BILL BLOG
Thursday September 18, 2025
And a good Thursday morning to you from Chattanooga, home of the IBMA Bluegrass Convention. 87 for a high here today.
YESTERDAY
I made the two-hour trip from Nashville to the Convention Center here in Chattanooga, the home of this year’s IBMA (Bluegrass) Awards. Over the last few years, it’s been in Raleigh, and I couldn’t find a way to get there, plus it’s a pretty long drive. But now that it’s so close, I’m finally getting to participate.
The bluegrass convention feels much like the radio conventions I used to go to. Long hallways, lots of shaking hands, lots of exhibits, and, in this case, music in every room. Lots of musical instruments.
After spending a lot of time hugging friends, writers, artists, managers, etc, it was time for the Billy Blue Records Showcase.
Label head Jerry Salley and President Ed Leonard put together a heck of a show for all to see. Caroline Owens was first, and sang her new single “Telluride” that I wrote with Andrea Pearson. That was a treat! And today she will be on RFD-TV singing that song.
Then young Carson Peters tore it up. Carson was barely knee high when he was invited to the Grand Ole Opry stage to sing and play fiddle alongside Ricky Skaggs. All grown up now, and destined to be a big star in bluegrass. No doubt.
DARIN AND BROOKE
After a little break, Darin and Brooke Aldridge had their own 30-minute showcase in one of the big rooms and just tore it up. They also performed a song we wrote together, "Wildflower Too" which got a lot of airplay for them.
So it was a long, but fun first day, closed out with a burger and something to drink.
I’m going to have to order some of that coffee.
A NICE MUSICAL SURPRISE
My friends Adam and Amy Pope just made this little VIDEO of them singing this song I wrote with Adam, “Hallelujah Anyway,” that will be on their next album. I’ve loved this song since the day we wrote it. Click the link and check out what’s coming.
SONG OF THE DAY
Since they performed it in their showcase, today’s song is “Wildflower Too” from Darin and Brooke. I met Joey Black, who is the head of Bluegrass Junction on Sirius. Every bluegrass artist wants Bluegrass Junction to play their song. And Joey played the heck out of ours. One time on air, I heard him play it and say, “I never get tired of hearing that song, I could play it over and over.” And he sort of did. So it was nice to be able to thank him for that in person.
HEALTH NOTES
A European study reveals that being skinny might be worse for you than being overweight. The underweight study participants died much faster than the overweight ones.
Some doctors agree that B3 can help protect against skin cancer.
Another study says that a daily low dose of aspirin halves the risk of colorectal tumors returning after surgery. The study involved over 1,000 cancer patients.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Which means some folks have apparently done that.
TECHNOLOGY
AirPods are coming that will translate languages with the help of AI. So, the next time I’m in Germany to visit my daughter, I can stick a pair in my ears, and any German spoken to me will be translated into English. Of course, the person I’m talking to would need a pair in their ears as well to understand me…so there’s that. But that’s a pretty cool use of AI technology.
SIGNS THAT YOU’RE OLDER
When a co-worker of yours tries to set you up on a date…with their mother.
One worker said his company went under, and for a month, employees were given checks. Several of his younger co-workers did not know how they could turn them into money.
A younger co-worker asked an older co-worker if she had a “gram”?? The older worker replied, “I don’t do drugs.” The younger worker just wanted to know if she had an Instagram account.
NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY
That’s today. You can get some deals on a burger, maybe even a Freebie at some place. And I’m pretty sure we should all be playing Jimmy Buffett’s ode to Cheeseburgers sometime today…” Cheeseburger In Paradise”.
Cheeseburger in paradise
Medium-rare with mustar’d be nice
Heaven on earth with an onion slice
Just a cheeseburger in paradise
SELF-DRIVING
It’s coming to Nashville. Next year. Self-driving robo-taxis. Wow.
So the question is, who do all the back-seat drivers yell at?
THANK GOODNESS
Only 13% of us know how to use punctuation correctly. And that certainly includes me. I never know where a danged semi-colon goes. And don’t get me started on dangling participles. I’m just glad to know I’m not the only one who struggles with that.
I used to write medical articles, believe it or not, for a company in New York. Short articles about health news. I would be assigned 5 articles a day, then rewrite them in short form. They would then be part of a “content” service for radio stations. It was tedious, boring, and I had no clue about proper punctuation. Thank goodness, all of my work went to an editor who took care of that. But from time to time, she would share with me where I went wrong. Sigh. I remember writing back once saying, “I’m trying my best”. And she replied, “I know, honey.”
I’m not sure who was happier when that job ended. Me…or her.
TODAY’S HEADLINE
Arizona Psychic Hit By Car, Says He Never Saw It Coming. (Yep…and they’re not good at picking Powerball numbers either. Don’t ask me how I know.
TODAY
The big Bluegrass Awards Show is tonight. I’m blessed to be nominated for “Gospel Recording of the Year” along with my friend Jerry Salley, who recorded the song “Blue Collar Gospel” with the Oak Ridge Boys, and my friend Rick Lang, who just won the industry award for “Mentor of the Year” yesterday. So deserved.
The show tonight is going to be co-hosted by comedian and banjo player Steve Martin, so it’s going to be a VERY entertaining 3 hours. Wish us luck.
Have a great Thursday!
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