Set Your Pace

It's a Marathon not a Sprint!

How many times have you heard that?

When I was younger I wanted everything to happen now!! I didn't want to wait for "the right time" We lived in a slower time then too. So it everything took forrrreeevvveer! Now we live in a "Now" world. It's all at our fingertips. So obviously we feel that life should be that way too. That we should get whatever we want when we want it. I used to run as hard as I could! I couldn't wait to catch the rabbit. Often times I was the dog in a race that chased the fake rabbit. I never caught it! Running for nothing!
I always felt that there should be a finish line for everything I got in to. Now that I'm older I don't feel that way so much. I've learned that there's a time and a place for everything we do. Timing has something to do with it and sometimes timing works in your favor. Other times it does not. Thats the moment where we need to stand back and look beyond the disappointment. Because there is always something better that we didn't know about around the corner. That always happens for me. I'm sure it's happened to you. If it hasn't, It will.
So keep your head up, take your time, you will get there when the time is right and...

Set Your Pace!

My American Music

Last summer I met a man named Captain Jack.  Captain Jack came by my office. He needed a place to set up his new internet radio station. He was looking for some space to lease. He had a location picked out on Music Row that had been leased out from under him while he was driving to Nashville from New Jersey. He was a little upset about it but not deterred. He was here to make a new mark, to start over, he needed to spread his wings and start a movement. After several decades in terrestrial radio he wanted out. He wanted out from under "The Mans" thumb. He was over corporate radio.  He came armed with his equipment and a vision. That vision is Renegade Radio Nashville.
I was immediately drawn to Captain Jack. He spoke my language. He was determined, focused and bold. He was ready to take on the big guns. Internet radio is still finding its place. But Jack's vision and determination allowed him to move faster than most. Bringing Renegade Radio to Nashville was the best thing he could've done to be taken seriously. And he was.
He wasted no time getting on the air and letting the world know he was up and running. He can reach the entire world. If you have an internet signal you can tune in. No limits, no rules, no FCC. 
RenegadeRadioNashville.com made history as the first Internet radio station of any genre in the world to receive trade magazine reporting status. Just six short months after their live launch on June 8, 2011, Music Row Magazine named RenegadeRadioNashville.com as the first ever Internet Radio Station to report their weekly playlist. As a reporting station, Renegade joins the Music Row Panel in determining the artists that will top the country music radio charts.

I've always wanted to be a part of  a radio show that highlighted great music not just commercial music. Renegade, but different from Captain Jacks vision. I've had different variations of the show in my head for a long time. I wanted to produce this show but not host it. I met a girl named Carli Mclaughlin at Renegade who's a music junkie like I am. We started talking about working together. I told her my idea and oddly enough she had the same thought. So we came up with a proposal and pitched the idea of specialty programming to Captain Jack. Specifically a show called My American Music. An NPR centric great music no borders radio show that highlights American Music. All Genres!
Captain Jack loved the idea. But he asked if I would co-host with Carli. Well I never intended to be on the radio but now I am. I'm co-hosting and hanging on for dear life. It's not as easy as it seems. It's a lot more work than I expected. I'm having fun but still a little uncomfortable about it. But I love the adrenaline that comes with going on the air. I never expected to be here but then again I never expected to do all that I've been blessed to do.
So here we go! Every Sunday on Renegade Radio Nashville from 4 to 6 pm CST (or until Capain Jack runs us off) you can hear Carli and I go thru our playlist that we methodically put together during the week.

