Start of another week…suns up after a pretty good rain yesterday.

 

THE WEEKEND

First…I have to mention how much fun it was interviewing Charley Pride Friday morning on WSM.  I’m hearing a movie on Charlie’s life is in the works and I’ll buy a ticket for that if it ever gets done.

 

We played songs from his new CD that Missourian Billy Yates produced, talked about his old hits, the Opry, growing up in a white world and all that goes with that, and baseball…yep…baseball.  Charley played organized ball…might have made it to the big Leagues but hurt his arm while serving out country.  He pitched…and played outfield.

 

He told me about hanging with Stan Musial…one of my baseball heroes…and how he batted against the great Warren Spahn once and more than held his own.  He is still a partial owner of the Texas Rangers so he knows his baseball stuff.  It was just a fascinating 40 minutes or so that flew by too fast. 

 

Thank you Mr. Pride for making my morning.

 

AND THEN GOLF

My daughter Heather and her husband Casey have discovered Top Golf.  A very fancy driving range where you try to hit targets for points.  The serve great food, and drinks…and folks line up to get into one of their bays to grab a club and rip away.  It was an early Father’s Day present and we had a blast.  I’d go again for sure.

 

I was reminded though that I’m probably never gonna make the PGA tour.  I can hit the ball a little…but I have no idea where it’s going.  We had fun…nobody got hurt…so all good.

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY MORNING

My long time friend Jim Parker who I write with some is pitching a songwriting TV pilot to PBS and ask me to sit down for an on camera interview.  Jim has one of the best songwriter evenings in the country in Huntsville, Alabama that I’ve had the pleasure of doing a few times in a great theater with a great pre-dinner experience.  I should be announcing a new date for that very soon with some talented folks I can’t wait to tell ya bout.  Jim had done his homework on me…and it was a fun interview.  I have a feeling he’s going to find a TV home for this in short order and certainly I’m honored that he included with me with some folks I great admire.

 

SATURDAY NIGHT

My friends Darin & Brook Aldridge were in town playing at the world famous Station Inn…a great home for bluegrass and traditional music.  So I got to sit at one of the indoor picnic tables…have a cold one and a slice of their pizza and hear some of my songs coming back to me delivered with skill from these two.  They’ve recorded 5 of my songs through the years including their new gospel-bluegrass single “I’m Going Under”.  Just the nicest couple and deserving of their success.

 

 

 

 

 

CMA FEST

Well…the tourists are mostly gone…or will be gone before today is over.  Nashville airport will try to handle a record amount of people leaving this town in one day.  Over 26,000 trying to fly home after getting their ears filled with country music while enduring the typical HOT heat of Nashville at this time of year.  You should recognize those folks as they step off planes.  They’ll be red.

 

There were 260 heat related injuries this year.  It’s ALWAYS hot for this thing and every year some folks succumb to the heat and humidity that we are familiar with here in middle Tennessee.

 

Over the weekend Jason Aldean’s new honky tonk opened on Lower Broadway and yesterday news got out that Kid Rock will soon have a place down there too.  No wonder we’re the number one destination in the US for vacations now.  Amazing growth with no end in sight. 

 

LOTS OF TRAFFIC

Like all big cities that are growing…we have traffic jams and problems all the time.  Self driving cars?  I dunno.  A new survey says that 73% now say they would be afraid to ride in one after a few accidents have been reported.  That’s up from 63% from December.  Yikes.  They gotta get those things to stop running into things.

 

THIS MIGHT MAKE YOU FEEL OLD

The original Jurassic Park movie?  It’s 25 years old already.  Geez.  The new one coming out is getting favorable reviews.  Time to play the game, “who gets eaten”?

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

“Woman With Tattoo Addiction Inks Her Eyes Blue”  I don’t wanna know.  I think I’ll just stick with the one tattoo I put on my behind that says, “you’re following too close”. 

 

AHEAD

A busy week for sure.  I play twice this week.  A great songwriters show tomorrow night at the Listening Room Café with some friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday night I play Alley Taps in Printers Alley for the first time with my friend Dave Lenahan.

 

Thursday night I’m up late 7-Midnight on WSM Radio giving Hall of Famer Eddie Stubbs the night off…then add several songwriting sessions and it’s a pretty full fun week in front of me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today…I’m  writing with Amanda Williams for the first time in a long time.  Her late Father was Kim Williams who’s in the songwriters Hall of Fame after having written some huge hits for the likes of Garth and others.  Last time we wrote a funny song that I still sing out often called “Get Over Your Selfie” that we put on one of our “Hits & Grins” CD’s that one can purchase at any “Hits & Grins” show.  So I’m looking forward to seeing and writing with her today.

 

Have a great Monday!