Thanks For Giving A Damn

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Musicians, journalists and historians sharing memories, backstage stories and history lessons. There's no music, just lighthearted storytelling. Subscribe on iTunes for new episodes as soon as they're available.

Otis Gibbs

East Nashville


    • Sep 7, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 55m AVG DURATION
    • 171 EPISODES

    4.9 from 658 ratings Listeners of Thanks For Giving A Damn that love the show mention: thank you otis, thanks otis, gibbs, otis's, wylie, listening to otis, otis is a great, todd snider, american music, billy bragg, front porch, tim jones, interview was great, keep playing, olney, hubbard, it's like sitting around, road stories, 57, nixon.



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    Latest episodes from Thanks For Giving A Damn

    Episode 170: Hoosier National

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020 37:44


    Otis shares stories and anecdotes about the songs and the making of his new album, Hoosier National. Here’s the link to the pre-sale! https://igg.me/at/OtisGibbs/x/17363880#/

    Episode 169: Growing Up Around Bill Monroe

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2020 28:10


    David Grier shares his memories of Bill Monroe including a tour bus full of chickens, fist fights and a ton of great music.

    Episode 168: Back Home Again In Indiana

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2020 32:11


    Otis talks abut his dream of starting an Alt Country Retirement Community and returning home.

    Episode 167: When John Prine Drove Through Paradise

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2019 27:02


    Jim Rooney talks about riding with John Prine through Paradise, Kentucky in a red 1949 Ford.

    Episode 166: Otis’ Graveyard Tour

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2019 26:20


    Otis talks about visiting the graves or William S. Burroughs, Bob Wills, Sam Kinisin, Gram Parsons, Mozart, Falco and more.

    Episode 165: Jason Ringenberg Remembers Jack Emerson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2019 35:18


    Jason talks about his old friend, Jack Emerson. Jack helped kickstart the careers of Jason and the Scorchers, the Georgia Satellites, John Hiatt, Webb Wilder, Sonny Landreth, Steve Forbert and many others.

    remembers scorchers john hiatt sonny landreth steve forbert georgia satellites webb wilder jason ringenberg
    Episode 164: Recording With Slim Pickens

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2019 23:19


    The Time Jumpers’, Andy Reiss has played on thousands of sessions. On this episode, he shares the story of his first session in Nashville with the great, Slim Pickens.

    Episode 163: Picking With Clarence White

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2018 24:28


    David Grier is a 3 time IBMA Guitar Player Of The Year and he talks about how the great, Clarence White befriended him when he was a kid.

    picking clarence white david grier
    Episode 162: Norwegian Black Metal

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2018 32:20


    Pytten shares stories from the early days of Black Metal in Bergen, Norway.

    Episode 161: Ebbets Field In Denver, Colorado

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2018 41:23


    Kenny Vaughan talks about Denver in the 60’s and 70s and the iconic music venue, Ebbets Field.

    Episode 160: Tragedy At The Indiana State Fair

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2018


    Indianapolis Star journalist, Dave Lindquist talks about witnessing a tragic stage collapse at a Sugarland concert in Indianapolis.

    Episode 159: Working For The Highwaymen

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2018


    Reggie Young talks about touring and recording with Johnny, Waylon, Willie and Kris: The Highwaymen.

    Episode 158: The Art Of Sgt. Pepper’s

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2017 41:05


    Bill DeMain Is the co-author of Sgt. Pepper at 50. Bill shares some wonderful stories about the making of the most recognizable album artwork of all time.

    Episode 157: When Ray Wylie Hubbard Met Joe Walsh

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2017 24:03


    Ray Wylie Hubbard talks about the time Ringo Starr played Snake Farm to Joe Walsh and the friendship that followed.

    Episode 156: A Painting From John Mellencamp

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2017 22:20


    Dean Metcalf talks about the painting John Mellencamp gave to the Bob and Tom Show and the strange story surrounding it.

    Episode 155: The Legend Of Rocky Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2017 30:45


    John Lomax tells the story of a Texas guitar legend who blew every opportunity and burned every bridge.

    Episode 154: The Houston Folklore Society

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2017 34:54


    John Lomax II talks about how his father influenced Guy Clark, Lightnin Hopkins, Townes Van Zandt, Mance Lipscomp, and a lot of other young artists in Houston.

    Episode 153: Reggie Young’s Memories Of Recording With Elvis

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2017 28:11


    Reggie Young talks a bout playing guitar on Elvis Presley’s legendary recordings at American Sound Studios in Memphis. These sessions produced Suspicious Minds, In The Ghetto, Kentucky Rain and other all time Elvis classics.

    Episode 152: George Harrison’s Gift To Badfinger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2017 28:18


    Chris McKinney tells the story of how one guitar helped define the sound of The Beatles and Badfinger. Chris is the curator of the Jim Irsay Guitar Collection.

    Episode 151: REM Invades West Virginia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2017


    Larry Groce talks about the time the biggest band in the world came to Charleston, West Virginia to play Mountain Stage.

    Episode 150: Otis’ State Of The Union Address

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2017 32:00


    Otis talks about the history of the show and his plans moving forward.

    Episode 149: Jason Molina Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2017 30:08


    Ben Swanson is part owner of Secretly Group (Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar). Listen in as he shares stories about his friend, Jason Molina.

    stories jason molina ben swanson
    Episode 148: Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Life Well Lived

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2017 29:26


    Ray Wylie Hubbard shares stories about whore dog gigs, unscrupulous promoters, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King and a ton more.

