BILL BLOG
Monday December 1, 2025
Hello Monday morning. And hello December. The first day of the last month of the year will bring a little rain and a 41-degree high to Nashville.
THE WEEKEND
The Christmas tree is up.
And the stockings are hung on the fireplace. My wife and I spent some time on Friday getting the tree up, hanging the stockings, with the fireplace on, and a Hallmark sappy Christmas show on the nearby TV. I’m pretty sure it’s a Christmas law to have to watch at least one Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie, which is basically the same movie re-written over and over, or so it seems to the Grinch here.
But it did get us in the Christmas spirit. And now, if I can just get the Christmas shopping done, all will be well.
GOOD MUSIC NEWS
I received word from Caroline Owens over the weekend that the song “Telluride,” her current bluegrass single that I co-wrote with Andrea Pearson, has just entered “heavy” rotation on SiriusXM's “Bluegrass Junction” station.
That’s really good news, as “Bluegrass Junction” is the big difference maker for bluegrass music. Some AM radio stations play bluegrass, but the big fish in that sea is “Bluegrass Junction”.
And at the same time, my friend Laura Leigh Jones informed me that her song, "Sun Can't Stop The Rain" is also being played a LOT on Sirius-XM...the song we wrote together. Very cool.
Happy for both of those young, talented bluegrass artists.
NEW SHOW
Happy to announce our “Hits & Grins” trio will be back in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday, March 6, to play the Jim Parker Songwriter Series at the Von Braun Center in the beautiful playhouse. It’s dinner and a show, hosted by Jim Parker, a songwriter and singer who’s been hosting this show for many years.
Steve Dean, Victoria Venier and myself are looking forward to playing Jim's show again. Showtime is 6 pm.
THE OPRY
This past Friday night, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 100th birthday. It remains the longest-running radio show in history, broadcast on WSM, a radio station where I had the pleasure of working for several years.
I grew up listening to the Opry in Missouri. The shows I played with my band at the time ended late, and many times the Opry would be on as I drove home, never dreaming I’d one day be on that iconic radio station that carried the Opry broadcasts. Not to mention, never dreaming that one day, I’d get to hear some songs I helped write being performed on that stage, like “The Grand Ole Circle” has been numerous times now from Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Amazing. Happy Birthday to the Opry…long may she live.
SPEAKING OF BIRTHDAYS
Dick Van Dyke turned 100 years old, just like the Opry over the weekend. He says that for 100, he doesn’t feel bad. “Sometimes I have more energy than on other days, but I never wake up in a bad mood. I feel like I’m 13.” Good for him. I’m betting it’s a little tougher these days for him to “step in time” as he did in THIS GREAT SCENE from Mary Poppins.
SONG OF THE DAY
I’m choosing “Dirt Road,” that Aussie native Kristy Cox recorded after I wrote it with her and Jerry Salley. The song is all about buying a couple of acres off the beaten path, unplugging, and living a simpler life. It was an idea I brought to the writing table, knowing she needed a song with a little tempo for that album she was working on. It turned out great, so thank you, Kristy!
HEALTH NOTES
The number of people using weight loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy has more than doubled over the last 18 months.
The FDA is claiming that COVID shots killed 10 children and vows new vaccine rules.
Being famous apparently is not good for one's health. Scientists have found that major celebrities died four years earlier than their less famous peers.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Well, there’s a deal.
HOW DID I MISS THIS?
Walmart offered up a limited deal online for a 65-inch box of Mac N Cheese for just $19.37 over the weekend.
Yep, it looks like a Big Screen TV. 65 boxes of mac n cheese were inside…for less than 20 bucks! And of course, it sold out instantly, upsetting some customers who hit their computer keys as fast as they could, only to find out it sold out. If there’s a God at Walmart, he’ll offer the cheesy deal again. One can only hope.
HEADLINE OF THE WEEKEND
Kim Kardashian’s Brain Scan Shows Low Activity”. (I’ll let you write your own jokes here)
NBC POLL
The poll reveals that 63% of Americans no longer see the value in a 4-year college degree. I don’t know that I particularly disagree with that for the most part. Now, if I’m having surgery, I’d feel good that my surgeon has a degree. But for the most part, one can do pretty well for themselves without a diploma hanging on their wall.
CYBER MONDAY
The deals never stop. After Black Friday (that continues), it’s Cyber Monday. I’ve got some cyber-shopping to do myself today. Comedian-Writer-Actor Albert Brooks says, “Been waiting at the front door of Amazon for 6 hours. When do they open for Cyber Monday”?
PASSWORDS
The most common password for 2025 is…” Admin”.
That’s followed by the word “Password” itself, believe it or not. Then it’s 123456, 12345678, and 123456789.
And some folks can’t understand how hackers got into their computers.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Lemony Snicket:
“Everyone should be able to do one card trick, tell two jokes, and recite three poems, in case they are ever trapped in an elevator.”
TODAY
I’m back at a writing table today with Brian White and Nathan Woodard. Brian has had some big #1 country songs for folks like Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, and more, and Nathan has had a lot of his songs recorded by artists in the southern gospel world. But Nathan just signed a new “country” publishing deal, so we could write either way today. Country or Gospel? We’ll see what happens.
Have a great Monday!
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