The following collection of writing segments, selected from his ongoing Music City Musings feature Gavin’s observations, anecdotes, and other items of interest related to his adventures in the South.

October 18

On the subject of Music City, I am going in with an open mind with my proverbial hat in my hand. I am looking for only one thing – to interact with people there in a positive way and in a way that music is what I am about 24/7. I have no expectations other than being myself and letting the rest fall into place.

October 19

All of this I heard tonight at the famous Nashville venue, The Bluebird Café…….

You walk in and you see that the performers and their songs are revered. The audience is quiet and respectful. Whether they are successful, or just starting out, the performers have the room. No glasses clinking. No chatter. No loud music blasting in between each act. I was afraid to order food in case it would be considered offensive, until I saw plates of food being delivered by the waitresses. It’s all about the song, and that’s pretty cool.

A young guy sings about Charity, how she’s at St. something hospital, and the doctors say she may not make it. He follows it with the mannequin tune, then closes with a ballad. He absolutely wins the room over. They’re laughing, applauding wildly, and then some poor sod from, yes, California has to follow him. He does OK though, especially his 3^rd and last tune which starts off with “It’s warm where you’re going” and the subject matter is basically telling her where to go. Ahh, those universal themes. At the Bluebird, the song is the star. And that’s why I am here.

And earlier in the day………….

I wandered about Music Row, snapping away with my Nikon. The thing about New York and LA is that studios and publishers and entertainment lawyers and agencies are spread out over miles. In Nashville, I walked it in under 2 hours. From ASCAP and the BMI buildings to MCA to Sony/ATV to Curb Records to Acuff-Rose to Murrah to Killen, on Music Row, there’s no escaping the aura and mystique! Even the bus stop benches advertise up and coming or established recording stars. Banners hang over building congratulating writers and singers for number one hits. Then I walked by a beautiful building next to MCA where people were filing in. From the open doors I heard music, but it wasn’t no jam session. Curious, I followed them in. It WAS the Belmont Church with a stage full of singers and a full band with a drummer in a sound booth, and it was kicking! Great hook, good melody, and you could dance to it. I gave it an 8. Even the churches play country music! Well, that’s a sight you only will see on a Sunday morning on Music Row in Music City.

October 20

Next, it was off to the Country Music Hall of Fame. What an amazing work of architecture! Musical elements are built into its design. Knowing I would be spending at least 3 hours in there, I grabbed a table at a nice restaurant inside the museum where David serenades the visitors and diners with his Ovation. He played an instrumental of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” which caught my ear. I smiled and let him know it sounded great, and before I knew it we were chatting, exchanging CDs and website addresses, and he was giving me more insider’s info about the scene. One thing he said that stuck with me about songs is to write with “elegant simplicity.” I’ll take that as my new current mantra. I finished my corn bread with honey, and my awesome salad with local apples, walnuts, cheese, grilled chicken and a yummy sweet hickory dressing, and caught the next elevator to the 3^rd floor.

I expected one terrific education in country music history, and boy I got it. The exhibits and displays are elegant and chronological, meaningful and outlandish. Elvis’ 1960 gold-plated caddy with a record player, television and telephone in the back seat. Many of Chet Atkin’s guitars, including his first -a beat-up acoustic named Stella. Walls of gold and platinum albums. The origination of the “Nudie” shirts (yes that’s what all those rhinestone-studded and LOUD cowboy outfits are called!) and then seeing the one Graham Parsons wore that was covered in marijuana leaves. There were small details that spoke volumes, for example the Allman Bros. contract for live shows with a clause prohibiting segregation at their shows. Or the newspaper article of Patsy Cline’s demise in the airplane crash, and a musician who tried to join her and the others on board, but was too big to fit, so he booked a commercial flight (can’t remember his name!). There were touching ongoing video interviews with Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Charley Pride and others paying homage to their mentors and how they inspired them to greatness. And my personal favorites by the Roy Acuff songwriting exhibit where on touchscreens I watched songwriters telling the story about how their songs came about, including Harlan Howard talking about how it was in the early 60s when the Nashville Sound established itself as a powerhouse, even while Elvis and rockabilly was grabbing the nation by the hips and laying the foundation for the Beatles, the likes of George Jones, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette and more were laying the foundation for modern country. There was so much more, but mostly it’s the reverence you feel throughout, quite spiritual, especially in the anteroom where the scores of bronze plaques of the hall of fame members stare out at you and tell their own stories.

Later that night……….

