1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: I'm buzz Night, your host of the Taking a Walk podcast, 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: and if you've listened to some episode of the podcast, 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: you know I love country music. Now on this special episode, 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: here's a highlight of some of our previous episodes from 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: some of Nashville's best. We start off with a true 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: icon of country music who continues to make her mark 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: in Nashville, Whyonah Judd. 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 2: Hello, Winona, good morning. 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 3: It is so tremendous to talk to you. 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: First of all, people always want to know how you're doing. 11 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 2: So how are you balancing the need to be staying 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 2: busy and active with given to yourself some time. 13 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 4: Well, I'm not doing a great job at that because 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 4: balance is not a word that I grew up knowing 15 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 4: very well. But I will tell you that whatever I do, 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 4: I do it with my full heart. I've got my 17 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 4: grand baby today, so I'm chained in diapers and cheating. 18 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 4: I do take time for myself and I go walking 19 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 4: in the wilderness, or I tick nap and I do 20 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 4: like everybody else, but try to do everything with the 21 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 4: best of my ability. And it's it's it's not easy, 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 4: but it's worth it. 23 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: Well, you're an inspiration for your transparency on your your feelings. 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: And I think that connects certainly with with your fans 25 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: and your community. What makes Nashville this community like this 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 2: that is so loving and giving and uh, you know, 27 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: just so welcoming to insiders and outsiders. 28 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 4: You know, it's interesting you ask that question. I think 29 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 4: it's because it's such a small community. You know, music 30 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 4: row is not a big place. And I think it's 31 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 4: one of those deals where if you see someone and 32 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 4: you upset them or do something to them, you're going 33 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 4: to see them again. This is not like the pop 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 4: world where you can see somebody one day and then 35 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 4: not see them again for a long time. Nashville is very, 36 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 4: very transparent. And when we show up to the Rhyman, 37 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 4: for instance, and you're not on time, people notice. And 38 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 4: so I was taught in the eighties. When I started 39 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 4: in nineteen eighty four, you know, you're not late to 40 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 4: work with Tammy Wynette or Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard. 41 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 4: You are to be respectful and not interrupt. And I 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 4: was taught. My mother was very strict with me, and 43 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 4: she taught me. She said, you're going to see the 44 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 4: same people on the way up as you see them 45 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 4: on the way down. 46 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 2: You know, the spirit of your mom appears to be 47 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: with you at your shows. 48 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 5: Can you talk. 49 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: About that feeling when you're on stage and I sent 50 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: your sort of your sort of looking up and communicating 51 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 2: with your mom. At that time, I am. 52 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 4: We had a very complicated relationship. And one of the 53 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 4: things that worked beautifully without even having to try, I 54 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 4: almost it was singing together. When we got on stage, 55 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 4: something beautiful happened, and regardless of what took place during 56 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 4: the daytime. She was very strict and like I said, 57 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 4: she was quite the perfectionist, and she raised me to 58 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 4: do things as perfectly as possible. You know, back in 59 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 4: the day, we didn't have the opportunity to use technology 60 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 4: to trek vocals and move them around and cut paste 61 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 4: like we can tobury, and we had to work hard 62 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 4: to get the vocals right. And there was a lot 63 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 4: of back and forth between the two of us because 64 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 4: we disagreed on just about everything. But yet when we 65 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 4: hit that stage, something remarkable happened, and the harmonies were 66 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 4: literal and figuratively the most important thing that bonded us together. 67 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 4: So when I'm on stage every night, there was a 68 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 4: moment during love can build a bridge where I turn 69 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 4: around and she's raining right there and I feel her. 70 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 4: I feel her with every note. And I think people 71 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 4: can tell that because I talk about it a lot. 72 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: So in light of the way the last few years 73 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 2: of this COVID saying have interrupted our lives and certainly musicians' wives. 74 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: Can you describe the joy that it brings to someone 75 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: like you to be out there on stage connecting with 76 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: your fans. 77 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 4: It's one of the holiest moments that I make in emotional. 