1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:01,200 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 2: I definitely write a little left of center, and I 3 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 2: don't write I don't have tunnel vision when I write. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 2: What I mean by that is that I don't sit 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 2: down go I'm gonna write a country song. 6 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 3: I just sit down and try to write a good song. 7 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 4: I'm buzz Night, the host of the Taken a Walk Podcast. 8 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 4: This is the show where we talk to fascinating people 9 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 4: and get their inside stories. And today it's a great 10 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 4: story from the incomparable Sandy Knox. A Grammy nominated songwriter, 11 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 4: music industry trailblazer. She's written songs for icons like Reba 12 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 4: McIntyre and Dion Warwick, and she is somebody who just 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 4: doesn't look back. She's forging ahead with new projects, including 14 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 4: her highly anticipated audio book, where she shares even more 15 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 4: of her remarkable journey and the lessons she's learned along 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 4: the way. Let's talk to Sandy Knox on the Taken 17 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 4: a Walk Podcast. Taking a Walk, Sandy, Welcome to the 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 4: Taking a Walk Podcast. So nice to be with you. 19 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me here today. 20 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 4: So it is called taking a walk, Sandy, So I 21 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 4: do have a responsibility to ask you if you could 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 4: take a walk with somebody living or dead. I prefer 23 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 4: it if you're around the world of music, that it 24 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 4: be a music person, but it doesn't have to be. 25 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 4: Who would you take a walk with and where would 26 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 4: you take that walk? 27 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 2: Can I have two people, one music one non music, 28 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: of course, Okay, if I'm taking a walk in the 29 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: music scene, I would love to take a walk with 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 2: the fabulous songwriter Johnny Mercer, who wrote some wonderful songs 31 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: in the thirties, late thirties. 32 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 3: Forties, fifties, sixties. You know, he was a great influence 33 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 3: on me his lyrics. 34 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: When when I was a kid and I was eating 35 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: up all my parents' record collection, I noticed that I 36 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 2: kept liking the songs of this guy, Johnny. 37 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 3: Mercer, and so he would be one. 38 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: You know, he's responsible for Oh God, I'm pretty moon 39 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 2: River at that line, my huckleberry friend because he was 40 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: raised in that area where they picked huckleberries with their 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: buddies and stuff. So he I would really love to 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: pick his brain because I don't know. You know a 43 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 2: lot of people today writing they use rhining dictionaries or 44 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: rhining apps where they can. 45 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 3: Figure out a rhyme. I don't know if those were available. 46 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 2: When he was writing, and some of the stuff that 47 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: he came up with was was just fabulous, just wonderful. 48 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 2: So he would be my music person, my non music person. 49 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: Both of my grandfathers were passed away before my parents 50 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 2: even met. I would really love to meet the man 51 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 2: who raised my father, because my dad was a wonderful guy, 52 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: and he was really smart, and he did things the 53 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: right way, and he was just full of integrity. And 54 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: I would love to have a conversation with the man 55 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: that was his father. And you know that that couldn't 56 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: happen he had already passed away, but. 57 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: You know, he was a different kind of man. 58 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: My dad was born and raised out in the bad 59 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 2: lands of New Mexico, and his father was one of 60 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 2: the bankers in their small town of Truth or Consequences, 61 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: New Mexico. That's where my dad was born and raised, 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 2: and they also owned the only hotel in town. And 63 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 2: so I would just I'd be really curious to walk 64 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: with that man and just get to know my father's father. 65 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: That would have been That's something I think about a lot. 66 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: And of course, as you know, as we get older, 67 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: we start looking into our ancestry and we start wondering about, well, 68 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 2: where did I come from? So that that's one that 69 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 2: I would be really happy to do. 70 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 4: Oh that's nice. Thank you for sharing that. That's such 71 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 4: a great couple of walk suggestions for sure. And I 72 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 4: know your dad was a part of this journey you 73 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 4: made ultimately to Nashville to pursue a career in songwriting. 