Bill's Blog

BILL BLOG Wednesday, May 13, 2026    We’ve hit another hump day…it’s Wednesday. We will hit 82 for a high today in Nashville. Meanwhile, out west, temperatures could hit 117 degrees!   YESTERDAY Kevin Williamson and I got together and finished up a song we had started a few months ago. A flat-out stone country song, a heartbreaker. Imagine that in country music!   We finished up in pretty short order, giving us time to catch up with each other’s lives. Kevin and his family band, “ Williamson Branch , ” have a busy summer ahead, and they play a lot of churches. He was telling me about his daughter, Melody , who plays guitar and fiddle, and her first little boy, named “ Aiden, ” who is Kevin’s first grandson.   Aiden, he says, is often stealing their shows, as he’s on stage with Melody WHILE she plays!     Now that’s family, y’all!     If you get a chance to see this family perform, by all means go. You’ll love them....

BILL BLOG Tuesday, May 12, 2026   And now it’s Tuesday. We will hit 80 for the high today in Nashville, and it’s warming up. We’ll hit 90 come this Saturday.   YESTERDAY Darin and Brooke Aldridge had to move our writing appointment that was scheduled for yesterday, as they are in the middle of a move, and needed the day for that. And that opened up some fun back-and-forth texts between Brooke and me.   I congratulated her on the duo’s new gospel album “ Soul Condition ,” which is tearing up the bluegrass-gospel charts, with songs like this, " I'm Going Up, When He Comes Down ."   And then I texted her that I could not believe that they did not record my song, “ Sometimes Religion Scares the Hell Out of Me. ” You can imagine her reaction. I sensed that she had never heard this song, which was included on my first comedy song album, so I sent it to her. And she replied, “ If there’s a rattle in the pew, you’d better think twice,  "before you ta...

BILL BLOG Monday, May 11, 2026   Another Monday morning has rolled around. A little rain is falling early this morning, but the day will bring a high of 75 with sunshine in Nashville today. Pretty near perfect.   THE WEEKEND It was pretty quiet at the Whyte House . I did get to watch my Cincinnati Reds break an 8-game losing streak. Got to the gym a couple of times, and did a little yard work. (Not my favorite thing in the world) And we quietly celebrated Mother’s Day.   My wife once told me not to buy expensive flowers, but to get a cheap arrangement. In fact, she said, “Just get me cheap flowers and dark chocolate.” So, guess what she got for Mother’s Day? This…   And this…   Made her laugh. Hope you treated the Moms in your life this well.     THE ROAD AHEAD I’ve had a little time off the road, but that’s about to change, as between now and the end of June, I’ll be busy. I’ll be playing in three towns in Illinois: Marion,...

BILL BLOG Friday, May 8, 2026   Friday morning, ready for the weekend.   17 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi yesterday, taking a bunch of houses with them. 17! Geez.   Here in Nashville, calmer. A high of 74 is expected today.   YESTERDAY Caroline Owens and I tackled another song yesterday, and that’s always fun. Caroline is a hit artist on Billy Blue Records, with a great voice, plays guitar, plays great piano, AND she can fly-fish and tie her own flies.     Oh, and she’s a great songwriter as well. Her #1 song, “ Telluride, ” which I wrote with Andrea Pearson, is up for IBMA consideration for “Best Bluegrass Song of the Year,” so we both have our fingers crossed that the song might make the final ballot. We’ll know soon.      She’s got a big show with her band coming up in town soon at the world-famous Station Inn , and I’m planning on being there that night to hear her sing that song and others.   ...

BILL BLOG Thursday, May 7, 2027   Thursday it is…all day.   Crazy weather across the country for early May. In South Texas, they’re asking folks to stay indoors because of the extreme heat. Meanwhile, in the Rockies, there was a huge snowstorm.   Here in Nashville, it’s cool, with a high of just 66 today.   YESTERDAY I got to catch up with Pennsylvania friend Troy Engle for the first time since he joined “Kentucky Thunder”, Ricky Skagg’s great band.      Troy is playing a lot of different instruments for Ricky: fiddle, banjo, steel guitar, guitar, dobro, mandolin, and whatever else Ricky might need. And he’s singing harmony as well. Did I mention how talented Troy is? This is Troy sitting behind the steel guitar with the band.      I’m so happy for my friend, as this was his dream job. He’s already played for Eric Church, Tom T. Hall, The Isaacs , and others, but this was the one job that he wanted so muc...