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Tornado Time...Joe Bonsall...Weddings

BILL BLOG

Wednesday July 10, 2024


Another Hump Day has arrived. Hello Wednesday. 86 degree high in Music City today.

 

YESTERDAY

For those who read this little blog, I accidentally deleted every blog that was archived. So today we start anew with new ones. Sometimes I’m just too dangerous to be near a computer.

 

STORMS

I was planning on going to see a baseball game last night and then saw our weather forecast had us under a tornado watch until 11 pm last night. I decided I didn’t want to fly away while eating a hot dog in a baseball park.

 

SPEAKING OF TWISTERS

Those weather folks say that the after effects of hurricane Beryl will bring the greatest tornado threat in 20 years to some parts of the country.



 

Hunker down folks.

 

JOE BONSALL

Sad news came in that Joe Bonsall, the iconic tenor voice of the Oak Ridge Boys passed away at age 76. And it hit me fairly hard as I now know that the song “Blue Collar Gospel” recorded by Jerry Salley & The Oak Ridge Boys will be the last song that Joe Bonsall sang on. A melancholy kind of honor for sure.


 

 

I was not there at the recording session that day, but Jerry told me that Joe was struggling. It was not long after that session that Joe retired from touring. He was having trouble walking. We now know why as he had ALS.


 

He joined the quartet back in 1973 at the age of 25. He’s a member of the Hall of Fame. And if you listen to any Oak Ridge Boys song, it’s Joe’s voice that you pick out. And on stage he was the leader…full of energy and dancing and bringing the “fun” factor to the Oaks. 


 

 

I have no idea how many times I played an Oak Ridge Boys song on the radio through the years. Way too many to count. When they went from being a noted gospel group to a country group they exploded with songs like “Elvira” and the “Y’all Come BackSaloon” that I remember as being their first big hit. I went out right away and bought the record, and still have it on vinyl today in my collection.

 

My co-writer friend Wood Newton wrote “Bobby Sue” for them. And my longtime friend and co-writer Steve Dean helped write their song “It Takes A Little Rain” that was nominated for a Grammy. I know they are saddened like most of us in the music business are.

 

Thank you Joe for singing on “Blue Collar Gospel”…and for sending such a nice note about how much you loved the song, and how much you enjoyed singing it. You will be sorely missed.


 

 

HEALTH NOTES

Over 2,000 pounds of frozen chicken products have been recalled over listeria concerns.

 

Save money and get in shape. During Amazon Prime Days you can order a danged pickleball paddle at 50% off.

 

A new health study claims that cutting out meat could cut the diabetes rate.

 

FINALLY FOUND A GYM I LIKE



 

WEDDINGS AIN’T CHEAP

An article claims that if you agree to be part of a wedding party that on average it will cost you $2,000 to participate. Dress, gift, sometimes travel and hotel. It adds up. Much cheaper to be part of a divorce party.

 

SPEAKING OF WEDDINGS

The richest family in India hired Justin Bieber to fly over and sing for the wedding party. They paid him 10 MILLION to do so. Plus expenses.

 

I played a LOT of weddings with my band when I was young. Watched a lot of bouquet tosses, lots of first dances, lots of sentimental speeches at long tables BUT. I would have to play 9 million 999 thousand more dances to make one Justin made in just one wedding appearance. Sigh.

 

TOP 100 PAYING JOBS

The publication Stacker just released that list. Here’s the top 5 paying jobs in America right now according to them.

 

5 Airline pilots make $211,790.

 

4 General Internal Medicine Physicians $214,460.

 

3 Ophthalmologists rake in $219,810.

 

2 Neurologist $224,260

 

And the number one paying job is Psychiatrists making on average $226,880. (No wonder they can afford such expensive couches.)

 

Here’s the TOP 100 LIST.

 

I MAY NEED ONE OF THESE



 

A watch with a bottle opener! Who doesn’t need one?! 

 

DONUT!

Krispy Kreme turns 87 this Friday. In honor of their glazed birthday one will be able to buy a dozen donuts for 87 cents on Friday. Going to be hard to resist not buying a dozen.

 

My favorite Krispy Kreme story involves Vince Gill. Vince is an avid golfer and hosts a big golf tournament every year just south of Nashville. One year I was invited to emcee the event that had music afterwards. A lot of celebrities were there and then Vince and a lot of those folks played a concert on the course after the tournament wrapped. I was doing the morning show for WSM-FM at the time here in town. Very cool event. And on the golf course when you came off the 9th hole there was a Krispy Kreme trailer making fresh hot Krispy Kreme donuts. That’s how much Vince loved those things. Still makes me laugh thinking about it today.


 

 

I’ll bet that Vince buys a dozen this Friday.

 

AI SMELL GOOD

Get this. AI can now pick personalized fragrances based on gender, age, time of wear, and budget. I HAD to try that!  Here’s the fragrance it chose for me.



 

Perfect.

 

DOLLY

There will be a Broadway show soon based on the life of Dolly Parton. Dolly is writing the new songs for this production which should be great. They’ve not told us yet who might play Dolly in the show.

 


 All I know is whomever she is…she has big cups to fill.

 

TODAY

I’m writing online today with Rick Lang. It’s his album that has the song “Blue Collar Gospel” on it. So I’m sure we’ll be talking some about the loss of Joe Bonsall before we start rhyming today.

 

Have a great Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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