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Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: Combatting phobias; Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom; country superstar Kenny Chesney; “Frankenstein” director Guillermo del Toro; Ford CEO Jim Farley; Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and an avid long-distance runner; and a Colorado town’s celebration of tarantulas.
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William Morrow
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Over the past three decades, Kenny Chesney has been one of the most celebrated singers in music. In his first book, “Heart Life Music” (written with journalist Holly Gleason, to be published Tuesday by William Morrow), Chesney recounts his life’s journey, from East Tennessee, to No Shoes Nation and beyond.
Read an excerpt below, in which he writes about a soulful collaboration with singer-songwriter Grace Potter – and don’t miss Lee Cowan’s interview with Kenny Chesney on “CBS Sunday Morning” October 26!
“Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now.
There was a show on tv called “Let’s Make A Deal.” People would be contestants, hoping host Monty Hall would pick them to compete for prizes. New cars, new kitchens with all the appliances, expensive watches. You had to pick.
One of two things: color tvs and washer/dryer sets, or what was behind Door No. 3, knowing it could be a wheelbarrow with some grass seed, or a new car.
I’ve always been attracted to what’s behind Door No. 3. That idea of the big unknown you can’t see always appealed to me. The seeker inside has chased the unknown all my life.
When you’re a dreamer, you can’t not take Door No. 3. That mentality fuels you. Seeking inspiration, wanting to find out has risk involved. Some Door No. 3s don’t work out. But Grace Potter? She’s the epitome of why Door No. 3 is always better than playing it safe.
“You & Tequila” showed up in my email in the middle of the night.
I remember listening, thinking, “Damn…,”
That idea of a person you can’t quit, because they’re so addictive is real. You can’t resist, only overdo it to the point of poisoning yourself hit me. I called Matraca Berg, asked if there was a demo with a man singing it; she had one. Hearing Tim Krekel sing it hit me even harder.
We cut it really simple. That pull between what you want and knowing you shouldn’t made “You & Tequila” burn into people.
We were about done with Hemingway’s Whiskey. I wanted something to make it shine. Buddy Cannon and I were talking about who might sound good; Clint Higham, my co-manager, even reached out to Irving Azoff about the Eagles, since this sounded like a classic Laurel Canyon song.
Then the woman who sent me the demo asked, “Why don’t you get Grace Potter? She captures that haunted and haunting feeling.”
What makes Grace Potter, the ultimate Door No. 3, was the mystery. The hippie songwriter/rock girl.
Once she was suggested, as much as it made no sense on paper, I knew she was the person we needed.
I listen to a lot of music at night in the Virgin Islands. No light pollution, you can drift in the sounds. I’d been given Grace’s live CD. “Apologies” poured out of the speakers.
Motionless on a chaise lounge, when I heard Grace’s voice – so soulful, but beautiful and real – I was floored. Nobody in my life had heard this voice except my friend. I felt blessed.
She wrote her own songs. She had a band, wasn’t overproduced. Really listening, it was how she played that B-3 organ, but especially how she sang those songs.
I looked up at the sky and exhaled. She sounded like coming home.
When we put her on “You & Tequila,” all she knew about me was “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” because the Eagle in Burlington, Vermont had played it to death.
Was it even possible? Grace had finished a European tour, traveled 24 hours with no sleep and was landing in America. We laugh now, but she listened to the demo on the rental car shuttle having cleared customs.
She was tired. She missed her family. And we needed her in Nashville within 48 hours to make the deadline for mastering – or we’d have to move the record. Her manager wasn’t optimistic. My friend insisted, “Give her the song.”
Thirty minutes later, we had a yes. Thirty hours later, Grace Potter landed in Nashville in a flowy leopard print dress, walked into Blackbird Recording Studios and changed both of our lives. Brash, smart and funny, she oozed music. She told wild stories, made some people blush and asked us what we were thinking.
Buddy suggested, “Get in the booth and put your headphones on. See how it feels to you.”
Probably warming up, she was humming. Then that “ooooohOOOOOHohhhh” she does on the record rolled out.
“Do some more of that.”
Two or three takes later, we were done. We’d talked longer than she was in the vocal booth. Even before it was mixed, we knew it was something. That’s the thing: you know.
It was my birthday. I asked her and her boyfriend if they’d like to have dinner. We went to Sunset Grille, sat outside on the patio and laughed. We came from musically different places; her country music was Willie, Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams. But we were of the same heart, same small town, family-oriented life.
She was tired, so we didn’t hang long. When I got up to leave, she followed me, jumped in the passenger seat of my car, and announced, “I don’t know what the future holds, but we’re going to be friends for life.”
Grace Potter knew things. I’ve always believed there are things in our lives that were pre-determined; set into motion by some larger power. Grace was absolutely one.
From “Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason. Copyright © 2025 by Kenny Chesney. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
To hear Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter perform “You and Tequila,” click on the video player below:
Get the book here:
“Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
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Just as the sun was going down in the heart of old Key West, Florida, a self-described pirate rode his rust-ravaged bike to the Blue Heaven restaurant to meet a friend – a friend we just happened to be in the middle of interviewing. “She said come in!” David Wegman laughed, as he joined Kenny Chesney.
