Podcasts about Wildhorse Saloon

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Crouse, the host of the acclaimed The Working Drummer podcast, to unpack the secrets behind his show's incredible 500-episode milestone. Matt shares insights on building meaningful relationships in the music industry, the art of networking, and the importance of specializing as a musician. He also discusses the evolving landscape of home recording, session work, and the vibrant drumming community in Nashville. Whether you're a drummer, a podcaster, or an aspiring creative, this conversation is packed with invaluable lessons on building a sustainable career. Tune in to discover the strategies that have made The Working Drummer podcast a resounding success.   Some Things Things That Came Up:  -1:00 Gifts! -3:30 500 Episodes of The Working Drummer Podcast -7:00 Being Thoughtful and hand written thank you notes -8:45 It doesn't take much to stand out these days  -10:30 Moving AWAY from home made all the difference! -11:45 Working at Jim Rupp's Columbus Pro Percussion -13:00 Covering all the styles in Columbus, Ohio  -13:20 Going to school with Jay DeMarcus  -16:00 Working at Fork's Drum Closet. Retail or Play?  -19:30 Matt works out!!! -22:30 A Big Fish in a Little Big Town  -26:00 Standing on the shoulder of giants  -30:40 Drummers are in a PRACTICE, like a doctor or a lawyer -34:00 Working with the Frontmen of Country Music  -37:00 “The Road” vs. “In Town” -41:50 Click vs. No Click  -46:00 Creating musical moments under pressure  -47:00 Lower Broadway is a source of experience -54:00 When you move to Nashville, you are STARTING a business  -56:30 Start a Podcast!!! Keeps your name front of mind with people -57:30 Savannah Jack -1:02 Home Studio Pricing and Psychology  -1:05:40 Relationships! -1:11:20 Looking back on the humble beginnings of Matt's podcast  -1:12:50 Co-Host Zach Albetta! -1:15:00 The skill of hosting  -1:26:00 Advertisers and dynamic ads on podcasts -1:28:00 The Music City Drum Show  -1:29:50 The Fave 5 -1:30:00 Bassist Luis Espaillat crashes the podcast!  1:32:40 THE Tribute band  FOLLOW: www.mattcrouse.net www.workingdrummer.net    Born and raised in Columbus Ohio, Matt caught the music bug early. When he was 7 years old, a friend's father was in the entertainment business. Hanging out at rehearsals and on the tour buses sold Matt on the idea of being a musician, or at the very least, a drummer. All this lead to spending his high school years at Fort Hayes vocational school for music and Capital University Conservatory of Music for college studying under drum instructor Bob Breithaupt. The musical diversity in Columbus gave Matt the chance to play with many great players and learning many different styles – from Big Band (Vaughn Weister's Famous Jazz Orchestra) and Brazilian to Afro-Cuban and Fusion. All the while, he was doing his share of gigs with original rock bands and top 40 bands. Matt moved to Nashville in the summer of 1999. Working as a freelance drummer based in Nashville has taken him to all 50 states in the U.S. and most of Canada, as well as overseas to Europe, Asia, The Middle East and The Caribbean. As well as the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Matt has performed in great local venues like the Ryman Auditorium, Mercy Lounge, 3rd and Lindsley, The 5 Spot, The Sutler, The Basement, The Wildhorse Saloon, and many clubs on lower Broadway.  Matt has toured both regionally and nationally, with the Adam and Shannon Wright, Mark Selby, Eddy Raven, Billy Dean, Stephen Simmons, Three Lane, Whiskey Cash & Roses, Michelle Wright - (throughout Canada), Julie Roberts, and The Frontmen of Country which is Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, Richie McDonald of Lonestar, Tim Rushlow of Little Texas. From 2009 to 2017 Matt was the full time drummer for the band Savannah Jack. He played percussion on their first studio record in 2010 opposite Steve Ferrone on drums. For their second studio record in 2015, Matt was the drumset and percussion player in the studio. In the studio, Matt has had the pleasure of working with talented producers including Eric Fritsch, Teddy Morgan, Jim Reilley and Brent Maher. Artist he's recorded with in the studio have included Sheryl Crow, legendary songwriter Buzz Cason and actor Kevin Costner. In 2015, Matt started a podcast for drummers called "Working Drummer", an interview based podcast that maintains a focus on the drummer that makes a living at his or her craft. Along with the help of co-host Zack Albetta, the podcast has a growing audience throughout the world with more listeners every week. www.workingdrummer.net   *******SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW!!! www.richredmond.com/listen     The Rich Redmond Show is about all things music, motivation and success. Candid conversations with musicians, actors, comedians, authors and thought leaders about their lives and the stories that shaped them. Rich Redmond is the longtime drummer with Jason Aldean and many other veteran musicians and artists. Rich is also an actor, speaker, author, producer and educator. Rich has been heard on thousands of songs, over 25 of which have been #1 hits!   Rich can also be seen in several films and TV shows and has also written an Amazon Best-Selling book, "CRASH! Course for Success: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Life" currently available at:   https://www.amazon.com/CRASH-Course-Success-Supercharge-Professional/dp/B07YTCG5DS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crash+redmond&qid=1576602865&sr=8-1   One Book: Three Ways to consume....Physical (delivered to your front door, Digital (download to your kindle, ipad or e-reader), or Audio (read to you by me on your device...on the go)!   Buy Rich's exact gear at www.lessonsquad.com/rich-redmond   Follow Rich: @richredmond www.richredmond.com     Jim McCarthy is the quintessential Blue Collar Voice Guy. Honing his craft since 1996 with radio stations in Illinois, South Carolina, Connecticut, New York, Las Vegas and Nashville, Jim has voiced well over 10,000 pieces since and garnered an ear for audio production which he now uses for various podcasts, commercials and promos. Jim is also an accomplished video producer, content creator, writer and overall entrepreneur.   Follow Jim:   @jimmccarthy www.jimmccarthyvoiceovers.com www.itsyourshow.co

Ian and Natalie talk about the 2024 Exhibition Closing Celebration, from its humble beginnings at the Wildhorse Saloon all the way to The Twelve Thirty Club. Our hosts discuss the thought behind planning such an event and all the exciting new changes that make this year different from the rest.  

For the main topic this month, we head back to Pleasure Island for more fun and excitement. This is Part IV and if you haven't enjoyed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3, we highly recommend you take a listen back as these were recorded years ago!  How gives us a little recap of how each episode went in the past. The story on this episode though is changes. How gets us into each club and how they changed after a few years, including themes and names. These include Cage, The Wildhorse Saloon, 8-Trax, Planet Hollywood, Motion, Fulton's Crab House, BET Club and more. We go through our memories of each of the various iterations and also what we thought of them over the years. The interesting aspect we get into here with Pleasure Island is that it evolved frequently and for the most part, was done to keep people attending and trying to find that club that hit. This episode also has us reflecting on fads of the era from Wine Coolers, The Chicken Dance, Zima, Planet Hollywood, and line dancing. Even though this area has come and gone, we discuss where it went and how it went out. Many of us have memories of the big changes in the end and we even discuss the unused concept of Hyperion Wharf. Pleasure Island was a fun concept that worked in many areas and did not work in others. How has promised us a Part V episode about Pleasure Island, so make sure you message him if you are interested in hearing even more history on ‘PI'. Thanks for listening!

Music City Bowl Tiger Talk from the Wildhorse Saloon Photo: Austin Perryman | Auburn Athletics

Joining me this week On The Virg is Jim Morris. Jim is an entrepreneur in Nashville, a real estate broker turned event specialist. Jim is the founder of Impact Events and is hosting Impact Effect 23 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Downtiwn Nashville on Oct 27, 2023. We discuss how he transitioned from real estate to events and how self discovery and growth led to a very heart centered career and life shift. We also discuss motivation, the Beatles, Fight Club, Good Will Hunting, and Aruba. 

CMA FEST 2023 - BRETT KISSEL & JAY ALLEN The CMA nominations are out, so we are going back to the beginning of summer to the CMA Fest for a few interviews. I meet up with Canadian artist, Brett Kissel at the Wildhorse Saloon and former The Voice contestant, Jay Allen! https://upncountry.com Marketing & PR for Country Artists: https://bonzellmedia.com Hosted by Sue Bonzell Executive Producer: Sue Bonzell Filmed and produced by: vLiveCast https://vlivecast.com Camera, Sound & Lighting: Ryan Perry, vLiveCast Get the cool Up N Country MERCH Here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/CowChairCountry/explore?asc=u&page=1&sortOrder=recent Check out the Spotify Playlist for all the best NEW COUNTRY! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6raY92bakZGjjAY9OnEeg7?si=be4f50f7a6304609 #newcountry #lovecountry #upncountry

Scott Jordan speaks with the four newly-crowned World Finals champions on location in Nashville at the Wildhorse Saloon. Join Tristan England, Colt Stephens, Tyler Menninga, and Ryan Anderson as they discuss their career-defining wins at the biggest event of the year at Nissan Stadium.

Bailey James is lighting up Music City with her sophisticated soulful country music. It is hard to fathom that at 20 years of age, Bailey James can bring a crowd to their knees. Much like Janis Joplin she can hypnotise you with her incredible vocal styling and bluesy riffs. Her swiftly growing audience celebrates her fresh musical adaptation that is well beyond her years. including country roots infused with blues, rock-n-roll and soul. One of the hardest working young ladies in the music industry with 19 singles and an EP during her six year tenor in Nashville. all released since turning 12 years old. She has laid it down at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, Douglas Corner, The Listening Room, Wildhorse Saloon and has been featured at WSM, home of the Grand Ole Opry Radio Station. A multi-genre vocalist, guitarist and songwriter with over 250,000 fans across her social media platforms, Bailey released her single "Finally Free" July of 2021. It was named Opry Circle Song of the week, and charted #42 on Billboard Indicator. She is also a Golden Ticket alum of American Idol 2019. In addition, this rising country songstress and social media sensation was appointed as the first National Youth Advocate for The Jason Foundation. She is dedicated to raising awareness for suicide prevention through education and empowerment on behalf of this important non-profit organisation both in her live shows and across her social media. This honour places Bailey alongside longtime Jason Foundation musical ambassadors, Rascal Flatts and the late Charlie Daniels. She has her feet firmly planted in the country music community.

New YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKjWKXfpjtNL0oL2R6MKSxwToday's Sponsors:Brad Reynoldshttps://thinkbrad.com/Bowtie Barber Clubhttps://www.bowtiebarberclub.com/Nash NewsLuke Combs shares his vision for forthcoming downtown Nashville entertainment concepthttps://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/14/luke-combs-details-forthcoming-downtown-nashville.htmlRenderings of Ryman Hospitality's Luke Combs honky-tonk ​​https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/16/luke-combs-nashville-honky-tonk-ryman-renderings.htmlBNA concourse evacuated after 'airborne disturbance,' no injuries reportedhttps://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2023/04/16/bna-concourse-evacuated-after-airborne-disturbance-no-injuries-reported-airport/70120078007/Special Segment Nashville Development NewsTurnbridge Equities breaks ground on 12South retail, office project https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/12/turnbridge-equities-12-south-ashwood.htmlLincoln Property SoBrohttps://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/12/lincoln-property-co-sobro-lea-ave.Filings reveal plans for Tony Giarratana's latest downtown apartment tower https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/13/tony-giarratana-tsu-campus-apartment-plans.htmlLocal Artist FeatureNashville Daily Artist of the Day Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/51eNcUWPg7qtj8KECrbuwx?si=nEfxeOgmTv6rFUyhVUJY9AFollow us @ XPLR NASHWebsite - https://nashvilledailypodcast.com/YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/xplrnashInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/xplr.nash/Twitter - https://twitter.com/xplr_nashNASHVILLE & XPLR MERCH - https://www.xplrnash.com/shopMedia and other inquiries please email hello@xplr.life

Winner of the Miss Virginia title, and going on to compete in the Miss America Pageant, Meghan Shanley discovered an insatiable appetite for meeting fans and making new friends during a life on the road that saw her traveling over 3,000 miles a month in the wake of her win. With a deep love of music, Meghan discovered that she loved touring as well and began to focus on the pursuit of a career in music. It was not long before Meghan's talent saw her opening shows for national acts and performing on prestigious stages including the Ryman Auditorium and the Wildhorse Saloon. She has been featured on Fine Living Network's The Genuine Article and performed at the wedding reception of Paula Deen which aired on the Food Network. The original song she performed, “Here,” has become a hit with brides nationwide. Meghan's platform as Miss Virginia was focused on building self-esteem in kids and several years ago, she launched a speaking program for youth groups and schools. Now, she has published her first book with the same mission. Her latest endeavor marries her passion for kids with her love for music … the first in a children's book series with a core message: we are each quite special, we all have unique talents, and when we accept ourselves and others, we can make some beautiful music together! Meghan has published the first in a planned book series withVINCENT PLAYS HIS PART.[vincentplayshispart.com] © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what's left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse) Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY Production Sound Design: Keith Stark Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy. Website: If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to: musicpodcast@mail.com If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we'll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music's name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.

Ep. 25, Phil, Rich, & CT chat with their many Special Guests over the last 24 episodes!  It was great to catch up with our AGSP pals  and see what they are up to! We chatted with Rob Riser, he was the first guest (Episode 2)!   He has been jamming all over Broadway lately.   His regular stops include:  Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa, Tequila Cowboy, Wildhorse Saloon, Luke's 32 Bridge If you are ever in Nashville, say hello to Rob from AGSP!  And ask him to play Free Bird!   We called Scott Tolley, former Vice President of The Jack Nicklaus Family, currently the CIO of Folds of Honor (Episodes 12 & 13) and we are now the official podcast for The Folds of Honor Collegiate Tournament held at American Dunes.  We were like wait, what did you say??    And Scott shares the Key to Happiness, the Key to Life, and The Key to your Denali with Phil.   Hopefully, we'll have some Jack Nicklaus Biopic news soon and we can tell the whole world that we had the exclusive first!   We caught up with Terry “Pick” Pickard, ABC Legend (from Episode 8).  Pick is having fun and seems to supporting a different charity every week.  They don't get any better than Pick!     He call Righteous Rick / Rick Batsuba (Episode 4&5).  He filled us in on No-Shave November and an update on Dominic.  It was great to catch up and we look forward to crossing paths with Rick at the MediaSkapes HQ for a future episode.   Please donate if you can.  It is a long journey ahead for Dominic, His GoFundMe …  We chat it up (before bedtime, yeah right) with our favorite Reppuhn, err I mean favorite Special Guest, GIBBY REPPUHN (Episode 19).  We check to see if Phil/Dad has moved up the list as a favorite peep in the Gibbster's life.  And Gibby is working on getting his entire school's parents signed up as new AGSP listeners. We formally introduce Shane Keely to Phil and we reminisce about the Wedding Crashers, Episode 20.  Our funniest episode by far!  Andrea Fick (Episode 16) is an official SC School Board Member and selling houses like crazy!!   Jeff Clark is finally done with his dishes from (Episode 20, Wedding Crashers episode) and also Episode 9, Our Crazy Vacations. Melissa Schummer (Episode 21) is heading to Florida to open a new hospital location for McKenna's Squad and also getting some much-needed vitamin D.  But she promises that she is working the whole time and not enjoying herself too much!   And we call to apologize to Matt Sekelsky for calling out of the blue in Episode 19, and he immediately sends us to voicemail!  We deserved it!  He calls back and we actually answered his call!   I feel like there was a lot more but we recorded over a week ago and I forgot to write the show notes down LOL. THANK YOU AGSP LISTENERS, WE LOVE YOU!!   And please send us A Great Story, we need something to read and laugh about on the show.  If you do, we promise you'll get some show swag!!! Thx, CT, Rich & Phil!!!  

Roger Bennett of the Men in Blazers joins the show to look back on what the 2022 World Cup meant for the U.S. Men's National team, soccer in the United States and the world's perception of the American game. What will be the legacy of the 2022 World Cup team? How did Gregg Berhalter perform throughout the tournament and its buildup? How did this team shape the world's view of American soccer -- and does that even matter compared to our own view of ourselves? What were his impressions of GEODIS Park as he watched the round of 16 match there? The Men in Blazers will tape a live show Sunday night at the Wildhorse Saloon. Listeners can enjoy $10 off by using the promo code NSCSTM10 on the TicketMaster website. Club & Country is sponsored by M.L. Rose. Follow the Boys in Gold and the U.S. Men's National Team at ClubCountryUSA.com.