78 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 5: You know, no matter what's going on. 79 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 4: In my life, I'm able to step out into the 80 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 4: light literally and I stand there barefoot, and I do 81 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 4: that because it grounds me and it allows me to 82 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 4: play the guitar better. And when I'm standing there and 83 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 4: I look a out at fourteen thousand people and they're 84 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 4: singing back to me as loud as I sing left 85 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 4: a little bridge, it overwhelms me to the point where 86 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,679 Speaker 4: I've had to sit down on stage because it knocks 87 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,799 Speaker 4: me out. It's just it's one of the most beautiful 88 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 4: and intensely spiritial moments of my lafe. And it's happening 89 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 4: right now more so than ever before because of the 90 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 4: death of my mother. There is a sense of memorial, 91 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 4: but there's also a sense of life after death, and 92 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 4: it's one of the most powerful forces in the universe. 93 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 4: Well is something that just it clows and that out 94 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 4: it toorium and it just makes me absolutely think there 95 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 4: really is a God because it suspends me somewhere between 96 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 4: you and ev and it's remarkable. It's one of the 97 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 4: most beautiful moments of my day. 98 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 5: You are an inspiration. We are all on your side. 99 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 2: Thank you for being on Taking a Walk. 100 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 4: You are so welcome, my dear, and I appreciate you 101 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 4: letting me tell my story. 102 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: Next on this Taking a Walk. I love country episode 103 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: A man who continues to set new touring records. He 104 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: continues creating great new music, and he's continued to. 105 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 5: Build his legacy. 106 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 6: Jelly Roll, Well, Jelly Roll, it's so great to have 107 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 6: you on Ticket a Walk here. You started twenty twenty 108 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 6: two playing eight hundred seats I believe it was in Buffalo, 109 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 6: New York, and you ended up playing twenty thousand seats 110 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 6: sellout at your hometown in Nashville. What was the first 111 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:34,799 Speaker 6: experience like and what was the Nashville experience like as well? 112 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 5: It was you know, the first experience. The funny part 113 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 5: of that story I don't tell nobody is because I 114 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 5: haven't got the detail. It is. I actually missed the 115 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 5: Buffalo show. How a flight get canceled because of a 116 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 5: snowstorm in Buffalo, and I ended up having to just 117 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 5: skip Buffalo and go to Boston the next day, which 118 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 5: was the Palladium in Worceston, Massachusetts. So it was just 119 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 5: funny that my first booking of the year was an club, 120 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 5: you know, and then of course even the second show. 121 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 5: You've probably been to the Palladium. I know you came 122 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 5: from the Boston market, so you know, it's what two 123 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 5: thousand cap club or whatever, you know, And to end 124 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 5: it in a completely sold out arena at home was 125 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 5: just a testament of the year. I was having to 126 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 5: tell John Low, but the president of our Broken Bowl 127 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 5: Records and the label that signed me, the guy that 128 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 5: gave him my chance. Of course, there were some mishaps 129 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 5: with all of the partners and media, and I were 130 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 5: shooting a documentary and filming this big show, you know, 131 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 5: and Lobo wasn't upset, but he was like, man, it 132 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 5: was just really hard to find you. That afternoon, I said, 133 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 5: you got to remember this is this is so new 134 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 5: to us, you know. I was like, we didn't. We 135 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 5: had to grow into the arenas in like ten months flat. 136 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 5: It was hard, you know, it's a pig we went from. 137 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 5: I went from I went into the pandemic in a 138 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 5: two sprinter van tour right. And that was a luxury 139 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 5: by then, because I took an extra sprinter van for 140 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 5: me and the family, and I sent the band and 141 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 5: the other sprinter. So I come out of the pandemic 142 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 5: straight into a two bus tour ended in a six 143 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 5: bus seven truck door, you know what I'm saying. And 144 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 5: all these dudes around you just try to tell you 145 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 5: what's going on, and you're so confused to try to 146 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 5: trust them, you know what, You're just like, are you 147 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 5: sure this is the right decision to make? All other 148 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 5: bus and people, they was like, somebody's got to run 149 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 5: the lights. I was like, God, why are we bringing lights? 150 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 5: Because you're playing a twelve thousand cap club of the 151 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 5: arena in Michigan at night. You gotta have real production. 152 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 5: I never took production out until we were doing it 153 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,119 Speaker 5: at by a small arena level. 