Podcast appearances and mentions of walt aldridge

So much of the band's repertoire these days is jazzed by Jack Nuckols' dynamic drumming. Tunes that were thought to be retired from The Flood set lists suddenly are back with a whole new burst of verve.Meanwhile, certain musical muscles that Jack thought were long retired also are being reawakened. That is because The Flood has got Nuckols fiddling again.In the Old Days…Back in the 1970s, when he was a regular at the Bowen Bashes where The Flood was born, Jack was part of the parties' circle of fiddlers, joining the likes of Joe Dobbs and Mack Samples, Jim Strother, Buddy Griffin and others.But then 20 years ago, dust started gathering on the Jack Nuckols fiddle case.And Now…Last year when Jack brought his brushes, snare and high-hat to the band room, he noticed that not all of of the group's eclectic repertoire needed rhythmic additions.“I'll just sit out on those tunes,” he said.Whoa, buddy, not so fast, his new band mates said. The Flood's folkier stuff, they said, are perfectly fit for a bit of fiddling. In other words, Jack, ahem… open the fiddle case.So, lately to the weekly rehearsals Nuckols has been bringing his fiddle, which is finding its way into more and more Flood songs.Last weekend saw the instrument's debut at a show at Woodlands during the band's performance of Walt Aldridge's beautiful ballad, “No Ash Will Burn.” Check it out in the Pamela Bowen's video at the top of this article. Jack's fiddle is now a Flood fixture.About That SongAs we wrote in a Flood Watch article last spring, we learned “No Ash Will Burn” from another veteran of those long-ago Bowen Bashes, late Floodster Emeritus Bill Hoke. Only later did we find out that “No Ash Will Burn” is the work of Muscle Shoals singer/songwriter Walt Aldridge, an Alabaman whose songs over the past 60 years have been recorded by artists from Lou Reed to Reba McEntire. For more about the song's history, click here.Meanwhile, if you'd like to see/hear more from last weekend's show, check out this earlier report. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

We learned this tune from the late Floodster Emeritus Bill Hoke, who — like many other people — said he first heard it at a folk festival some time in the early 1990s.It has been about 25 years ago now. Bill stopped off to visit at the Bowen House while on a trek from his Abingdon, Va., home to Dayton, Ohio, to see his dad. We can still picture him there in The Flood band room, picking up Charlie Bowen's guitar and strumming a chord or two.“You guys ought to do this song,” he said softly, and started singing:I have seen rain on a cloudless day,I have see snows that fell in May ….We were hooked before he even got to the chorus. “No Ash Will Burn” has been in The Flood's repertoire ever since.EmpathyThat memory came rushing back to us last week when our friend David Click mentioned on Facebook how much he has enjoyed the band's performance of that song over the years.In a later message to Charlie, David added that while the song is sad, he found a kind of commiseration in the lyrics, an empathy that touched him especially in times of loss and grief.We understand; the song moves us that way too. For instance, the performance featured in this week's podcast comes from back in mid-November of last year. It was the first rehearsal we had in the days after we learned of the death of our old buddy and band mate Doug Chaffin.Doug absolutely loved this song ever since we included it on our 2011 Wade in the Water album. In this track you might hear how we felt a little closer to our dear companion as we sang it in his memory on that cold November night.About the SongWhen Bill Hoke taught us the song a quarter of a century ago, we didn't even know who wrote it. It was the mid-1990s and the World Wide Web wasn't yet the thing it is today, so we couldn't so easily find out such basic facts as writing credits.Only later did we learn that “No Ash Will Burn” is the work of Muscle Shoals singer/songwriter Walt Aldridge, an Alabaman whose songs over the past 60 years have been recorded by a diverse group of artists, from Lou Reed to Reba McEntire. Inducted into both the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Aldridge has written chart-busting hits for Ronnie Milsap ("No Gettin' Over Me," 1981), Earl Thomas Conley ("Holding Her and Loving You," 1982), Travis Tritt ("Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde," 2000), and Heartland ("I Loved Her First," 2006).In the late 1980s, Aldridge also sang lead vocals in the band The Shooters, a country band which charted with seven singles for Epic Records. It was during this creative period that he penned “No Ash Will Burn.”The song was first recorded on Western Dream, the 1989 debut album of Ranch Romance, a Seattle-based western swing, alternative country and bluegrass band.Versions of the tune quickly began circulating in folk music circles after Alice Gerrard recorded it in 1994 and Molly O'Brien released it four years later.A particular favorite of ours is the 2009 rendition by our friend Sallie Sublette and her Idaho-based band, Wild Coyotes, on their Coyote Tracks album.Our Take on the TuneLike a long-time running buddy, “No Ash Will Burn” has been with us for so long that it has generated its own store of Flood lore. One of the best “No Ash” stories comes from about 10 years ago at one of our stranger gigs.It was late May 2013 — about a week before Memorial Day — and after days in the 70s and 80s, the temperature suddenly plunged as we drove north to Fairmont, WV, for the Friday night concert. It was down to the 50s when we took the stage at the amphitheater at Prickett's Fort State Park, and by the time the show was finished 90 minutes later, the mercury had dropped to 45. The cold, along with a brisk west wind, made for a fairly frigid Flood, but it also produced some laughs. As we were shivering on stage and Charlie sang the opening lines -- I have seen rain on a cloudless day / I have seen snows that fell in May -- Dave Peyton leaned over and groaned, "Damn straight!" We cracked up and so did the audience.In this cut, you can hear us rehearsing the song a few days before the big Fairmont Freeze.More Folk Music?Finally, if you'd like more tunes from The Flood's folkier files, check out the Folk playlist on our free Radio Floodango music streaming service. Click here to give it a spin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

