BILL BLOG
Monday December 30, 2024
It be Monday morning…New Year’s Eve…Eve. And I’ve already broken all my New Years resolutions. Looking for a high of 61 in Nashville today.
THE WEEKEND
Saturday night I played at a new place for me…Main & Monroe in Lexington, TN with my friend Lauren Mascitti.
We had two dinner shows at this great little café that owner Robbie McCready and his wife Emma own and run located on the beautiful town square in Lexington. They are trying to create a Bluebird Café type of atmosphere an hour and a half west of Nashville by hosting songwriter evenings to go along with their delicious menu.
Despite heavy rain that evening we had a great turnout and just had the best time playing there. Robbie is retired Army…special forces guy. And a great guy to boot.
And it was a pleasure sitting beside one of my favorite
singers in Nashville swapping songs with Lauren who played this new song inspired by her love for the musical artist Delbert McClinton.
The owners have bought the place next door so they have big plans to expand upon what they already have going on. I predict much success for them…and Lexington is lucky to have such a cool venue in their backyard. Can’t wait to go back.
ON THE CHARTS
Some great song news rolled in over the weekend when the National Bluegrass Survey folks put the Darin & Brooke Aldridge album “Talk Of The Town” in the #6 slot on their survey. I’m blessed to have 2 songs on that album including their single “Wildflower Too”.
And the Kristy Cox album “Let It Burn” that I have 3 songs came in at #9 this week.
Hard to beat that kind of good music news.
SONG OF THE DAY
I choose one of the songs off of the Kristy Cox album I just mentioned…”Some Things Don’t Go Together” that’s fun and up-tempo. The musicians play the heck out of this track!
The song was written with my friends Wil Nance and Lisa Shaffer. We wrote a LONG time ago at a writing camp in Gatlinburg that Lisa hosted. Lisa recorded a demo version of it that was awesome…and sounded very “Cajun” with a squeeze box on it. Then it just laid in the catalog forever…I’d say it might be 15-20 years old.
Then when I heard Kristy was looking for songs for her bluegrass album…I sent the version Lisa recorded thinking they could convert it to a great barn burning song. And did they ever. Take a listen at the link.
PART 2
And there’s more to that song I just mentioned. I rewrote that same song "Some Things Don't Go Together" into a comedy song that I put on my “Off The Wall” comedy album recorded “live” at the Bluebird Café. Listen to Kristy’s version first…then listen to the twist on that song HERE.
NEW DATE ON THE CALENDAR
March 14 & 15 I’ll be in Huntsville, Alabama with Freedom Sings USA for a two day songwriter retreat to write with our veterans alongside songwriters Steve Dean, Don Goodman, Bobby Tomberlin and others. This will be the first time the Freedom Sings group will be going to “Rocket City” and we all look forward to writing with some veterans and then performing those songs in a concert.
HEALTH NOTES
Norovirus cases are now surging in parts of the US according to CDC data.
And the CDC is also reporting that flu season has already claimed the lives of 9 children in the US this year.
A new study claims the people with frequent hot flashes are 50% more likely to get cardiovascular disease.
SIGN
Duly noted.
PRESIDENT CARTER
Passed away at the age of 100. Whether one liked his Presidency or not, it’s hard not to like and admire someone who gave back so much to so many after his Presidency ended. Just his work with Habitat for Humanity with his wife Rosalyn alone is so admirable. RIP.
LONG LIVES
How about the longest living family? The Melis family in Sardinia, Italy are those folks. Their collective age is 861 with the oldest being 109 years young. And their secret may be the fact that they eat the same meal every day…and have done so for many many years.
Sourdough bread, three bean minestrone and a glass of red wine.
And that earned the family a Guinness record.
STILL LOVING IT
Wayne Newton who is now 85 years young just signed a new contract for his residency in Las Vegas at the Flamingo. He started singing in Vegas at age 15 so he’s been there for 65 years now packing the house. He says he’s still having too much fun to retire. I get that.
If you retire and what you choose to do for fun is the same thing you were doing when you were working…why would you?
I remember working one summer in a factory when I was young. On your feet…doing the same function over and over and over again. I hated that job so much I walked out one day…just a few days shy of going to college. If THAT had been my job post college? I would have retired the first second I could have. And then I found a couple of jobs…radio, writing, performing… that never once felt like jobs. So yea, why retire if you’re lucky enough to still enjoy what you’re doing so much.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Bong-Wielding Man Goes Crazy On Highway, Allegedly Assaults Crocodile Wrangler.
(I don’t know which is odder. The fact that the guy is using a bong as a
weapon…or the fact that there are some people who wrangle Crocs.)
TODAY
Coming out the holiday rest period and back to writing songs today. This morning I’m online with my talented bluegrass buddy Troy Engle up in Pennsylvania.
And then I’ll watch some of the Music City Bowl college football game going on here in Nashville today as my home state Missouri Tigers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Got Tigers!
Have a great Monday!
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