A writer of almost 3,000 songs, he is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and, as a performer, opened for the likes of the Charlie Daniels Band, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and Restless Heart. A longtime Nashville resident, he has worked with Frankie Ballard – who just had a song go to #1 – as well as Steel Magnolia and The Kinleys. Great lessons for up-and-comers on this episode!
"Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet."
"You're always someone's opening night."
"Songwriters are the method actors of the entertainment industry."
“A lot about the music business is just being flexible in everything that you have to do. And do schedule as much as you can, but you have to be able to roll with it however it goes.”
“You try to have a personal connection with everything. You put a piece of you in everything.”
“I've seen so many people doing – I don't want to say wrong things, but – they are walking into glass doors. They don't see the glass door or the glass ceiling in front of them. They just walk right into it never realizing that they are doing something that just doesn't resonate.”
“You can't really be the best judge of your music. You have to put it out there and let the world decide.”
“We are in such a short attention span now. Everybody's attention just moves onto something else. You can tell; look out in your audience and they'll have their phone up, texting or checking something on their phone… What you have to do is figure out a way to get and keep people’s attention.”
"Too Much Blood in My Alcohol Level"
"Tables and Chairs"