74 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 4: With that fifteen hundred dollars and no connections in town 75 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 4: situation in your life when you made that trip a 76 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 4: what inspired you to make that trip? And did your 77 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 4: dad try to talk you out of it? 78 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 3: No, no he did not. 79 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: At that pointhen I got to Nashville, I had already 80 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 2: been out in LA for a year. About a year 81 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: and a half earlier, I got accepted into ASCAP's Workshop 82 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: West and I only I think at the time they 83 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 2: only took twelve people a year, and I've submitted my 84 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 2: songs and I got accepted. I went out there for 85 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 2: a year. After that was over, I came back to 86 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: Houston and I was telling everybody I was a songwriter. 87 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 2: And at this point I'm twenty two, twenty two and 88 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: a half, but I was working in a department store. 89 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 3: And I was going out with my friends. 90 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: And we were going to the discos and dancing and 91 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 2: having fun every night. And one day my dad said 92 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 2: to me, I think you might want to look into 93 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 2: going to secretarial school and learn how to type and 94 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 2: get you know, maybe have that. And I when he 95 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 2: suggested that, I was so offended that he did not 96 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: and I said, well, I'm a songwriter. And he said, well, 97 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 2: you're not being a songwriter, You're just going out and 98 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: having a good time. And well, first off, let me 99 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: just tell you. My dad was so good at reverse psychology. 100 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: And I didn't realize till later what he was doing. 101 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: And I went to bed that night. I was so 102 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: I was insulted. He did not think that I was 103 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 2: going to be that I was a songwriter. And I 104 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: went to bed that night and I got out my 105 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: calendar and I counted up six months to the day. 106 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 3: What is six months to the day from now? 107 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: And it was August thirteenth and nineteen eighty three, and 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 2: I'm all right, I'm unpacking my bags in Nashville, Tennessee 109 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 2: on August thirteenth and nineteenth later this year. So that 110 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 2: was my goal, and that's what I did. So I 111 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 2: continued working in the department store and saving my money, and. 112 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 3: The day before I don't know what day of the 113 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 3: week it was. 114 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: I think I think August thirteenth was like a Thursday 115 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: or something. My car and that U haul was loaded 116 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 2: up and we drove to Nashville, my dad driving the 117 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 2: U haul, me driving my car, and we rolled in 118 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 2: and I had already come a couple of months, about 119 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 2: a month before, and found an apartment and we rolled 120 00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 2: in and we unpacked all my stuff and I didn't 121 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 2: have a thing. I had a piano, a guitar, a 122 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: real to reel tape player, and I had a cassette 123 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: machine so I could get things off my reel to 124 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: reel and make cassette copies. And that's about all I had. 125 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 2: And some clothes. That was about all I had. 126 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 3: So yeah, my dad did not my parents did not 127 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: discourage me. They actually encouraged me. 128 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 4: Well, but was that reverse psychology something that shaped your 129 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 4: resilience to this day? 130 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: Oh gosh ya, yes, yeah, I would say that when 131 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: when when people say, well, you can't do like on 132 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 2: this this audio book, I had several people say well you. 133 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 3: Can't do that, you can't do you can't write. 134 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: An audiobook that has music in it, and I'd be why, Well, 135 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: nobody's ever done it. 136 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 3: That's not a reason not to do it. 137 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 2: So I do kind of have that little part of 138 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: me that digs in my heels and goes, well, wait 139 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: a minute. If somebody says, oh, I think I'm gonna 140 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 2: see if I can maybe make it happen. 141 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, that bolsters the reason to do it for sure. 142 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. 143 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 4: Yeah. Can you share the story but behind your your 144 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 4: first break as a songwriter and how it felt to 145 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 4: hear your song recorded by a major artist? 146 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 3: H Yeah. 147 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: The first time I heard my song recorded by a 148 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 2: major artist. 149 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 3: There were two. There was. 150 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 2: I had a single on Dionne Warwick It's called where 151 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 2: My Lips Have Been? And at the same and the 152 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 2: same day, the same week, I had I cut on 153 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: my first cut on Reba Uh called he Wants to 154 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: Get Married. 155 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 3: They both came out the same week. 156 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 2: That was the first time that I heard two major 157 00:08:54,880 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 2: artists doing my songs, and that was such a gratifying moment. 