may have had a personal experience with the Queen we wrote about.

I had a start on a song that’s about those old country general stores like the one I grew up near in New Hope Missouri. We tried to capture some of the images from those kind of one pump gas station stores that both Tim and I were familiar with. The songs could not have turned out better.

Tim is now turning his attention to the studio as he and his award-winning bluegrass group “Blue Highway” is getting ready to record a new album.

 

LAST NIGHT

Our “Hits & Grins” trio played the Listening Room Café here in Nashville again. Such a great venue to play as the room was built for songwriters and true listening audiences. Steve Dean, Victoria Venier and myself had such a great time.


 

 

We had tourists in from California, where we had just been playing shows, and as far away as Toronto, Canada. It’s just a pleasure to play that room and sing our original songs while sharing the stories behind them.


 

 

And there were some really funny moments on stage last night. One of those happened when Steve Dean dropped the word “epiphany “and I questioned him about dropping such a big word in the middle of our show. And then it got really silly and funny on stage. You had to be there I suppose.


 

 

Our next “Hits & Grins” show will be in McAllen, Texas on Thursday February 2. And then the very next evening I’ll be joining Linda Davis and Lang Scott for a show in Boca Grande, Florida. Here’s hoping the airlines get me there on time for that one!


 

 

TRACK OF THE DAY

The Golden Guitar Awards are tomorrow night down in Tamworth, Australia so today I want to shine a light on 1 of 4 songs I have on the Kristy Cox album that’s up for Album of the Year as is the album from TC Cassidy “Travelling Heart” that I featured yesterday here in the blog.


 

 

I’m proud of all 4 songs on this album including “Blue Ain’tJust A Color” that I wrote by myself. Thank you Kristy for loving this tune as well as the other three.

 

Good luck to both Kristy and TC!

 

DAVID CROSBY

One fourth of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young passed away at 81. David Crosby’s music however will live on. I love harmony, and the blend those four guys had together when they sang was pretty magical. Even when they were bickering and going through problems, it was magic when they just sang. RIP.


 

 

HEALTH AND VIRUS NOTES

In Germany, where my daughter and son in law move to with the Army this weekend have vending machines that kick out Rapid Test kits. There’s just not a whole lot one can’t get from a vending machine these days.

 

A health study just released in Israel claims that they have found not found any signs of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine leading to strokes.

 

Good to read this. The U.S. cancer death rate has fallen 33% since 1991. Progress.

 

FUNNY SIGN

In an effort to stop folks from texting while they drive…someone hung this funny sign. Made me smile.


 

 

MOVING OUT

More New Yorkers left the Big Apple to move to Florida in 2022 than any other time in history. And they’re still packing up and headed to the sunshine state. High taxes and crime are the major reasons listed. So they’re trading rats for gators. 64,577 New Yorkers made the move to the sunshine state last year.

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

Our Pet Rooster Attacked My Child…So We Had Chicken Nuggets For Dinner.

 

TODAY

I’m off to write with producer-writer-singer Jerry Salley at my publishing company. On top of everything else, Jerry is the head guy for Billy Blue and Billy Jam Records. To say he’s a busy guy would be a huge understatement. We’ve got an idea we want to write today that was inspired by the Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin’s story that had the country praying for him.

 

And then this Sunday, we have to say goodbye to my daughter Heather and her Army pilot husband Casey Peterson. They’re off to Germany where they will be stationed for the next few years. And while they, and we are excited, we certainly know how much we’re going to miss them being a little closer. Nothing easy about saying goodbye, but my wife and I are already looking forward to flying over to see them after they get settled. I need to start learning a few words in German like, “exactly where is the nearest Cracker Barrel”?


 

 

Have a great weekend!

 


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