154 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 2: How does John Lobo make it look so easy? 155 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 3: Is my question. 156 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 5: Oh, listen, Lowbaack's like nothing. He never he only seems excited. 157 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,959 Speaker 5: He never seems stressed. He's always forward to think. I 158 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 5: don't know if he goes home and just melts into 159 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 5: a paull, a ball of putty or something, but he's 160 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 5: just unbelievable. 161 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 2: He did this podcast, and I have to tell you 162 00:08:54,280 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: his vision and his leadership come shining through in that episode. 163 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 5: Oh Jolliet, No, I gotta check it out because he's 164 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 5: I see it every time I talk to him. Yeah, 165 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 5: I'm so blessed to have a label partner that I 166 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,119 Speaker 5: talked to multiple times. I mean him, Carson, Adrian Michaels, 167 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 5: the entire radio team over there. I mean, I talk 168 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 5: to these people obsessive. I mean I probably talked to 169 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 5: somebody in that office every day twice. 170 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 2: You know, you share some similar life paths as the 171 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 2: great Johnny Cash, prison time, drug challenges, personal trials. What 172 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 2: does his music mean to you. 173 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 5: Oh man, Johnny was one of the the whole outlaw movement, 174 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 5: not limited to Johnny, but that whole era was still 175 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 5: probably my favorite era in American music history. And I 176 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 5: say American music history, not just country music history, because 177 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 5: Nashville was on fire, you know. Bob Dylon came down 178 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 5: here and wrote, you know what was the nash Skyline record, 179 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 5: came down here into the Johnny Cash Show. I mean, 180 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 5: Johnny Cash had transcended country music at a time into 181 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 5: a whole different culture, put a whole different book, you know, 182 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 5: and he taught me a lot no pun intended about 183 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 5: how to walk the line, because Johnny knew how to 184 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 5: walk that line. And I don't even mean just in 185 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 5: his relationship. I meant in the business, right, you know, 186 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 5: he stood by his outlawedness. He stood a man of character, 187 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 5: a man of integrity, morals, what he believed. He wasn't 188 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 5: afraid to tell you to fuck off, right, but equally 189 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 5: did fifty two shows of The Johnny Cash Show, almost 190 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 5: a syndicated television show, big hit, the infamous documentary you've 191 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 5: probably seen about him, A Richard Nixon, Tricky Dick, and 192 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 5: the Man in Black. I mean, he had some wild 193 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 5: political shit happened in the background too. Just why as 194 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 5: campt you know, and Johnny Cash was the ultimate to 195 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 5: me of that era, the guy that I aspired to 196 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 5: be me and my buddy Ryan Upchurch struggled Jennings and 197 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 5: Adam Calhoun. We're talking reason and write up. Church is 198 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 5: a multi genre artist as well, but does it independently 199 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 5: has no aspiration of partner label. I am anti the 200 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,599 Speaker 5: system right as far as like the establishment me, I 201 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 5: think artists should own art. And I'm pressing that big 202 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 5: in these rooms is that artists should own art. There's 203 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 5: no reason these artist shouldn't own a piece of their masters. Right. 204 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 5: It's just like, I'm never playing ball with those guys. 205 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 5: And I said, well, that's what makes this so cool 206 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 5: about all four of us is because that was Johnny Waalon, Willie, 207 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 5: Chris Jesse. Right, if you think about it, Johnny played 208 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 5: the game, Johnny Cash show, big late night TV appearances, 209 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 5: stood next to president you know, man Wayling Jennis didn't 210 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 5: give a shit about none of that day. He showed 211 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 5: up every now and then to a late night TV show. 212 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 5: That's about it, you know what I'm saying. It's like, 213 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 5: so it's really cool to see that even in this 214 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 5: generation that outlaw blossoms different ways just like it did 215 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 5: back then. 216 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 2: You know, I love your appreciation for the historical figures 217 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 2: and the music that's been around you. 218 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, well it's bound to repeat itself. So I just 219 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 5: wanted to check and see where I might fit into 220 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 5: the future landscape. And I started getting obsessed with these eras, 221 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 5: and I mimicked my entire songwriting style from that nineteen 222 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 5: sixty seven to seventy six era, everything from Segur to 223 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 5: Dylan to Cash to Willie to Whalen write that whole, 224 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 5: James Taylor, Jim Crochey, these are the guys that made 225 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 5: me want to write songs. 226 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 2: John Pride, I would imagine, oh, absolutely, do you remember 227 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: the first time that you rapped something? 