On Episode Eight of Through These Doors: A FAME Studios Podcast, Rodney Hall welcomes the great musician, singer, songwriter, engineer and record producer Walt Aldridge. Listen in as Hall and Aldridge discuss what it takes to write a #1 hit (Aldridge's #1's include "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" by Ronnie Milsap (1981), 'Till You're Gone by Barbara Mandrell (1982), "Holding Her and Loving You" by Earl Thomas Conley (1982), "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" by Travis Tritt (2000), and "I Loved Her First" (2006) by Heartland), and stories from his days working at FAME as a producer, songwriter and back-up musician, and what make Muscle Shoals such an incubator for hit records.

In the second of this two-part episode, I continue my discussion with country music singer-songwriter, Darryl Worley.  Darryl explains why he and his wife Kimberly decided to relocate from the Nashville area back to Hardin County, TN. Family, as well as the opportunity for his daughter Savannah to grow up in an area where friends and neighbors support each other, was an essential factor. Darryl believes that allowing his wife and daughter to develop their own identity is important. Plus, being closer to Muscle Shoals, AL, and Wishbone Studios is another reason moving made sense.  Manny music insiders agree the Nashville recording scene has changed much since Darryl signed his first major record deal in the late 1990s. Compared to many country music singer-songwriters that come out of Music City, Darryl's career hit the national scene when he was 35-years-old. Although he looks much younger than his actual age, the ability to intertwine the wisdom of a weathered performer into his songs is one reason fans gravitate to his unique style.  The 2003 release of "Have You Forgotten" solidified Darryl as a major country music artist. Yet with the song's phenomenal success of the hit song, came a downside. During an interview with NBC's Lester Holt soon after the song hit number one, Darryl was shocked when the journalist attacked him for writing and singing about lingering wounds most American's felt when New York City's twin towers fell. Although the interview taught valuable lessons in dealing with aggressive journalists, he knew the words he and fellow veteran songwriter Walt Aldridge penned about the attack resonated with millions of patriotic Americans. And as Darryl explains, its the stories that matter in any hit song. When listening to a Darryl Worley song, there's no doubt the music is pure country. Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Willie Nelson, and many others were strong influences on Darryl's singing and songwriting. While his fans may love the traditional country sound Darryl and other artists still perform, throughout the years, Nashville record executives altered the sound to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience. "I realized early on that I wouldn't reach the Garth or Kenny level because I wasn't the prototypical star Nashville executives looked for," Darryl explained. But I knew who I was as an artist, and that's what's important to me." While he appreciates the opportunities Nashville has given and still can provide his career, Darryl realizes that if he's going to fully tap into his creative potential, being centered and around the people and things most important to him is a top priority.  The future continues to shine for Darryl and his music. His "How Freedom Feels" project, along with the rerelease of his "Greatest Hits," and an upcoming album of Christian hymns, is forthcoming. Who knows; his fans may get a genuine and unvarnished glimpse into Darryl's life in an upcoming book he's talking about writing and publishing soon. Darryl Worley hasn't forgotten his roots, for they have made this talented singer-songwriter a native hero. And he plans to continue tapping into the vast amount of talent that lies within his soul.              

