BILL BLOG
Monday July 15, 2024
Monday morning and I’m back home after a Memphis weekend. And the heat is most surely turned up on high. 96 degrees here in Nashville today.
THE WEEKEND
Early Friday afternoon I rolled into Memphis with our Freedom Sings USA group. We took the Bass Pro exit. Biggest Bass Pro in the world.
We checked into the Peabody Hotel and right away I noticed the ducks floating the hotel lobby fountain. That’s just what ducks do I suppose.
Then late Friday afternoon we went over to the Memphis VA Center and had dinner with the staff and some of the veterans that were there. And we wrapped up Friday evening with a little songwriter round featuring (from L-R) Steve Dean, Minnie Murphy, Irene Kelley, myself, and Bobby Tomberlin.
SATURDAY
I sat down with my veteran Bobby Roberts a Navy Man. A yeoman. A typist. He met his wife at a McDonald’s in Mississippi when he was young. He liked the girl taking his order and he flirted with her. She was married but went in the back and brought out her girlfriend who was just 17 who also worked at Mickey D’s. They married less than a year later and have been married some 45 years now.
Bobby was onboard the Dwight D Eisenhower and sat for 8 month off the Iran coast as presence against Manuel Noriega. They sent in Navy Seal Team 2 and every Seal that day lost his life as Noriega got tipped they were coming. Bobby typed the “I regret to inform you” letters that went to the grieving families.
He had a great sense of humor. Was a great athlete when he was young and he can trash talk with the best of them. We became great friends instantly and laughed many times.
Five veterans were honored with song Saturday night including mine. And a great crowd turned out to honor them. Just an awesome evening. My thanks to the Memphis VA and the staff and volunteers who did such a wonderful job with this event…our third time being in Memphis. And we’ll be back.
TRUMP
Right before I was called on stage to sing “Navy Man”…the song I wrote about my veteran, word broke of the Trump shooting. Everybody was checking their phones.
I am the most non-political person you would ever meet. Truly hate politics. And there was one more reason why I do. It’s just unthinkable that someone can do such a thing no matter their beliefs or political persuasion. How people can sneak anywhere near an event like these days with all the technology at our disposal is beyond me. I don’t even have a word to describe my feelings about such an event. SAD seems to be the word that most pops into my head. He’s not the first political person to come under fire. And unfortunately it’s most likely he won’t be the last. Considering what goes with the territory, I don’t know why anyone would want to be President. SAD.
And maybe, just maybe if everyone turned their rhetoric down it might help. Maybe.
RIBS
After we finished we walked into an alley directly out the front door of the Peabody Hotel where we were staying and ate for the first time at the Rendezvous. World famous for their ribs. As good as advertised. Everybody has been there seemingly, Most Presidents, Mick Jagger, Smokey Robinson, Peyton Manning, Nolan Ryan, Frank Sinatra and on and on and on. You could walk around in the place forever looking at the autographed pictures and memorabilia. Worth a trip if you go. to Memphis.
HEALTH NOTES
A Texas doctor says the combination of heat wave and power outages in Texas is “as bad as COVID”.
4 new bird flu cases were found in Colorado poultry workers amid an outbreak.
Researchers are seeing promising signs that the mRNA vaccine might be a game changer in helping save folks with pancreatic cancer.
I TOLD YOU IT WAS HOT!
THE TORCH
While I was in Memphis this weekend, my daughter Heather and her husband Casey were at Disneyland Paris and had no idea that they had booked a Disney Hotel on the very night that the Olympic torch was going to be passed inside the park.
So the two of them got quite the bonus on their little trip.
RUBIK
The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube Erno Rubik who’s from Budapest turned 80 over the weekend. His game is 50 years old now…his frustrating game…and I can never figure it out. He himself can do it in 2-3 minutes time.
His wife says she still has trouble figuring HIM out some time. Hard to solve husbands.
RULES OF THREE
I don’t know why, but the “rules of 3” too often come true. Over the weekend we lost actress Shannen Doherty, sex therapist Dr. Ruth, and fitness guru Richard Simmons.
I never met Shannen or interviewed her on the radio and I never interviewed Dr. Ruth on the radio. I wouldn’t have known what to ask Dr. Ruth or if her reply to any questions would actually make it on the air. She lived to be 96.
But I did interview Richard Simmons a couple of times. He was a hoot. Once in Cincinnati when I was on the radio we did a “live” show with Richard at a mall. A bunch of the Cincinnati Bengal cheerleaders came out along with a lot of our female listeners to work out with Richard “live” on the air. He just took over and had those women in the palm of his hand. We were truly “Sweatin’ With The Oldies” that morning. And he was funny! Even in those little signature red and white shorts he wore. RIP.
BOXES
I’m looking for boxes to pile up on my front door the next couple of days. Amazon Prime Days are tomorrow and Wednesday. Once again I’m sure we’ll be doing our part here at the Whyte House to help increase Jeff Bezos’s bank roll.
Although, I could use one of these.
DESPICABLE
The animated movie franchise Despicable Me has now made over 5 billion dollars worldwide after releasing Despicable Me 4’ which is in theaters now. That makes it the biggest success of any animated movie in history. Folks still like their cartoons.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Smuggler With 100 Snakes In His Pants Stopped At Airport Customs In China. You think?
TODAY
Off to write with young Alex Miller today. Our first time writing since he made
his Grand Ole Opry appearance a few weeks ago which was special…and I’m glad I
got to see him do that. We’ll be talking about that moment I’m sure before we
write today.
Have a great Monday!
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