So if you are a music junkie join us on.  My American Radio 

http://www.renegaderadionashville.com
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/myamericanmusic

Somos Uno

Last night we had to take our 20 year old son Cooper to the emergency room of Vanderbilt Hospital. He was having a hard time breathing, his blood pressure was high for a young healthy muscular body like his. His head was hurting and his heart was racing. We knew all that going in. We didn't know what was causing it and honestly we still don't. They did the usual test as he lay in a bed that was in a curtained room that was about 8x15. We could hear other patients all around. Some good sounds, some not so good. They did an EKG, Blood work, Xrays of the chest, temperature checks, urine test, tick test, etc.
What we found out was not much. He has high blood platelets and high white blood cells that is probably causing this malfunction in his body. Not normal but not all unusual at the same time. They feel its a virus/ possible bacteria that will run it's course.  We all hope so.
In the meantime we wait and see. More test will be done and more follow up visits just to be on the safe side. They prescribed an anti-biotic that seems to be helping.
We never seemed to panic or freak out during any of this. The 4 of us, myself, Donna, Amanda and Coop just paid attention to the advise and information that was coming to us after each test and stayed calm. Amanda and I took advantage of our sense of humor and kept Coop laughing and loose thru the 5 hours or laying in a bed and doing test. His main conceren was...Is the Thunder winning?  We all took turns spending time with him and having to wait in the ER waiting room.

When you wait in an ER waiting room of a major hospital in a major city you will see all kinds. Most you would probably never speak to or hang out with if you were just anywhere. We all seemed to have the same looks on our faces, the same questions about how many visitors could go back and see their loved ones, how much were the vending machines, why did they not give out change?  Older folks, young moms and their babies, young adults holding barf bags, some in wheel chairs some standing so others could sit. All Human Beings, hurting, curious, worried, learning, waiting. Sometimes we have a hard time helping people in need. Sometimes we overlook these things. But in this place you are faced square on with it.
We all come together.
We all feel love for each other.
We all seem to care about each other.
We all hurt for each other. 
We all want to Live.
We all want to Love.
We just didn't know it until we are thrown in the same dire straits.
We are Hearts and Bones.
We have the same Flesh.
We have the same Skin.
We have the same Blood. 
We Are One - Somos Uno.

Bring On Your Wrecking Ball

Through the mud and the beer, and the blood and the cheers, I've seen champions come and go
So if you got the guts mister, yeah, if you got the balls
If you think it's your time, then step to the line, and bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball
(Bruce Springsteen)

I've been kicked around and knocked around plenty. I was bullied in school as a kid. I've failed more times than I want to remember. I've been hurt. I've been burned. But I never gave up. I kept swinging. They say for every 100 bad ideas you have. You may come up with 1 good one. You learn to forgive and forget and move on. I'm not afraid of risk. I'm not afraid to gamble. I'm not afraid to run against the wind. It was easier when I was younger and I had nothing to lose. When you commit to relationships and family then it turns into survival more than just running thru brick walls. You learn to maneuver a little bit differently. For me I still never lost that swashbuckling, bull fighting, jump on a rocket light the fuse and see where I end up attitude. Someday I'm gonna relax. But not now. 
Because..

I'm still having the time of my life.
I'm still enjoying my journey
I still love what brought me this far....Music!

So..

When your best hopes and desires are scattered through the wind
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
Yeah just to come again

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball
(Bruce Springsteen)

Artist and Repertoire

Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artist. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label; every activity involving artists to the point of album release is generally considered under the purview of, and responsibility of, A&R.

Of all the post I ever held this is probably my favorite. The thrill of finding a song for an artist that millions of people will eventually hear is exciting to me. There have been moments in this process that I am literally the 4th or 5th person to hear a song that will be heard later on the radio.
I received my first A&R job in 1995 when Blake Chancey gave me a chance to do it at Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music. It was my responsibility to meet with writers and publishers and help in the song selection process of the next project for the potential artist. The hardest thing was not just hoping to find an amazing song, a HIT, but also find something that would help the artist grow in their careers. Something that would be completely different from the previous record but also stay in the vision of the artist and the message and torch that they wanted to continue to carry. You have to be able to sit and listen to thousands of songs. That's normally what you will hear in the length of time that it takes to find the top 10-12 that you eventually end up with. They say for every 100 songs you may find one you like they you feel will fit the project. I'm guessing I've listen to over 50,00 songs in the past 25 years. You either love it or hate it. I love it!