228 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 5: Oh? Absolutely, dude. I went downstairs. So my mother struggled 229 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 5: with like mental health and addiction stuff, right, and she'd 230 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 5: come to the kitchen and the whole house would come. 231 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 5: We'd listened to music. And when I realized that music 232 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 5: was affecting her addiction, I was like, Oh, this makes 233 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 5: mom happy, I should go write music, right, So I 234 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 5: went upstairs and I wrote a rap because hip hop 235 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 5: was super influential in our culture, and I was I 236 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 5: went downstairs from my little sheet of paper, and she 237 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 5: had all of her friends at the kitchen table. I 238 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 5: called him the Golden Girls, like six or seven moment 239 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 5: they'd all come to the kitchen table together and they 240 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 5: just changed smoked cigarettes. And I came down. She turned 241 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 5: the record off and said what you got. I said, 242 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 5: listen to this. And I held my little sheet of 243 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 5: paper up and I was shaking the whole time, and 244 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 5: I wrapped her a little rap. And I was probably 245 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 5: twelve years old. Eleven years old. Do you remember what 246 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 5: you rapped? I don't remember anything. It was just like, 247 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 5: you know, I don't like I just remember that ceiling 248 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 5: of everybody cheering me on telling me to go write 249 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 5: another one. In hindsight, they were just trying to get 250 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 5: rid of me. That's how we do kids. Yeah, Greg, 251 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 5: I write another one of those hills. 252 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 2: I'm so grateful and tickled and and thank you for 253 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 2: the music that you that you give us sent for 254 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 2: just you know, kick an ass and and this is 255 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 2: going to be an even better year for you than 256 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 2: last year. 257 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 5: Kay Waite, Thank you so much. 258 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: Buzz, thanks Jelly, and let's wrap up this taking a 259 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: Walk I Love Country Music episode with a man who 260 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: made a great career as a member of Rascal Flats 261 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: and also he's making his mark now as the president 262 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: of Red Street Records, Jay DeMarcus, Well, Jay DeMarcus, thanks 263 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: for being on this virtual edition of Taking a Walk. 264 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: We'll take a walk down memory lane here and talk 265 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: about what you're up to these days as well. But 266 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being on the Taking a 267 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. 268 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 3: Oh it's my pleasure. 269 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 7: Thanks for having me on. 270 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 5: It's good to be with you. 271 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: So we share one thing in common, certainly Columbus, Ohio, 272 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: where I spent some of my formative years in the 273 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: radio business at a radio station there called QFM ninety six. 274 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: But tell me what it was like for you growing 275 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: up in Columbus, Ohio. 276 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 7: Man, I'll tell you what It was a wonderful time 277 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 7: because I spent the eighties there and what I considered 278 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 7: to be the greatest decade ever. And QFM ninety six 279 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 7: was certainly a part of shaping my musical foundation for sure. 280 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 5: I had. 281 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 7: I remember Sunny ninety five, FM ninety six and ninety 282 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 7: two x FM were my three favorite radio stations, and 283 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 7: I bounced around between all three of those, listening to 284 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 7: harder rock stuff on QFM ninety six and more of 285 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 7: the pop stuff on nineties UXFM. So I remember so 286 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 7: well and it makes me smile thinking that you were 287 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 7: a part of that. 288 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 3: So what was the first band that you were in. 289 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 3: I was in a band. 290 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 7: I was at several bands, you know, in junior high 291 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 7: and high school. But the most serious band when I 292 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 7: was young was a band called Fair Warning, and it 293 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 7: was a Christian rock band. So I had some guys 294 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 7: that I went to church with and we played youth 295 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 7: you know, like lock ins and youth camps and things 296 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 7: of that nature. So I spent a lot of my 297 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 7: early days to teenage years there. We loving some of 298 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 7: the Christian rock bands that were coming out, like Petra 299 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 7: and White Heart, things of that nature. And so yeah, 300 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 7: I spent about probably four and a half years. They're 301 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 7: playing with those guys. They were all older than me 302 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 7: at the time, seven eight years older. But that was 303 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 7: my first serious band situation. 304 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: Could you have imagined then how big Christian music would become? 