But that’s the thing about Chesney – down here, he’s not really a country music superstar. He’s just another laid-back local. “We know a lot of the same people,” Chesney laughed.
He collects characters like seashells – he met Wegman at Ivan’s Stress-Free Bar down in the British Virgin Islands. “Above the bar was written in shells: ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem,’” Wegman recalled.
That 2002 song, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” helped make Chesney one of the biggest touring acts around. Almost every summer he turns stadiums into beach parties. Among his many accolades: the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year Award, which he won four years in a row. And just last week, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame – a career-topping accomplishment that he credits to taking that tropical turn in his career.
“You know what’s crazy?” he said. “I had an 18-song Greatest Hits album, and nobody knew who I was. They knew the songs, but I wasn’t comfortable in my skin yet. I didn’t know who I was supposed to be as an artist yet. I would go do shows and they would go, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy that sings that song.’ And then, ‘That’s the guy that sings that song.’ When I started being my true, authentic self, that’s when everything changed.”
He could have taken us to some Tiki bar down in the Keys to keep up his tropical brand. But instead, he wanted to show us the room where Ernest Hemingway worked on “To Have and Have Not” and “Green Hills of Africa.”
I said, “The space, it’s almost like sacred place.”
“Yeah, do you feel it? I feel it,” Chesney said. “I spent so much, almost two weeks straight on the bow of my boat in the Virgin Islands reading those books.”
Which might explain why he came down here to work on his first book, out next month: “Heart Life Music.” “This book forced me to pause,” he said.
William Morrow
For all of his love of the islands, he writes it was his own mom who first realized that he may have drifted too far from his East Tennessee roots. “She wanted her 12-year-old boy back in ways, and he was gone. Gone gone gone,” he said.
“She had a hard time finding you, kind of had a hard time reaching you?” I asked.
“It hit me a little bit, but I was so already so addicted to seeking an adventure and all of it, and all these new things happening in my life that I dismissed it.”
He kept going, kept touring, kept writing, until a concert in Indianapolis back in 2009, which he describes as hitting a wall, and crying on stage. “In that moment I was so exhausted and numb to all of it, that it wasn’t making me happy,” he said. “I wasn’t creating the same way. I wasn’t connecting to the audience. It just hit me. It took sports to get me out of that funk.”
He grew up playing baseball and football – loving every inning, every down. So, when a song called “The Boys of Fall” crossed his path, he didn’t only record it; he began interviewing coaches and players about sports and life, and turned it into a documentary for ESPN, “Boys of Fall.” “I needed Joe Namath, I needed Bill Parcells,” he said. “I sat in Bobby Bowden’s living room and he talked to me like a deacon in a Baptist church! I woke up one day, and I went, I’m back.”
Now he’s the one doing pre-game pep talks backstage, like at Sphere in Las Vegas. Many on his team have been with him for decades. There’s confidence in familiarity. “If I had to sit on the bus and think about what I’m getting ready to go do, it would – yeah, I don’t do well with that,” he said.
He put on the kind of show his fans expect – a kaleidoscope of sand, sunsets and songs.
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When me met him the next morning, he was still buzzing about performing in Sphere. “The first couple of nights, I caught myself singing a song and I was like, Well, this is so cool! And then, I forgot the words to a song that I actually wrote!”
On stage with him this night was Grace Potter, the singer-songwriter he recruited for a duet, even though country really wasn’t her thing. The two are now lifelong friends.
“There’s people who have always seen him as just the iconic, you know, Statue of David of country music,” she said.
“I’m gonna go to Florence and stand beside it!” he laughed.
“But there’s just so much more underneath it that’s more interesting than the sculpture itself,” Potter added.
Indeed, the off-stage Kenny Chesney is a more complicated guy, a more thoughtful guy, even a little shy if you can believe it. That’s the East Tennessee part that will always remain even as he’s chasing sunsets.
Chesney said, “It takes a certain amount of ego to be up there on stage and to do what I do, right? But I try really hard to leave that person up there. I can’t live that person every day. And I don’t want that person in my life every day, but I’m really glad to meet him when I go back up there.”
READ AN EXCERPT: “Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Extended interview – Kenny Chesney (Video)
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Story produced by Aria Shavelson. Editor: Remington Korper.
See also:
Kenny Chesney spreads the love to Boston bombing victims (“Sunday Morning”)
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Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, known for penning hits including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a small-engine plane crash on Thursday, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was 57.A plane registered under James’ name reportedly crashed into a field in Franklin, North Carolina, about 270 miles southeast of Nashville, around 3 p.m. Thursday, according to data from FlightAware and a statement from the FAA. Three people were on board the plane, according to the FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating.CNN has reached out to Macon County Sheriff’s Office for further information.James, who worked with megastars like Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Keith Urban, won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2006 for co-writing “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He also wrote on Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and was regarded as one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators.His more than 500 songs have appeared on albums with combined sales of over 110 million copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International.In 2020, James was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also owned the publishing company Cornman Music and served on the board of the Country Music Association and as a national trustee of The Recording Academy, according to the Nashville Symphony.“Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters,” the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said in an Instagram post announcing James’ death.“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” country musician Dierks Bentley wrote on Instagram.
Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, known for penning hits including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a small-engine plane crash on Thursday, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was 57.
A plane registered under James’ name reportedly crashed into a field in Franklin, North Carolina, about 270 miles southeast of Nashville, around 3 p.m. Thursday, according to data from FlightAware and a statement from the FAA.
Three people were on board the plane, according to the FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating.
CNN has reached out to Macon County Sheriff’s Office for further information.
James, who worked with megastars like Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Keith Urban, won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2006 for co-writing “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He also wrote on Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and was regarded as one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators.
His more than 500 songs have appeared on albums with combined sales of over 110 million copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
In 2020, James was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also owned the publishing company Cornman Music and served on the board of the Country Music Association and as a national trustee of The Recording Academy, according to the Nashville Symphony.
“Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters,” the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said in an Instagram post announcing James’ death.
“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” country musician Dierks Bentley wrote on Instagram.
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Minnesota music icon Bob Dylan will take the stage on Saturday at Minneapolis’ Huntington Bank Stadium for the 40th year of Farm Aid, the festival he helped inspire.
Dylan, 84, joins a star-studded lineup that includes Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Neil Young, Kenny Chesney, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Steve Earle, Waxahatchee and many more.
Festival officials say it was Dylan’s plea to help farmers during his performance at 1985’s historic Live Aid benefit concert that inspired Nelson, 92, to launch Farm Aid that same year.
Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth and raised in Hibbing. He studied for a year at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he entrenched himself in folk music.
He started performing at a Dinkytown coffee shop and embraced his new moniker before moving to New York City in 1961, at age 20.
Farm Aid 40 almost didn’t happen, at least at Huntington Bank Stadium, due to the ongoing conflict between the University of Minnesota and its striking Teamster service employees. Farm Aid’s production crew is unionized and refused to cross any picket lines.
On Friday, Teamsters Local 320 announced it had reached a tentative agreement with the university. That same day, Nelson said he spoke with Gov. Tim Walz, adding he was “grateful that he understands what’s at stake for Farm Aid.”
“We both know that, ultimately, it’s up to the University to do the right thing, and soon, so that Farm Aid 40 can go forward,” Nelson said.
First held on the campus of the University of Illinois, Farm Aid has raised more than $85 million for America’s farmers.
A pre-festival event, Rissi Palmer’s Color Me Country Takeover, is set for Thursday night at Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis. The event honors the legacy of diverse artists and farmers.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $33.
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Stephen Swanson
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Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — S Caden Sterns (knee), S Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) and LB Drew Sanders (Achilles). Non-Football Injury list — RB Blake Watson (muscle strain). Out — OLB Nik Bonitto, OL Nick Gargiulo. Dropped out — S Brandon Jones (hamstring)
Payton told reporters after practice that Jones “tweaked” his hamstring and was being evaluated. He also expects Bonitto to be back to practice work Saturday.
Zach Wilson did, indeed, get all the No. 1 reps during practice Friday, continuing the rotation that began earlier this week with Jarrett Stidham on Wednesday and Bo Nix on Thursday.
The Broncos didn’t waste any time, getting a 7-on-7 period and three team periods in during their first full-length camp practice of the summer. Head coach Sean Payton said afterward that the team put a heavy emphasis on third-down situations.
None of the three quarterbacks turned the ball over in team settings Friday, though Wilson and Nix were each almost picked by corners Riley Moss and Reese Taylor, respectively.
“There’s things you have to evaluate sometimes,” Payton said. “In other words, the pocket, was it broken down? There’s certain things that can take place that can affect their execution. So when you’re evaluating and breaking down the reps, you have to take all of that into account. I like the way they’re protecting the ball and I think they’re working through their progressions. … They’re getting a lot of looks.”
On a Friday devoid of big, spectacular plays, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Maybe you preferred a pretty looking toss play to the left for Jaleel McLaughlin? Or a couple of nice plays on the ball by Moss, the second-year corner? Or the continued, consistent pressure that the defensive line generated? All come with caveats: It’s early and more to the point they’re not wearing pads yet.
Reynolds’ all-around addition: Wide receiver Josh Reynolds made a couple of plays Friday and is already showing the kind of versatility Denver coveted in free agency. He’s a tall, long receiver, a smooth runner and a willing blocker.
“He’s flexible, he’s smart,” Payton said. “(Passing game coordinator) Johnny Morton worked with him in Detroit so we had a little bit more knowledge of the player. He loves playing. … He’s been a good addition.”
Welcome, Bo: Not surprisingly, the rookie quarterback got a big cheer from the crowd on hand Friday. With fans in attendance for the first time since Nix was selected No. 12 overall in April’s draft, it’s no surprise he got a warm welcome considering it’s the highest Denver’s drafted a quarterback since Jay Cutler went No. 11 in 2006.
Safety net?: The Broncos’ depth at safety is already a question mark with Sterns on PUP. If Jones ends up missing substantial time with the hamstring issue, Payton and company will have to take a realistic look at whether they’ve got enough depth on the roster.