What you'll learn in this episode: Why designing a bracelet is the same as designing a bridge Why jewelry has its own design language, separate from the language of fine art or craft How Warren learned about the engineering of jewelry making by doing repairs Why the architecture of a piece of jewelry is as important as its visual design Warren's tips for creating beaded jewelry that will withstand the stress of movement About Warren Feld For Warren Feld, beading and jewelry making endeavors have been wonderful adventures. These adventures over the past 32 years have taken Warren from the basics of bead stringing and bead weaving, to wire working and silver smithing, and onward to more complex jewelry designs which build on the strengths of a full range of technical skills and experiences. He, along with his partner Jayden Alfre Jones, opened a small bead shop in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, about 30 years ago, called Land of Odds. Over time, Land of Odds evolved into a successful internet business. In the late 1990s, Jayden and Warren opened another brick-and-mortar bead store – Be Dazzled Beads – in a trendy neighborhood of Nashville. Together both businesses supply beaders and jewelry artists with all the supplies and parts they need to make beautiful pieces of wearable art. In 2000, Warren founded The Center For Beadwork & Jewelry Arts (CBJA). CBJA is an educational program, associated with Be Dazzled Beads, for beaders and jewelry makers. The program approaches education from a design perspective. There is a strong focus on skills development, showing students how to make better choices when selecting beads, parts and stringing materials, and teaching them how to bring these together into a beautiful, yet functional, piece of jewelry. Warren is the author of two books, “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer: Merging Your Voice with Form” and “Pearl Knotting…Warren's Way,” as well as many articles for Art Jewelry Forum. Additional Links: Warren Feld Jewelry www.warrenfeldjewelry.com Warren Feld – Medium.com https://warren-29626.medium.com/ So You Want To Be A Jewelry Designer School on Teachable.com https://so-you-want-to-be-a-jewelry-designer.teachable.com/ Learn To Bead Blog https://blog.landofodds.com The Ugly Necklace Contest – Archives http://www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjuglynecklace.htm Land of Odds www.landofodds.com Warren Feld – Facebook www.facebook.com/warren.feld Warren Feld – LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/warren-feld-jewelrydesigner/ Warren Feld – Instagram www.instagram.com/warrenfeld/ Warren Feld – Twitter https://twitter.com/LandofOdds Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Warren Feld didn't become a jewelry designer out of passion, but out of necessity. He and his partner Jayden opened their jewelry studio and supply store, Land of Odds/Be Dazzled Beads, due to financial worries. But coming to the world of jewelry as an outsider is what has given Warren his precise and unique perspective on how jewelry should be made. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the language of jewelry design; why jewelry making should be considered a profession outside of art or craft; and why jewelry design is similar to architecture or engineering. Read the episode transcript here.    Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is a two-part Jewelry Journey Podcast. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it comes out later this week.    Today, my guest is jewelry designer Warren Feld. Warren wears several hats. He has an online company called Land of Odds. He has a brick-and-mortar store, Be Dazzled Beads, and he's a jewelry designer. He's located in Tennessee. He has been a jewelry designer for decades and has written a book called “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer,” which sounds very interesting. The book sets up a system to evaluate jewelry and discusses how designing jewelry is different from creating crafts or being an artist. Warren will tell us all about his jewelry journey today. Warren, welcome to the program.   Warren: Sharon, I'm so excited to be here with you.   Sharon: So glad to have you. Tell us about your jewelry journey. Were you artistic as a child? Did you study jewelry? How did you come to it?    Warren: I think I was artistic as a child, but my parents and teachers, my guidance counselors in high school, discouraged it. They put me on a track to be either a doctor or a lawyer, so I never had artistic training. In my thirties, I got into painting with acrylics. Not in a deep way, but in some artistic way. I never formally studied art. I became a health care administrator, and I was a professional hospital administrator at several hospitals. I was a policy planner in healthcare for the governor of Tennessee. I was director of a nonprofit healthcare agency. When I was around 35, I experienced a major burnout. I didn't like healthcare and I felt very disconnected. I was doing a great job, but I just didn't feel it.    At the same time, I met my future partner and wife, Jayden. It was a recession, and Jayden was having trouble finding a job. At one point I said, “What can you do?” and she said, “I can design jewelry,” and I said, “We can build a business around it.” I thought it would also be a good idea to sell the parts, and it worked. We first had a garage sale, where she made a lot of jewelry and sold a lot of parts, and we made $7,000. Maybe it was a fluke. So, six weeks later, we tried it again. We made the same jewelry, got the same parts, and made $4,000. So, we thought we were onto something. We eventually did the Nashville Flea Market and craft shows. We had a little store in downtown Nashville. We have a bigger store in downtown Nashville now. It worked. It was really around her jewelry designing and my business sense. I made some jewelry, but it was just to make money.   Sharon: Wow! So, you have two businesses. You have an online business, and you have the brick-and-mortar. Tell us about Land of Odds and Be Dazzled Beads. Tell us about the differences.   Warren: Originally it was Land of Odds. Jayden was the designer. We made jewelry, but it was more like I put a bead on a piece of leather and tied it in a knot. Eventually I started learning. While working at learning silversmithing, I did a lot more complex things, but she was the designer. She had country music artist clients and did a lot of custom work. The first few years, I really made jewelry just to make money. I didn't see it as an art form. It wasn't my passion. I wasn't interested, but one thing I noticed was that everything I made broke. It was really bad, and I was clueless. This was in 1987. There was no internet, no jewelry or bead magazines. Nashville did not have a jewelry-making culture, so everything was trial and error, things on fishing lines, things on dental floss. I didn't know how to attach a clasp, didn't know about clasps. Everything was so trial and error, experimental.    At some point, I started taking in repairs. That was a really strategic move and a major turning point, because I got to see how other people made things and made bad choices because of what broke. I got to talk to the wearers, and they told me how they wore it, what happened when it broke, where it broke, lots of inside stories. I started formulating some things, and I started putting them to the test and making jewelry. I was in my mid-to-late thirties, and I started getting interested and focused on the construction and the architecture, not quite the art form. Jayden's health also declined. She lost a lot of dexterity in her hands to be able to keep making jewelry. She retired, and I started making the jewelry and doing the custom work. The business started getting organized around my work. That was Lands of Odds. We were downtown in Nashville.   Sharon: At Be Dazzled Beads, you teach a lot of classes. You sell beads. You do everything.   Warren: It just evolved. It had to do with the fact that we were downtown. Nashville, at the time, was what Greenwich Village in New York was. It's a lot of little specialty shops, a lot of excitement. It was really high-end, very sophisticated. It was so successful that the big companies started moving in, Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, Nascar Café, Wildhorse Saloon. When the city decided to redevelop the area for them, they took away 6,000 parking spaces in 18 months, and parking went from $2 to $20 a day. We lost all our customers really fast, and tourists changed. They were looking for low-end souvenirs, not high-end jewelry, so our business collapsed.    We put ourselves in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the liability is under my name. I closed Land of Odds, the physical store, and I put the assets under Jayden's name. We opened a little shop in a little house, and Jayden wanted to call it Be Dazzled. At the same time, I was developing Land of Odds as an online business. Be Dazzled was a real place in a store. About a year after declaring bankruptcy, I got out of bankruptcy and the catalogue took off. We were doing really well all of a sudden, and I combined both businesses again. So, I just had this horrible business name, Land of Odds/Be Dazzled Beads. We managed those as two separate businesses, but it was really one business.   Sharon: So, you were online way before Covid or anything.   Warren: I was online in 1995. I was one of the first catalogues online. We're still online. It's a little hard to compete today online, but we're still online.   Sharon: That's interesting because so many jewelers are not. You call yourself a jeweler. I don't mean you're not a jeweler; you are, but they don't work with beads. They work with silver; they work with gold. So, it's unusual.    Warren: No matter what the materials, you end up with something with a hole in it or a loop on it so you can string it on or dangle it. I taught myself wire working, fiber art, micro/macro maze, silversmithing. Even though the tools are different, the materials are different, when you're designing a piece of jewelry, you end up thinking through the same kinds of issues. The focus on parts was another lucky break because it made me realize early on that jewelry design was quite different than art or craft.    I started as a painter. When I first started making jewelry, I tried to paint it. I was very frustrated because I couldn't get the colors I wanted. You can't squish the beads together; you can't do little nuances and subtleties like you can do with paint. There are these annoying gaps of light, negatives spaces you can't control, and they destroy the whole idea of color. You have three-dimensional objects that reflect and refract light differently. It changes from room to room with lighting, the sun, the position of the person, how they're moving. I have some beads in the store, green, transparent beads that cast a yellow shadow. You can't duplicate that with paint, but you have to worry about if the jewelry starts to look weird on a person because you picked the wrong materials or the wrong colors. Jewelry applies to the person wearing it. You don't want that to happen as a designer.    So, I realized that whether it's beads or string materials, findings, whatever you're using, they assert their needs within the piece of jewelry. It's not just for the visual grammar, the color and pattern and texture, but they have needs for architecture. They affect some of the functions based on materials you pick, and the durability and how the piece moves. They affect the desirability and the value, how people perceive the piece. So, I began to see that I had to start with the parts and understand how they want to be expressed within a three-dimensional object that's going to adorn someone's body and move and meet someone's psychological and social needs. It's very focused on the parts.    What I was doing as a jewelry designer was very different than what I had done as a painter, as an artist. The lights went on, and it just was really intriguing. I struggled and dealt with it. It was very exciting and enjoyable to figure out, with that green bead that has the yellow shadow, what effect does it have on the piece, on the person wearing it, on people seeing it? I asked those questions, and that was really important. I was lucky to start with the parts and the business and not start with just designing jewelry and worrying about the visual grammar. Then I realized, both from being in business as well as teaching students, that most jewelry designers are very naïve to the impact of the parts. They're very focused on the visual, the color. They don't realize that so much more is going on in a piece of jewelry, so they don't think about managing it.   Sharon: So that's how you came to write this book, “So You Want to be a Jewelry Designer”?   Warren: Right.   Sharon: Wow! Being a painter and working in different materials, you're all over the place.    Warren: I had been thinking about or trying to write this book for at least 20 years. Having all these insights, I wanted to write them down. I would write them down in these articles, sometimes fun articles and sometimes very straightforward, more academic articles, and I struggled with how to pull this all together. I was getting ideas about what was important. One of my goals is to say that a jewelry designer is not an occupation. It's not a substantive art. It's really a profession. It has its own discipline, its own way of thinking and writing and doing and asking questions, solving problems. It's a profession, but how do I make it that way? I've worked that way pretty much on principle.    At one point, an education professor in town said that I might be interested in ideas about literacy and how you teach literacy to students. While I was researching that, I came across the idea of disciplinary literacy. This is an example of how a historian has to think very differently than a scientist. They use different evidence. The historian has to infer from different pieces of writing and histories and costuming to come up with an idea about cause and effect. A scientist has this rational, step-by-step approach for coming up with an idea of cause and effect. They think differently. They use different evidence. I thought, “Well, that sounds like me as a jewelry designer. I think differently than artists.” I've had to think differently than artists because as an artist, my designs weren't successful.    That was the organizing principle, disciplinary literary. So then, what does it mean? What does someone have to know if they have to comprehend it? When you say someone's fluent in design, what does that mean? How do you believe it's real? What's nice was that I had done all this writing, and everything started clicking into place. The organizing principle wasn't as much of a struggle as it was to try to put it together as an idea of you need to learn A, B and C.    You need to learn about design elements and how to decode them, but in a way like you're learning how to read them or write them or speak them. You have color. You can put colors together and create a sense of movement, another design element. Color is very independent, but movement depends on your positioning of color or line or whatever to get a sense of movement as a design element. So, here we have independent and dependent variables, vowels or consonants. Some of the design elements sounded like vowels and some sounded like consonants. How do you put it together? I realized you could put together a couple of design elements, like a T and an H in word, and you could know that E will work next. Another element or one of its attributes might work next, but a Z won't work. THZ doesn't work. That happens with design elements when you're trying to put them together. When you understand design elements as sort of an alphabet, then you begin to formulate meaning and expression and words, and the words can get more and more complex.    So, you realize you're talking about composition. You're arranging design elements, and you have to arrange them in a way that they can be constructed together, which is another element. Then you want to manipulate them because you want to control as best as you can someone's reaction to it. You want them to like it, to want to wear it, to want to buy it. This is all controlling meanings, as you're taking something universal, where everyone knows what they mean. A certain color scheme, everyone knows it's satisfying, but a simple color scheme in jewelry might be boring. It might be monotonous or it might not fit the context. It might not show power or sexuality or compliance, whatever you're trying to do with your jewelry. You have to change that scheme a little bit, perhaps color it differently.    So, I'm going through these ideas and working them together with literacy. You want someone to be able to identify problems, identify solutions. You want them to understand how to bring all these elements and arrangements together in a certain kind of form, sometimes with a theme. And towards what end? You have to have an end. I struggled with this. What's the end? What the jewelry is trying to get to, is it the same as an artist? And it's not. In art, it's about harmony with a little variety. In jewelry design, that could be monotonous, not exciting enough. In jewelry design, you want the piece to go beyond evoking an emotional response. You want it to resonate, excite, be just a little bit edgy so people want to touch it or wear it or buy it. They don't just want to say it's beautiful. You want to bring them the piece of jewelry so they actually will put it on, keep it on, cherish it, show it around, collect it. It has to do something more than an art. In the end, it has to do partly with how it resonates.    It seems to have more levels to it. It has to feel finished, and in order to feel finished, it has to be parsimonious. In art, there's a concept called economy. You use the fewest colors to achieve your balanced end, but it's very focused on the visual. In parsimony, you focus on every aspect of design, from the visual to the architectural and textual to the psychological. Parsimony means you can't add or subtract one piece without making it worse. You've reached some kind of optimal set of all the design elements, all the understandings of other people that you're bringing into the piece, all your understandings that you're imposing on the piece. If it's parsimonious, it feels finished, and that's a success. So, you go a little bit beyond what an artist does for your piece of jewelry.   Sharon: Are these different in craft? I'm sorry; that's what I'm trying to understand. Are they different in craft or fine arts?   Warren: In craft, your goal is to end up with something. Ideally, it should have some appeal, but it's got to be functional. You just end up with something. In art, it's got to be beautiful. It's doesn't have to be functional. In art, you judge jewelry like it's a painting or sculpture, like it's sitting on an easel. In jewelry design, you can only judge it as art as it's worn. It's not art until it touches the body, and that brings in all kinds of elements, the architectural, psychological, sociological, physiological. Jewelry functions in a context and you have to know what that means. So, it's different.    Sharon: It's only a piece of jewelry when it touches the body? Is that the same for metal and beads, for any kind of jewelry?   Warren: It is. You have art jewelry, let's say. It's art when it's on an easel on display. It's jewelry when it's worn. You can appreciate it as a piece of art, but to me, as a jewelry designer, I want to appreciate it as a piece of jewelry. So, it's got to be understood as it's worn. You have to see it in motion. You have to see it in relationship to the body, the costume, the context. It has to meet the artist's intent, what they wanted to do, and the wearer has to want to wear it. It must fulfill other needs, too. So, it's much more complex than dealing with a painting.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Bailey James over Zoom video.Bailey James is lighting up Music City with her sophisticated soulful country music. It is hard to fathom that at 19 years of age, Bailey James can bring a crowd to their knees. Much like Janis Joplin she can hypnotise you with her incredible vocal styling and bluesy riffs. Her swiftly growing audience celebrates her fresh musical adaptation that is well beyond her years. including country roots infused with blues, rock-n-roll and soul. One of the hardest working young ladies in the music industry with 19 singles and an ep during her six year tenor in Nashville. all released since turning 12 years old. She has laid it down at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, Douglas Corner, The Listening Room, Wildhorse Saloon and has been featured at WSM, home of the Grand Ole Opry Radio Station. A multi-genre vocalist, guitarist and songwriter with over 250,000 fans across her social media platforms, Bailey released her single "Finally Free" July of 2021. It was named Opry Circle Song of the week, and charted #42 on Billboard Indicator. She is also a Golden Ticket alum of American Idol 2019. In addition, this rising country songstress and social media sensation was appointed as the first National Youth Advocate for The Jason Foundation. She is dedicated to raising awareness for suicide prevention through education and empowerment on behalf of this important non-profit organization both in her live shows and across her social media. This honor places Bailey alongside longtime Jason Foundation musical ambassadors, Rascal Flatts and the late Charlie Daniels. She has her feet firmly planted in the country music community.We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com.www.BringinitBackwards.com#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #BaileyJames #FinallyFree #TheCrow #NewMusic #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/follow/ Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringinbackpod

