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Miller Time...Album Release Party...Statue of a Buddy

BILL BLOG

Monday July 10, 2023

 

First of a new week. Another Monday has rolled around. Sunshine with an 87 degree high here today in Twang Town.

 

And yes the website is up and running after being down for a bit this past Friday. My brother Gary alerted me and I quickly found out if you have a website you HAVE to renew the domain. Doh!

 

THE WEEKEND

My weekend started with a writing session Friday morning with Alex Miller that many of you know from American Idol. Alex has been finishing up his second record for Billy Blue Records and was in town on very short notice for a photo session to be used for the new album. I was proud to have had his very first single release after Idol “Don’t Let The Barn Door HitYa” that I wrote with Paul Bogart & Dan Wilson. And I’m thrilled that I’ll have a song on the new album as well.

 

Friday we wrote a couple of songs. How does that happen? I brought an idea with some of the work done, and Alex did the same. Mine is a cool gospel thing, Alex brought kind of a western swing groove idea. And both were fun to finish up together.

 

Alex plays really well, sings great, and on stage and in person he’s impossible to not love. A bit of an old school soul in a young body…and that’s kind of refreshing. 


 

 

SUNDAY ALBUM PARTY

Last night I attended Clare Cunningham’s album release party for “Helping Hand” at the City Winery here in town. Clare and her friend Alyssa Jayce hit the stage and performed all 11 songs of this new project that includes this song “Look For Jesus” that I wrote with Clare and my buddy Steve Dean. It’s a very inspirational album from my Irish friend who will release another album later this year that will be very Celtic-Irish and will include another song the three of us co-wrote. 


 

 

She had a great crowd of friends and industry folks attending and she did such great job on our song as well as the others. The album is out everywhere now so check it out. And thanks for recording the song Clare!


 

 

CONGRATS!

Big time to my friend and co-writer Jimmy Fortune who had a statue erected in Nelson County, Virginia where he’s from over the weekend along with Earl Hamner Jr. the creator of “The Waltons” and “Falcon Crest”. That happened at the Nelson County Historical Museum there in Arrington, VA. Could not have happened to a better guy.


And his neighbor, and great songwriter who I’ve also written with is getting close to finishing a biography on the life and times of my friend Jimmy Fortune. His name is Dave Clark. I’ll be at the head of the line to buy the book about the long time tenor singer of the Statler Brothers who became a great solo act and is also part of this great group “Brothers of the Heart”. Big time Jimmy…so happy for your recognition.

 


 

 

HEALTH NOTES

A study finds red meat and cheese are unlikely to shorten one’s life span. Great. I might live forever then.

 

According to new research kidney stones are rising among children and teens especially girls. They’re not exactly sure why yet but suspect diets high in processed foods, overuse of antibiotics and hotter summers.

 

The average life span is around 79 years of age but it’s less if you live in one of the 12 tobacco states. Uh oh. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Missouri.

 

SOOEY

In Louisville police were called to help chase an owner’s pet pig who had gotten away. Sort of like watching the greased pig contests at the country fair except for the fact that everyone was wearing a badge in this one. Guess what the pig’s name is?  Bacon Bits. No lie.

 

And with that I give you the greatest country pig song ever written and performed by my all-time favorite songwriter Roger Miller…a song that is part of his Tony Award winning Broadway play he wrote “Big River”. “HowBout A Hand For The Hog”?

 

EXPENSIVE LICKING

The Post Office increased the price of a forever stamp yesterday. They’ve gone from 63 to 67 cents per stamp now. The great thing is that I never have to lick and stick on any of my e-mails.

 

TAXIDERMIST SIGN

Hard to argue with this "stuffed" kind of advice...



 

LOTTA DOLLY

How about the town dressing up like Dolly Parton to break a record?  It happened in the town of Listowel, Ireland. And over 1,000 folks showed up wearing wigs trying to look like her. Pretty sure the bedding shop sold out of pillows to stuff into bras.


 

 

POWERBALL

I have to grab one today as the odds are surely in my favor to pick a winner now that it’s worth 650 million or more. If I win, I’ll not go crazy like the woman who won the lotto and then bought breast augmentations for herself and both of her sisters. Nope…I won’t need those…and I promise not to buy any for my sisters either.

 

OR…
Maybe I could uncover a bunch of Civil War coins like that Kentucky man did when he was out digging in his cornfield. Over 700 of them in all…most gold coins. Wow. I think I’ll find my shovel and take a shot in my backyard later today.


 

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

"My Dead Hamster Loved To Travel So I’m Taking His Ashes Across Europe." A little hamster here, a little hamster there…

 

TODAY

I’m online writing with my Pennsylvania, bluegrass buddy Troy Engle who’s latest single “Back Home” that we wrote together is doing well and is on several bluegrass charts right now…a good thing!

 

Have a great Monday.

 

 


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