158 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 2: And I've told people, I sat on the floor of 159 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 2: my apartment and I just played each song back to back. 160 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: I played this one, I played that one, I play 161 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 2: this one, I play that one, I just, you know, 162 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 2: surrounded myself with those voices of those legendary artists. 163 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: Singing songs that I had written. And my parents were 164 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 3: glad to hear that too. 165 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 2: They kind of like, she's she's made it, I guess. 166 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 4: So how do you maintain this great sense of humor 167 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 4: and positivity during tough times? 168 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 2: It's hard sometimes, you know, happy people aren't happy all 169 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: the time. But I'm I will say, I always try 170 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 2: to lean on the positive sign and things are going 171 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: to be better and whatever. You know, there were moments 172 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 2: that were really, really, really tough to get through. There 173 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 2: were moments that I didn't know if I I had 174 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 2: a I was going to have any money to buy 175 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 2: dog food for my dog, or you know, you know, 176 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 2: make the rent. Those are tough, you know, those are scary, 177 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 2: and those are tough times. But I just always had this. 178 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: I always knew that I could go get another job. 179 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: I was capable of working. I had worked since I 180 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 2: was fourteen years old, is when I started pulling in 181 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: a paycheck. And I just always knew that, you know, 182 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 2: it'll be okay, it's going to be okay. I'm going 183 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 2: to take I'm going to make sure it's okay, so, 184 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 2: but it is hard sometimes to keep a positive attitude. 185 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 3: But I think most of my friends and people. 186 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 2: Who know me know that I err on that side. 187 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 2: I drive in that lane more than I drive in 188 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 2: the in the slow lane of sadness. There's a songbook 189 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 2: right there, the slow light set. 190 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's brilliant. Share with the audience your approach to 191 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 4: writing songs that address difficult and taboo topics. And in particular, 192 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 4: one that comes to my mind is she Thinks his 193 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 4: name was John. That was one of the first AIDS 194 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 4: related chart hits. So how do you approach difficult topics 195 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 4: such as that? 196 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 2: Thank you for mentioning that song. That song's very important 197 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: to me, you know. I had that idea because of 198 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: something a woman said to me at a little gathering, 199 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 2: a little party. She was referring to someone a boyfriend, 200 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 2: and she made a comment and I just remember thinking, ooh, 201 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 2: then that may not be the smartest way to go, 202 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 2: And I had the idea. I brought that idea up 203 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 2: to several co writers. None of them were interested because 204 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 2: it was a negative. The way I was thinking about 205 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 2: how to write it, it was probably not going to 206 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 2: have a happy ending. 207 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 3: I had seventeen pages. 208 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: Of lyrics already written, and I normally overwrite and then 209 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 2: I start condensing andmizing on my words and stuff. I 210 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: finally one of my co writers who was very young, 211 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: Steve Rosen. He had just come to town. He wasn't 212 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: jaded yet and he didn't know. 213 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 3: To say no. 214 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 2: He said sure, so we started working on it. The 215 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 2: reason that song is important to me is because in 216 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy nine, my brother, who was recovering from testicular cancer, 217 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 2: had a blood transfusion and five years later he had 218 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 2: full blown AIDS and we found out that that blood transfusion, 219 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: he had gotten HIV from that blood transfusion. So he 220 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: was two weeks before his thirtieth birthday when he passed away. 221 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: I put myself in his shoes. What if I got 222 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 2: that news? What if I would What would how would 223 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 2: that affect me? What would what would that mean to 224 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 2: me if I found out? 225 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 3: Right? 226 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 2: And then at that point when I was writing the song, 227 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 2: and I put myself in those shoes, and that's how 228 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: the song eventually became. You know what it was? I 229 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 2: originally wrote it with the target was Bonnie right, because 230 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 2: she was looking for something I believe the song plugger 231 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 2: at the time said Bonnie was looking for a socially 232 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 2: conscious song, and so we finished it and got it recorded, 233 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 2: and that was the pitch that I thought was going 234 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 2: to happen. But by that time, I think Reba had 235 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 2: cut a couple of my tunes and she was familiar. 