BILL BLOG
Tuesday January 13, 2026
It’s Tuesday, and we’re already in the middle of the first month of the New Year. We will be in the low 60’s today here in Nashville, and then the temperatures drop for the next couple of days. Up and down, up and down.
YESTERDAY
I spent some time writing a new song with Stuie French of the French Family Band. Stuie is the Dad in the French Family Band. I’ve mentioned here before that Stuie is a terrific guitar player, in demand here in the States, as he was in Australia, where he and his family are from.
I noticed yesterday that Stuie was playing the model of guitar that the great Tommy Emmanuelle plays, also from Australia.
A Moten guitar, and she was a beauty. I asked him casually during our writing session if it was new, and he admitted it was. And then I asked, “How many guitars do you own by now Stuie”?
The answer was 60. 60 guitars! And he had just bought 3 while he and the family were playing over in Australia. And for great guitar players here in Nashville? That’s not totally unusual. And the guitars, those kinds of folks purchase will never devalue. They know what they’re looking for, and they know those high-end and vintage guitars will only increase in value.
I told that to my wife when I got home, and my wife gave me one of those “Don’t even think about it” looks.
Oh, by the way, we got a fun new song written on my old guitar, and Stuie’s brand new one.
WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE
I write a lot with Troy Engle up in Pennsylvania. Troy plays EVERY instrument, sings, writes, and more. Recently, he became a member of the Ricky Skaggs band "Kentucky Thunder" and is out playing shows everywhere with him. His dream gig. And boy does Troy deserve it. Troy is holding the fiddle in this picture with the band and Ricky.
Yesterday I reached out to him about getting on the books to write again, as it’s been a while with his new gig taking up a little more of his time. He’s looking for a date, but in the note he sent back to me, he included this VIDEO of him singing one of the songs we wrote that Troy recorded on his last album titled “Never Too Lost”. And he’s singing our song “live” WITH Ricky Skaggs!
And that pretty much made my day.
SONG OF THE DAY
This is a piece of a brand-new song that will be on the French Family Band’s new album, which I wrote with Sonny French (Stuie’s boy) and our mutual friend Angus Gill, “Here Comes The Sun Again”.
I sat in Stuie’s car after we finished writing yesterday, and he played me this song, as well as one of the other two that will be on their new album, out this year. Thank you to Stuie, Camille, and Sonny for taking such good share of these tunes!
HEALTH NOTES
The CDC is reporting the first norovirus outbreak of 2026. It has infected 90 people on a cruise ship.
Keep moving…it’s healthy. A new study concludes that 36 hours of movement per day decreases the likelihood of early death by 19%. 5.7 hours per day decreases it by 37%.
Laughing gas has shown rapid antidepressant effects in people with depression in a series of small clinical trials. The treatment involves breathing it in for up to an hour.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Oh yeah. You know that’s true.
GROCRERIES
In a recent article, Aldi’s claims the spot for being the lowest prices on groceries. So it’s no wonder that it’s going to add 180 new stores this year around the country.
We have one near us, and shop there quite a bit. You have to bag your own groceries, but you do notice the difference on your grocery bill when you shop at the German-based grocery store.
Our daughter and son-in-law shipped us some candy and treats from there years ago that I got hooked on. Like these bad boys.
Good, but probably not good for you. But did I mention, they’re good?
GATEWAY CITY MONKEES
In St. Louis, near where I grew up, monkeys are on the loose in the city. Authorities have no idea where they came from. Health officials suggest letting them know if you spot one, but not to interact with them. Officials have said this is their “first time” ever dealing with loose monkeys. I’m betting that’s true.
CHAMP STAMP
The late Muhammad Ali will be getting a commemorative stamp soon. When I read that news, I thought, “Well, I hope the stamp is self-adhesive because if the stamp is anything like he was, we won’t be able to lick it.” And I thought that was a pretty original, until I read that once in an interview, Muhammad said that if the Post Office ever printed a stamp in his honor, “That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked”.
And then I realized how lame my thought was.
Of course, Muhammad was quick on his feet in the ring and outside the boxing ring. He once said, “If you ever dream of beating me up, you’d better wake up and apologize.”
"I DO"... TO THE DOG
An independent music artist named Jenny Lewis just turned 50 and married her dog. Uh huh. That got her more attention than her music ever has.
No word yet on whether the dog signed a prenup.
CAN’T GIVE IT AWAY
The sales figures are in. The slowest-selling car in the country this last year was the Volkswagen ID.4 It’s a small electric-powered SUV that never caught on.
Make an offer.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Robert Frost:
By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work 12 hours a day.
TODAY
I’ve got a double-header of songwriting today. I don’t schedule two in a day much anymore, but bluegrass artist Caroline Owens texted last night, wondering if I could write in the morning? Can’t say no to that.
And then I’ll be writing online this afternoon with Michael Peterson. Michael will be in Las Vegas, where he lives now, and I’ll be looking at him on my Mac from here in Nashville.
If you’re a real country music fan, you will remember a Michael Peterson song or three. In 1997, his second album produced five Top 40 hits, including this one, “From Here To Eternity.”
We wrote one song together at his house, south of Nashville, many years ago, that I’ve always loved. Today, we get to tackle a second idea, and I’m very much looking forward to that.
I know that Michael is big overseas these days, and that his cover of the old “Hollies” hit, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” I’ll be asking him about that as well!
Have a great Tuesday!
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