BILL BLOG
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
It's the last day of June, and a hot Tuesday lies ahead. And it’s warming up for the 4th of July. 95 today in Nashville, 97 tomorrow, and 98 on Wednesday.
It was so hot in Switzerland that they claimed a group of yodelers had to practice for a festival with their feet in a fountain. Water yodeling. You gotta love that.
YESTERDAY
I wrote with my friend Troy Engle, who is now a member of Ricky’s Skagg’s great band, “Kentucky Thunder.”
That’s Troy sitting behind the steel guitar. But he also plays guitar, fiddle, upright bass from time to time, and dobro for Ricky, and he can play banjo if they need it. Crazy.
Troy had a day off before catching the bus this morning with Ricky and the guys to head to Colorado for a show out there, so we wrote. Turned out to be something fun and catchy to add to our catalog.
Troy also showed me a video of him singing our song with Ricky and the band that we wrote together, “Never Too Lost,” which was a #1 bluegrass-gospel song for Troy. Can’t tell you how cool it was to see Ricky singing along and playing mandolin to our tune, and they play the song at every Ricky Skaggs show.
I’m going to get to see that myself when Ricky plays at the famed Ryman Auditorium on July 21. That should be a moment!
HOT WEATHER
My young co-writer, friend Spencer Hatcher shared this VIDEO TEASE of the song “Hot Weather, Cold Beer”, his new single that will be released this week on July 3, just in time for the hot 4th of July weekend. This is a “summer” song for sure that I wrote with Spencer, his younger brother Connor, and my buddy Steve Dean.
He’s going to be singing this song a lot wherever he plays the rest of the year, and with whomever he’s sharing the stage with, as he did with Zach Top recently.
And Hank Jr.
This should be one the crowd sings back at him, “Hot Weather…Cold Beer.”
SONG OF THE DAY
This is red, white, and blue, cool. SiriusXM Radio is running a program to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, featuring original patriotic songs by many Nashville songwriters. One of those songs is a song I wrote with Andrea Pearson and Brian White.
Our song is titled “It’s For Me, and You,” and that’s my “song of the day. Click the link, and the story behind the song at the link above, and you’ll see Andrea, alongside a couple of her friends, singing the heck out of our song. Way to go, Andrea.
The article also printed the lyrics, and I'm posting them here as well for our song.
IT'S FOR ME AN YOU
She’s held that torch for a hundred years and more
Give me your tired, give me your poor
They’re still coming, they’re still coming
We all imagine just what we can be
Living in the land of the brave and free
If you chase it, you can make it
In America
Because Americas
For the dreamers, the believers
When the hard times come we ain’t leavers
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s for the fighters, freedom riders
Together standing by your siders
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s the red white and blue
It’s for me and you
For the guy dropping seeds in an Oklahoma field
Pittsburgh iron worker, pouring steel
It’s the teacher, it’s the preacher
The girl from Abilene, who earned her wings to fly
A high school dancer under Broadway lights
The all nighters, 9 to 5’ers
From sea to sea , It will always be
For the dreamers, the believers
When the hard times come we ain’t leavers
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s for the fighters, freedom riders
Together standing by your siders
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s the red white and blue
It’s for me and you
250 years still going strong
Under amber skies where we belong
All the dreamers, the believers
When the hard times come we ain’t leavers
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s for the fighters, freedom riders
Together standing by your siders
Oh oh oh oh oh
It’s where dreams come true
It’s red white and blue
Its for me and you
HEALTH NOTES
Deadly tick virus cases have exploded in the US as doctors warn that infection happens in minutes.
Modern medicine has extended our lives. How much? It’s doubled since 1776.
Former Tennessee Titans star running back Chris Johnson has been diagnosed with ALS.
HERE’S YOUR SIGN
Dude! Be careful.
250 YEARS OLD IS AMERICA
A CBS poll asked Americans to name our greatest contribution over the past 250 years. Most believed it’s democracy with 16% of the vote.
The light bulb from old Thomas Edison got 14%.
Then the internet got 10%, the automobile 6%, the telephone 5%, and the airplane 4%.
I might have voted for indoor plumbing and GPS as well.
FUNNY
This headline is from the folks at Babylon Bee, who write very funny “fake” headlines.
“Cracker Jack Changes Name To More Politically Correct Caucasian Jack.”
SCAMS
A report claims that 12% of scams last year used AI or deepfakes. Some 15 million Americans were scammed out of money in 2025.
I’m not the smartest guy when it comes to stuff like that, but generally my belief is, “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
And with AI being able to clone voices that sound like someone you know, it’s getting even scarier. Grandma calls and asks for money? It might not be Granny.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From Jay Leno:
“Politics is just show business for ugly people.”
TODAY
I get to write with Jimmy Fortune again, which is always fun. And not only is he one of the greatest tenor singers ever, but the man has his own danged bobblehead doll!
We’ll have fun today.
Have a great Tuesday!
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