In this week's “A Reagan Forum” we go back just two days for our in-person event with Fox News host Pete Hegseth. Pete joined us to discuss his new book, Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation. Pete Hegseth joined Fox News Channel in 2014, first as a contributor, but now as a co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend. In addition, over the past few years, Pete has hosted Fox News Channel's New Year's Coverage, most recently ringing in 2022 from the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating college, Pete was commissioned as an infantry officer into the US Army National Guard in 2003. In 2004, his unit was called to Guantanamo Bay where he served as an infantry platoon leader. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Shortly after returning from Cuba, Pete volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, where he held the position of Infantry Platoon Leader and, later in Samarra, as a Civil-Military Operations Officer.

Rachel Campos-Duffy serves as a co-host of FOX & Friends Weekend and co-host of From the Kitchen Table podcast with her husband Sean Duffy. Most recently, Rachel hosted FOX News Channel's All American New Year live from the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee alongside her FOX & Friends Weekend co-hosts Pete Hegseth and Will Cain. In 2021, Rachel and her husband, FOX News contributor Sean Duffy, authored All American Christmas, the third title under the FOX News Books imprint. The book, which topped the New York Times bestsellers list in the hardcover nonfiction category, features an inside look at how the family of 11 celebrates the holidays, showcasing their favorite memories and traditions with stories and photos from over the years. In addition, Campos-Duffy is the host of FOX Nation's Moms, on FNC's on-demand subscription-based streaming service. The program aims to shine a light on family life and motherhood with women from across the country. She is also a recurring guest host on the network's hit shows,FOX & Friends and Outnumbered. Her advocacy work has included serving as the national spokesperson for The LIBRE Initiative, a non-profit group that advocates for the economic empowerment of Hispanics through limited government, entrepreneurship and self-reliance. She also served on the governor of Wisconsin's board for Women and Families, which advised the governor and state on policies to help lift families out of cycles poverty. Prior to joining FNC, Campos-Duffy was a part of MTV's iconic reality television show, The Real World. Rachel has also appeared as a frequent guest on NBC's Today Show and ABC's The View. In 2008, she co-hosted the series Speaking of Women's Health on the Lifetime Network with the legendary Florence Henderson. Additionally, she is the author of "Stay Home, Stay Happy: 10 Secrets to Loving At-home Motherhood" and her second book is her debut children's book, 'Paloma Wants to be Lady Freedom." Rachel graduated from Arizona State University's Honors Program with a degree in Economics. In addition, she earned a Master's degree from the University of California, San Diego in International Affairs. Rachel and her husband, Fox News contributor and former Wisconsin Republican Congressman Sean Duffy have nine kids. You can follow Rachel on Instagram and Twitter at @rcamposduffy Listen to ‘From The Kitchen Table Podcast' everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

To most people, WWJD spells out “What Would Jesus Do?” But in the case of sworn shred disciple Diamond Rowe of Tetrarch, it stands for “What Would James (Hetfield) Do?” “The longer you talk to me, you're going to find out that I'm super old school with my rig,” admits Rowe. “We'll go on tours and play festivals and people will approach us and ask, ‘why aren't you doing this' or ‘why aren't you doing that' and I'm just like, I don't know … because Metallica did it this way [laughs].” Tetrarch was founded in Atlanta during 2007 by friends (and guitarists) Diamond Rowe and Josh Fore. (Fore is also the band's lead singer and handled drums for their 2013 EP Relentless). Ryan Lerner has been locked in at bass since 2009 and drummer Ruben Limas has been onboard since 2015. The band hustled and self-released three EPs and their debut album Freak over the course of 10 grinding years. During that time, their thrashy roots broadened to incorporate nu-metal sounds delivered in a polished, more melodic, hook-laden package. That growth resulted in a deal with Napalm Records, where they released a LP (Unstable) and EP (Addicted) last year. The evolution of their sound and songcraft also saw a progression in gear. “On the [early] EPs, I never did anything with delay pedals, phasers, or whammys—nothing—and I really wanted to try it,” https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/tetrarchs-diamond-rowe-flamethrower (Rowe told PG in 2017), around the recording of Freak. “Some of my all-time favorite bands have textural stuff like that. A lot of it came out sounding cool and we kept it. I was pretty happy about that. It's fun to do live, too.” Ironically, as the size of stages they played grew, Rowe's gear footprint decreased. “I am one of those types of people,” she told PG. “I get emotional connections to my gear. The idea of switching my rig around gives me so much anxiety.” The simplification of their rigs has only helped sharpened Tetrarch's collective blade. And, specifically, Rowe's reduction in pedals onstage has allowed the young flamethrower to torch crowds with a more immediate, powerful, direct punch to the gut. Before Tetrarch's opening slot for Sevendust at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon, PG's Perry Bean stopped by to inspect the condensed-but-crushing setups of guitarists Rowe and Fore. Rowe shows off a sneaky upgrade—you'll get plenty of clues in these captions—to her ESPs, allowing them to handle severely dropped tunings. Fore reveals how straight-forward his setup is so he can pull off riffing and singing. And both pile on the praise for their EVH bedrocks of gain. [Brought to you by https://ddar.io/xpnd.rr (D'Addario XPND Pedalboard).]

I am so excited to share my interview with Bailey James. Bailey is coming out to St. George, Utah on March 5th at the Electric Theater to perform with Hollywood Icon and Country Singer Tom Proctor. This concert is to raise money for our Veterans. Tickets are $20. Bailey has just had her single "Finally Free" hit #42 on the Billboard Charts. This is an amazing accomplishment, and she's only 19. She has performed at the Bluebird Cafe, The Douglas Corner, The Listening Room, Wildhorse Saloon, and has been featured on WSM, the Grand Ole Opry radio station. She has 250,000 followers on her social media. She hosts the "Finally Free Podcast" bringing awareness to Mental Health. She is an ambassador to the Jason Foundation. Bailey tells about her brother Zane who she lost to suicide 5 years ago. She talks openly and honestly about her own mental health. I am so excited to have her care enough about our veterans to come all the way from Nashville to support this worthy cause. Get your tickets today. http://veteransuicidebenefitconcert.eventbrite.com  

Stoney Keeley and Outspoken Owen Reed dive into the often forgotten history that the Tennessee Titans have with the pro wrestling industry, specifically Jeff Jarrett and TNA (now Impact Wrestling). Topics include Frank Wycheck and "The Tennessee Cowboy" James Storm, Team Pacman, Kyle Vanden Bosch and the Wildhorse Saloon and more! This one's for the wrasslin' fans! Don't forget to head over to MANSCAPED and use promo code 'SOBROSTITANS' to get 20% off your order and free shipping: https://www.manscaped.com/

