BILL BLOG
Monday, February 2, 2026
Monday morning, and look…we’re into March already. And it certainly feels like Spring with temperatures going up. Just 62 for a high today in Nashville, but in the 70’s most of this week, with an 81 degree high predicted for Friday.
THE WEEKEND
Mine started Friday morning with a songwriting session with Thomm Jutz and Caroline Owens at Thomm’s place.
The front of his property was stacked with timber as he got hit with that ice storm, like a lot of us. He and his wife apparently are pretty good with chainsaws, as they cut all the fallen trees and limbs and drag them to the front of the property so that the city can pick them up and do whatever they do with all the fallen trees in Music City right now.
Thomm had been to sold out Billy Strings arena concert the night before in town, where Billy sang a couple of songs that he and Thomm wrote, including “Happy Hollow”. Billy is about as hot an artist as there is right now, and for Thomm to have three songs on his latest album is quite the accomplishment.
And the big news with Caroline Owens, along with having the number 1 record “Telluride” that I wrote with Andrea Pearson, is the fact that she showed me a tiny piece of tile that came from Colonel Parker’s bathroom. Yep, the same Colonel Tom Parker who managed Elvis.
So we got a new song on Friday, and some interesting conversations all at the same time.
A MARINE’S SONG
I received this VIDEO from Shirley Schultz, the wife of about-to-be 104-year-old ex-Marine Bob Schultz. Channel 5 out of St. Louis did a feature story on Bob and his services as a “Seagoing Marine”, which is the title of the song about his life that I wrote with him last year in Shiloh, Illinois. There’s a little clip of me with Bob in the news piece singing part of that song.
Bob is as sharp as a tack at 103, and he’s getting ready to board one of the Honor Flights to DC that I know he’s going to enjoy. And he will be taking that flight on his 104th birthday.
SATURDAY
On Saturday afternoon, my wife Kathy signed her book, Subtle Frequency, for all those who turned out for her first-ever book signing.
It was great to see so many friends come out and get their copy of the book.
Kathy signed and took pictures with each person who got their copy, including folks like my friend here, Caroline Owens, who is still celebrating her #1 song, Telluride, which I wrote with my friend Andrea Pearson.
Our thanks to those who came early and helped us set up and tear down the event room we held the party in. Could not have done it without them, and check out this picture of Kathy that my friend Lang Scott put together, and then got that image on a big screen TV for all to see.
Just a great day to celebrate the book release and the author, who happens to be my wife.
SONG OF THE DAY
This was a pleasant surprise. Robbie Morris and the band “Grasstime” released a song I helped write with my friends Adam Wheeler and Belinda Smith, “Another Teardrop In The Ocean,” as a single this weekend. So that’s my choice as the song for today. It’s a fun up-tempo bluegrass tune. Robbie is part of my friend Kristy Cox’s band “Grasstime.”. Kristy asked me to send her songs for Robbie a year ago, as she was going to produce the album. I’m happy to have the first single off Robbie’s upcoming album.
HEALTH NOTES
Over 600,000 bottles of Valley Springs Artesian Gold water were recalled over the weekend because of unsanitary packaging.
Scientists at Oregon State University have engineered a powerful new nanomaterial that zeroes in on cancer cells and destroys them from the inside out.
Research is suggesting that GLP-1 (weight loss drugs) may increase the risk of osteoporosis and gout.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Thanks for the reminder.
SHOWS IN MARCH
This Friday night, I’m in Huntsville with “Hits & Grins” at Jim Parker’s great songwriter series.
Saturday, March 14, I have a dinner-show with “Hits & Grins” at Starstruck Farms in Lebanon, TN.
Saturday, March 21, I’ll be a musical guest of Lauren Mascitti for her show at the Station Inn in Nashville. Showtime that night is 9 pm.
Wednesday, March 25, right back at the Station Inn for the Tin Pan South Songwriter Festival with songwriters Jerry Salley, Kristy Cox, and Alex Miller.
And finally, Sunday, March 29, my friend Steve Dean and I have a songwriter show as part of the West Haven Concert Series near Franklin, Tennessee.
It’s a busy month, and I hope to see some of you at one or more of these shows.
TAX TIME
Word is that IRS refunds will be up by 10% or more this year. As much as we give the government, getting 10% back will be a good thing for those who get it.
Someone said once, “A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.” Seems accurate to me.
BLIZZARD RAGE
A guy in New York got into it with his neighbor, then grabbed a shovel and buried the neighbor’s car in the snow.
Here’s hoping things “thaw out” between them.
SPEAKING OF SNOW
When you get a ton of snow like New York and other parts of the East, some designers get very creative with the white stuff.
Yep, a designer created this wedding dress out of snow. It’s pretty amazing what those creative folks can do. I thought the same thing this past October when I was in Gulf Shores, Alabama, emceeing a big Parrot Head Festival and walked by this.
The artist was putting the finishing touches on it and taking questions. I wish I would have asked, “So, where did the head go”?
HERE’S A HEADLINE
“The Naked Cowboy and Naked Cowgirl to Divorce.” Yep, that guy and gal who sing to the tourists in NYC are splitting up. I’m hearing that all the Cowboy will get in the divorce will be the clothes on his back. And that doesn’t seem fair.
That “Cowboy” is from the Cincinnati area originally. John Burck is his real name, and he’s been performing near Times Square since 1999 with nothing but a cowboy hat, a pair of underwear, and a guitar. I interviewed him once on the radio. Nice guy. And certainly not dumb. He’s worth 2 million dollars. (Probably less with his clothes on)
HOT AIR BALLOON
Quite the story in Longview, Texas where a hot air ballon hit a cell tower leaving two people in the basket dangling until firefighter made a daring rescue climbing the tower and using ropes to lower those two to safety.
That will put your heart up in your throat. I’ve floated in a hot air balloon on three separate occasions. I actually broadcast on the air one morning floating in the one you see below on WFMS Radio flying over Indianapolis.
I’m glad we avoided all cell towers that morning.
1 DOLLAR BREAKFAST
The McDonald’s egg McMuffin has been around since the golden arches lit up back in 1971. To celebrate that, if you use the Mickey D’s mobile app, you can get one for just a dollar today. Got a feeling I’ll be hitting one of their drive-throughs on the way to my writing appointment this morning.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Mark Cuban:
“There are 2 types of AI users. You’re either using it to learn everything, or you’re using it so you don’t have to learn anything.”
TODAY
I’m writing with my Georgia buddy Mutt Cooper, today, who is one of the writers with the Freedom Sings USA group that writes songs with veterans. Mutt himself is a veteran.
Looking forward to that.
Have a great Monday!
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