236 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 3: With my name. 237 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 2: So they went ahead and made the pitch, and Reba 238 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 2: put it on a hard hoole and she got it, 239 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 2: knew what it was about, and put it on a 240 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 2: hard hole. 241 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 3: I was even. 242 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 2: Performing that with my live band, and I got the 243 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 2: word from someone in either the publishing camp or whatever 244 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 2: that Riba wanted to ask if I would take it 245 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: out of the show because she didn't want to give it. 246 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 2: She didn't want it out there and about she wanted 247 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 2: us to close down close ranks on it, so to speak. 248 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 2: So that song was never supposed to be a single. 249 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 2: You got attention and the radio started getting behind it 250 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 2: and moving it up the charts. It took a life 251 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 2: of its own, and I have heard again through the 252 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 2: grape vine here in Nashville that MCA Records had a 253 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 2: special meeting and said we either we get behind this 254 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: or not. We got to make a decision, and they 255 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 2: chose to get behind it, and they released it as 256 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 2: a single. And before that happened, I was starting to 257 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 2: get you know, normally songwriters, we don't get a lot 258 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 2: of press. We're a little bit behind the scenes. We 259 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 2: can choose to be as famous as we want if 260 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 2: we hire someone to help drive that, but for the 261 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: most part, we're a little bit behind the curtains. And 262 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 2: I started getting a lot of attention because of that 263 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: lyric and because of that song and front some front 264 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 2: page things on a couple and a couple of newspapers 265 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 2: in the country, and you know, not front front page, 266 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: but on other sections. 267 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 3: They're living sections. 268 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: Much And I've called my mom and I said, I 269 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 2: need to have a conversation with you and dad about 270 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 2: the song. 271 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 3: And I said, how do you this song is growing 272 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 3: legs of its own. How do you feel about this? 273 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 2: Because they're asking me about how I wrote it, and 274 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: I would like to be honest that I wrote it 275 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 2: about Billie's passing, about his situation, and I'll never forget. 276 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 2: My mom said, if it keeps one a mother from 277 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 2: having to go through this, we're. 278 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 3: Behind you one hundred percent. 279 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 4: It's amazing. 280 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 3: So Yeah, Bravo is right. It ended up. 281 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 2: That is another song that I know for a fact 282 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,239 Speaker 2: from letters that I got and stuff that it affected 283 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 2: people's way of thinking about HIV. Yeah, and you're right, 284 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: it was the first song that was done about AIDS 285 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 2: and HIV. 286 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with More Than Taking a Walk Podcast. 287 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 288 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 4: If there's a piece of advice you and your current 289 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 4: life could give to your younger self, what would that 290 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 4: advice be? 291 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 3: You know, I have to say that would be don't 292 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 3: give up. 293 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 2: I can put it in a way I don't know 294 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 2: if I can use a little bit of salty language. 295 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 4: Of course you can't. Okay, I'll cover my ears. 296 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 3: When right before I. 297 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 2: Was getting ready to make the move here, my dad 298 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 2: took me to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants 299 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 2: in Houston, and I said, do you have any advice 300 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 2: for me? And and again I'm twenty four years old, 301 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 2: and my dad said number one, he said, don't take 302 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 2: note for an answer. 303 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 3: And number two and he said. 304 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 2: This in the Latin, and I can't remember it in Latin, 305 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 2: but it was don't let the bastards grind you down. 306 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 3: But he said it in Latin. 307 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 4: That's so great. 308 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 2: I would so this Sandy would still adhere to that, 309 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: to that advice and just like keep going. 310 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:14,959 Speaker 3: You know. 311 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 4: So you've obviously had people in your life that have 312 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 4: you know, been important, whether it be your dad or 313 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 4: others that have took the time and mentored I would 314 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 4: imagine knowing you for just a little bit on this 315 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 4: this interview, you are mentoring people at this moment right now. 316 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 4: Is that true? 317 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 3: I am going to say yes. 318 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 2: I I don't do this too much anymore, but I 319 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 2: used to teach a lot of songwriting workshops with the NSAI, 320 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 2: the Nashville Songwriting Association. 