We could listen to Matt Rogers talk and sing all day, his voice is like honey! Award-winning songwriter Matt Rogers has one of the most unique sounds in country music. With an extensive tour schedule playing venues across the country and sharing the stage with some of country music's hottest names including Clint Black, Clay Walker, Jake Owen, Cole Swindell, Chris Stapleton, LOCASH, Jimmie Allen, Walker Hayes, Brothers Osborne, Chris Janson, and Michael Ray, Matt has built a devout fan base with his electrifying stage presence. When Rogers isn't on the road, he is writing music with some of Nashville's best songwriters. His song, "Coal," has won several songwriting awards from NSAI/CMT, Music City Songstar, American Songwriter, Songwriting University, Great American Song Contest, Dallas Songwriters Association, and Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. He achieved the top award from Music City SongStar for his song, "She Was Everything" as well as a finalist slot in the USA Songwriting Competition. Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and CMT selected his song “I Was Raised” for a songwriting achievement award. It went on to be selected by NSAI as a Top 40 song. The Georgia native has caught the attention of thousands of fans as well as country music legends like TG Sheppard, “[Matt's] the real deal…the total package. [He's] a great singer, a great picker and a great songwriter.” Rogers also received a commendation from industry tastemaker, Robert K. Oermann. Oermann selected the title track of Matt's EP, Richest Place On Earth, for Music Row's DisCovery Award. Oermann praised the track saying, “Extremely well written and sung with fire and conviction. Play this.” Throughout his career, Rogers has created a connection with his listeners through his emotionally gripping lyrics and unmistakable melodies. In 2019, his song, “Burn the Boat,” was selected as a “Top Ten Country Jam” by Buzz Feed. The release followed Matt's third appearance at CMA Fest where he performed on several stages, including Hard Rock and Wildhorse Saloon. He also met fans from across the world inside Fan Fair X where he signed autographs at the Durango Boots booth. Matt was one of the first Brand Ambassadors for Durango Boots. “Matt has a rich, unique and bold style to his music that authentically connects to his fans which is the type of artist that represents our brand perfectly,” says Erin DeLong, Durango Marketing Manager. Breedlove guitars and 64 Audio also sponsor Rogers. Matt's touring schedule is continuing to grow, spanning across the country. “I'm really excited to reconnect with my fans that have been supporting me for so long and to get the chance to connect with some new fans along the way,” says Matt. “I can't wait to get on stage and share my new music I've worked so hard on with them.” “If you don't know the name Matt Rogers then you need to write it down. He's going places,”- Hit Songwriter/ Author/ WSM 650 AM host, Devon O'Day. To listen to more of Matt Roger's music, see upcoming shows, and much more, head to, mattrogerscountry.com. Follow Matt on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Be sure to like, subscribe and give the More Than Music Podcast a review wherever you listen to the podcast and share us with a friend! We release shows every Wednesday and look out for a bonus episode every now and then. Find me, Kara Conrad on Facebook and the podcast on Instagram at More Than Music Pod. If you want to talk to me or suggest a guest just send me a message on Instagram or email me at karaaconrad@gmail.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/morethanmusicpod/support

Tennessee enters into a new phase of their vaccine plan. A relief concert is set to support the local businesses and residents of Second Ave. Plus, what's next for PSC Metals?Become a subscriber! Visit us at https://www.patreon.com/nashvilledailyTEXT US: 615-392-1358Today's Sponsor: Screened ThreadsUse the Code "NashvilleDaily" for 10% off online and in-storehttps://screenedthreads.com/Nash NewsNashville COVID-19 Responsehttps://www.asafenashville.org/Tennessee now in Phase 1c of vaccination plan; includes pregnant women, high-risk 16+ grouphttps://www.newschannel5.com/news/tennessee-now-in-phase-1c-of-vaccination-plan-includes-pregnant-women-high-risk-16-grouphttps://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/Wildhorse Saloon to host benefit concert to support Second Avenue - Nashville Business Journalhttps://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/02/26/wildhorse-saloon-second-avenue-relief-concert.htmlExclusive: Here's PSC's starting point in talks with Cooperhttps://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/02/11/psc-terms-of-the-proposed-relocation-deal.htmlLocal Artist Feature - Freshlady Shoot for the Moonhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/3CStMSGuFihw2NTJEdjgKQ?si=swQB1mTyT3SHYFfZTdZsJAhttps://www.freshladymusic.com/Nashville Daily Artist of the Day Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/51eNcUWPg7qtj8KECrbuwx?si=nEfxeOgmTv6rFUyhVUJY9AFollow us @ XPLR NASHWebsite -  https://nashvilledailypodcast.com/YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/xplrnashInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/xplr.nash/Twiter - https://twitter.com/xplr_nashNASHVILLE & XPLR MERCH - http://bit.ly/nashville_merchMedia and other inquiries please email hello@xplr.lifeArtists can submit songs to be featured here https://forms.gle/mtkxUCFds7g9e2466

With over 200k followers across her social media platforms, this breakout artist is stamping her name all over the music scene. With a Top 40 hit under her belt, chart-topping singles, well over a quarter of a million combined streams just on Spotify, a golden ticket to Idol, and many more noteworthy accolades, this PA native has been receiving positive feedback from radio and press. She has appeared and performed at legendary venues such as the Bluebird Café, the Wildhorse Saloon and The Listening Room as well as the home of the Grand Ole Opry — radio station WSM-AM and also numerous CMA Music Festivals. 
 She recently became a part of Song Suffragettes, the only all-female country music singer-songwriter weekly showcase in Nashville and also joined The Highway Women, an all-female country group bringing a musical movement to support other women in country music and beyond. 
 She has also followed in the footsteps of country music icons, Rascal Flatts and the late Charlie Daniels by joining The Jason Foundation as their first national teen ambassador. This foundation is dedicated to the prevention of youth suicide by raising awareness through education and empowerment. By teaming up with this foundation, Bailey has been able to spread their mission to the forefront and has partnered with them for numerous campaigns including Won’t Be Silent and their current Tennessee Won’t Be Silent campaign which helps raise the conversation about the silent epidemic of suicide.

I had an amazing conversation with country singer Emily Daniels about her new song My Last Name. She was inspired to write the song after changing her last name to honour her stepfather after she had cut ties with her biological father. She is extremely talented and the song absolutely hits home for anyone in the adult children of narcissistic parents community. I hope you enjoy our interview, and whether you like country music or not - listen to her song! It's absolutely amazing! The lyrics are so spot on and I am sure so many people will be able to relate to her profound words. Nashville native Emily Daniels has the charm of the girl next door, fashion sense of a personal stylist, and the determination of an entrepreneur. ​ Her witty and honest lyrics are perfectly blended with heartfelt, pitch-perfect, and infectious melodies. It's a little Shania Twain sass with a dash of Maddie & Tae sweetness that will leave you humming all week long. Her music is as head-turning as her signature red outfits. A trained vocalist, Emily has studied with A-List Vocal Coach Renee Grant-Willams (Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill). She sites artists like Ben Rector & Tori Kelly as inspirations lyrically and melodically. She has been awarded high praise from CMT, Opry Radio, BMI, NSAI, and others. Emily is a regular featured artist / writer at Nashville staples including Listening Room, City Winery, The Original Tin Roof, Ole Red, Belcourt Taps, and Alley Taps. Emily has built strategic brand partnerships with Cracker Barrel, the Green Hills mall, local boutique Jondie, Le Grand Verre Wines and Molly Green. She also models for Nashville favorites like The Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Wildhorse Saloon, and Ole Red. Be sure to follow Emily for updates on new music, shows, and more! Check out her song My Last Name: https://ffm.to/mylastnamesong Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLyDdASCdY8

In this week's episode we're featuring the third and final album on Giant Records for Daryle Singletary: "Ain't It The Truth" (1998). One of the 90s finest and loudest voices for traditional country music, Singletary was only with Giant a short time and was dropped from it's roster following this album's three singles lacklustre chart performance. The year before it's release, Giant Records had been restructured and Singletary was rightly nervous about his position - however, when president Doug Johnson saw the Georgia baritone perform Randy Travis' "1982" and Vern Gosdin's "Do You Believe Me Now" at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon, he was sold. There was genuine label hype around "Ain't It The Truth" - plenty of speak of a "career record" and "The Note" was supposed to be a big smash, but none of that happened. However, Singletary's third and last record for Giant gives us a taste of what was to come: a hardcore country traditionalist slipping into the shoes of a torchbearer for a cause and an artform, which is what he remained until his terribly sad passing in 2018. Sterling stuff from a legend.

There's more Nashville to explore! In Nashville Part 2, Stevie G. and Cameron shut down the dance floor and pop into some historic buildings. Perhaps most intriguing, Stevie avenges himself for the "L" he took in part 1.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/dbetravel)

We’ve already talked about Where to Stay in Nashville, but what are you going to do while you are there? You probably know Nashville is famous for country music and nightlife, but there is more to Nashville than that. Downtown Nashville is often called Nashvegas because of all of the amazing bars, restaurants, and venues. We suggest fun ideas whether you are into shopping, sports, or dancing.  We break down some of the more famous night spots and honky tonks in the area. It’s even possible to have a sighting of a favorite artist or two while you are out. Some of these places are even owned by stars like Luke Bryan, John Rich, Kid Rock and more. We also talk about local attractions other than bars and some really fun family ideas that are two hours or less away. If you are planning a Nashville trip, we have tons of fun ideas and suggestions for you to explore. Show Notes: [04:48] Nashvegas or downtown. Nashville hosted the 2019 NFL draft and showcased everything that Nashville has to offer.   [05:18] Lower Broadway or 2nd and Broadway is known for the Honky Tonks.  [05:46] Honky Tonks usually have country music and some type of line dancing. It's typically people dressed in western gear but they don't have to be.  [07:21] There are a lot of blocks in this four block area.  [07:36] Some iconic bars include Tootsies, The Stage, Legends, and Roberts. These are the Honky Tonks right behind the Ryman which was originally the Grand Ole Opry. After shows, people like Johnny Cash would head out and have a drink at these places. [08:35] There's all kinds of great local talent, plus you never know who you'll see there. [09:11] There are also bars created by big stars like Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Kid Rock. There's the Redneck Riviera bar which isn't far away from Mount Richmore where Jon Rich lives.  [10:54] There are also some great places to dance in Lower Broadway like Acme Feed & Seed, Bourbon Street Blues, and Skulls Rainbow Room. [11:15]  Wildhorse Saloon line dance has line dance lessons. They also have other dancing and great fun times. [12:03] Nashville is a great place to see your team. Nissan Stadium where the Titans play their home games is right downtown. [13:12] The Country Music Hall of Fame is also in this area. As well as, the Nashville Convention Center and Johnny Cash Museum. [14:15] There's a lot of great shops. You can get boots, souvenirs, and music. Local boutiques include Nash collection and southernaire Market. [14:49] We like to drive around and look for the Elvis Statue. [15:57] Get around in style in a Nashville Pedal Pub. We recommend the motorized ones. [18:06] You can also get pulled around by a tractor that pulls a flatbed. It's like a hay ride, but there are seats and a bartender. [20:06] There are all kinds of rolling parties like buses without tops. They also have golf cart taxis that help you bar hop safely.  [22:59] There are also many great tours in and around Nashville. The Ryman hosts concerts and events, and you can get a tour.  [23:43] The Centennial Park Parthenon is another great sight.  [24:29] The current Grand Ole Opry is near the Opryland Hotel and the Opry Mills Mall. [25:54] You could also have a dinner cruise on the General Jackson Showboat. [26:39] If you don't mind going a little further away, you could go on the Jack Daniel's Distillery tour. [27:58] Arrington Vineyards has their own wine. It's a beautiful place. Kicks Brooks is one of the owners.  [29:16] We also have Old Hickory Lake. You can rent boats and find your own private sand bar to hang out on. [31:37] Mammoth Cave National Park has bike trails and Cave tours. [32:21] Land Between the Lakes is the largest stretch of untouched forest on the East Coast. [33:31] If you go two hours south to Huntsville Alabama, there is a fantastic Space and Rocket Center. [34:33] Eat at Rosie's Cantina when you are in Huntsville. [35:59] Rock Island State Park is actually on our list of places to go. It looks gorgeous. [37:15] If you head towards Memphis, you will find the Pinson Mounds. These are Native American burial and ceremonial mounds. There's also an archaeological park there.   Links and Resources: StitchFix Get $25 off your first fix Lyft  get up to $5 off with your first ride Where to Stay in Nashville Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge Robert’s Western World The Stage on Broadway Legends Corner Bar Ryman FGL House Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar Luke’s 32 Bridge Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk & Steakhouse Redneck Riviera Bar Mount Richmore Love Circle Bourbon Street Blues Acme Feed & Seed Skull’s Rainbow Room Wildhorse Saloon Nissan Stadium Bridgestone Arena Country Music Hall of Fame  Nashville Convention Center Johnny Cash Museum NASH Collection Southernaire Market Centennial Park Parthenon Grand Ole Opry Opryland Hotel Opry Mills Mall General Jackson Showboat Jack Daniel's Distillery Tour Group Trip on the Bourbon Trail Arrington Vineyards Old Hickory Lake Mammoth Cave National Park Land Between the Lakes U.S. Space & Rocket Center Rosie’s Cantina Rock Island State Park Pinson Mounds For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. 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Big Rick skims off his morning show interview with Country star Craig Campbell! We talk about his upcoming show at the Wildhorse Saloon, being a dad of daughters, and new music! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/onairwithrick/message

