BILL BLOG
Thursday July 17, 2025
Thursday morning is rolling in. We’ve had some rain every day, it seems like this month, and we’ll get a little more today. A high of 93 is on tap for Nashville.
Meanwhile, there is a tsunami warning out for the Alaska Peninsula after a 7.3 earthquake hit. There are not a lot of folks living out on that Peninsula, so that’s a good thing.
YESTERDAY
I had a very full and productive Tuesday that started with a recording session in the morning. I was in the studio with producer Pat Holt, who recorded me singing two songs that I wrote with veterans in Heyworth, Illinois, for Freedom Sings USA.
There will soon be a complete album with the veterans up there over a two-year period of time. It’s going to make for a very nice gift for those veterans and their family, friends, and loved ones. Pat made my job pretty easy, so I thank him for that. It was only after we finished that I found out that Pat is married to Irlene Mandrell, the youngest of the Mandrell sisters. The things you find out in a recording studio!
AN AWARD NOMINATION
It was shortly after I walked out of the studio that I got a text from my publisher letting me know that the song “Blue Collar Gospel”, which was recorded by my friend Jerry Salley and the Oak Ridge Boys, is on the final ballot for Gospel Recording of the Year for the IBMA…the International Bluegrass Music Association.
I’m a writer on this song with Jerry and Rick Lang. Pretty danged cool. The awards will be passed out in September at the awards show, which will take place in Chattanooga. I’ll be there for that with fingers crossed.
Thank you to Rick Lang for inviting me to write this song idea he had that became the title track for his latest album “Blue Collar Gospel…Songs of Rick Lang.”
TWO FOR ONE DAY
Then yesterday afternoon, I wrote TWO new songs with my friends Thomm Jutz and Caroline Owens at Thomm’s home studio. Such a pleasure to sit and create with these two. Thomm is such a skilled guitarist, and it’s always a pleasure to be in the studio and hear him play. He played guitar on the road with Nancy Griffith for several years, so that tells you all you need to know.
And Caroline also plays very well, but it’s her young bluegrass voice that’s so mesmerizing. It has a Dolly quality to it. Always great to hear her sing.
So, yep, a very productive Tuesday.
SONG OF THE DAY
I want to say congratulations to my friend Brooke Aldridge, who is once again nominated for the Female Bluegrass Artist of the Year. Well deserved. And with that, here’s Darin and Brooke singing a song we wrote together, “Wildflower Too,” that shows off Brooke’s great voice.
HEALTH NOTES
Four people have been found dead in Florida from flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters.
A new study has linked ultra-processed foods to shorter lives.
According to some, just one hot dog a day can harm your health. And ironically, yesterday was National Hot Dog Day.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Liar!
BIG ROCK-BIG PRICE
The world’s largest martian rock that I blogged about earlier this week did sell at auction. They were thinking it might sell for 3 million. It sold for 5.3 million dollars!
The rock was found in the Sahara in 2023.
But it pales in comparison to what those ruby slippers that Dorothy wore in the Wizard of Oz. Those bad boys fetched 32 million at auction.
MARRIAGE QUOTE
This one is from writer Jessica Valenti.
“I love my husband, but no matter where we are, I make him sleep closest to the door so if anything happens, he gets murdered first.”
BEST BURGERS
USA Today just put out their list of “Best Burgers”. There were some surprise choices…at least for me. Here’s their Top 5 choices.
5…The Butter Burger Cheese Double at Carvers.
4…The Double-Double at In-N-Out
3…The Jumbo Jack at Jack in the Box. (surprise)
2…Papa Burger at A&W. (And the root beer is a bonus)
And their FAVORITE burger is the Double Cheese at Habit Burger and Grill. (Don’t think I’ve ever seen or been in one)
GIVING BIRTH
There’s a woman in California who gave birth on July 7. What’s odd about that is, it’s the 4th time she’s delivered a baby on the same date…July 7! What are the odds?
Lady, please buy a Powerball ticket.
MORE AI STUFF
A great friend of mine sent me a podcast to listen to a couple of days ago. I did. The podcast was talking about a company that my friend is part of, and what they do. It was hosted by a male and female podcast duo. As I was listening, I was thinking about how great it was that my friend’s company was getting this kind of free publicity.
When I called him to tell him how great it was, he revealed to me that it was entirely AI-generated. A friend had a little time on his hands and asked AI to generate a podcast talking about the company and the people involved with the company. None of it was real. AI scanned everything it could find on the internet and then produced the podcast in a very short amount of time. It takes maybe 10 minutes to generate. And I could NOT tell it was fake.
And it can also produce VIDEO podcasts as well with AI-generated hosts.
And then yesterday, a co-writer of mine sent me an AI-generated version of a song we had written that was incredible. She wanted to know what I thought, and I texted back, “I don’t know whether to be amazed or scared.”
TODAY’S HEADLINE
Britain’s Fattest Woman Ate Fridge And Dies. (Some kind of unhealthy appetite there)
TODAY
I’m off to write with husband-wife team Dave Brainard and Jenny Tolman. Jenny is going to be a contestant on “The Road,” which starts airing in October. The show will feature Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, and Blake Shelton is involved, and Taylor Sheridan produced this show. I’ll be rooting for her big time.
Jenny is seated in the front with her “sparkly” boots.
Have a great Thursday!
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