321 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 3: I was on their board for many years. I've taught. 322 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 2: Classes, I have done workshop But if I can just say, 323 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 2: the woman who has been so involved in helping me 324 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 2: get the audiobook Waiting My Life, if it were a 325 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 2: musical to where it is, is a woman who's sitting 326 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 2: off here to my side right now, and her name 327 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 2: is mann and Ward. And I know that not only 328 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 2: has she been a gift in helping me, because she's 329 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 2: like thirty six years younger than me, and she knows 330 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 2: how to maneuver through all the text stuff and the 331 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 2: social stuff, but she was the project manager and the 332 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 2: creative director on this project. She's also a singer songwriter 333 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 2: and a very good singer songwriter, and many times she 334 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 2: has said to me, what a gift this has been. 335 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 2: Working with you on this. I've learned so much. So 336 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,360 Speaker 2: I can proudly say I'm pretty sure I'm still mentoring 337 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,479 Speaker 2: a few people here and there, but she has let 338 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 2: me know many times that's what's happening. 339 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 4: You know. There's somebody that occurred to me that was 340 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 4: on the podcast, and I don't know if you know 341 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 4: him personally. You probably do, named Charlie Peacock. 342 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 3: Not the name. I don't think we've ever met. 343 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 4: Oh well, you have parallels that are so interesting in 344 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 4: terms of your approach to your work in that my 345 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 4: view of it from Afar is much like Charlie. For you, 346 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 4: it's not about this world of stardom and notoriety. It's 347 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 4: about doing amazing work, putting creative things out in different ways, 348 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 4: in different forms, and that's similar to Charlie as well. 349 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 4: So it just occurred to me as we were talking 350 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 4: the unique parallels, you know, the mentoring aspect, the label aspect, 351 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 4: in terms of you know, creating as well, but I 352 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 4: just didn't know if you knew him. Tell me about 353 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 4: Wrinkled Records. 354 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 3: I did well. 355 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 2: I did a CD on my own in about nineteen, 356 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 2: I want to say nineteen ninety seven, ninety eight, and 357 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 2: the name of the CD was called Pushing forty, Never Married, 358 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 2: No Kids, and it was all about kind of songs 359 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 2: that had at so many songs that had been put 360 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 2: on hardhold but never quite got cut because the artist 361 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 2: might be a little shy about recording some of the 362 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 2: songs or whatever, because I definitely write a little left 363 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 2: of center, and I don't write. 364 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 3: I don't have tunnel vision when I write. 365 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 2: What I mean by that is that I don't sit 366 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 2: down and go I'm going to write a country song. 367 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 2: I just sit down and try to write a good 368 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 2: song and wherever it falls. I think I predominantly write 369 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 2: adult contemporary pop. 370 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 3: I think that's what I write. But I did the 371 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 3: CD and. 372 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 2: My attorney at the time, who I adore, and he's 373 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: not my attorney, Moore, but we still talk all the time. 374 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 2: And he said, you can't put your age in the title, 375 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 2: And I said why because at the time, I think 376 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 2: I was thirty eight thirty seven thirty eight, and he said, well, 377 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 2: you just can't because of the industry. And I said, well, well, 378 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 2: that's what's wrong in the industry. I'm going to. 379 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 3: Put I'm going to put my age in the title. 380 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 2: So as a little joke to get under his under 381 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: him a little bit more, I said, I'm going to 382 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: name the label my label that I'm putting it out 383 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 2: on Wrinkled Records, and he just laughed. So anyways, fast 384 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 2: forward about ten years later, I moved back to Texas 385 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 2: for a while when my father was declining and I 386 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,199 Speaker 2: was in Austin. And when I moved back here in 387 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: two thousand and six, I decided to resurrect Wrinkled Records. 388 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 2: And I decided I was going to go for a 389 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 2: lot of my artist friends who should have had deals 390 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 2: and didn't get deals because of maybe they were considered 391 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 2: they were over the. 392 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 3: Hill or whatever. 