If you sat next to Mark Narmore on an airplane, chances are you wouldn't think he is an award-winning songwriter.  He also hails from Muscle Shoals royalty. That's the way this humble wordsmith prefers it. In the late 1980s, Mark was a student at the University of North Alabama. For pocket change,  he spun records at WLX in Lexington, AL. An aspiring songwriter, Mark honed his skills by working at the feet of Fame Recording Studios founder and producer, Rick Hall.  It was at this famous studio where he wrote "The Moon Over Georgia," a top-ten Country Music hit for the group Shenandoah. RELATED: Emily Elgin is a real Oklahoma Cowgirl, and a damn good singer/songwriter too! In 1995, Mark and Walt Aldridge, another hall of fame Muscle Shoals songwriter, penned "Like There Ain't No Yesterday" for Blackhawk. However, his blockbuster hit came along a decade later when Craig Morgan cut "That's What I Love About Sunday," which was the most performed song on Country radio in 2005.  Mark grew up on the outskirts of Muscle Shoals listening to his cousin, keyboardist Spooner Oldham. He also had the good fortune of seeing the infamous Swampers and dozens of major artists who ventured to Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound recording studios during the 1970s and 80s. Keyboards are his primary instrument, yet this versatile musician can also play guitar and sing. Artists such as Josh Turner, Alabama, Reba McIntyre, Terri Clark, Guy Penrod, and others have recorded his material.  RELATED: Garth Brooks Steel Guitarist Talks About Playing With Country Music's Elite Mark continues writing songs for Noble Vision Music Publishing in Nashville, TN. He also has a star at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Mark and his wife, Sandy, live in his hometown of Center Star, AL. You don't want to miss Mark discuss his career and his memories of the Muscle Shoals recording scene.    

Season One, Episode Four: Bobby Wills is the 2013 CCMA Rising Star Award recipient. He's been nominated for a plethora of additional CCMA Awards including Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. He was the 2017 Male Artist of the Year and Fans' Choice Award winner at the Alberta Country Music Association Awards. His songs "Show Some Respect", "Won't You Be Mine", and "Down By The River" have become staples of country radio playlists nationwide. Bobby joins us from Calgary to talk about a career that started on a dare, growing up as an adopted kid, discovering a rich musical heritage with a biological family he never knew, and writing with his hero, Walt Aldridge.The Show is hosted by Amy Aust and Scotty Kipfer.Bobby Wills, welcome to The Show! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In describing the life and career of Texas Singer-Songwriter, Mark Powell, it’s really kind of hard to know where to begin and where to end.  The west Texas native has carved out a piece of life for himself that is the envy of many, including Yours Truly.  But, like all great success stories, the road to get to where his is today has had a lot of twists and turns. The son of a performing musician, Mark followed suit and at an early age he found himself on stages playing twin fiddles with his father.  It was also during this time of his life that Mark discovered he had the unique ability to understand how to play most songs after hearing them just a single time, as well as remember almost every word. As adolescence gave way to the later stages in becoming a grown up, Mark found himself in college and performing with his own group.  Not long after this Mark loaded up and headed for Nashville with a developmental deal from Universal. While Mark only spent about a year and a half in Nashville, he was able to learn more about the business side of country music and songwriting and found himself in writing rooms with legendary country songwriters like Mac McAnally and Walt Aldridge. Upon his return to Texas Mark entered a brief period of his life in which he held down a “real job” as a banker; something that allowed him to gain useful knowledge to use later on his musical endeavors. Through a twist of fate in what was supposed to be Mark helping to put together a show for a local venue, the Outlaws and Legends Music Festival was born.  The backstory to this event is very interesting and you won’t want to miss it in the interview.  This festival has now become a top-tier festival in the scene and is approaching its 10th year.  An entire episode could focus on the festival itself.  In the conversation Mark also talks about co-writing and his relationship with true country music songwriting legend, Dean Dillon.  Currently, when Mark’s not writing or performing in Texas, he can probably be found somewhere playing music or trout fishing in the mountains of Colorado.  That sounds pretty much like an ideal situation to me! Sit back, relax, and enjoy our visit with one of the more interesting guests we ever had on the podcast: Mark Powell! https://markpowellmusic.com/ https://www.outlawsandlegends.com/ We also want to point out that the 55th Annual Courtland Funday is quickly approaching and will be held the last weekend in July. (July 26th & 27th) It will feature all kinds of activities and entertainment including a Saturday night performance by a previous guest on the podcast: Rob Baird.  Check out the details of the entire event by clicking HERE. Don’t forget about the upcoming 610 Music Festival.  For more information you can go to: 610 Music Festival on Facebook.  For tickets click HERE! Listen via: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

