BILL BLOG
Thursday June 20, 2024
Wednesday morning with a return trip to Nashville this morning from Heyworth, Illinois. 93 degrees here today.
YESTERDAY
At 9 AM after breakfast at the American Legion here in Heyworth I was assigned a veteran to write with. Marc Rogers served as a Navy Corpsman in Viet Nam and he told me his story. Really nice man, and he had asked for me specifically to write his story because he had found some of my funny songs online and apparently liked the sense of humor. It worked out great as Marc has a great sense of humor as well AND he loves bluegrass music. And I write a lot of bluegrass songs.
So somewhere in the middle of his story of helping to deliver babies out in the open, to patching up our own soldiers from bar fights on leave, to helping save over 1,000 lives in Viet Nam he told me that they nicknamed him “Armadillo”. And that became the title of the song.
Here are the lyrics to the chorus
The thing about Armadillos
Is some have a really thick skin
Some get across the road they’re on
Some get back home again
No don’t mind the nickname
In fact I’m kind of proud you know
To have helped saved over 1,000 lives
Navy Corpsman…Armadillo
LAST NIGHT
Then last night I played my song with Marc sitting right beside me with his sister and wife on the front row.
And every songwriter did the same before a PACKED ROOM at the American Legion Hall.
And at the end of the performances each songwriter gave one of these.
And we autographed the back of them. 4 of these will now hang on the walls at home of the 4 veterans we wrote with.
It was truly a memorable two days, and we can’t wait to come back to Heyworth next year.
SMALL TOWNS
I grew up in a small town like Heyworth. And there are some signs that remind you that you are indeed in a small town. Like this one...that was in the men's bathroom at the American Legion that made me smile.
AN OPRY APPEARANCE
While I was sitting in front of a lasagna meal at the American Legion Hall last night I got a text from my friend Alex Miller who you’ve seen me blog about here many times asking if I wanted to come see his debut at the Grand Ole Opry June 26? I called him and just told him how PROUD I was for him! He just turned 21 so this is about as good a gift as he could ever receive.
Alex’s first single was a song I helped write “Don’t Let The Barn Door Hit Ya” and since then we’ve written a lot of songs together…me and this Kentucky kid who stole a lot of hearts on American Idol a couple of years ago. So my wife and I are going to be back stage at the Opry next week to celebrate with him. Pretty special stuff.
A NOMINATION
The second round of balloting came in yesterday for the big International Bluegrass Awards that will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina this Fall. I was more than pleased to see the song “Wildflower Too” is on the ballot for “Best Song of the Year” for Darin && Brooke Aldridge who I wrote the song with. So fingers crossed for this wonderful duo who are up for several awards.
HEALTH NOTES
Doctors are seeing more and more young people with heart disease. They seem to think a more sedentary lifestyle is to blame that brings about high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
There are 20,000 snake bites a year in Kenya and 4,000 deaths yearly from snakebites. Apparently they can’t get enough snake anti venom for some reason.
In an Alzheimer’s breakthrough, researchers have identified a ‘protective gene’ that delays the disease in high risk family.
AN OBSERVATION
This one comes from one of my morning radio idols Gerry House who ruled the airwaves in Nashville before retiring several years ago. He tweeted this: “Apparently the problem is explaining to someone in cognitive decline they are in cognitive decline.”
SUMMER SOLSTICE
That would be tomorrow. First day of summer…longest day of the year. I know, it’s already felt like summer for a while in some places with heat records already being broken on a daily basis. Keep in mind that Kroger’s is giving away 45,000 pints of ice cream tomorrow, while they last, to help cool you off.
If the heat gets unbearable…do what I do.
THEM AND US
The rock band Queen just sold its recording and publishing rights for 1.27 BILLION dollars. Wow. We will, we will, rock you!
If the folks who just ponied up that kind of money to buy their catalog are reading this, I have a music catalog as well. Call me.
UP NEXT
I’ll be playing a couple of songs and then hosting this songwriter show this Saturday at noon at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville. Some really great songwriters here so if you’re in town come join us.
MARRIAGE TIP
Now keep in mind that my lovely wife sent me this joke.
Marriage tip: “Sometimes when my wife is a jerk, I’ll look at her through my fork and imagine her in jail. It makes me feel better.”
TODAY
Back on the road going home to Nashville. It’s about a 6 hour drive to get there. Leaving with nothing but great memories of the last two days writing with veterans in Heyworth, Illinois.
Have a great Thursday!
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