Dink and dunk: The NFL’s not much of a home-run league these days. Not only that, but Payton talked about the situation-heavy work Friday, the still-early installation schedule and more that is all reality this time of year. Still, the Broncos’ trio of quarterbacks at some point is going to have to show the ability to attack down the field with the ball. That hasn’t shown up much yet this offseason.
• The evaluation changes dramatically for everyone when pads come on, but some positions more than others. One of the most interesting players to watch: Rookie RB Audric Estime. He’s a load and has looked good so far this week.
• Early means early — and it’s early — but so far the center battle has not seen as much rotation as the quarterbacks. Luke Wattenberg so far has seen most of the top-group work. We’ll see as time goes along if he’s truly leading or if Alex Forsyth or Sam Mustipher makes a move.
• Country megastar Kenny Chesney was on hand for practice Friday ahead of his Saturday night show at Empower Field. Chesney got a workout in in the morning and then had a chance to catch up with Payton, a longtime friend, before practice.
• Payton continues to like the youthful energy of his team and sounds like a coach who’s interested to see who grabs the bull by the horns at several different positions. “I think young and hungry can be very dangerous,” he said. “And I’ve told them that. I think that can be very successful.”
• Garett Bolles is excited to watch the quarterback battle play out, saying Friday, “They all can play, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. That’s how Coach Payton rolls. He’s not going to bring someone in here he doesn’t think he can play and run his scheme and run his offense. He’s had one great quarterback in Drew Brees and he has a certain way of doing things. He knows all three of these quarterbacks can be special for us. … All those guys I love dearly and it’s just my job to keep their jersey fresh. It doesn’t matter who’s back there as a left tackle.”
• One thing that does jump out about the trio of Denver quarterbacks is that each has mobility. Stidham might not have the same flat-out wheels that Nix or Wilson have, but they each do feel comfortable moving around. Another element of their games to watch as camp progresses. Who can use that to his advantage and who maybe over-relies on it?
The Broncos are back at it for the NFL’s Back Together Weekend. Parking lots open at 8 a.m., gates at 9 a.m., and practice begins at 10 a.m. Then Sunday is off before a six-day workweek next week.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
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Parker Gabriel
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Uncle Kracker brings the ‘Sun Goes Down’ Tour to Landover, Maryland, alongside the Zac Brown Band and Megan Maroney for a day of tailgating fun and music.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Uncle Kracker at Commanders Field (Part 1)
In 2004, Uncle Kracker collaborated with Kenny Chesney on the tropical country hit “When the Sun Goes Down.”
This Saturday, they celebrate the song’s 20th anniversary with the “Sun Goes Down” Tour at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland, alongside the Zac Brown Band and Megan Maroney for a day of tailgating fun and music.
“Absolutely nothing like it,” Kracker told WTOP. “Aside from him being one of the greatest entertainers I’ve ever seen, I can’t put my thumb on it. Aside from him being awesome, he’s just a ball of energy. I don’t know anybody who can run around for two straight hours like he can, but it’s just nonstop from probably 9 a.m. These people are out in the parking lot drinking until the show is done. It’s insane. … Everybody’s working for the weekend.”
Born in Michigan in 1974, Kracker grew up listening to B.J. Thomas and James Taylor. He broke into the music business when his older brother squared off against Kid Rock in a DJ battle in the Detroit area.
“There was a bar outside of Detroit that turned into a teen club on Sunday nights,” Kracker said.
“The Electrifying Mojo used to be a disc jockey on WJLB in Detroit, he used to hold these DJ battles on Sundays and they were a big thing. My brother went up against Kid Rock in one of these battle competitions. Kid Rock showed up, he didn’t even bring his turntables, he paid my brother $100 to use his turntables then smoked him on his own tables.”
From there, he joined Kid Rock’s backing band Twisted Brown Trucker alongside the late Joe C. and others. Kracker was featured on Kid Rock’s debut album “Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp” (1996) and his smash sophomore album “Devil without a Cause” (1998), featuring the hits “Bawitdaba,” “Cowboy” and “Only God Knows Why.”
“Man, we had a lot of fun, that’s for sure,” Kracker said. “I wrote a lot of them with him and a lot of the backup vocals are me on there. I DJ’d live, but Kid Rock did all of the scratching and stuff on the albums himself because he’s better than I am, but definitely fun, it was definitely a time to be alive, that’s for sure.”
Their next album, “The History of Rock” (2000), featured “American Badass,” which was not only used by the WWF’s Undertaker but also declared the group’s genre-defying intentions: “I like AC-DC and ZZ Top, Bocephus, Beasties and the Kings of Rock, Skynyrd, Seger, Limp, Korn, the Stones, David Allen Coe and No Show Jones.”
“I remember the record label hating us for [crossing genres],” Kracker said. “We turned in ‘Only God Knows Why,’ and I talked to the A&R guy like, ‘Did you listen to ‘Only God Knows Why?’ and he’s like, ‘That country song? What the f**k are we gonna do with that?’ Back then, it was so different, too. We were all so young and we loved music so much. It was the camaraderie that was special. You’d write something like, ‘Listen to this!’ It was a competition.”