305 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 7: No, I couldn't. 306 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 4: You know. 307 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 7: It was a little just a little niche, a little genre, 308 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 7: and I certainly followed it and loved it, but man, 309 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 7: it did not have the worldwide appeal that it does now, 310 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 7: and it certainly turned into, you know, a honorable business. 311 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 3: So nineteen ninety nine happens. That was a very good year. 312 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 3: I think for you, wasn't it nineteen ninety nine? 313 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 2: Yeah? 314 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. 315 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: This little band called Rascal Flats Forms. 316 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 3: You formed it with your cousin. 317 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: So talk about the formation of this band that would 318 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: have sixteen number one singles, be the CMA Vocal Group 319 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: of the Year from two thousand and three to two 320 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, the ACM Vocal Group of the Year 321 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: from two thousand and three to two thousand and nine. 322 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 3: Can I keep going on? 323 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 7: Jay Man, John, I'm starting to blush. 324 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in two thousand and 325 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: eleven and given a star in the Hollywood Walk of 326 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: Fame in twenty twelve. 327 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 3: So how did the band form? 328 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 7: Well? I had been on the road with a female 329 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 7: artist named Shelley Wright who was really really coming into 330 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 7: her own there in the late nineties. She'd had a 331 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 7: string of some hits, and I was her musical director 332 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,959 Speaker 7: band leader. And when I took the position as her 333 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 7: band leader, she wanted me to hire some new guys 334 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 7: in the band, some fresh faces. And so one of 335 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 7: the guys to come into audition for guitar was this 336 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 7: fresh face, little young and named Joe Don Rooney from Oklahoma. 337 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 7: Drove all night to come in for the audition, got 338 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 7: up and sat in with us some of the guys 339 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 7: that I were playing at a bar here in town, 340 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 7: and he got up on stage and sat in with us, 341 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 7: and there was a fire and just an energy about 342 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 7: this guy that I instantly was drawing to and selling 343 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,439 Speaker 7: love with him right there on the spot. Offered him 344 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 7: the gig that night. I was like, I don't need 345 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 7: to see anything else. You know, you've got the gig 346 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 7: if you want it. Joe Don and I became fast friends. 347 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 7: At the same time, my cousin, who also grew up 348 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 7: and call Himshile Gary, was calling me, going, you know, 349 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,959 Speaker 7: I've been singing up here and I think I got something. 350 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 7: I think I've got a voice. I've been winning to 351 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 7: karaoke contests or around you know, Columbus area here, and 352 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 7: I'd like to come to Nashville and spend some time 353 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 7: with you and sing for you and just see whether 354 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 7: or not you think that there's a path from me 355 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 7: there or if I've got anything worth pursuing. And you know, 356 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 7: when you when you hear from a relative that they've 357 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 7: been winning karaoke contest and you're not sure what's to expect. 358 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 7: It was one of those moments that I kind of 359 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,159 Speaker 7: panicked at that call. I remember having a conversation with 360 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 7: my mom and I'm like, you know, Gary called me 361 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 7: and said he's been winning to karaoke contest. But what 362 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 7: in the world am I going to do or say 363 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 7: to him if he comes and sings for me and 364 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 7: he's terrible. So I had this fear that I was 365 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 7: gonna hurt my cousin's feelings or something, you know, because 366 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 7: you just never know what to expect. 367 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 2: Everybody thinks they can sing. 368 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 7: I'm sure when they're gonna shower by themselves, they all 369 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 7: sound like Mariah Carey or Steve Perry, I'm sure. 370 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 2: But Gary came to town. 371 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 7: He stayed with me for a weekend, and U remember 372 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 7: sitting down at the piano and one of the first 373 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 7: songs he asked me to play for him was One 374 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 7: Last Try by Brian McKnight, and I remember when he 375 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,719 Speaker 7: opened his mouth, I was just stunned. I couldn't believe 376 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 7: the gift and the voice that this guy had been 377 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 7: blessed with. He was my cousin. We'd spend a lot 378 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 7: of time together growing up, but I never knew he 379 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 7: sang until I guess, gosh, that would have been the 380 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 7: end of nineteen ninety seven or the beginning of nineteen 381 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 7: ninety eight, and I was just absolutely mesmerized by the 382 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 7: gift this guy had. The tone was there, all the 383 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 7: things you can't teach, the texture, the licks, the ability 384 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 7: to sing in an incredible range, it was all there. 