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In The Studio...Bluegrass Songwriting...Expensive Tennis Shoes

BILL BLOG

Wednesday April 12, 2023


Wednesday morning in Music City and another beautiful day is on tap. Nothing but sun and a high of 78.

 

YESTERDAY

I had a busy creative Tuesday that started with a recording session here in town for Freedom Sings USA. I went in to record a “scratch” vocal, a reference vocal for the great musicians who were recording the music for the song that I wrote with and for veteran Christine Brooks. It’s her military story in song.

I followed my friend Irene Kelley who was recording the vocals for the song she wrote as well as singing vocals on another veteran's song that Steve Dean & Don Goodman wrote when I walked into the studio. 


 

 

We had a great session group led by my friend Dave Frances and I knew most of the musicians as most of them have played on my friend Brent Burns albums over the years including the latest one "Still Got A Lot of Beaches To Go".  They just recorded a really great track for the song “Welcome Home” that I’ll sing over in a week or so. My song and all the veteran’s songs that we wrote in Murfreesboro a few weeks ago will then be put on a Freedom Sings USA that will be available for purchase to help raise money for the organization. 


 

 

So honored to be part of this and my thanks again to Steve Dean and Don Goodman for inviting me.

 


EVENING CO-WRITE

Last night I wrote a new song with Brooke Aldridge. Her hubby and duet partner Darin got called into studio so we wrote behind his danged back. The two of them are working on a bluegrass gospel record as well as a mainstream bluegrass album and last night Brooke and I wrote toward the bluegrass project. 


 

 

The two of them have been so kind to my songs over past few years. They’ve recorded a gospel bluegrass song I helped write “He’s A Coming” that I wrote with Lisa Shaffer and Gerald Smith that topped the bluegrass gospel chart. And most recently in the mainstream arena they recorded the song “GrandOle Circle” that the three of us wrote and produced this amazing video on the song as well.

 

We’ll see what happens with the new song we wrote last night, but either way I feel blessed to be part of their inner grand ole circle for sure.

 

TROY ENGLE

I saw some nice pictures of my Pennsylvania bluegrass friend Troy Engel yesterday on the set of his video for his new single “Back Home” that we wrote together that’s the title track for his upcoming album. He looks like he fits in a barn doesn’t he?  Can’t wait to see the video, and if you’ve not yet heard the song just click on the link in this paragraph and listen. And when you listen keep in mind again that it’s Troy doing everything. He’s playing every instrument you hear, he’s singing, and he produced the song. Not fair to be that talented!


 

 

HEALTH NOTES

With the ending of the Covid emergency comes a reminder that there will be no more free Covid tests starting in May.

 

Google just dropped all vaccine requirements to enter any of their buildings saying that we are “living in a different time” right now.

 

I read an article quoting a 100-year-old doctor who listed his 5 “Don’t Do’s” in life. He listed these:

 

Don’t spend days retired

 

Don’t let yourself get out of shape

 

Don’t smoke

 

Don’t restart yourself

 

And don’t waste your knowledge. Share it with others.

 

GOLFER JOKE

“You are late for golf again Dave.”

“Yes, well-being a Sunday, I had to toss a coin to see if I should go to church or go play golf.”

“Okay, but why are you so late”?

“I had to toss it 15 times!”

 

BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU CHARGE

The Denver FBI says we should not charge our phones in an airport, a shopping mall, or hotels. The bad guys have infiltrated a lot of those and you could download malware or monitoring software. They suggest we bring our own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead. Geez. More stuff to stuff into my travel bag.

 

SPEAKING OF CHARGING

President Biden is enacting some extremely stringent emission rules that has some experts predicting that 67% of us will be driving an electric vehicle by as soon as 2032. Wow. I may be forced to sell my back firing Pinto.

 

REWARD FOR A ROCK

A meteor fell somewhere in the state of Maine the other night. The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum wants that rock. They want it so badly they’ll pay $25,000 for anyone who finds it. I can imagine all those Pokémon game geeks will soon be in Maine on the hunt. 

 

SHOE BUCKS

Get this. The tennis shoe that Michael Jordan wore in the 1998 NBA Championship known as “The Last Dance” just fetched 2.2 MILLLION dollars at auction. One pair of tennis shoes. For the record they are Air Jordan 13 Trainers. It’ Ain’t the shoes…it’s who be wearing the shoes.


 

 

SCHOOLS

This kind of makes sense, but it’s a sad statement of where we are with schools. A contractor says he is on a mission to install bulletproof shelters in every classroom.

 

LAST ROUNDUP

Clint Eastwood is producing and acting in his last movie ever. It’s a courtroom drama “Juror #2”. Clint is 92 now and this is it for him on the silver screen. I’m a huge fan. I’ve been watching him my entire life.

 

I read his bio a few years ago. One of the passages I remember was him talking about directing other actors on the set. He never liked a director yelling out “Action”! So he doesn’t do that. He gently says, “Whenever you’re ready” instead.

 

Gonna miss his seeing him for sure.

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

“Florida Man Accused Of Throwing Chicken Wings At Wife During Lovers Quarrel”. Apparently he’s not a dark meat lover.

 

TODAY

I’m online writing with Brady Seals this morning who’s working on releasing not one but TWO albums. A solo album as well as a duo album with Lua Crofts under “Seals & Crofts 2”. I’m more than tickled to have songs on both of these projects. Songs Brady and I have written, some of them several years ago that are finally going to get out there.


 

 

Then tonight I’m going to my first baseball game of the season to watch my Nashville Sounds at their beautiful park downtown. It’s going to be fun watching the pitch clock for the first time. Play ball!

 

 

Have a great Wednesday!

 

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