BILL BLOG
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Can you believe it’s the first of July? You can if you step outside and feel the heat. It’s Wednesday. 97 degree high today in Nashville.
YESTERDAY
I had such a great time writing with Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Fortune. Jimmy was part of the most awarded country act of all time, The Statler Brothers. And the trophies and plaques that line the wall of his writing room point that out.
Jimmy and his wife Nina built a new home, and the upstairs is a big room full of those trophies, guitars, lots of guitars, and comfortable places to sit and write. And yesterday we wrote a new Contemporary Christian song that we’re both proud of.
One of my favorite performances I’ve ever been a part of was the night I played at the Bluebird Café, and Jimmy was in that round of songwriters that also featured my friends Wil Nance and Brian White. And when Jimmy sang his big hit, “Elizabeth,” and then closed with “Name on the Wall,” he brought the house down, as he always does.
I was a fan of Jimmy’s long before we ever started writing songs together and became friends. I really do have to pinch myself sometimes when I’m in a room listening to someone like that sing, much less being able to compose songs with them.
SUBTLE FREQUENCY
This is a cool picture of my wife Kathy’s book “Subtle Frequency”. It's a little hard to see here, but it's the book in the middle of this collection.
The Mt. Juliet, TN, library, near us, put it on their virtual shelf. Thank you.
Kathy will have a book signing on July 11 at the Joseph-Beth Booksellers store in Rookwood Commons in Cincinnati from 1-3 that day.
We’re expecting to see a lot of old friends, and if you’re near, by all means come by and join us.
SONG OF THE DAY
Sitting here sipping on my second cup of coffee got me to thinking about the song “Good Cup of Coffee” that I wrote with Steve Dean and Phil Barton. As we wrote it, we laughed a lot. The song came from an idea I had as I stood in line one day at a Starbucks listening to the orders. I thought I might need a Rosetta Stone to explain them to me in plain English.
And I’m just a “black” coffee kind of guy. No “fu fu” stuff needed in my cup of Joe.
I put the song on my “Leave Em’ Laughin” comedy-song album, and it’s the “Song of the Day.”
HEALTH NOTES
Science says we should not scratch a bug bite. One scientist says that if you ignore a mosquito bite, the itch is “gone in five or 10 minutes for most people.” But, “If you start scratching it, it’s your friend for a week,” getting itchier and more inflamed.
Millions of older adults could soon qualify for popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy under a Medicare pilot program.
An article I read suggests that America’s national parks could add years to your life. Makes sense. It’s hard not to get out of the car in a national park and take a hike, as I did with my friend Roger Naylor at the Grand Canyon.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Uh, slow down?
THEM AND US
It’s all about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married this Friday over the 4th of July weekend in a quaint, intimate setting that is Madison Square Garden! Word is, they are building a castle inside the place.
My first thought was, “They’re building a castle!?”
And then I remembered my daughter got married in a castle on the northern coast of Ireland.
So, maybe they’re not the only ones who had a crazy idea.
LUCKY
How about the tourist who had a layover at the Las Vegas Airport, who had a little time and spent some of it pulling the handle on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine? The guy won $3.3 million! Wow. I’m guessing that made the next flight VERY enjoyable.
NAILED IT
And how about the woman who got engaged right after she had a “hot dog” nails session? I know, I had to look that up. Here’s what “hot dog” nails look like.
I’m guessing her future husband proposed because he liked her “buns” so much. Just a guess.
And if you don’t like the look on your fingernails, there’s always the toenail option.
A couple of places I never thought I'd see a hot dog.
GAS
Trump is demanding $2.50 a gallon for gas. Great. But I wonder what the Vegas odds are for that actually becoming reality?
I think I have a greater chance of being invited to the Taylor Swift wedding this Friday.
RIP
One of the Village People died. Victor Willis, who was the cop in the group, passed away at the age of 74.
If heaven does indeed prepare a place for us, I’m guessing Victor will be have a place at the Y M C A to stay.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From the late Bob Hope:
“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove you don’t need it.”
TODAY
It will be my first time writing with Jaelee Roberts, who happens to be the reigning “Female Vocalist of the Year” in bluegrass. She played the Opry last night, so I'm sure we'll talk about that experience.
We’ve been trying to set up this write for a long while, and today were going to make that happen. Yes, she can surely sing. Here’s an EXAMPLE.
And our mutual friend Alex Miller is going to join us as well.
Have a great Wednesday!
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