You might not know Amy Stroup by name, but you've probably heard her voice on one of your favorite shows or movies. The singer/songwriter has been featured in over 400 top tv shows and movies, including Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Private Practice and many more. Subscribe and download on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Tune In, Stitcher. In this episode, we'll hear about Amy's journey which included hanging out with legendary songwriters Walt Aldridge and Brad Crisler as an eager 10-year-old with a trusty notebook in hand. With its many twists and turns, Amy has taken the path that's made the most sense for her. In return, we see an artist with a varied repertoire who's open to opportunity and a sound that's constantly evolving. Amy shares stories and sings some her best singles including Just You, Stare, Hope onto Hope Love and Magic. The series producer, Brad Newman hosts this interesting look at an artist who likes to keep her fans guessing and wondering what she'll come up with next. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. We want to know what you think. Pitch us an artist, or simply spread the word and find out more about the series. #childrenofsong

Elliott Park's first co-write in Nashville (with Walt Aldridge) turned out to be a number 1 smash in the waiting, with "I Loved Her First" cut by "Heartland". Elliott is an excellent storyteller, graphic artist, and musician who is now finding success with multiple children songs airing on Sirius XM satellite radio. Elliott opens up about depression, anxiety, and living in the shadow of his early success. For more, check out www.elliottpark.net Remember to leave a 5 start review and rating in iTunes , follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out www.treehousemediaco.com and www.thesoundmindpodcast.com for more.  

On this week’s Open Mic Spotlight podcast, Chattanooga musician Derek Wayne Martin spends some time with Heather in the studio to talk about the ways in which he’s trying to help build the local music scene through his work at The Camp House, how his mom and dad met in a college rock band and why the best purchase of his life was a 1971 Ventura guitar he bought at The Picker’s Exchange. With his acoustic guitar in tow, Martin rambles through a couple of original songs while still paying homage to some of his influence by performing covers of songs by Ryan Adams, David Ramirez and Walt Aldridge. Careening through a folk-styled landscape of burnished harmonies and insistent strums, he shows that there is still much to learn from the unexplored cracks and crevasses of the singer-songwriter genre. As the City Engagement Coordinator for The Camp House, Martin discusses his role in shaping the future of the Songwriter’s Stage contest (previously known as Songwriter Shoot Out) and how other local events there are helping to create a wider appreciation for different musical styles. He speaks to being surrounded by music from an early age, revealing that his mom and dad met when they were both performing in a college rock band—his mom was the drummer, and his dad was the guitarist. He also divulges that there was a history before his current folk fascination; namely, that he went through a bit of an angtsy alt-rock period before settling into his latest musical digs. And he briefly touches on the instrument of his music, a 1971 Japanese-made Ventura guitar that he purchased at The Picker’s Exchange and which has been the anchor to his most recent musical divergences. Thank you Jesse Jungkurth for mixing this episode. Thank you Joshua Pickard for writing for this episode. 