I feel that A&R started for me when I was young and would sit in my room and listen to my albums. I would try and figure out what the next single would be beyond that one that made me buy the record in the first place. I would more than likely be able to pick the next one. My kids do this now. It's like a game to them. They are pretty good at it too. Plus more than not I would gravitate toward the deep cuts that would never see the light of a radio dial. They were most times my favorite songs.
Some of my success stories as an A&R guy have been Rick Trevino's 1996 # 1 single "Learning As You Go".  "How Long Gone" a number 1 single for Brooks and Dunn in 1998,  "A Broken Wing" # 1 for Martina McBride in 1997,  The 2001 # 7 single "Some Days You Gotta Dance" for the Dixie Chicks, Top 15 Ronnie Dunn single "Cost of Living" 2011. I've had several others songs cut but they were just album cuts.

I also missed a few. I was pitched and passed on "Every Light in The House is On" and it was eventually cut by Trace Adkins and was a hit single for him. I also was pitched "Traveling Soldier" for Patty Loveless, she passed on it and it eventually became a hit for The Dixie Chicks. The other big one I had a shot at was "Its Your Love". I remember hearing it and loving it but didn't feel I had an artist for it at the time so I let it go. It of course was a huge hit for Tim and Faith. Thats A&R for you. You win some, you loose some.

Right Now I'm currently at the end of the A&R process for Tracy Lawrence. We have been looking hard for about 8-10 weeks. This is one of the most important projects I've ever worked on. He has had tremendous success the past 20 years and we're looking at this project for him as the most important he'll ever do. We will be responsible for taking him back to the top of the charts and keeping him in the game. I believe we will succeed. Tracy, Producer Flip Anderson and I have all been in this game for more than 20 years each. We know a hit when we hear one.

It's time to make it count.

Paying Your Dues Is Never Overrated

Paying your dues is what you do to get to your final goal.
Paying your dues often leads to heart break.
Paying your dues often leads to your dream job.
Whatever it takes right?

When I moved here in early 1986 I immediately got a job at Target on White Bridge Road unloading trucks. I also worked at a local mom and pop video rental store in Green Hills long before BlockBuster and all the other video chains. And I was also a bar back at Applebees on Elliston which is now a Hampton Inn. At that time my main goal was not to go running back home with my tail between my legs complaining that things just didn't work out for me. That's the last thing I wanted to do.
I was hanging with my amazing friend singer songwriter Kevin Welch who had introduced me to other amazing songwriting musicians like Gary Nicholson, Mike Henderson, Wally Wilson, Gail Davies, Pam Tillis and a few others. Kevin took me under his wing. It was amazing that I was able to hang in this circle. I took nothing for granted. I worked my shifts and went out where these guys were hanging, singing and playing as much as I could. I wanted to be in their world real bad. I eventually played with Pam Tillis in her band long before she got her Arista records deal that made her famous. That gig led to the Marty Haggard gig which started a snowball of gigs for me that would be my life until 1995 when I got off the Tracy Lawrence bus to work A&R for Columbia Records.
Kevin also introduced me to a new band at the time called Sweethearts of the Rodeo. 2 singing sisters that had just gotten a deal on Columbia Records. One of the sisters was married to Vince Gill at the time. They were having auditions to kick off their first tour to start promoting the new record. I managed to get in on it and went thru the process and got the gig. I quit my real job gigs. We rehearsed 2 full days at S.I.R. to get the show in place to hit the road. It was my first big time gig. They had just been offered 25 opening dates with Willie Nelson and the first gig was in Cleveland Oh that coming weekend. I was freaking out to say the least. Having grown up on Willie back home in Texas I couldn't wait to meet him and eventually tell him about all the times I saw him growing up. I told all my friends and family back home that I landed my dream gig.
So after our 2nd full day of rehearsal I drove back to my garage apartment to start packing. We were leaving that night at midnight. About an hour later there was a knock at my door. It was the Sweethearts manager Chuck Flood.  He had his hat in one hand and an envelope in the other. He asked to come in at which time he started to explain to me that the girls had changed their minds about me and had decided to take Vince Gills drummer out and didn't need my services. He handed me the envelope that had a check in it for my troubles of going thru the rehearsals and left. My world came crashing down around me. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. What was I gonna tell my friends and family back home? They were so excited for me. It was devastating to say the least. To say I cried that night is an understatement. I was heart broken.
I woke the next morning and drove back to the Target and asked for my job back. My dream was not over and I was not going to let that knock me down. Don't get me wrong. It hurt, It hurt a lot. I just had to learn to get back up after I got sucker punched and knocked across the room. That's what it felt like. The manager at Target said I could come back the next morning. I'm sure he had seen my movie before. I walked in the next day to my old gang and they were all cracking up at my misfortune as any guys would do. Since I was new again on the line they made me crawl all the way to the front of the truck and start throwing boxes on the conveyer belt.  We had some spot lights that we would hang in the truck so we could see up toward the front so I asked for some light up in there because I couldn't see way up there in the dark.  I'll never forget this as long as I live.  One of the guys said to me, "Here you go rockstar, this is the only spotlight you're ever gonna see!" I swear I felt an arrow ram though my chest but I sucked it up and finally made it out of that store and never looked back.
So how bad do you want it? Bad enough to hurt like never before? That's what its about because when you get what you want. When you get what makes you complete. Then...