Back to the hotel for some down time, then off to Douglas Corner Café for the NSAI songwriters camp featuring some VERY successful songwriters in the round. 5 mics, 5 chairs, 4 guitars and one (yippee!!) electric keyboard filled by some extremely talented songwriters. Wow! It was totally impressive. And what did I hear? Lots of elegant simplicity, whether they were ballads or rip-snortin’ country blues rockers. Each one of them talked about which recording artist had sung it, or how they just sealed the deal with another one as of yesterday. Angela Kaset, Rivers Rutherford, D. Vincent Williams, Hugh Prestwood, James Dean Hicks and Rick Beresford. Every song tuneful, extremely hooky, and they go straight to the heart. I was particularly moved by Angela’s piano playing and equally pleased that piano was represented!  It was also interesting to observe the crowd’s reaction to the overall vibe the piano puts out; it’s a whole different thing than that jangly guitar thang. But Nashville loves the gee tar. Wish I could carry a piano over my shoulder.

October 21

I began the day with a road trip down to Lynchburg to tour the Jack Daniel Distillery. In rural Moore County, I wasn’t surprised by the gorgeous greens and reds of the tree leaves, and the endless pastures with horses and huge bales of hay. No surprise either, I counted more Baptist churches than grocery stores or gas stations.

Some of the tour tidbits: Old Number 7 may refer to Jack’s 7 belles. He never married, but obviously had it going on with the ladies. We got to inhale the mash in the huge vats, and I caught a good buzz there. Some of the senior citizens on the tour had to be cut off. Jack was 12 years old when the business was sold to him. Not a bad deal for a kid. And of course, Moore Co. is a dry country, so you can’t drink the merchandise. . It turns out that California and Florida are the states that buy the most. No surprise there.

Later that night I found myself having a great plate of pasta at 12^th & Porter, another Nashville club sizzling with music vibe. Well, the highlight of the evening wasn’t the 3 Dixie Chicks wannabes dragging me onto the dance floor (NOT!), but it was just me starting up a conversation with a friendly-looking guy at the bar next to me who turned out to be an executive with ASCAP. Needless to say, for the next 3 hours we discussed the Nashville scene, he bought me drinks, and then eventually picked up my entire dinner and drink tab, saying I have been paying ASCAP dues for years so let ASCAP take me out. What a guy!

October 22

Next, to clear my mind it was a good bowl of chicken chili at Atlanta Baking Company, then onto 40E heading to The Hermitage. Nothing like an afternoon strolling the grounds of Andrew Jackson’s Tennessee home to clear the mind. Young kid docents in period clothes greet you at various approaches to the Mansion telling you about the stagecoach path that dignitaries rode in on or the toys that the Jackson grandkids played with. Off in the garden was the tomb where Andrew and Rachel are buried, along with a host of descendants. I spoke with a groundskeeper who told me a ghost carriage appears on the path quite regularly around 4 in the afternoon. Otherwise all is well at the Hermitage, except the questionable history of the hundreds of slaves who toiled there before the end of the Civil War. There were some interesting tidbits about the slave history there. Apparently, Old Hickory was considered benevolent or at least not cruel, but very few written records were kept as to names, families, etc. One photo shows a great grandmother and her great grandchildren circa 1870s and no record was kept of her name. Later, on my way out I came across a friendly young African-American man who was the Director of Grounds and just recently back from serving in Iraq. We spoke at length about the lack of records pertaining to the slaves there, and his take on it did not surprise me much when he said that we are all slaves to God’s will.

Later that night…….

So I was off to the Wildhorse Saloon, every Wed. night they tape the CMT show “Most Wanted” counting down the 10 hottest country videos, and then an interview with a star. Tonight was Sara Evans who talked about poopie diapers, how blessed she is to have a nanny and how she truly is Restless (her CD title) because she and her hubby bought a home in May and they are now selling it. Rough life, the girl just can’t settle. I feel for you Sara.

October 23

I was off to the night’s HUGE event – to The Bluebird for the NSAI benefit featuring 3 songwriting legends, one more who sat in, and a terrific piano man and writer named Mark T. Jordan.