Big Rick skims off his morning show interview with Country star Craig Campbell! We talk about his upcoming show at the Wildhorse Saloon, being a dad of daughters, and new music!

Big Rick skims off his morning show interview with Country star Craig Campbell! We talk about his upcoming show at the Wildhorse Saloon, being a dad of daughters, and new music! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jessie Ritter is our guest for episode 8! Ritter’s voice has taken her around the world—from Australia, to Europe, to New York City. During this time, she spent thousands of hours on stage performing on passenger cruise ships. Now based in Northwest Florida, the budding artist plays music all along the coast, including the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival. After winning NashFM 105.5’s regional Nash Next competition, she represented the panhandle in the national finals, held at Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee where she beat out over 800 contestants to be named the 2018 Nash Next winner and signed her first record deal with Big Machine. https://jessieritter.com Check out "live" music performances on Nash Country Daily: https://bit.ly/2YhLaXK https://www.youtube.com/user/CountryWeekly/videos Follow Elaina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/elainadsmith Elaina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elainadsmith

Today on The Neil Haley Network's Lyrically Lyme Show, Peyton Leonard and The Total Tutor Neil Haley will interview Country Music Star Lisa Matassa. The success of Lisa Matassa's most-recent CD, SOMEBODY'S BABY, has elevated her status from "popular regionally-recognized entertainer" to "rising Country star." Her forthcoming album project, WHY I'M HERE – LEGENDARY DUETS, will be released late - 2018. Lisa's concept for the album was to take great songs from great artists that she has admired for years and to record them as collaborations / duets to properly pay homage to those artists. With all the tracks for both volumes recorded and mixed, the project kicked-off CMA Music Festival with “A Night With Legends” concert at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville which was recorded live for a future television broadcast. Legendary artists on the album and performing at the concert included The Oak Ridge Boys, Mickey Gilley, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, The Bellamy Brothers, Lorrie Morgan, Eddy Raven, David Frizzell, Johnny Lee, Exile, Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, Tim Rushlow of Little Texas and more. www.lisamatassa.com

Halfway to Hazard's David, joins Bog Rick for a chat about their upcoming show (07/25/19) with the Blue Dizzy, at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville!

Halfway to Hazard's David, joins Bog Rick for a chat about their upcoming show (07/25/19) with the Blue Dizzy, at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sam Madewell (Cam Pierce Band) and I visit Summer NAMM 2019 in Nashville at the Music City Center! Interviews include Aaron “A-Train” Smith, Hounds (Band) as well as several product lines. We also head to The Wildhorse Saloon to partake in Gibson’s Summer NAMM kick off show! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joshbelcheruncharted/support

Big Rick chats with Colt, new music, and about his upcoming performance at the "Blue Dizzy", hosted by the Wildhorse Saloon! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/onairwithrick/message

Big Rick chats with Colt, new music, and about his upcoming performance at the "Blue Dizzy", hosted by the Wildhorse Saloon!

 Ty Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan, will include a special acoustic performance by rock & roll frontman Daughtry, country newcomer Harper Grae and trailblazing musician Chely Wright, who made history in 2010 as country music’s first out artist. in association with GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy group, the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance is set for June 6th at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon.At 2018’s Concert for Love & Acceptance, 

 Ty Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan, will include a special acoustic performance by rock & roll frontman Daughtry, country newcomer Harper Grae and trailblazing musician Chely Wright, who made history in 2010 as country music’s first out artist. in association with GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy group, the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance is set for June 6th at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon.At 2018’s Concert for Love & Acceptance,  

Ty Herndon the award winning country singer talks about the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee on June 6th with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The 5th annual concert takes place during the legendary Country Music Association Festival and will be hosted by Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan. The concert features a coalition of artists and celebrities appearing and performing to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people. Herndon co-founded the concert with GLAAD the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization in 2015 and will also perform along with Antigone Rising, Daughtry, Harper Grae, Tayla Lynn, Brody Ray, Brandon Stansell, Rita Wilson, Chely Wright, Tyler Rich, Lee Brice, Mickey Guyton and more. Anita Cochran is returning as a performer and musical director for the show. We talked to Ty about his inspiration for The Concert for Love & Acceptance and his spin on our LGBTQ issues. When asked as we approach the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall how he sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in this Trump administration Herndon stated, “You know that’s a big question. In this administration today I know there have been many challenges. I pretty much try to focus my attention on the kids and where we are in the South. We have seen the suicide rate go down but there’s so much work to be done educating not only the kids but educating the parents out there that don’t want to lose their kids. When I first started doing this even in a political environment it was hard to get people to listen to me. You’d go ‘Hey, do you know how may LGBTQ suicides you had in your state alone this last year?’ I had a number of people go, that’s not correct and I’m like no go look it up, it is correct. So when it comes to having power at all, it comes to the children...” Ty Herndon’s career spans two decades with 20 Billboard charted singles and 5 million albums sold. He continuously performs shows and maintains a heavy appearance schedule proving Herndon as unstoppable. In 2014 Ty was the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay. Shortly after he made history when he hosted the first country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance. The event is designed to bring attention and support to at-risk youth. Since the launch of the event Herndon has partnered with GLAAD to produce the event each year using his celebrity influence for the better good. GLAAD announced that a grant named after Herndon was being offered to support young people for their commitment to enhancing LGBTQ inclusion and representation in music. The recipient of the Ty Herndon Rising Stars Grant receives $2,500 to further fund their work and initiatives. We’ll be covering the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance that takes place at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee on June 6th.For More Info & Tix: glaad.org LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

Zeke Stokes, GLAAD Chief Programs Officer talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about GLAAD + Ty Herndon’s The Concert for Love & Acceptance at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee on June 6th. The concert features a coalition of artists and celebrities appearing and performing to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people. The 5th annual concert will take place during the legendary Country Music Association Festival and will be hosted by Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist Ty Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan. Herndon who co-founded the concert with GLAAD in 2015 will also perform along with Antigone Rising, Daughtry, Harper Grae, Tayla Lynn, Brody Ray, Brandon Stansell, Rita Wilson, Chely Wright, Tyler Rich, Lee Brice, Mickey Guyton and more. We talked to Zeke who is also the Executive Producer of The Concert for Love & Acceptance about the inspiration for this amazing concert and his spin on our LGBTQ issues. When asked what he would like to accomplish with this event Stokes stated, “This is really important because it allows us to reach into the fan base of the country music community which is an enormous fan base. It’s the most popular format of music in the country behind R&B and so reaching country fans at a place they can be at each year at the Country Music Association Festival in Nashville to shine a light on stories of acceptance and LGBTQ equality is super important. A lot of people across this country haven’t made up their minds yet how they feel about LGBTQ equality and may be with us on marriage equality but they may not understand the transgender experience just yet. We’re bringing all those a message to the fan base because we want them to see what we know which is that if you’re not loving and accepting LGBTQ friends, family, community, church members, the people at work then you’re living in the past and not in the future and that’s where we’re trying to go.” Zeke Stokes joined GLAAD as Vice President of Programs in 2014 and as Chief Programs Officer he oversees GLAAD's advocacy work to advance the stories of LGBTQ people that lead to positive cultural change in the United States and abroad. He leads a staff of media professionals in both Los Angeles and New York City charged with executing GLAAD's campaigns and initiatives in entertainment, news, youth engagement, Spanish language, transgender representation and more. GLAAD is the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change and accelerating acceptance for our LGBTQ community.For More Info & Tix: glaad.org LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

We're back and this time we are joined by singer/songwriter David Oakleaf. Hear his story of growing up in a small town in Kansas, paying his dues in Nashville, being on a TV Show on CMT, being picked up in a car by Dierks Bentley & Sheryl Crow, co-owning the coolest place in Nashville, being a new dad, playing the world famous Wildhorse Saloon weekly and much more!!! You'll definitely be a fan after hearing his music and story, so enjoy friends.

We're back and this time we are joined by singer/songwriter David Oakleaf. Hear his story of growing up in a small town in Kansas, paying his dues in Nashville, being on a TV Show on CMT, being picked up in a car by Dierks Bentley & Sheryl Crow, co-owning the coolest place in Nashville, being a new dad, playing the world famous Wildhorse Saloon weekly and much more!!! You'll definitely be a fan after hearing his music and story, so enjoy friends.