393 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 2: So I went for some of my friends who I 394 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 2: knew deserved a record deal. So Wrinkled Records kind of 395 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 2: was geared toward that demographic of baby boomers and people 396 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 2: over forty forty five years old. 397 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 3: So that's what Wrinkled was about. 398 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 2: And we did several great records, and you know, We 399 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 2: did a couple with BJ Thomas, who was one of 400 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 2: the most loveliest men to work with. I can't say 401 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 2: enough wonderful things about that kind, lovely man and what 402 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 2: an incredible vocalist. His voice was so good up until 403 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: the time he passed. But Wrinkled was we were going 404 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 2: for critically acclaimed stuff. That's what I was going for, 405 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: not radio got to get on the radio. It was 406 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 2: more about let's make really good, some really good music, 407 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 2: and we did. We did about five or six projects 408 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 2: that were all critically acclaimed. 409 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 3: And then it was. 410 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 2: Time I decided to As I started bringing myself to 411 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 2: get more and more serious about Waiting, which had been 412 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 2: in my head for so many years, I brought Wrinkled 413 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 2: to a close and you know, eventually just you know, 414 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 2: let it go, dorm it again. 415 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 3: So that that was Wrinkled. 416 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 2: It was so much fun, and I worked with so 417 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 2: many people that I I had always believed in, you know, 418 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 2: always believed in them and believed they needed to have 419 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 2: a record. 420 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,919 Speaker 4: It seems like a sort of a sister labeled to 421 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 4: some extent to this thing called Oh Boy Records that 422 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 4: John Prime founded. 423 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 2: Yeah right, And I'm not that familiar with that that label. 424 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 2: I have to be I have to be honest. I'm 425 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 2: not familiar, but yeah, I would assume that you know John. 426 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 2: What I know of John, he always was a little 427 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 2: left of center himself. 428 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's what That's what occurs to me. So you're 429 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 4: super excited about the outcome here finally getting out to 430 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 4: the public. Brag about that a little bit in terms 431 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 4: of the amount of work and how excited you are 432 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 4: to be breaking new ground and taking it to the public. 433 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 2: The waiting I just spelled like you know, the weight 434 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 2: of the world or how much do you weigh? 435 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 3: It's spelled that way, but it. 436 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 2: Does kind of mean, you know, because I would hear 437 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 2: people say this, I went to this place, this diet 438 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 2: center after a bad boyfriend, I wanted to lose a 439 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 2: few pounds, went to this place. This is what the 440 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 2: seed was born for this audio book, and basically so 441 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 2: many people had said. Basically, I'll just put in a 442 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 2: nutshell nutshell that people had said, if I could just 443 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 2: lose twenty pounds, you know, my boyfriend would come back, 444 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 2: things would be better, I'd be healthier. 445 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 3: They had a whole list of things that would be 446 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 3: better if they. 447 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 2: Just lost twenty pounds and that kind of put the 448 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 2: seed in my head where I started working on. You know, 449 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 2: everybody's waiting for something to happen, and it's also that 450 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 2: they want to lose that twenty pounds of weight, and 451 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 2: that's when it'll happen. So Waiting is an audio book 452 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 2: slash musical, and I call it a boozy goal because 453 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 2: I've joined those words together. I've been working on it 454 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 2: for many, many years. It's taken on. Through the years, 455 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 2: it took on, it morphed into a couple of other things. 456 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 2: At one point, I thought it was just going to 457 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 2: be like a Broadway musical, a live show, a musical, 458 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 2: and then at the beginning of COVID and the Lockdown, 459 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 2: I started thinking about it in another way and thinking, 460 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 2: you know, I think I think I could write this 461 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 2: whole thing, and I think I have done voiceover work 462 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 2: in my life, so I thought, I think I could 463 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 2: narrate it, and I started writing it and once I 464 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 2: put it on that cap, it poured out of me 465 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,479 Speaker 2: and the song started pouring out of me and the 466 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 2: song ideas and. 467 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 3: Then it became easy. 468 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: But all the other stuff we had to do on 469 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 2: the background, recording, the narrations, getting all the songs written 470 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 2: and recorded. We're talking about this project happened over from 471 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: the moment the seed into the thought entered my mind 472 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 2: to us releasing this now next week when it goes 473 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 2: when it's available for sale, almost thirty years, about twenty 474 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 2: eight years, and you know, there were tons of life 475 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 2: got in the way. You know, I took care of 476 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 2: my parents when they were aging. I had some health 477 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 2: issues and had to put some things on the back burner. 