While Kid Rock was busy recording “Cocky” (2001) with the Sheryl Crow duet “Picture,” Kracker finally got a chance to release his first solo album “Double Wide” (2000), smashing the pop charts with the single “Follow Me.”
“I wrote that thing in my bedroom one night,” Kracker said. “[Kid Rock] just started straying from the rap stuff at one point and I was like, ‘Man, I can do that, let’s try that,’ so I hummed this ‘Follow Me’ thing and he was like, ‘Man, that sounds like some really dark James Taylor sh*t.’ The melody and lyrics were much cooler than the version that got put out [on the radio]. It was all finger snaps and melody, mainly to pay homage to the old Motown stuff.”
Kracker again went retro on his second solo album “No Stranger to Shame” (2002), featuring a hit cover of the golden oldie “Drift Away,” even inviting original singer Dobie Gray to appear on the song and music video.
“When ‘Follow Me’ started taking off, I would have to go to these radio stations in the morning and do like an acoustic thing,” Kracker said.
“They’d want like three songs acoustic in the middle of the morning show interview, but I didn’t have anything else on the record that sounded like ‘Follow Me,’ so Kid Rock suggested I do ‘Drift Away’ acoustically for all these promo things — and that’s how I ended up cutting ‘Drift Away’ for the second album.”
His third solo album “Happy Hour” (2009) delivered another hit single with “Smile,” but by then Kracker was already touring with Chesney after their successful country music duet “When the Sun Goes Down” (2004).
“Kenny had reached out to me,” Kracker said. “He calls Kid Rock and says, ‘Do you think Uncle Kracker would come out and do a couple with me for an encore scenario?’ Of course, Kid Rock’s like, ‘I dunno, call him yourself,’ so I get this call like, ‘Hey this is Kenny Chesney,’ and I’m like, ‘Who?’ I had no clue who he was! … It’s been 20 years since ‘Sun Goes Down’ for us. It’s crazy to think that much time has passed and I’m still doing this.”
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Uncle Kracker at Commanders Field (Part 2)
Hear our full conversation on the podcast below:
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Jason Fraley
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To celebrate the upcoming release of Kenny Chesney’s new album, Born, we have your chance to attend a special Town Hall with the artist himself on March 6 at the SiriusXM Nashville Studios! Details below for your chance to attend this special event.
HOW TO GET YOUR CHANCE:
All requests must be received by 9am ET on March 4. Must be a U.S resident at least 18 years of age to participate. Incomplete responses are ineligible to be selected. Limit one participant per household. Only winners will be notified via email. NO TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED WITH THE PRIZE.
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Jackie Kolgraf
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Caroline Jones has already had a career that any music-lover would be envious of- a mentee of music titans Zac Brown Band and the late, great Jimmy Buffett…she has toured with mega-names in the industry like The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, and Carrie Underwood, and now performs alongside Zac Brown Band as a member.
Her music spans genres, seamlessly blending one another together into a melting pot of downright good music. Her voice is sweet, hard-hitting, and fine-tuned, add that together with her songwriting ability that has only gotten better from working with the best in the business, and her prowess in playing multiple instruments. All together, Caroline Jones is the whole package- creating a pop-country fusion with notes of bluegrass at just the right time.
When I sat down to talk to Caroline who sat outside her home in Nashville, she was humble- constantly talking about seeking ways to better her music, showing gratitude to those who have helped her get here (especially manager, producer, business partner Ric Wake, and smiling when thinking of her newest album: Homesite. You can listen to the album here:
Nashville is a big part of Jones’ story, the place where she felt the most connected to her newfound country music roots. It helped her grow, and gave her the support to pursue her career. On paper, it seems like Caroline Jones has accomplished just about everything…but there’s so much more potential to unlock for Jones, and she will tell you that.
Homesite is a thrilling addition to Jones’ already impressive repertoire, exhibiting her true vocal abilities to their finest. Check out our interview with Caroline below!
PD: Let’s start at the very beginning…you were trained classically in opera, how did you want to switch to country?
CJ: I grew up listening to a variety of genres when I was a kid. My father loved classic rock and R&B, my mother loved the divas of the 90’s- Whitney, Mariah, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion…and like you said, I was trained classically in opera and jazz so it wasn’t until I was around 17 and went to the Nashville for the first time and I had started writing songs and making demos of them. My manager at the time in my teen years said, “You know, your music has a bit of a country flare to it, you’d really love Nashville.”
At his urging, I went down here and went to a show at Bluebird Cafe and I was hooked…like I’d found the missing piece to my artistry. I felt like I found my people and my community. There’s such a writer and musician-centered community, which is very unique in a commercial genre of music in this day-and-age where there’s so many other factors and distractions. That’s still the core of Nashville. Delved all the way back starting with Hank Williams as the outset of what we think of as the outset of country music and went from there and found love.
PD: You were touring schools across New England before Jimmy Buffett recognized you. Can you talk about how that all started?