385 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 7: But it was all pretty raw in the beginning, and 386 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 7: so we sat out to sign up as many writer 387 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 7: nights or as many open mic nights as we could 388 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 7: find downtown. 389 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 2: We would go together. 390 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,679 Speaker 7: And sign up and I would play for him and 391 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 7: he would get up and sing. And the more we 392 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 7: sang together, the more we developed this chemistry, and the 393 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 7: better and better he got at finding who he was 394 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 7: because Gary was really great about emulating other artists, and 395 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 7: he sang along to the radio and he could sound 396 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 7: like Merle Haggar, or he could sound like Stevie Wonder. 397 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 7: He was a chameleon. He could do everything, really, But 398 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 7: during those early months with playing together, he really started 399 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 7: to come into his own and find his own voice 400 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 7: and his own identity and develop who he was. And 401 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 7: it was amazing to watch. I now look back on it, 402 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 7: and at the time I didn't realize how special it 403 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 7: was to be a part of that time where Gary 404 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 7: LeVaux was becoming Gary Levox and finding himself. And the 405 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 7: more we played together, you know, because Gary didn't play 406 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 7: an instrument, more often than not played behind him. And finally, 407 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 7: the owner of the fiddle and steel guitar bar and printer, 408 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,479 Speaker 7: z Ali, came to us one night and said, if 409 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 7: I give you guys Monday nights and two till Tuesday nights, 410 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 7: would you put a band together and I'll build a 411 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 7: stage on the other side and I'll knock this wall 412 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 7: down and make it a big dance floor so you 413 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 7: guys can kind of have a home base. And we 414 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 7: had been working with another guitar player at that point 415 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 7: and tie named Shane, and we started playing together. The 416 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 7: place was packed on Monday and Tuesday nights. It was 417 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 7: it was I mean, you'd have everybody from Toby Keith 418 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 7: coming in. He would sit in and sing with us. 419 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 7: It was a great place for musicians who weren't on 420 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 7: the road to come in. We'd get him up to 421 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 7: sit in with us, and she became this big family 422 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 7: and before you knew it, the place was packed out 423 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 7: all the time and the guitar player we'd been using, 424 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 7: called me one night. I know I'm long winded here, 425 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 7: but this is a great story, and he said, Man, 426 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 7: I've got the flu. I can't make it in tonight. 427 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 7: I'm so sorry that I can't. You know, Bet, I 428 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 7: can't make it tonight. So I immediately called Joe Don 429 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 7: and I said, hey, wearing a spot, I need you 430 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 7: to come sit in with us tonight if you can. 431 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 7: And I'd been telling Jodn about Gary, and I've been 432 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 7: telling Gary about Jodn. And we got there that first night, 433 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,479 Speaker 7: Jodaan said his gear up. Gary was a little frustrated because, 434 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 7: you know, he had communicated to me that, you know, 435 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 7: he was going to be a long night and if 436 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 7: Jodon didn't know any of her songs, that I'm gonna 437 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 7: leave early because I got to work early in the morning. 438 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 7: And he was very frustrated. I was like, let's just 439 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:31,719 Speaker 7: give us a chance and see what we can come 440 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 7: up with here. And the first song we played together 441 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 7: was Church on the Coverland Road by Shenandoah. And when 442 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 7: we hit that course, all three of us, I think 443 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 7: you could ask either one of those other guys we 444 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,719 Speaker 7: all knew instantly We had captured some lightning, a bottle 445 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 7: and some magic that you can't manufacture, and it was 446 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 7: naturally there. The blend was there. Jodn's pure tenor voice 447 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,640 Speaker 7: was about the only thing you could imagine that could 448 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:03,160 Speaker 7: sing above Gary, because Gary already sang pretty high. Gary 449 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 7: and I, of course, were family, but Joe Don felt 450 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 7: like he was family too, and from that night on 451 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 7: we never never stopped. It went on from there, and 452 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 7: I had the unenviable task of calling Shane and telling 453 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 7: that Becky had been replaced in the. 454 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: Mad Thanks for listening to the special Taking a Walk 455 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: I Love Country Music episode. If you like Taking a Walk, 456 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: please share it with your friends. And we are proud 457 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:33,360 Speaker 1: to be on America's number one podcast network, iHeart