Nashville's Two Way Crossing has been heating things up on stage and getting buzz in the industry with their recent MUSIC ROW TOP 40 radio single “Car Trouble.” Two Way Crossing originally BEGAN as simply a duo comprised of Jenny and Blake Marvin. Jenny and Blake recorded their debut EP in Nashville, TN and they decided to make the move to music city shortly after to further pursue their music career.Within a few months they auditioned some of Nashville's best musicians, including KEVIN SMITH (lead guitar) and JARON MOSSMAN (drums & percussion). Over the next few months an amazing energy and bond quickly formed at Two Way Crossing's core.With the addition of CLINT REYNOLDS (bass) and BENJAMIN PICKER (keys, guitar, backing vocals) in 2015, the band's blend of talent and cohesive drive to be the best made it clear to Jenny and Blake that Two Way Crossing felt like more than a duo. Two Way Crossing had evolved into a band. Rarely do you find an entire group so cohesive musically, but more impressively, each of them adds a unique element to the magnetic energy presented in their stage show.After landing a regular spot at Nashville's world-famous venue, The Wildhorse Saloon, Two Way Crossing has been getting recognition everywhere from Music Row Magazine to radio stations across the United States. One of Nashville's toughest critics, Robert Oermann, honored the group with the DISCovery Award when their first single, "Deep End" was released to radio. He raved about the group's self-titled EP stating, “There's just something so fresh and innocent and endearing in their approach. Welcome to the party”On the songwriting front, the group is always writing for their next album. Jenny, the main songwriter for the group, has teamed up with some of the best cutting-edge songwriters in Nashville including; Ryan Sorestad, Brian White, Steve Pasch, Phil Roselle and Two Way Crossing's own Kevin Smith & Benjamin Picker. Songwriting is an essential part of why the group's sound is so unique and why their brand is unlike any other in Nashville. The combined 2-part and often 3-part vocal harmony allows them a great amount of freedom to create a new sound, which isn't being heard in the country market. The group is continually pushing the boundaries on what a traditional country song should sound like and yet want to keep what they love about country music in everything they do. Heather Jacks, writer of The Noise Beneath The Apple says, "They keep their country roots and infuse the music with dashes of rock and roll and pop; not the other way around...You may not come as a country music fan, but, after hearing Two Way Crossing, you're sure to leave as one."

We are so glad you’re here for another Inside Music Row!  We have an amazing show in store for you today.  This is our annual C-M-A Music Fest episode!  We covered lots of cool acts in and around town during one of the craziest weeks in country music, and we’ve got it all right here just for you.  We’ll kick things off with Darius Rucker.  He hosted his fifth annual “Darius and Friends” show at the Wildhorse Saloon.  This is an extremely popular event that raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  We headed backstage at the Wildhorse to check in with Darius and a few of his friends.

