BILL BLOG
Monday January 6, 2025
Monday morning is coming up. A high of 36 in Nashville today with a mix of light rain and maybe a little snow. We’re on the edge of that big winter storm that’s affecting 60 million folks across the middle of the country…the heaviest snow in a decade in some places. I got rid of my snow blower many years ago after living in Wisconsin for 6 years. Don’t ever want to be behind one of those again thank you.
THE WEEKEND
Lazy times around the Whyte House over the weekend. That will change the rest of the month as I have 4 shows on the books that include a house concert in Nashville this coming weekend, a trip to North and South Carolina the weekend after, a show at the Bluebird Café at the end of the month, and I’ll be in studio a few days with my friend Brent Burns here in Music City starting work on a new album of his…and yea…some funny songs we’ve written will be on that project.
You can find out more details on all those shows in the TOUR section of my website.
So no complaints about pretty much staying in and watching a lot of football over this past weekend.
ANOTHER TEASE
Check out this fun video tease from my young "American Idol" friend Alex Miller, and young “The Voice’ friend Emily Ann Roberts promoting their new duet single the three of us wrote being released this month January 24. The song is titled “More Country Than You” and the two them as you can see are having great fun promoting this new release. Watch HERE.
GRAND OLE OPRY
Over the weekend the Opry celebrated being 100 years old with the first Opry show of 2025.
100 years the Opry has been heard on WSM Radio where I had the pleasure of working several years. They did it in fine fashion doing the first show in its 100th year history at the original home the beautiful Ryman Auditorium.
Anyone who tours Nashville should try and catch the Opry when it’s back playing at the Ryman in the winter months. Book a ticket and sit in one of those old wood pews and check out the stained glass windows of the former church. That’s how it started out…as a church. And it’s why it’s referred to as the “Mother Church of Country Music”.
And even if you don’t go see the Opry there…go take the tour of that beautiful building. To many, including me, it’s the best concert hall in America.
And with that…here’s my Ryman story that will live forever in my memory.
I dreamed of getting to sing on the Grand Ole Opry stage at the Ryman as a kid learning to sing country music in Missouri. I think my Mom secretly rooted for that to happen as well. That never happened for me. But I did emcee a charity event for a couple of years at the Ryman for the late Joe Diffie and a charity he supported. The one year it was one star after another that I was introducing. Joe Diffie, Wynonna, Keith Urban…you name them. Each came out and sang a song or two acoustically…no band.
At one point…Wynonna had just left the stage and I was standing in that sacred circle with a microphone getting ready to introduce Keith Urban. And I shared with the audience how I wished my Mom was there to see me standing on the Grand Ole Opry stage. It was a little emotional. And then I felt an arm around my shoulder and it was Keith Urban who leaned into the microphone and said, “Bill, I think your Mom is here tonight.” A lasting memory to say the least.
Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry!
SONG OF THE DAY
After that story I’m sharing the Grand Ole Circle that I wrote with Darin and Brooke Aldridge that’s all about the circle of wood the singers get to stand in and on when the perform. And the VIDEO they shot of this song is incredible and packed with some historical shots that the Opry archive folks gave them. I was in the audience the night Darin and Brooke were on the Opry and watched them sing our song with the video playing in the background WHILE they were standing and singing in the Grand Ole Circle. Surreal.
THE ARTICLE
And if you want to know more about how that Grand Ole Circle song was written…check out this great ARTICLE that Billboard Magazine did with me and Darin and Brooke about writing the song.
HEALTH NOTES
The Surgeon General warns that research links alcohol to at least 7 types of cancer. After this alarming warning was issued, alcohol makers stock took a hit.
Experts say the Norovirus has jumped 340% this season. Lots of folks sick right now.
The results of a study, published in the December edition of the Sleep Medicine Journal, found that eating more cheese may be linked to a reduced likelihood of developing sleep apnea. (If that’s true…I won’t ever have to worry about sleep apnea)
HERE'S YOUR SIGN
SPEAKING OF DEERE
John Deere mowers have been recalled over the risk of engine fires. About 39,000 recalled nationwide by Kawasaki who makes those engines.
“Nothing Burns Like A Deere” I suppose.
PRETTY GOOD ADVICE
This marriage advice comes from a priest who advises…”Always kiss hello and kiss goodbye.” Solid marriage advice for sure.
And here’s another. Guys, always answer the question “Do
I look fat in this?” with “You look perfect.” You will thank me later.
MEANWHILE
The Pope himself, Pope Francis told a group of nuns not to gossip…to be kind and not talk to the devil.
I don’t know what’s more concerning. Knowing now that nuns gossip, or the fact that some of them have been talking to the devil.
The Pope also admitted that he’s met many nuns with “vinegar face”. Wow. Best Pope quotes ever maybe.
PAY THE TOLL
How about New York City being the first to charge a congestion toll? $9 to travel in parts of NYC because of so much traffic. Wonder how many other cities are looking at that and thinking…hmmm.
Getting to downtown Nashville these days requires patience…big time. But at least the folks in charge have a sense of humor about it…at our expense.
SLEEP ON A SUBMARINE?
You can do that. At the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin they have an old submarine…the Cobra that you can Airbnb if you’d like. $500 to climb in a bunk like the sailors did.
Tight quarters on a sub. I witnessed that several years ago when I was on air in Cincinnati at WUBE Radio. One Christmas we flew to Norfolk to board the USS Cincinnati submarine with a TV crew, and took Cincinnati food to the sailors on board…most who of course were not from Cincinnati. But they dug into the Skyline Chili and Graters Ice Cream that we brought. I had the pleasure of eating with the officers in the Captains personal quarters. Pretty cool experience and quite the education. My brother in law Ken Morgan…a Navy officer helped tee that experience up for us and was there with our group to guide the way.
At a later date…our group was invited to fly back down and go out on the submarine and “dive” on a “dependents” cruise…for family. I had something else on my calendar that I could not move and wound up missing that experience. Something I still regret today.
Oh…and one of the officers shared with me that yes…when the submarine would get near a beach the periscope would to up so they could check out the girls on the beach! Too funny.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Man Arrested After Telling Officer “I’m The DUI Tonight’ Instead of the Designated Driver. (Yep…that’ll seat you in the back of a Cop car in a hurry.)
TODAY
Nothing big on the calendar. So I'll be doing some pre-writing for the 4 songwriting sessions coming up this week, that's followed by a house concert this Saturday evening just south of Nashville with my friends Lauren Mascitti & Wil Nance. We did this house concert series last year for Robert & Lori Hill who host songwriter shows in their home on a pretty regular basis. And they invited us to come back again this year. Happy to do it!
Have a great Monday!
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