Paying Your Dues Is Never Over Rated.

RAMBLIN' FEVER

Caught this ramblin' fever long ago,
When I first heard a lonesome whistle blow.
If someone said I ever gave a damn,
Man, they damn sure told you wrong.
I've had ramblin' fever all along.

October 1st 1971 I saw Merle Haggard the first time at the South Plains Fair in Lubbock Texas. My dad took the whole family to see him. Tickets were $2.50, $3.50 and $4.50. All reserved seats. I was 9 years old. I remember being there. I remember seeing him.
By 1971 he already had 11 number one songs.  He was already the CMA and ACM's Entertainer of the Year and was riding high on Album of the year with "Okie From Muskogee." I also remember how amazing that audience sounded. That's when I fell in love with the sound of applause. There's nothing like it.
When I was playing drums for Tracy Lawrence in '93 '94 and '95 and he was selling out 16 thousand seat areas, there was nothing more amazing to me than feeling the wave of applause noise that would wash over us as we kick off hit after hit. It was my job to count us in on every song and I remember waiting till the perfect time right before it dies down and then counting us back in and how it would literally start from the back of the room and come right over us on stage. Amazing feeling! I miss that so much.

They say you should never really ever meet your heroes because they will let you down. I was lucky enough to be able to meet Merle one time. Well I didn't really meet him but I was at his house in California with his son Marty Haggard when I played drums for Marty in the late 80's. We had been there for a while and Marty kept saying he was going to come down to the game room where we had all gathered and hang with us. We got to the house mid afternoon. It was way past midnight when he finally came into the room. He walked in with a guitar and sat down on some stairs that lead into the room and started playing for us. Literally a private acoustic concert with a Hall of Fame Country Music Legend. He played songs I had never heard before. Non of the hits. 30 mins later he was gone. No words were spoken. We were all in shock basically. We plugged the juke box back in and started shooting pool again. An hour later we decided it was time to go so we headed out. The sun was coming up and we had a gig that night somewhere outside of Bakersfield. We were all standing on the front porch waiting for Marty to say goodbye to him when they both walked out and stood on the porch with us.  He didn't say much but I do remember he was kind and cool and funny. We finally said goodbye to him and he smiled and flicked a non-filtered Camel out onto the driveway and slipped back in the house. When we all walked out to the Van we were driving I bent over and grabbed his cigarette and put it in a safe place. I still have it in a box put away.
I saw Merle a few night ago at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tn. It was built in 1843. It was the original Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974. The perfect place to hear a country legend. He was having fun. Sang all his hits. Looked great! He had his cool white cowboy hat on and his white ostrich boots. The band was perfect. The audience sounded like 1971 in the walls of the mother church. I was 9 years old again.
I miss playing music, I miss touring. I miss the sound of the bus tires on the highway. I miss the hotels. I miss the band. I miss the applause.

Ramblin' fever,
The kind that can't be measured by degrees.
Ramblin' fever,
There ain't no kind of cure for my disease.