It has been referred to as the “Home of American Music”, “America’s Musical Showpark” and promised “Great Shows, Great Rides and Great Times”. The park originally opened  with 120 acres of rides and attractions. It opened on June 30, 1972 and remained open until December 31, 1997. At the parks peak in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the park enjoyed the attendance over 2 million guests annually. Welcome to Opryland USA. Opryland USA, which was usually referred to as Opryland was born due to the popularity of its namesake The Grand Ole’ Opry and the move of the Opry from its long time location at the Ryman Auditorium to its current location at the Grand Ole Opry House. But before we tell the story of the park, we’ll tell the story of The Grand Ole Opry itself… Stepping back it in time we go back to the Roarin’ 20’s, 1925 to be exact. The Grand Ole Opry started out as the WSM Barn Dance. What was WSM you may ask? WSM was an AM radio station owned by the National Life & Accident Insurance Company. The radio studio was housed on the fifth floor of their building in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. In October of 1925 the station began a program featuring “Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet of old-time musicians”. A couple of weeks after the program aired WSM hired what would become their long-time program director and announcer George D. “Judge” Hay. Hay wasted no time, after coming on board he quickly recruited the seasoned 77 year old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson and then on November 28, 1925 and re-launched the WSM Barn Dance, and although the phrase would not actually be mentioned on air for another 2 years, that date is credited for being the official birth date of The Grand Ole Opry. During the 1930’s the popularity of the program led to many artists, who would later become country music legends, performing on the Opry as well as the length of the Saturday night show being extended to 4 hours. Being broadcast at that time at 50,000 watts, the show became a staple in homes in 30 states eventually becoming a national show when it was picked up by NBC Radio in 1939. All the time this was happening, the live audience of the show grew quickly leading the show to being moved from its original studio to larger and larger venues to accommodate the audience size. Eventually the audience grew to such a size that measures were taken to control attendance by charging a 25 cent admission charge. That, having little effect to dissuade attendance, led to the show being moved to the Ryman Auditorium. It was during the Ryman years that music legends such as Hank Williams (who was eventually banned in 1952 due to his alcohol problems), Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, The Carter Family, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Minnie Pearl and many others came to be frequent performers on the Grand Ole Opry Stage. The Opry’s growing attendance numbers due to its popularity along with deterioration issues with the Ryman Auditorium led to the decision to find a new home for the show. It was decided by WSM, Inc., the operator of the Opry that it would be relocated nine miles east of downtown Nashville, on a tract of land that was owned by a sausage manufacturer (Rudy’s Farm) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville, it was also decided to build a theme park and hotel/convention center with the new Grand Ole Opry House becoming the crown jewel of the grand entertainment complex. Ironically, the theme park would open on June 30, 1972 prior to the Grand Ole Opry House debuting there on March 16, 1974. The park would receive its original name from WSM disk jockey, Grant Turner’s early morning show, Opryland USA, with its own name honoring the stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Although the Grand Ole Opry had always dedicated itself to mostly featuring traditional, conservative Country Music (with only a couple of exceptions); Opryland USA’s overall theme was more of a generalized blend of American Music consisting of bluegrass, gospel, jazz, pop and rock and roll with the theme carrying through not only to the rides but the shows as well. As a matter of fact the Rock N’ Roller Coaster was a opening day attraction. WSM’s bet paid off in a big way as the entire complex proved extremely popular and spurred its first expansion in 1975. In a move that would fit right in with culture of the park the “State Fair” area was created featuring carnival games, the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster, the Tennessee Waltz swing ride and the Country Bumpkin Bumper Cars. As would become the norm because of the parks limited size, the park would have to remove an attraction in order to add a new one. In this case it was the park’s buffalo exhibit that would disappear in favor of the new attractions. But the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster would prove to be one of the favorite rides at the park until it’s closure 22 years later. In a setback for the park for its 1975 season, not too long before the park was set to open the Cumberland River experienced a large flood that inundated most of the park with some areas submerged by up to 16 feet of water. Fortunately, the park was able to recover from the flood quickly with the opening day being delayed only for one month, but on a sadder note several of the animals from the petting zoo did not survive the ordeal. Attendance continued to grow throughout the 1970’s and into the 1980’s partly due to the parks location and its ability to draw guests throughout Tennessee and several surrounding states being that there were no other comparable parks within a reasonable driving distance. Most other parks such as St. Louis’s Six Flags over Mid-America, Charlotte’s Carowinds, Atlanta’s Six Flags over Georgia and the northern King’s Island in Cincinnati were a 4 to 6 hour or more drive making them impractical for a day trip. As park attendance grew and attractions grew, it ushered in the need for a hotel in order to keep guests onsite for more than a day. In 1977 the Opryland Hotel, a large resort hotel, was built next to the park. Then in 1979 the Roy Acuff Theater next door to the Grand Ole Opry House in the plaza area and was the primary venue for the theme parks premier musical events and productions. In a shrewd business move the theater was actually built outside the park’s perimeter and while because of this you did not need theme park tickets to attend events, productions held there usually did require separate tickets from park admission and in most cases drew day guest’s from the parks to the events as well as the general public, thereby increasing the park’s revenue. In 1982, things changed for the Opryland complex in an abet, “Grand” way. The parent company of WSM, Inc., (National Life and Accident Insurance Company, later NLT Corporation) was absorbed by American General from Texas. Unlike it’s predecessor, who had benefitted from the advertising value and name recognition of owning and supporting the Grand Ole Opry, American General had no experience with or running an entertainment business and furthermore had no interest in running a theme park nor the broadcast business. It almost immediately set about the task of finding a buyer for all of NLT’s former entertainment assets and approached some of the larger entertainment and hospitality corporations such as MCA, Anheuser-Busch and the Marriott Corporations about the possibility of selling them all as a “package” deal. While some potential buyers were interested in individual parts like the theme park, the hotel, or the Grand Ole Opry itself; no one company was interested in buying them all at once. After a time, American General began considering that the only way they would be able to divest themselves of these properties would be to split them up into different entities. As fate would have it, just about that time Gaylord Broadcasting Company of Oklahoma City stepped in and bought nearly all of them lock, stock and barrel. The Opryland Complex, the WSM radios stations and it would have bought the WSM-TV station as well had they had not been at their limit of television stations that they were allowed to own by the government. After the purchase was complete, the name was changed to Gaylord Entertainments Company. In fact, Ed Gaylord, who was then heading the media empire was instrumental in Opryland’s acquisition. Mr. Gaylord, as it turned out was a huge fan of the Opry and spearheaded the effort to purchase it and keep it intact. As an added bonus, the acquisition also included then fledgling WSM cable network, TNN (The Nashville Network) and its production division Opryland Productions. TNN has since gone on to become a television network dedicated entirely to Country Music. For a number of years TNN’s offices and production facilities continued to be located on-site in Opryland as well as one of its shows, Nashville Now (then later Music City Tonight) was filmed in the Gaslight Theater within the park itself and the park was often used as a backdrop for numerous concerts and performances of popular country music stars. With Gaylord now owning and backing the park and the enthusiastic leader of the parent company as a fan, the future looked bright for Opryland USA…and for a while at least it would be, but the clouds were beginning to gather. With the purchase of the park now behind them, 1982 would bring more expansion to the park but with growth would come more growing pains due to the limitations of space. Future expansion from this point would mean that for every new addition to the park, something would have to go. In 1984, a third roller coaster arrived in the New Orleans area of the park. It was named “ The Screamin’ Delta Demon”. A second, yet more subtle park gate was also added adjacent to the parking lot as well for the 1984 season. As the 1980’s pressed on, the park would face an issue that it never really had to deal with before…competition. As I had mentioned earlier the park had faired well during the 1970’s and early 1980’s because, while other attractions did exist in Tennessee and it’s surrounding states, there we’re no direct competitors that equal to Opryland USA using te same model. But that was about to change with the opening of kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky and the former Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge, Tenessee rebranded and improved to become Dollywood, a partnership between the Herschend Brothers and singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton. Now with two other parks within driving distance and both competing for Opryland’s guest’s the park stepped up it’s game by committing to making annual changes to retain it’s local and out-of-town guests and adding major attractions such as the General Jackson Showboat (which still continues to operate to this day near Opry Mills), they also added new roller coasters and water rides until the end of the decade with the opening of the “Chaos” roller coaster.  In 1992 the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater opened and for two seasons the performances here were included with the regular park admission. Then in 1994 and 1995 the park began up-charging guests for the concerts held in the theater. Then in a short-lived attempt to capitalize on the success and revenue of the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater, Opryland added two more venues; Theater By The Lake and The Roy Acuff Theater each, receiving renovations and expansions, and added them to the concert series and billing it as Nashville On Stage. However, it turned out to be “too much of a good thing by creating more supply than there was demand for the live entertainment” and due to the lackluster sales the multi-venue concert series was moved back to the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater serving as the single concert venue inside the park. Many other things were promoted to bring visitors to the park such as the taping of several weeks of the popular Mark Goodson Game Show “Family Feud” featuring some of the biggest stars in country music at the time including, just to name a couple, the Mandrell’s and the Statler Brothers. Also in reference to TNN’s coverage of NASCAR and Opryland’s designation with NASCAR the annual “TNN Salute to Motorsports” would take place one weekend a year at the park starting in the early 1990’s and continuing until the parks final closing. Large events were held in the late years of the park, for example the Grizzly River Rampage was used as a course for the NationsBank Whitewater Championships, which (in 1995 alone) served as a qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. After the events were completed, the course was drained and a temporary Halloween attraction—"Quarantine", tied into the storyline of the neighboring indoor roller coaster "Chaos"—was constructed in its bed and would run during the halloween season from1995 through 1997. In 1995, in what would come to be the final large attraction would open at the park, The Hangman roller coaster was opened. Also starting in 1994, Gaylord began investing heavily in the rejuvenation of the downtown Nashville entertainment district. The company renovated an old and dilapidated Second Avenue building into what became the Wildhorse Saloon and was also behind the major rennovation and reopening of the Ryman Auditorium. With the investment made in the downtown entertainment district they began to offer a water taxi service between the downtown district and the theme park and solidified the connection between the two areas by renaming the theme park as Opryland Theme Park and using the existing name of Opryland USA as the figurehead name for all of Gaylord Entertainment’s Nashville properties. Now with all of the investment going into the area and a new coaster for the park you would think that would signal good things for the future of the park but short-sighted planning and baseless decisions would soon signal the beginning of the end for Opryland theme park. For a moment, we’re going to step back in time to 1993. At the time the theme park had grown to 200 acres in size. Let’s put that in perspective. For those of us who are familiar with Disney’s theme parks let’s compare Opryland Theme Park’s 200 acres  to Walt Disney’s Magic Kindom Park coming in at approxamately 142 acres or Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park at 154 acres. Granted EPCOT is over 100 acres larger at 300 acres but I think you get the picture. Opryland at the time was not a small theme park by any means and still needed room to grow. However, that was not to be. A project that would put the final nails in the preverbial coffin for the theme park was to be called “The Delta” and it would be started in 1993 and would open in 1996. The project was huge, in fact it was the largest construction project up to that point in Nashville’s history. It would add a massive new atrium, 1,000+ guest rooms and a new convention center to the Opryland hotel. It  would also come to occupy almost every single square foot of land that would have allowed the theme park to grow and evolve. Coming back to late 1995, the Gaylord company management at the time had turned a scutinizing eye towards the theme park, and perhaps a bit of predjudice. Nashville’s climate while pleasant throughout the majority of the year, prrevented the park from operating during the winter except for a short run during the Christmas season. The park was also only able to open on weekends during the spring and fall. But the park was open daily during the summer season. According to reports, it was shown that attendance to the parks did somewhat plateau throughout the 1990’s. However, the actual number of visitors to the park made the park profitable, but obviously not profitqable enough for the executives running the company at the time. In 1997 Gaylord management decided that a move back towards it’s core hospitality business was in it’s best interest and in keeping with this directive, it was decided that the Opryland Theme Park property would no longer make a return on investment equal to what was desired for it’s properties and was unlike to do so in the future. Which in light of the consuption of property from the construction of The Delta, seemed to be a self –fufilling prophesy. Either way, one thing was clear, Opryland Theme Park’s journey was coming to an end. In 1996, a third park gate was finally added near the "Chaos" roller coaster, which allowed pedestrian traffic between Opryland Hotel and Opryland Themepark for the first time in the parks history. Previously, hotel guests wishing to visit the amusement park would have to take a shuttle running back and forth between the hotel and the entrance of the park. At the end of 1997 the "Christmas in the Park" season was promoted as "one last chance" for the residents of Nashville to see Opryland Theme Park, but guest arrived to find that only a very small portion of the park was open for the season, many of the larger attractions were already being dismantled. Then abruptly on December 31, 1997 the gates were locked and Opryland USA began to fade from reality into history. As it so often happens in the wake of closing an amusement park, efforts were made to sell off the larger rides and attractions to other parks to recoup as much revenue as possible from the dying park and in some cases they succeeded in others, deals went bad leaving some dismantled rides to either sit in outdoor storage and deteriorate or being sold off for scrap… an end not befitting the memories, laughter and fun times that they had generated for so many years before. The park site was cleared and paved over and relegated to serving as the parking lot for Opry Mills and the Grand Ole Opry House while construction of the mall took place on the site of the Theme Park’s parking lot. Opry Mills opened in May of 2000. But for a time some vestiges of the park remained, as a few still do today for those who know where to look. A long, short concrete levee wall that once separated the State Fair, The New Orleans and the Riverside areas is still visible and from the McGavock Street entrance you can still see the remains of the embankment which once supported the rails for Opryland’s railroad. The administration building that was located however briefly outside the gates of the park was moved near the Cumberland landing docks and serves as offices for the General Jackson and the Music City Queen riverboats. Quite a bit of the Opry plaza area remains intact and for that matter open for business. The Roy Acuff Theater, The Grand Ole Opry Museum, and of course The Grand Ole Opry House herself have remained in regular use before, during, and after the demolition of the park. It should be noted as well that the Grand Ole Opry show also returns yearly for a limited seasonal run at it’s original home at the Ryman Auditorium.  The buildings that once housed Roy Acuff’s and Minnie Pearls Museum became administrative offices for WSM radio and as for the Gaslight Theater it is still the only building that is still standing from inside the gates of the them park and has been used for Gaylord’s annual ICE! exhibit for a time, as a rental facility for television production, and for various other events. Though all of the rides had long since gone, the man-made channel for Grizzly River Rampage remained as a visible reminder of the park for fourteen years until Gaylord, in clearing the area for a new events center razed the course…and with that the last recognizable feature of Opryland Theme Park was gone. While many people have called for the park to be rebuilt, it was not to be. The time of Opryland Park had pasted. For it is now, like so many other parks ever to remain destined to operate only in the memory of those who can’t forget the fun they had in Opryland, USA. Thank you for joining us for this episode of Echoes Of Laughter. You can listen to this show as well as all of our other shows by visiting us at our website at: ithrivehere.com and of course at echoesoflaughter.com. Please remember that if you like our shows we ask that you subscribe to them and give us a positive rating on iTunes, after all that is how other people are able to find our shows as well. 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We kick off another Inside Music Row with the mention of Kenny Chesney as his new album is due out later this summer.  Thompson Square is also in the news as they're latest single "Glass" helps raise awareness of ChildFund International.  Kip Moore is mentioned next as he about to launch his "Up All Night" album later this month.  Also, fans of the legendary Wildhorse Saloon will be glad to know that the new Wildhorse mobile app will be available in the iTunes store and Android Marketplace.  Finally, we go Inside The Song with Jim Femino as he talks about the song he co-wrote:  "Just Got Started Lovin' You."  James Otto took that song all the way to number one.

Chris Janson’s first big break came at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge shortly after coming to Nashville.  He soon found himself performing up to four shows a day, seven days a week.  He used that time at Tootsie’s to hone his craft and he now has a deal with BNA Records.  We caught up with him at the Wildhorse Saloon to check him out with his full band.

The W.O. Smith Music School provides heavily discounted music lessons to Nashville’s underprivileged children.  With such a worthwhile cause, it’s no wonder that Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, and many other artists came together to raise money for the school.  The Dustin J. Wells Foundation’s third annual Gift of Music benefit concert at the Wildhorse Saloon helped the school with more than just money. This year’s Gift of Music benefit concert raised enough money to keep the school giving these low-cost lessons going for Nashville’s underprivileged kids.  

  We’ve got a very special show today, as we’re taking a look back at some of our most popular segments in our past shows.  First we’re heading over to Nashville’s famed Wildhorse Saloon on Second Avenue downtown.  Josh Turner kicked off the new NSAI program…’It All Begins With A Song.’  You can keep up with all the action and events from the NSAI by checking out Nashville Songwriters dot com. 

We covered The 2009 CMA Music Fest in this segment we will get started with the unofficial kick off event Bowling with Lonestar. Then we will head over to the Porter Wagoner Memorial Fishing Tournament to see who caught the most Bass. After that we head over to the Wildhorse Saloon for the 3rd annual Country Weekly Fashion show where country and fashion collided on the runway as plenty of top stars bared their new looks.

Bill Cody with Buddy Jewell recorded May 24, 2008 at WSM Radio in Nashville.  Buddy, the former Nashville Star winner, was in town for a show at the Wildhorse Saloon as part of the Honky Tonk Tailgate Party tour.  He stopped by Gaylord Opryland to chat with Bill Cody and play a couple of live in studio acoustic tunes.

We’re going to focus on the 2008 CMA Music Festival. . There were so many things going on, so… The week officially kicked off with a parade down Broadway, led by Grand Marshall James Otto. The Wildhorse Saloon on Nashville’s Second Avenue played host to the second annual Country Weekly Fashion Show presented by Wrangler. Artists such as Chuck Wicks, Sarah Buxton, and Trent Tomlinson, as well as host Neal McCoy strutted their stuff down the runway. Here’s Kelly and Mindy at the show and after party at the Hard Rock Café.