478 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 2: But I'm so happy about it. I did some focus 479 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: groups with a few people and let about twenty five 480 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,959 Speaker 2: people hear it. Not only did it get nothing but 481 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 2: positive feedback. 482 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 3: After people heard it, I would get really. 483 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 2: Heartfelt emails from them where they shared their story about 484 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 2: their battle with their own body and losing weight, keeping 485 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 2: weight off, or being too thin, or how it affected 486 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 2: other members of their family. 487 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 3: So I think we've got a. 488 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 2: Pretty universal topic, you know, everybody can relate to. And 489 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 2: I will tell you it's poignant, it's fun, there's moments 490 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 2: that are very sad, it's uplifting. But I take you 491 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 2: on a journey of all these characters that I met 492 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 2: at this place. My characters are loosely based on these people, 493 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 2: but all these characters that I met and their song 494 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: and what they were going through. 495 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 3: I write songs for each of the chapters. 496 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 2: And I don't know if I told you this, but 497 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: it's only five and a half hours long. It's not 498 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,959 Speaker 2: like a twenty hour audio book. It's pretty direct and 499 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 2: to the point. You know, when you write songs, you've 500 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 2: got to you've got to begin a story, tell the story, 501 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 2: and end the story inside three to five minutes. And 502 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 2: I had that same attitude with the book. I thought, 503 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 2: I'm going to just keep it pretty succinct and just 504 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 2: I'm just going to try to keep it moving all 505 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,679 Speaker 2: the time, the storyline and not have it go on 506 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 2: and on and on forever, because I get bored pretty 507 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 2: use in a little add I don't know if you 508 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 2: can tell that, but I get distracted pretty easily. So 509 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: that was important that I kept it in that little 510 00:27:59,200 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 2: time capsule. 511 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 4: Congratulations, I'm bringing it home. It sounds so amazing. So 512 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 4: I do want to close. I want to ask you, 513 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 4: is there a trend in music in the industry that 514 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,360 Speaker 4: excites you and is there a trend that you wish 515 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 4: would just go away? 516 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 3: Hmmm, I don't know. That I have. 517 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 2: Well, I can tell you I listened to a whole 518 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 2: lot of different music. If you went into my playlist, 519 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 2: I'm all over the place. 520 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 3: And what I listened to. Is there a trend that 521 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 3: I wish we'd go away? 522 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 2: I can tell you that. The other day, when I 523 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 2: was scrolling on something, probably on Facebook, I came across 524 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 2: some AI generated songs And that's a little disconcerting. That's 525 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 2: a little scary. And they weren't very good and they 526 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 2: felt robotic. That that doesn't make me happy, especially when 527 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 2: I think about the hard work you put into making 528 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 2: the perfect song, getting that song written. So that's that 529 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 2: I wouldn't mind seeing that go away. 530 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 4: You know, I was kind of reading your mind thinking, 531 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 4: I'll bet she's going to go towards AI. I just 532 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 4: had a sneaking suspicion, Sandy, Yes, sorry, Yeah, that's perfect. 533 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 3: There's a beauty. 534 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 2: And when you read a lyric of another writer and 535 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 2: you are just, oh my god, that's such a beautiful line. 536 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 2: How did they do that? You know that there's a 537 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 2: joy in discovering great lyrics. 538 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 4: I love the contagious spirit you have. Congratulations on everything. 539 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 4: It sounds like it's only the beginning. So you you 540 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 4: have a lot of stuff going on in a great 541 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 4: way and it's an honor Sandy Knox to be able 542 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 4: to talk to you on Taking a Walk. Thanks for 543 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 4: being on, Thank. 544 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 3: You for having me buzz I appreciate it. 545 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a 546 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends 547 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking 548 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 549 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.