BILL BLOG
Friday, June 19, 2026
Here comes a weekend. It’s Friday. A comfortable day is on tap for Nashville, with the high temperature being 83.
YESTERDAY
It was a day of feeling much better than I have in a long while, with that lingering cough and cold. I think it finally had enough of me and moved on. Good riddance. I’ve never cancelled so many events on my calendar at one time, but by the time Monday rolls around, things should return to normal for sure. Grateful for that.
I certainly missed being in the town of Heyworth, Illinois, for our Freedom Sings USA event that wrapped up last night with my four songwriter buddies singing songs they’d written with veterans up there.
4 more great veteran songs have been added to the list, and that’s such a great thing.
And I felt really bad when I got a note from some friends in southern Missouri who host Parrot Head concerts at their home, who drove all the way up to Heyworth to take in their first Freedom Sings Concert, thinking I would be there. Mark and Colleen Fuchs, I’m so sorry about that!
But, they did send me a note telling me how great an experience it was, so that made me feel better.
A FREEDOM SINGS NOTE
I want to share this wonderful email I received last night that also made me feel better about missing the Heyworth trip because of being sick. This is from Larry Gaines, a veteran I wrote with in Durham, North Carolina who served in the Army. His song we wrote is titled “Grace”. And this is the note Larry sent me.
Hello Bill,
I hope all is well with you & your family.
I am currently in Nova Scotia with a tour group.
The song GRACE has been shared in Vietnam, Canada, South Korea, & throughout the US with many veterans and their families (Christians & non-Christians).
I gave our tour guide permission to share it with other tour guides who provide tours throughout the world!
Nothing but positive feedback.
Take care.
GRACE & peace.
Larry Gaines
That’s one of the reasons I’m so proud to be part of Freedom Sings USA. Being able to create something memorable for one of our veterans.
HERE COMES THE SUN AGAIN
I’ve blogged about this song that I wrote with young Sonny French of the French Family Band, co-written with Angus Gill. It’s the current single for the family, which is really cool, but they posted this VIDEO yesterday that’s even cooler. It’s a 30-second clip of part of our song, when they sang it on the Grand Ole Opry last week.
I can’t think of many things more special than that for a songwriter who grew up listening to the Opry as a kid in Missouri religiously. Unreal. And even in this short clip, you’ll see how talented young Sonny French is, not only a great singer who's getting better and better all the time, but he’s also an amazing young guitar player. And his Dad got him hooked on guitar at a very young age.
I had the song going that day before Sonny and Angus came into the writing room and showed them the idea. And though there’s a LOT of age difference between the two of us, Sonny knew exactly what I was talking about when I suggested we steal a bit of the George Harrison guitar lick that the Beatles used in their “Here Comes The Sun” smash hit. And Sonny was able to put that lick in seamlessly in a unique way, which makes the song even more special. Listen, and you’ll hear that lick at the end of the song.
SONG OF THE DAY
I was talking with my longtime friend Brent Burns down in Gulf Shores yesterday, with whom I’ve written so many beach and funny songs, and he told me about one of our songs that his fans request but don't seem to like. It’s a love song titled “I Love Us”. So that’s the song of the day.
HEALTH NOTES
Careful what you read. Officials are warning about a bunch of TikTok videos claiming that sunburns are not dangerous.
The FDA has approved Moderna’s seasonal mRNA flu vaccine.
There are reports of a deadly tick-borne disease that can cause brain damage spreading across the US.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Gosh, I never thought about getting her windows before, and she’s got a birthday coming up. Perfect.
GAS
I did see the price was at $3.44 a gallon at my local gas pump yesterday, after being up to 4 bucks a gallon or more. Might have something to do with the reopening of the George “Strait” of Hormuz I mentioned yesterday. Or not.
GUITAR JOKE
A guitar player posted this picture yesterday that will make every guitar player smile. Made me laugh.
SPEAKING OF COUNTRY STARS
If you’re walking through our Nashville airport from now until the end of July, you might encounter this hologram.
That’s Dierks Bentley, welcoming tourists to Music City USA. He’s also promoting his Row 94 Whiskey and pointing you to a little burger joint in our airport where you can sample it if you’d like.
AN OLD FUNNY
I was watching a clip from the old Johnny Carson show last night when Red Skelton was his guest. It occurred to me that most of today’s generation won’t remember Red, or the Red Skelton TV show, which was sketch-driven, and fueled by characters like Clem Kadiddlehopper that Red created.
But he started his career in vaudeville, telling jokes and being a clown. In the clip I saw, he asked Carson, “Where do they tell people in hell to go?”
WORLD CUP
Those crazy soccer fans who are here from all over the world have found Ranch Dressing to be to their liking. So much so that they are packing bottles in their bags to take back home. So much so that TSA is reminding them that only 3.4 ounces is allowed, and to not “chug” it. They’re “chugging” ranch dressing?! Wow.
I don’t think the late Roger Miller was writing about ranch dressing when he wrote his classic “Chug-A- Lug.”
MASCOTS
Mexico’s World Cup soccer team claims this guy to be their mascot.
That’s Merlin the Duck.
But he’s not nearly as odd as “Artie the Artichoke,” which represents the “Fighting Artichokes” of Scottsdale Community College out in Arizona.
I’m not sure how wise it was to choose a mascot whose name ends in “choke” for a sports team.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Anthony G. Oettinger:
“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” (I don’t even understand that…but like it.)
THE WEEKEND
Nothing I gotta do this weekend, but then next week it’s back to normal, as I’m feeling “normal” again!
Have a great weekend!
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