Hannah Aldridge is steeped in what Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood calls “The Southern Thing” - a phrase that tries to summarize the living, breathing duality of the rich and troubled history of the American South. Aldridge is based in Nashville these days, but she spent her formative years in the fertile musical turf near Muscle Shoals, Alabama - about 125 miles south of her current home. Muscle Shoals is a small, backwoods southern river town that happens to have long been a legendary destination for world-class musicians. Something in the muddy water seeps into the souls of the people who live and record in Muscle Shoals - and that inexplicable magic winds up in the records cut there. Aldridge's apple didn't fall far from the talent tree - her father is noted songwriter and musician Walt Aldridge - but the younger Aldridge has more than enough keen observations in her gritty songs and confidence in her sweet and rural voice to earn her her own hard-won stripes. She writes from the perspective of a strong woman in a setting where the men talk big, but seldom do the honorable, righteous or even logical thing. Hannah Aldridge flatly inhabits the characters in her songs - a woman peculiarly tranquil about her dwindling days on death row, the daughter of a vengeful preacher who will not abide her abuse, the mother of a young son with a box of special rocks under his bed - and gives them all a voice that sounds alive and real. And it is this songwriting authenticity that raises her above the throng of Americana singer-songwriters of either gender. She has a new album called Razor Wire and is already working on songs for a follow-up release.

Hannah Aldridge is steeped in what Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood calls “The Southern Thing” - a phrase that tries to summarize the living, breathing duality of the rich and troubled history of the American South. Aldridge is based in Nashville these days, but she spent her formative years in the fertile musical turf near Muscle Shoals, Alabama - about 125 miles south of her current home. Muscle Shoals is a small, backwoods southern river town that happens to have long been a legendary destination for world-class musicians. Something in the muddy water seeps into the souls of the people who live and record in Muscle Shoals - and that inexplicable magic winds up in the records cut there. Aldridge’s apple didn’t fall far from the talent tree - her father is noted songwriter and musician Walt Aldridge - but the younger Aldridge has more than enough keen observations in her gritty songs and confidence in her sweet and rural voice to earn her her own hard-won stripes. She writes from the perspective of a strong woman in a setting where the men talk big, but seldom do the honorable, righteous or even logical thing. Hannah Aldridge flatly inhabits the characters in her songs - a woman peculiarly tranquil about her dwindling days on death row, the daughter of a vengeful preacher who will not abide her abuse, the mother of a young son with a box of special rocks under his bed - and gives them all a voice that sounds alive and real. And it is this songwriting authenticity that raises her above the throng of Americana singer-songwriters of either gender. She has a new album called Razor Wire and is already working on songs for a follow-up release.

Hannah Aldridge is steeped in what Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood calls “The Southern Thing” - a phrase that tries to summarize the living, breathing duality of the rich and troubled history of the American South. Aldridge is based in Nashville these days, but she spent her formative years in the fertile musical turf near Muscle Shoals, Alabama - about 125 miles south of her current home. Muscle Shoals is a small, backwoods southern river town that happens to have long been a legendary destination for world-class musicians. Something in the muddy water seeps into the souls of the people who live and record in Muscle Shoals - and that inexplicable magic winds up in the records cut there. Aldridge’s apple didn’t fall far from the talent tree - her father is noted songwriter and musician Walt Aldridge - but the younger Aldridge has more than enough keen observations in her gritty songs and confidence in her sweet and rural voice to earn her her own hard-won stripes. She writes from the perspective of a strong woman in a setting where the men talk big, but seldom do the honorable, righteous or even logical thing. Hannah Aldridge flatly inhabits the characters in her songs - a woman peculiarly tranquil about her dwindling days on death row, the daughter of a vengeful preacher who will not abide her abuse, the mother of a young son with a box of special rocks under his bed - and gives them all a voice that sounds alive and real. And it is this songwriting authenticity that raises her above the throng of Americana singer-songwriters of either gender. She has a new album called Razor Wire and is already working on songs for a follow-up release.

Walt Aldridge has written dozens of hits including "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" for Ronnie Milsap, "Holding Her and Loving You" for Earl Thomas Conley, and "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" for Travis Tritt. His band, The Shooters, was signed to Epic Records released seven charting singles.Walt started his music business career as an intern at FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios, home to iconic recordings by Dobie Gray, Clarence Carter, Candy Stanton, Billy Ocean, and Aretha Franklin.

Walt Aldridge has written dozens of hits including "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" for Ronnie Milsap, "Holding Her and Loving You" for Earl Thomas Conley, and "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" for Travis Tritt. His band, The Shooters, was signed to Epic Records released seven charting singles.Walt started his music business career as an intern at FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios, home to iconic recordings by Dobie Gray, Clarence Carter, Candy Stanton, Billy Ocean, and Aretha Franklin.