BILL BLOG
Monday October 27, 2025
Monday morning, and I’m back home in Music City. Where it’s much cooler! Just 56 for a high today.
Meanwhile, hurricane Melissa near Jamaica my roar ashore as a Cat 5.
THE WEEKEND
My Friday in Gulf Shores was very busy working the Parrot Head Convention that is MOTM. At 10:30 AM, I welcomed Jim Hoehn to one of the stages, and life came full circle.
Jim is a great newspaper columnist (sports) who writes and covers sporting events in Wisconsin. When I was doing the morning show at FM*106 Radio, I read Jim’s column religiously. And then I found out he was a songwriter and into the Trop Rock scene. But I got to meet, visit, hear, and introduce him for the first time this past Friday morning.
He’s very witty, as you can imagine, has written some funny songs with that wit, and it was just a pleasure to meet and hear his music for the first time. He listened to my radio show some, knew who I was, and vice versa. It was so nice that our paths crossed in Gulf Shores.
THOM SHEPHERD
Then I drove 8 miles down the beach front road to Perdido Key, where I played Thom Shepherd’s songwriter series, he was holding which came with some kind of great view.
Thom has written a couple of big hits you might remember. “Riding With Private Malone” and Redneck Yacht Club. He and his wife, Coley, are also into the Trop Rock scene big time and have won numerous Trop Rock Awards. Thank you, Thom, for having me on Friday morning. Always a pleasure to play on a stage with an ocean view.
THE TROP ROCK AWARDS SHOW
Then, at 2:30 pm Friday, I presented the first Trop Rock Awards for 2025…the Radio Awards. I think this is the third year they’ve asked me to be a presenter, and I’m more than happy to do that. Some good friends of mine, Eric and Gina Babin, won two of three "WAVE" awards for their internet radio station, Radio Trop Rock.
Congrats to all of this year’s winners.
STAGE
Then it was off to the stages for emcee duty, where I had a chance to see and talk to Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucy Buffett, who, of course, is Jimmy’s sister.
Lucy is the owner of Lulu’s, and she came out to support a band, “Homemade Wine,” that she books at her club sometimes.
We had some great Trop Rock Bands play to the big party crowd until 10:30 Friday night.
SATURDAY
One last full day that started with me introducing my co-emcee for the event, Krystal King, who is also a singer-songwriter as well as being an on-air host on Radio Margaritaville on Sirius-XM. And...it was her birthday!
It was a pleasure getting to know, and work with her for the first time.
Then I left and went to the Embassy Suites to sit in with Trop Rock artist Kelly McGuire at his “Lighthouse Songwriter Series” that he holds every year.
And this was the view I had from that stage. Not bad.
It was right back to the stage to introduce my Wisconsin friend Kristie Kraus, who did an hour-long show, and she sang TWO songs that we have written together, “Lime Time” and “We’re All On Something”. Thank you Kristie.
Saturday night, we wrapped up this year’s festival on the Main Stage, with the Grammy-winning Reggae artist Gramps Morgan, who had the big crowd singing along…mon’.
Before Gramps took the stage, it was Jesse Rice, who has written some big hits and is a great artist. BUT…before he stepped on stage with his band, he quietly, without fanfare, played a song for a special fan who was backstage to see him.
Some good stuff right there.
THANK YOU
To the staff and management who chose me to co-emcee their big event this year. It was a hectic week of playing music, emceeing, hanging out with old friends, and making many new friends who LOVE this kind of music. Great fan. Can’t wait until October 21 of next year when the Parrot Heads will once again “phlock” to Gulf Shores.
SONG OF THE DAY
Last night I, on my own couch, I watched my friend and co-writer, Jenny Tolman, make it through to the second round on “The Road” last night on CBS, alongside Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, and Gretchen Wilson. So I’m sharing another song today that I wrote with Jenny & Dave Brainard, “The World’s A Small Town”. The three of us were talking one day about how, with technology, no place seems far away. This song was born from that conversation.
HEALTH NOTES
A news report claims that hackers have stolen medical and financial data from 1.2 million patients in a massive healthcare breach.
A teen was hospitalized after swallowing up to 100 magnets purchased online.
Research finds that by the age of 17, most people’s heart health scores, which consider lifestyle factors like diet and exercise, as well as clinical measures such as blood pressure and weight, have already begun to slip.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Got it.
FOOTBALL
Please make me a football coach so that I can get fired like Brian Kelley just did at LSU. His buyout? 54 million dollars.
CATS…SORT OF
Companion Pets is a company that makes robotic pets for Seniors…for companionship. This CAT purrs, cleans itself, rolls around, and more.
Or you can choose the robotic bird…
Or robotic dog.
The company claims they are “therapy” pets and make great gifts for those suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. And that’s a good thing.
Wonder if robotic husbands and wives could be on the way?
THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL OLD
Jaclyn Smith, the actress who played detective “Kelly Garrett” in Charlie’s Angels, just turned 80. How can that be?
SAVE A HORSE
A guy from Texas was charged with aggravated assault after shooting a woman because her horse was too fat. And all I can think of is Jeff Foxworthy’s iconic line, “You might be a redneck if…”
TODAY’S QUOTE
From Charles Lamb:
“I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by going home early.”
TODAY
I’ve got a much-needed day off to unpack, catch up, and prepare for another long road trip that will take me to North Carolina, Georgia, and then back to Gulf Shores again, this time for the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival.
But tonight…game 3 of the World Series.
Have a great Monday!
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