Long time, no blog!
Sorry for the delay in updating this blog.
Not that I haven't had anything to write about. In fact, I've started numerous entries. I just never got around to uploading, or, as was often the case, even completing them. Either I hated the way they were turning out or I just got too tired and fell asleep before I got done.
Excuses be damned!
I'm back.
Today we welcomed a local hero home to our little town of Kingston Springs, TN. Kevin Downs is a 23 year-old serviceman from the Tenn. Guard. A year ago, he was blown from a tank during a patrol in Iraq.
The blast severed his lower legs and left 60% of his body severely burned. After a long battle in ICU and rehab in Texas, he's back in Kingston Springs.
The town welcomed him home with a parade complete with fire trucks, police escorts and streets lined with flag waving, banner toting friends. It was an amazing tribute to a kid who faces an uphill climb upon his return home from serving his country. I only wish that every soldier returning home could get the same welcome. It's not their war. They're just doing what they're told. Whether they come home or make the ultimate sacrifice abroad, they should all be considered heroes.
Speaking of patriotism....
We had a great time on the 4th of July. Our nationwide broadcast of Nashville's riverfront concert went off without a hitch. Ronnie Milsap, Josh Turner and Danielle Peck performed beautifully. The fireworks were bigger than ever and the Nashville Symphony was stellar, as usual. Over 120,000 people gathered along the banks of the Cumberland river to share the evening with us.
I watched the re-air of GAC's broadcast last night. It was the first time I'd seen the show from start to finish. I'm proud of it. Especially the part where my two boys took the stage with me at the end of the show. It's become a 4th of July tradition. It's wild to watch my kids grow up on national TV.
For the record, we've already begun preparations for next year's big show. And it's shaping up to be bigger and better than anything we've done for the city over the past 3 years.
Just a couple of days before the 4th, I was in Mobile, AL. hosting the 49th annual America's Junior Miss Scholarship Competetion. What a cool program! Just don't ever call it a pageant. I made that mistake a couple of times. I won't do that again.
To the folks in Mobile and to the 50 amazingly talented and brilliant state Junior Misses: thanks for letting me be a part of the history of America's longest running scholarship contest.
Great city. Amazing food. And some of the friendliest people I've ever met.
I hope to see you again next year.
Watch out for 2005's winner Kelli Schutz! She'll be stealing my job pretty soon.
She was my co-host for this year's competetion. Believe me, she's a natural in front of camera or on-stage.
And a huge congrats to Kentucky's Junior Miss, Taylor Phillips!!! She was named this year's winner.
Another big recent event....
Kenny Chesney's huge stadium show in Nashville.
In my opinion, it was one of Music Row's coolest evenings since I moved here in '93.
Kenny, Dierks, Gretchen, Big & Rich, Little Big Town and Keith Urban. It doesn't get much bigger.
You can catch coverage of the show on this week's episode of Country Music Across America, debuting Thursday night at 9pm ET.
I met Keith's new bride backstage. She was very sweet. Very tall, too.
Little did I know that I would also run into another newlywed couple- Jimmy and Karen of Little Big Town. It seems the love birds got hitched back in May, but didn't bother to tell anybody until yesterday. Pretty sneaky kids!
In fact, there were just as many stars backstage at the concert as there were on stage. Titans coach Jeff Fisher spent most of the night standing in the wings of the stage- Probably thinking to himself, "Please don't mess up my field!"
Sorry Jeff. You've got some cleaning up to do. 50,000 Country fans who had been tailgating since noon definitely left their mark.
There has been so much happening over the past few months. I can't even begin to catch up.
The best I can do is to say that I'll try and do better to keep this thing updated on a more frequent basis. And speaking of catching up....
I get a couple of weeks off beginning today. Hopefully I'll get a chance to share a few more stories with you during our break.
Before I sign off for this round, I have to offer my deepest sympathies to Marion Williams and her two children. Marion's husband, Brian, died in a freak swimming accident at Center Hill Lake over the weekend. Brian was one of Music Row's best friends. He formed the entertainment division of Suntrust Bank back in 1988 and since that time he helped finance the careeers of hundreds of rising stars and upstart companies on Music Row. News broke of his passing during Kenny's show on Saturday Night.
And, as usual in Nashville, news traveled quickly. I didn't believe it until I found an article on-line late Sunday afternoon.
Brian will be greatly missed. He was one Country Music's biggest cheerleaders and one of the reasons behind the success of some of Country's biggest names and businesses.
follow up:
Today, just about all of Music Row gathered at Nashville's First Presbyterian Church to say goodbye to Brian. Just a few of the people in attendance included; George Jones, Jeff Hanna, Matraca Berg, Raul Malo, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Sara Evans, BeBe Winans, Jaime Hanna and Billy Dean. It seemed as though every single record label, publishing company, management firm and production house were represented at the service. Hopefully Brian's family were able to come out of their shock enough to be able to look around the standing room only crowd. Even if you had never met the man, it obvious by those who showed up to honor him that Brian was an important friend to ALOT of people.
Touching tribute. Sad day. My heart goes out to Marion and the kids.
With that, goodnight my blogging friends. PLEASE be safe.
