Yeehaw Randomness

This is the second year in a row that my job sent me to Nashville to help a DJ record interviews with country music singers during CMA week.  I love my job.

During two days, he interviewed 80 different singers or groups.  I recorded every interview and took pictures of every performer.  The interviews are ultimately heard on nearly one hundred radio stations across the country.

Me and Miranda Lambert

I’ve met countless celebrities during my career, so I am not usually that impressed, but standing five feet from the biggest (and smallest) names in country music IS impressive.  These people are so real, so genuine.  In these interviews, they are mostly ego-free and this particular DJ is good at getting the singers to reveal personal feelings and thoughts.

Nashville is the heart of country music.  It’s business, pleasure, struggle and success.  Every bar on Broadway Avenue has a wannabe superstar singing their heart out.  The next Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan or Miranda Lambert could be on that stage, belting out cover songs to drunks at the bar, mixing in the occasional original tune.

Doobie Brothers, except for the 2 guys in plaid

Country music is hot right now, the hottest it’s been since the Garth Brooks era of the early 1990s.  And this genre creeps into others and others creep back.  I met the Doobie Brothers today.  The have a project with several country singers who have recorded their old songs with them on a new album.  And I got to talk with two of the guys for a minute about New Orleans.  During the interview, they explained how New Orleans influenced their song “Black Water” and after the interview, I told them I grew up there. 

 

I’m sure I could go on and on about the past few days here, but I’ll stop now.  It was fun but I spent six hours each day on my feet and I am tired.  I have to visit this place during a less crowded week and soak in the atmosphere some more.