Bill's Blog

BILL BLOG Thursday July 31, 2025   And here it is…the last day of July already. Another hot summer day as we roll into August. A high of 95 in Nashville today.   YESTERDAY I wrote with my long-time friend Jerry Salley , the head of Billy Blue Records and Billy Blue Publishing, the company I write songs for. I was the first songwriter Jerry signed to the publishing company…7 years ago already. Time do fly.   Because Jerry wears so many hats and has so many responsibilities, we don’t get to write together as much as we’d both like to. But now, the two of us are trying to make sure we write at least every couple of weeks together. And it gives us a chance to catch up and talk about the business side of the bluegrass industry. And we did just that, plus we got a new bluegrass song written to add to our catalogs.   Just to try and show you a bit of Jerry’s talent, last year he took an old gospel song that Dolly Parton had recorded year...

BILL BLOG Wednesday July 30, 2025    The last Hump Day of July is on us, and it’s bringing more heat to Nashville with it. Another excessive heat warning is out with a high of 96 today.   YESTERDAY I had the day off, and tried not to be outdoors as much as possible. Especially after the weather service issued an EXTREME HEAT WARNING. The heat index took it up to almost 115 degrees in Music City yesterday. The heat warning instructed folks to stay under the AC if possible. For the most part, I did my part.   I remember growing up in Missouri, and when I was young, my brothers and I worked in the hayfield. That was a HOT, dirty job, especially if you had to be the guy up in the barn loft stacking the bales. Really hot.   But I don’t remember it being as hot as it’s been over the past few years when you’re outdoors in the summer and you’re just standing doing nothing. And then again, maybe my memory has melted in the heat.   ...

BILL BLOG Tuesday July 29, 2025   Tuesday morning arises…with more heat on the way. 95 for the high, but the heat index has us soaring up to 115 today in Nashville. And I’m hearing some rumble of “heat” thunder early this morning as well.   YESTERDAY I wrote with my Aussie (soon to be American) friend, Angus Gill , and a young 15-year-old artist, Kylie Paige , whom he brought with him. Kylee is from just north of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Angus is producing a country album for her.   Because Kylie is 15, her “Ma-Maw”, as she calls her, came with her. And she came bearing gifts. Amish bread and a grape salad. Bonus!   The three of us talked some, and Kylie said something in the conversation that led to the song we wrote yesterday. Fun, up-tempo, and about an ex-boyfriend. Not an uncommon writing subject for young girl artists. Ask Taylor Swift .   It was nice to meet her and Ma-Maw…and I think this might be a song Kylie a...

BILL BLOG Monday July 28, 2025   The last Monday of July is here. And it will be another HOT one. A heat advisory is out again, with a high of 96 on tap today.   THE WEEKEND Mine started Friday morning, writing with Bill DiLuigi . Bill is from Pennsylvania originally, but has lived in Nashville for a very long while now, writing songs and performing. He’s one of the songwriters in our Freedom Sings USA group who writes songs with veterans, as the two of us, along with Steve Dean and Bobby Tomberlin , will do this coming weekend in Shiloh, Illinois.   This was only the second time the two of us sat down to co-write. We should be doing that more often, considering we cranked out TWO songs Friday morning, both with a bit of a spiritual theme to them. So it was a very fun and productive Friday morning.   SATURDAY NIGHT BASEBALL I took in a Nashville Sounds baseball game Saturday evening, staring at the greatest baseball scoreboard ...