BILL BLOG
Thursday, April 30, 2026
It’s Thursday, and it’s already the last day of April. The end of the month has brought cooler temperatures. Today’s high in Nashville will be just 65 degrees, and this Saturday, the high will only be 59.
Saturday night I’ll be playing outdoors, so I’m packing a heavier jacket than normal at this time of year. More on that concert at the end of today’s Blog.
YESTERDAY
I got some good news on multiple musical fronts yesterday.
First, my co-writer Tim Stafford let me know that he’s recording a song we wrote about an old farm tractor, like the ones we both saw growing up as kids. Tim is such a great artist & guitar player, and it’s the first song he’s recorded that the two of us wrote. Can’t wait to hear that. Here’s an example of Tim’s talent in this song "Wild West."
Then my longtime friend Jerry Salley, who is currently producing a new album on our friend Kristy Cox, who has been kind enough to record songs I’ve written like “Finger Pickin’ Good” featuring world class guitarist Tommy Emannuel, told me that Kristy had just recorded a new song that Jerry, myself, and my “Hits & Grins” partner in music, Victoria Venier wrote titled “Other Side of the Wine.”
And good news apparently does come in three’s, as I also found out the young country artist Spencer Hatcher, who I blogged about earlier this week got word that his record label loves the song we wrote on Monday with his brother Connor and my buddy Steve Dean, “Hot Weather, Cold Beer”, that they are going to get him into studio right away to record that song on Quartz Hill Records, a major new record label here in town. I’m guessing they will be releasing in the middle of the summer when there’s going to be a lot of hot weather, to go with the cold beer.
Yeah, so I had quite the Wednesday to say the least.
And, I also found time to write something new yesterday morning by myself, which is on an artist’s desk right now for consideration.
Blessed.
LAST NIGHT
Several other musical friends and I gathered at the house of Ginny Foley for a musical tribute to the late Hall of Fame songwriter Jim McBride. Ginny is a big songwriter lover, and hosts these kinds of events at her house several times a year. Jim used to join in some. Each of us took our turns singing Jim’s songs, or singing songs we’ve written with Jim, like all those Alan Jackson hits Jim had, including Chattahoochee, Chasing That Neon Rainbow, Someday, and so many others. His two sons, who look just like their father, came, and that was special. Click that link to hear Jim sing that big hit, that he performed in Ginny's house one evening.
I sang two songs I had the pleasure of writing with Jim.
SONG OF THE DAY
And with that said, here’s a VIDEO of me singing one of those songs from last night. And there’s a story. You'll find it about 15 minutes into that video.
My old friend and original girl member of our “Hits & Grins” trio, Lisa Shaffer got a call from Jim, whom she had written with many times, about a funny Christmas song idea he had. And Lisa told Jim, “I think you should write that with my friend, Bill Whyte. So I got a call from Jim, went over to his place one morning, he shared the idea, and we wrote the song you will hear in that video, “Blue Light Christmas.” It made Jim laugh so hard several times while we were writing that song. And that opened up a friendship.
Jim may have been the only person I know who is as big a baseball fan as I am. We talked baseball a lot, and he and a couple of buddies and I took in a game at the new Atlanta Braves games one weekend at what was then their brand-new stadium for the Braves. We had a blast. Between Jim and me, I think we’ve seen every major league baseball park in the country.
He was just a great guy. And it was an honor to honor him that way last night. Check out that video up above, and listen to that Christmas tune.
HEALTH NOTES
A study has linked fish oil supplements to slower brain repair in some patients.
Survey says 1 in 5 Americans hasn’t visited an optometrist in at least a year. And 15% can’t remember the last time. (That would be yours truly)
Experts claim that there is now a ‘game changer’ blood test that could quickly signal how quickly dementia will progress.”
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
I think I’ll stay on this side of his fence.
DAUGHTER BRAGGING
My daughter Heather loves the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” The sequel is out this weekend, so she got inspired to sew this dress.
I have no idea how she does that. I do know that her Mom and I are excited that she and her Army pilot husband, Casey, will be returning to the States come this July. Say hello, Yuma, Arizona.
NO APPLE FOR THIS TEACHER
A substitute teacher in Florida was caught twerking before her class, grabbing one of her students around the neck, and calling herself a “million-dollar prostitute.”
And you’ll never believe this, they fired her.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN
A passenger on a Delta jet from Miami to Atlanta would NOT get off of his cellphone, after repeated requests and warnings, so the plane turned around, landed back in Miami, and authorities took the guy off the plane. Some common sense. Good for Delta.
I can’t imagine what was SO important that the dude could not shut off his phone.
Martin Luther King said it best when he once said, “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
THE RIDE IS OVER
Country Outlaw David Allan Coe passed away at the age of 89. In and out of prison when he was young, he found his way to Nashville and became a star with big hits like “The Ride” and a song everyone knows, “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.” RIP.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Sydney J. Harris:
“When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?”
TODAY
Packing a light bag and a guitar for a trip this weekend to write with veterans once again, this time in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Saturday night’s outdoor concert (bring a jacket) is free to the public.
Have a great Thursday!
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