CJ: I’ve just had a DIY spirit since I was young, you know? This was the early 2010’s when Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons and acoustic music was making a comeback over the very produced pop commerciality of the early 2000s. I just wanted to be part of that wave of singer-songwriters, that’s what really inspired me…so I knew I wanted to build a fanbase organically and get good at playing shows live.
I started playing in the Northeast, where I grew up, and then a few years later I met my manager and business partner, Ric Wake, and we made our first record, Barefeet. I got a couple of amazing opportunities to open up, starting with Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett. I really owe the career that I have to those two taking me under their wing and taking me on tour.
PD: Let’s talk about your new album, Homesite, which you had complete creative control over. How did that change making an album for you?
CJ: I’ve been really lucky, I’ve been an independent artist for my whole career and owned all my masters…I’ve really been in the creative driver’s seat and I owe that all to my manager and producer Ric Wake. He believed in me from the beginning and respected what I did, he honored my vision and brought it to life, and brought a team in who felt the same way. That is not most artist’s experience, so I am very grateful to him…and moreso as time goes on because you see how rare it is.
This album is the next step in my creative evolution and, if anything, I opened up more on this album because we brought in a new creative producer, Brandon Hood. I co-wrote about 3-4 songs on the record, which is pretty rare for me…in my previous record I solo wrote most of the album with the exception of one song.
For me, that’s creative maturity. Now that I have a few years of experience and more of a platform, I still have a long way to go but now I get to work with the musicians, singers, and songwriters I respect.
PD: Can you give me your favorite tracks from the album?
CJ: Yeah! At the moment, they’re probably the title track, “Homesite”,I love the song “Serendipity” because I love blending country and pop, and I love “Lawless.” I’m a production nerd so those are probably my favorites…and I also love “By Way Of Sorrow”, it’s the only song I didn’t write on the record and it’s a cover and has Vince Gill on it, one of my all-time heroes. I think that song should be a bluegrass classic.
PD: Final question- what is the best piece of advice you’ve learned since touring with ZBB, Jimmy Buffett, The Rolling Stones, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, The Eagles, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney…I could go on?
CJ:
Oh my gosh, so hard to distill down to one because you learn so much by osmosis…by the repetition by being around folks who are the most excellent in the world at their craft.
If I could share one thing I’ve learned and seen over and over, it’s important to remember when you’re performing in stadiums or you see people’s shining social feeds, or you go and perform to tens of thousands of people and see them living your dream…they still have their own mountains to climb.
The more I’ve been around really successful people, the more I see they still have this passion and drive and still have a need to create, and push themselves and evolve. That’s not something that ever goes away just because you’re rich and famous. It’s not that you’re at the top of the mountain and now you’re just plateauing. You’re still the same hungry artist with the same hungry soul with the drive that got you there.
I want people to know that, because I feel like they don’t. You see rich and famous and successful musicians and you think they’re rockstars who have it all figured out…but the truth is we’re all artists, we’re all seeking, we’re all trying to creatively challenge ourselves. In that way, we’re all on an equal playing field.
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Jai Phillips
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Jimmy Buffett, the soft rock artist known for the hit “Margaritaville,” and numerous other beach-inspired songs, died at age 76 on Friday, shocking fans across the world.
A statement posted to Buffett’s website and social media announced the death saying he “passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.” The statement did not disclose the cause of Buffett’s death, but added that he “lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
Dozens of celebrities, politicians and public figures have taken to social media to share heartfelt tributes for the late singer and songwriter.
President Joe Biden wrote of Buffett’s inspirational life, calling him a “poet of paradise” who was as kind a person in real life as he was on stage. “We had the honor to meet and get to know Jimmy over the years, and he was in life as he was performing on stage – full of goodwill and joy, using his gift to bring people together,” Biden said on social media.
The president also offered his condolences to Buffett’s wife, children, grandchildren and fans “who will continue to love him even as his ship now sails for new shores.”
Admiration came from his fellow musicians. Country artist Blake Shelton reflected on Buffett’s talent and shared a little known fact about a song the late singer made for one of his shows.
“Heart broken this morning hearing of Jimmy Buffett’s passing,” Shelton wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’ll bet most of y’all don’t know that he wrote the theme song for @BarmageddonUSA for me about 2 years ago.”
Singer Kenny Chesney paid tribute to his friendship with Buffett, singing one of the late artist’s slower ballads, “A Pirate Looks At 40,” in a video posted to Instagram.
In the post, Chesney said “goodbye” and gave thanks and appreciation for their friendship and music which he said he “will carry in my heart forever.”
In his tribute, television personality Andy Cohen shared a throwback photo of Buffett steering a boat, calling the late singer “The king of cool.”
“Paradise was wherever Jimmy Buffett was,” Cohen continued.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz shared his sentiments for Buffett on social media, wishing the artist a “well deserved #CheeseburgerInParadise.” “Jimmy Buffett was a legendary musician who lived his life knowing it was always 5:00 somewhere,” Cruz said. “Rest in peace to this American icon who brought happiness to so many.”
Former President Bill Clinton celebrated Buffett’s kindness and generosity while paying his respects to the late artist’s family, friends and fans.