    Episode 147: Slaid Cleaves And The Importance Of Mentors

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2017 27:55


    Slaid Cleaves pays tribute to Don Walser, Fred Eaglesmith, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gurf Morlix for taking the time to teach him a few lessons along the way.

    mentors ray wylie hubbard slaid cleaves fred eaglesmith gurf morlix
    Episode 146: Johnny Cash’s First Interview

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2017 22:10


    Aaron Allan talks about being the first person to interview Johnny Cash while working as a disc jockey in San Antonio in the 1950s.

    Episode 145: Bill Monroe At The Station Inn

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2017 27:53


    Mike Bub shares stories about Bill Monroe hanging and playing at Nashville’s Bluegrass Mecca, The Station Inn.

    nashville bill monroe station inn mike bub
    Episode 144: Guy Clark’s Favorite T-Shirt

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2017 31:44


    Shawn Camp shares stories about his friendship with the great Guy Clark.

    shirt guy clark shawn camp
    Episode 143: Kenny Vaughan Remembers Merle Haggard

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2017 28:51


    Kenny Vaughan shares stories about being around one of the all time great artists, Merle Haggard.

    Episode 142: Mount Renraw

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2017 24:06


    Otis tell stories and shares a preview of his new album, Mount Renraw.

    Episode 141: He Stopped Loving Her Today

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2016 25:54


    Legendary recording engineer, Lou Bradley talks about recording George Jones’ all time classic, He Stopped Loving Her Today.

    loving legendary stopped george jones he stopped loving her today lou bradley
    Episode 140: Behind Closed Doors

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2016 37:15


    Legendary engineer, Lou Bradley shares memories of recording Charlie Rich’s classic album, Behind Closed Doors. Lou shares stories about Charlie Rich, Billy Sherrill, Pig Robbins and everyone else involved in making this all time classic album.

    Episode 139: The Train Carrying Jimmie Rodgers Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2016 32:44


    Barry Mazor tells the story of Jimmie Rodgers’ final days, his heroic final recording session and his last train ride.

    Episode 138: Billy Bragg Tells The Story Of Skiffle

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2016


    Billy Bragg explains how Skiffle made the British Invasion possible.

    Episode 137: The Innovations Of Ralph Peer

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2016


    Barry Mazor is the author of Ralph Peer And The Making Of Popular Roots Music and he’s sharing stories about how Ralph Peer changed the music business.

    innovation ralph peer
    Episode 136: Jimmy Martin Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2016 36:46


    Mike Bub shares stories about hanging with The King Of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin.

    Episode 135: Working For Bill Monroe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2016 33:55


    Mike Bub shares a lot of great stories about playing gigs with The Father Of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe.

    bill monroe mike bub
    Episode 134: Dylan Goes Electric

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2016 27:52


    Elijah Wald talks about Bob Dylan’s infamous electrified performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

    Episode 133: Dave Van Ronk Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2016 25:00


    Elijah Wald shares a ton of great stories about Dave Van Ronk.

    Episode 132: King Of Record Collectors

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2016 29:45


    Joe Bussard’s collection of old 78s is believed to be the best in the world. Joe shares stories of how he found these records while going door to door in rural Appalachia in the1950s and beyond.

    Episode 131: This Land Is Your Land

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2016 21:30


    Otis talks about the events that lead to Woody Guthrie writing his  iconic classic, This Land Is Your Land.

    land woody guthrie this land is your land
    Episode 130: The Replacements In Nashville

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2016


    Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story Of The Replacements, shares stories about The Replacements’ ill fated and sometimes disastrous gigs in Nashville.

    Episode 129: Doug Sahm Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2016 33:07


    Pete Finney talks about the wonderfully strange and disorganized time he spent playing pedal steel with the great  Doug Sahm.

    stories doug sahm
    Episode 128: Dylan, Cash and The Nashville Cats

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2016 32:22


    Pete Finney is the co-curator of the Dylan, Cash and The Nashville Cats exhibit at The Country Music Hall Of Fame and he shares a ton of great stories about Dylan’s friendship with Cash and how it changed how we… Continue Reading →

    Episode 127: Strange Fruit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2016 20:04


    Otis talks about Billy Holiday’s version of Strange Fruit and the 1930 lynching in Marion, Indiana that inspired it.

    Episode 126: Edward Abbey Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2016 31:57


    Ken Sanders talks about his friendship with Edward Abbey and shares stories about Abbey’s friendship with Robert Crumb.

    Episode 125: Utah Phillips Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2015 38:51


    Duncan Phillips talks about his father, Utah Phillips and shares stories about the legendary folk singer, joining the Army, fighting in the Korean War, writing Rock Salt And Nails, Rosalie Sorrels, Dylan, Johnny Cash stories, Ammon Hennacy, riding trains, running… Continue Reading →

    stories army johnny cash korean war utah phillips rosalie sorrels
    Episode 124: Joe Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2015 44:23


    Jeremy Harmon of the Salt Lake Tribune talks about the life, death and legacy of iconic folk singer, Joe Hill.

    Episode 123: Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2015 25:31


    Gurf Morlix talks about Marty Robbins’ classic album, Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs.

    Episode 122: Moving To Nashville

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2015 24:28


    Otis tells the personal, painful and hilarious story of when he and Amy left their home Indiana and moved to Nashville.

    Episode 121: Jerry Reed Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2015 24:28


    John Knowles shares stories about his friendship with Jerry Reed.

    stories jerry reed john knowles
    Episode 120: Chet Atkins Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2015 44:55


    John Knowles shares stories about his friendship with Chet Atkins. John shares everything from recording techniques to personal stories about Chet’s interactions with Roger Miller, George Martin, Jerry Reed, Charlie Pride, Waylon Jennings, Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Owen Bradley, Harlan… Continue Reading →

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