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Fast Songwriters...A Nomination...New Show

BILL BLOG

Thursday July 25, 2024

 

And here comes a Thursday. 83 will be our high today. We’ve had some rain over the past few days, and a few more days of it are on tap…literally.

 

YESTERDAY

I got to write with Thomm Jutz again and we got on a roll out at his studio and wrote not one but TWO songs yesterday to add to our growing catalog. One from an idea I brought, a second from an idea Thomm had in his back pocket. Most of my co-writers will tell you that I tend to be a fairly fast writer but Thomm is even faster. Unreal actually. So writing with him is always a great experience because we’re kind of on the same train.

 

Thomm moved over here from Germany several years ago now. He studied classical music in Germany…learned to play piano and flute before he heard Bobby Bare in concert one evening in Germany singing the old classic “Detroit City that Mel Tillis wrote and decided at that moment to learn guitar and write country-folk-Americana type songs. And he’s really good at it. It’s a pleasure to hear him play every time I’m in the studio creating with him. He and a mutual bluegrass friend and co-writers of ours Tim Stafford has been in studio recording their second album together. Both of them are gifted players and writers and here’s a small sample of what they do together


 

 

So yea, I had a really good Wednesday.

 

A NOMINATION

This was a nice surprise. My Irish-artist friend and songwriter Clare Cunningham’s album “On My Way” was nominated for the Best Americana Album of the Year by the World Entertainment Awards folks. There’s a song on the album that I co-wrote with Clare & Steve Dean titled “Irish Dad” that’s been one of the favorites off this now nominated album for a lot of folks. The song is all about some of the sayings and lessons her Irish Father passed down to here. Listen to the song and see Clare's Dad in this VIDEO.

 

The awards show will be held January 31 in Los Angeles. Fingers crossed.


 

 

PLAY BALL

I did get out to the ballyard last night and caught our Nashville Sounds beat Charlotte’s AAA baseball team.



 

I noticed a couple of things last night that I had never seen at a ballpark before. One, each team had so many challenges they could use on ball and strike calls from the umpire. If the batter challenged, the umpire would alert the booth and instantly you could watch a simulation of that pitch on the giant guitar scoreboard out in centerfield that would show where the ball was. In or out of the strike zone. Robo umpire mixed with a real umpire. Crazy.

 

And I had never seen a fan bring their own FAN to a ballpark before ever.



 

Next time I go I’m taking a window unit air conditioner with me.

 

NEW SHOW

I just added a new show that will be here in Nashville on Wednesday evening August 7 at 6:30 pm. A songwriter show at McNamara’s (a great Irish pub restaurant) with my longtime friend Steve Dean and Australian artist Suzy J who’s from Australia.



 

I’ll be writing with Suzy for the first time the day before our show with Steve and then the next night we’ll play a show together. So if you happen to be in town, come out and see us and have the fish and chips and a pint of Guinness.



 

HEALTH NOTES

Researchers are pointing out that moderate drinking is not good for your health, despite what others say. Even if you have just 1 or 2 drinks daily you increase your chances of getting some forms of cancer like breast and colorectal.

 

Some fitness experts suggest that if you want to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s that you need to concentrate on your belly and arms when you do your workout. (Lift something)

 

Yet another study confirms what others have now said. Lifestyle changes can prevent nearly half of all adult cancers.

 

POLITICAL JOKES

One thing I’ve learned through the years is that if you’re going to make a joke about a Republican, make sure you follow it up with a joke about a Democrat. This joke sort of covers both parties.

 

A Republican and a Democrat are out in a boat fishing when suddenly the boat springs a leak near the Democrat.

 

He says, “Man we need to fix this leak before the boat sinks”!

 

The Republican says, “Why should I have to work on it too?  It’s not leaking on my side.”

 

REALLY HOT

Get this. A European tourist just suffered 3rd degree burns on the Death Valley sand after losing his flip-flops. It was 123 degrees, and the temperature on the sand was even hotter. There’s a reason they call that place Death Valley folks.

 

HAY

This picture has been going around on Facebook.



 

The answer is “yes”. I have. One of the first jobs I had when I was young and skinny. Trying to lift those bails onto a trailer or worse…stacking them in a hot hayloft. I was not long for that job. I think there are folks who actually like that job. Like my late brother Gene who was very good at it and indeed seemed to like it. I learned to play guitar while he was out in the hay fields. Guess which of us grew muscles, and which one did not?  Uh huh.

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Nigerian Man Twerks For 3 Hours & 30 Minutes to Break the Guinness World Record for the Longest Duration Twerking”. (Yes…I’m most surely in favor of more “no twerking” zones.

 

TODAY
My writing session is with young Ethan Phillips today. Georgia boy who sings great songs like this one “Autumn”.

 

Have a great Thursday.

 

 



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