“Jimmy Buffett’s music brought happiness to millions of people,” Clinton wrote on X. “I’ll always be grateful for his kindness, generosity, and great performances through the years, including at the White House in 2000.”
Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also posted a tribute for Buffett, wishing him “Fair winds and following seas, dear Jimmy.”
Actor Miles Teller and singer Alan Jackson both shared nautical-themed lyrics by Buffett about using your sails and the stars to get to your destination.
“Shores distant shores, There’s where I’m headed for,” Jackson quoted on X. “I got the stars to guide my way, Sail into the light of day…”
Buffett’s brand of laid-back, paradise-themed music earned him generations of fans, self-proclaimed “parrotheads,” that allowed him to build an empire that turned him into one of the highest-earning celebrities in the world.
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NEW YORK — Guitarist Jeff Cook, who co-founded the country group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Song of the South” and “Dixieland Delight,” has died. He was 73.
Cook had Parkinson’s disease and disclosed his diagnosis in 2017. He died Tuesday at his home in Destin, Florida, said Don Murry Grubbs, a representative for the band.
Tributes poured in from country stars, including Travis Tritt who called Cook “a great guy and one heckuva bass fisherman,” and Jason Aldean, who tweeted: “ I got a chance to perform with him multiple times over the years and I will never forget it.” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, added: “Everything he did was rooted in his deep love of music, a love he shared with millions.”
As a guitarist, fiddle player and vocalist, Cook — alongside cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry — landed eight No. 1 songs on the country charts between spring 1980 and summer 1982, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. That run included the pop crossover hits “Love In The First Degree” and “Feels So Right,” as well as “Tennessee River” and “Mountain Music.”
“Jeff Cook, and all of the guys in Alabama, were so generous with wisdom and fun when I got to tour with them as a young artist,” Kenny Chesney said in a statement. “They showed a kid in a T-shirt that country music could be rock, could be real, could be someone who looked like me. Growing up in East Tennessee, that gave me the heart to chase this dream.”
The band had a three-year run as CMA Entertainer of the Year from 1982-1985 and earned five ACM Award Entertainer of the Year trophies from 1981-1985. He stopped touring with Alabama in 2018.
Cook released a handful of solo projects and toured with his Allstar Goodtime Band. He also released collaborations with Charlie Daniels and “Star Trek” star William Shatner. He entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 as a member of Alabama.
A song he co-wrote in 2015, “No Bad Days,” took on new meaning after his diagnosis. “After I got the Parkinson’s diagnosis, people would quote the song to me and say, ‘No bad days,’” Cook told The Tennessean in 2019. “They write me letters, notes and emails and they sign ‘No Bad Days.’ I know the support is there.”
Survivors include his wife, Lisa.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two artists who started their careers outside of country music were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as early rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and bluegrass performer-turned-country star Keith Whitley joined the ranks.
Lewis, the 87-year-old artist nicknamed “The Killer,” was unable to attend the induction ceremony on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, due to guidance from his doctor. But his fellow country stars Hank Williams Jr. and Kris Kristofferson showed up in his stead to accept and honor the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
Whitley’s widow, fellow country star Lorrie Morgan, accepted the medallion on his behalf during the ceremony featuring performances by Garth Brooks, Mickey Guyton, Chris Isaak, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and Alabama. Also inducted this year was music executive Joe Galante, who had a key role in marketing country music to wider pop and rock audiences starting in the 1980s.
Lewis, from Ferriday, Louisiana, grew up on country music, but Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, turned him into a rockabilly star, with hits like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.”
Williams, who also helped induct Lewis into the Rock & Hall of Fame in 1986, recalled Lewis spending time at his home when he was a kid and listening to Lewis’ rock songs on the radio. He said Lewis taught him that entertaining was about more than skill.
“Jerry Lee doesn’t ask for your attention, he demands it,” Williams said. “He doesn’t take a stage, he commands it.”
In Memphis, Lewis played alongside Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash in the now famous Million Dollar Quartet. Lewis’ career was nearly derailed over the scandal arising from his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra, and he faced a backlash from fans during a tour in England in 1958, when crowds became combative.
Lewis was abandoned by concert promoters for several years before mounting a return to the country charts in the late 1960s. He had No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country Chart with “There Must Be More to Love Than This,” “Would You Take Another Chance on Me” and “Chantilly Lace.” His other top country singles included “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me),” ″She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye” and “To Make Love Sweeter for You.”
Isaak delivered a rollicking version of “Great Balls of Fire” during the ceremony and 85-year-old actor and singer Kristofferson made a rare public appearance to help unveil Lewis’ plaque, which will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame rotunda.
Morgan was moved to tears during her speech, noting that her late husband would feel so undeserving of the honor. Whitley’s first work as a musician was in bluegrass, when he and Ricky Skaggs started playing as teenagers in Ralph Stanley’s band, the Clinch Mountain Boys.
“My whole family, we’ve all missed him together and all the fans who loved Keith and visited his gravesite all the time,” she said.
