Cooling Off...New Parrothead Show...Ronnie Milsap

BILL BLOG

Wednesday October 4, 2023

 

Wednesday morning…first Hump Day in October and I’m back home in Music City. 86 for the high but come Saturday the high will only be 65. Fall be here finally.

 

YESTERDAY

Made the trip back from Maryville, Tennessee to Nashville yesterday morning with Linda Davis and Lang Scott after our showcase on Monday evening over there for a bunch of theater buyers who were there looking for talent to book for their theaters and venues in 2024-25. Now we wait and see how many would like to bring us to their towns, but after talking to many of them we all feel like there will be several. Fingers crossed.

 

We had a beautiful sunny day and yes we mad the obligatory stop at the new Bucee’s in Crossville, Tennessee which was just off I-40 on the way home to Nashville. You’ll be proud to know I resisted the overwhelming urgent to buy one of these bad boys.

 

But I did break down and buy one of these

 

So a great trip and show, and a safe trip home. Can’t beat that.

 

PARROT HEAD CONVENTION

I just added one more show to my calendar. Tuesday October 24 I’ll be playing a 2 pm set at Lulu’s in Gulf Shores as part of MOTM…The Meeting of the Minds. The big Parrothead party down there. My friend Brent Burns is hosting and he’s added me at the 2 pm songwriter that day. 

 

 

 

This will be a HUGE gathering of folks who love the beach, beach singers and all things Jimmy Buffett. And it should be an emotional year as Parrotheads lost THEIR guy. I’m sure there will be many tributed during the week. And especially at this year’s Trop Rock Awards that will happen October 26. 

 

 

The big show I’ll be part of this year will be the “Fools On Stools” event with a stage full of funny guys. Tickets may already be sold out…but you can check if you’re coming down.

 

 

ALSO IN GULF SHORES

There are plans to try and get down to Gulf Shores again early in 2024 for a show with our “Evening in the Round” trio featuring Linda Davis with Lang Scott and me AND…Brent Burns. We’ve done this foursome kind ofshow a couple of other times in Gulf Shores and it sells out AND it’s ton of fun. We’re working out details and having conversations but I should be able to announce something soon.

 

 

A LOSS
I was so saddened to hear that my friend, co-writer, and partner in “Hits & Grins” Steve Dean lost his Father Frank last night. He was such a supporter of Steve and was a big fan of our trio. We stayed at his house a couple of different times when we had a show in the Little Rock area. Such a great man. My heart goes out to Steve and his family this morning. And though we kind of knew it was coming, it doesn’t make the news any less sad.

 

 

That means of course that Steve will not be able to play our scheduled “Hits & Grins”  show at Puckett’s this Saturday night in Franklin, Tennessee. Hit songwriter Danny Wells is going to fill Steve’s chair. Danny wrote songs like “Check Yes Or No” for George Strait and “These Days” by Rascal Flatts to name a couple. Showtime is 8 pm this Saturday evening. 

 

 

HEALTH NOTES

The highest rate of COVID belongs to four states right now. Midwest states. Nebraska, Missouri, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

 

Research is saying that the age bracket of 35-49 is the most likely age group to have long term COVID.

 

And more research is showing that immunotherapy for canine cancer can help dogs live a longer life.

 

FUNNY

This little thoughtful gem is from comedian Steven Wright who says, “If at first, you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you”.

 

SKEETERS

An article I read this morning educated me as to why mosquitoes seem to bite some folks more than others.

 

If you sweat they bite.

 

They’re attracted to carbon dioxide so if you breathe heavy?  You could get a bite.

 

Blood type O is a big attraction for them.

 

And my favorite: If you drink beer you are more attractive to those blood suckers. Who doesn’t like beer?

 

RONNIE MILSAP

The superstar country singer is 80 now and is drastically cutting back on his shows now. They honored him last night at the Bridgestone Arena with a concert that featured a ton of Ronnie Milsap loving artists going on stage and singing his songs. Kelly Clarkson, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Urban, Lori Morgan, Ray Stevens and on and on. I’ve been a big fan since I first played his early single on the radio as a kid… “That Girl Who Waits on Table” from a 45-RPM on RCA. And on the flip side was “I Hate You” which also became a big Milsap hit.

 

 

I’ve been around him a few times and have a couple of great stories about Ronnie. Here’s one of my very favorites that involves Ronnie and my late Father who’s passed, and who was blind for the last several years of his life.

 

Ronnie was an in studio guest of mine one morning on WSM-FM Radio here in Nashville. The studio was in the Opryland Hotel. That morning I called my Dad back in Missouri and let Ronnie and my Dad talk “live” on air about the challenges of being blind. It was a really interesting conversation. As I was wrapping up the interview to go to commercials my Dad said, “One more thing Ronnie”.  Ronnie replied, “Yes sir?”. And my Dad then said, “Ronnie, is it just me or have all the girls gotten prettier?” Ronnie howled and so did I. And I thought, “Dad, get your own danged radio show”!

 

QUITTING JOBS

People quit jobs for weird and or funny reasons sometimes. I quit one job in my life. A factory job when I was young. I simply could not do one more day doing the same thing over and over again in that little assembly line and walked out one day with only 7 or 8 days left of it before I was to leave for college. But I’ve never quit a job because of reasons like these.

 

One guy quit to join the Circus. For real.

 

Another left to play the trombone. Maybe in a Circus.

 

One woman told her boss she had to quit because her spouse had just escaped from prison so they had to flee the country as he was a fugitive.

 

I feel better about why I quit that factory job now!

 

SCREECHING PHONES

Don’t forget that all our phones will get an alert today…they’ll be going off. The alert is to remind us that the Columbus Day Mattress Sale is only a few days away.  I think. I’m checking.

 

TODAY
Well, my week has kind of opened up with a couple of writing cancellations this week so I’m going to take some time to do some catching up and get out and enjoy the great weather we’re having right now.

 

Have a great Wednesday!