That bluegrass background made Whitley stand out as a country singer in the 1980s, where he brought tender emotion and incredible vocal range to hits including “When You Say Nothing at All” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
But his career was ended too short, spanning just four years and seven months on the Billboard charts before his 1989 death from alcohol poisoning at age 34. But the singer from Sandy Hook, Kentucky, continued to influence numerous country singers who came up alongside him, including Brooks, who praised his pure country singing and authenticity.
“Truth, honesty. The guy could outsing 99 percent of us,” Brooks said.
Galante was the head of RCA Nashville in his 30s and both Morgan and Whitley were among the hit artists that he brought to success, including Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, The Judds, Martina McBride and more. He helped the band Alabama achieve crossover success with multi-platinum hits.
“I was a label head, but I was a huge fan of their music,” Galante said. “And it’s all about the music at the end of the day.”
__
Online:
https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two artists who started their careers outside of country music were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as early rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and bluegrass performer-turned-country star Keith Whitley joined the ranks.
Lewis, the 87-year-old artist nicknamed “The Killer,” was unable to attend the induction ceremony on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, due to guidance from his doctor. But his fellow country stars Hank Williams Jr. and Kris Kristofferson showed up in his stead to accept and honor the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
Whitley’s widow, fellow country star Lorrie Morgan, accepted the medallion on his behalf during the ceremony featuring performances by Garth Brooks, Mickey Guyton, Chris Isaak, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and Alabama. Also inducted this year was music executive Joe Galante, who had a key role in marketing country music to wider pop and rock audiences starting in the 1980s.
Lewis, from Ferriday, Louisiana, grew up on country music, but Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, turned him into a rockabilly star, with hits like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.”
Williams, who also helped induct Lewis into the Rock & Hall of Fame in 1986, recalled Lewis spending time at his home when he was a kid and listening to Lewis’ rock songs on the radio. He said Lewis taught him that entertaining was about more than skill.
“Jerry Lee doesn’t ask for your attention, he demands it,” Williams said. “He doesn’t take a stage, he commands it.”
In Memphis, Lewis played alongside Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash in the now famous Million Dollar Quartet. Lewis’ career was nearly derailed over the scandal arising from his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra, and he faced a backlash from fans during a tour in England in 1958, when crowds became combative.
Lewis was abandoned by concert promoters for several years before mounting a return to the country charts in the late 1960s. He had No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country Chart with “There Must Be More to Love Than This,” “Would You Take Another Chance on Me” and “Chantilly Lace.” His other top country singles included “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me),” ″She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye” and “To Make Love Sweeter for You.”
Isaak delivered a rollicking version of “Great Balls of Fire” during the ceremony and 85-year-old actor and singer Kristofferson made a rare public appearance to help unveil Lewis’ plaque, which will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame rotunda.
Morgan was moved to tears during her speech, noting that her late husband would feel so undeserving of the honor. Whitley’s first work as a musician was in bluegrass, when he and Ricky Skaggs started playing as teenagers in Ralph Stanley’s band, the Clinch Mountain Boys.
“My whole family, we’ve all missed him together and all the fans who loved Keith and visited his gravesite all the time,” she said.
That bluegrass background made Whitley stand out as a country singer in the 1980s, where he brought tender emotion and incredible vocal range to hits including “When You Say Nothing at All” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
But his career was ended too short, spanning just four years and seven months on the Billboard charts before his 1989 death from alcohol poisoning at age 34. But the singer from Sandy Hook, Kentucky, continued to influence numerous country singers who came up alongside him, including Brooks, who praised his pure country singing and authenticity.
“Truth, honesty. The guy could outsing 99 percent of us,” Brooks said.
Galante was the head of RCA Nashville in his 30s and both Morgan and Whitley were among the hit artists that he brought to success, including Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, The Judds, Martina McBride and more. He helped the band Alabama achieve crossover success with multi-platinum hits.
“I was a label head, but I was a huge fan of their music,” Galante said. “And it’s all about the music at the end of the day.”
——
Online:
https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/
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The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers. Week of 10/10/2022 :
TOP 20 GLOBAL CONCERT TOURS
1. Bad Bunny; $9,850,282; $238.29.
2. The Rolling Stones; $7,934,012; $167.24.
3. The Weeknd; $7,605,255; $158.57.
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers; $6,672,536; $135.79.
5. Elton John; $6,398,684; $159.22.
6. Coldplay; $6,088,060; $89.40.
7. Lady Gaga; $5,719,355; $135.31.
8. Mötley Crüe / Def Leppard; $5,163,037; $132.51.
9. Ed Sheeran; $4,509,030; $75.77.
10. Kenny Chesney; $3,399,082; $105.65.
11. Iron Maiden; $2,044,208; $74.44.
12. Morgan Wallen; $1,870,870; $103.98.
13. Daddy Yankee; $1,797,513; $160.30.
14. Kendrick Lamar; $1,771,207; $142.76.
15. Post Malone; $1,760,474; $138.30.
16. My Chemical Romance; $1,726,727; $152.63.
17. Roger Waters; $1,534,684; $120.31.
18. Harry Styles; $1,356,684; $93.52.
19. Rosalía; $1,349,237; $133.42.
20. Chris Stapleton; $1,320,186; $91.24.
For free upcoming tour information, go to www.pollstar.com
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