Sometimes it dawns on you that you are in the process of taking part of history. Tonight I was. I am still ringing from it as I type this. Seated in the round were Leroy Parnell, Steve Young, and the legendary Cowboy Jack Clement. As they played, I soon realized we were being joined by ghosts. Cowboy Jack played several songs he penned for Johnny Cash in the early Sun days, among them “I Guess Things Happen That Way” and the humorous “Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog.”  One of Leroy’s hugest hits was a Waylon Jenning’s tune called “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean.” No doubt Waylon and Johnny were there with us and with them. Steve played “Seven Bridges” which was done by The Eagles and Dolly Parton. Gary Nicholson, another huge successful writer sat in and played “More Love,” which was striking. Even Mark T. Jordan got in a fine tune he wrote about his father called “The Oldsmobile Song.” The audience realized as I did just how special this evening was. They were as shocked as I was when Cowboy Jack told us that his beloved Gibson J200 had been stolen from his office earlier in the day. The same guitar that played on Johnny Cash’s earliest tunes. Played hundreds of recordings of hundreds of hits. Gone. Leroy suggested they start a posse. You can guess he’s a Texan. The guitar is likely already on EBay.

Watching and listening to legendary songwriters, to hear how they are revered, to hear the simplicity and yet clever-as-all-hell twists and the use of language, well, I am blown away. I am learning so much, especially the hot topical themes: songs about places, songs about key family relationships, songs about pissed-off men or women and songs about food, well, these are where it’s at down here. Key things to integrate are near rhymes, shorter overall song duration, STRONG first hooky lines to the chorus with very simple melodies that repeat, clever titles, clever first lines, good payoff lines at the end of choruses, bridges that soar, and end the song with a revisit to the key line with less instrumentation kinda like a final “this is what you need to remember” thought. What I am hearing down here is these writers LIVE the pain, the humor, the love, the longing, the hope, the joy.

After the show I hung out and introduced myself to some of the NSAI people, who of course were beyond friendly and welcoming. Then I had a few moments with the piano man, Mark. He was equally in awe of being in such songwriting company, having spent years in L.A. I thanked him for sharing his touching song about his father and told him I hoped to hear more. They do “pianos in the square” at the Bluebird, so they do, in fact, have nights where the piano players get their limelight. He was very supportive of me, and genuinely wished me success. Next, I had to say hi to Cowboy Jack, thank him for the inspiration, and said that I am sure Johnny and Waylon are looking down proud of him and his songs. You know what struck me most about him? Not his Burl Ives-like beard, or his humorous and soft touch, or the history and lore dripping out of his pores, it was that after telling him how he inspired me as a songwriter, he asked me my name. He won’t remember me tomorrow, but he had the down-to-earth class to treat me like an equal. Even his wife wished me the best as I walked off.

October 24

Tonight I had a ticket to the Grand Ole Opry as it aired live over the radio waves like it’s been doing since the 1920’s. The building is huge, but warm. The entertainment is a mix of legends and up ‘n comers. Even the commercials for Cracker Barrel and Dickies work wear add to the fun. The tiniest performer of all stole the show – Little Jimmy Dickens. Just 5 foot tall, but what a character decked out in his sparkling Nudie shirt and glittery boots. His best line of the night: “When I was born, my daddy passed out cigar butts.” Well, you had to be there. The legends included Porter Wagoner, Jeannie Seely, Connie Smith, Jean Shephard, John Conlee, Charlie Louvin, and new Opry inductees Del McCoury Band (great bluegrass!).  The two newbies with current hits were Rodney Atkins and Jeff Bates, and you can tell how honored they were to be on that stage. Their songs were great as well. A surprise visit by Vince Gill nearly brought down the house. Flash photos are welcome, so you could judge the performer’s popularity by the mad rush of seniors rambling down the aisle snapping their disposable Kodaks. There was a gray-haired stampede for Vince.

October 25

Asheville definitely has a certain vibe to it. It has that small college town feel, very artistic, much like Ashland. NC State has a campus there. The shops are mainly upscale, as are most of the bistros, though there are several eclectic places as well. During my meal of Jerk Chicken and rasta pasta, a very friendly waitress named Trish got me educated on which clubs and what groups to see or avoid. Tonight was a tough choice: Legendary singer-songwriter Steve Earle’s sister, or Arlo Guthrie’s daughter. I chose the sister because I was able to find the place. Gavin’s tip for the day: Don’t try to learn your way around a town you have never been in before at night!

Anyhow, I found my way to the Grey Eagle on the west side of town. I was treated to some of the coolest music I’ve heard in awhile. Definitely a solid North Carolina feel. Stacey Earle has an indescribable voice, you just gotta hear her. And her husband Mark Stuart plays a mean guitar and his voice is pure North Carolina as well – tenor with a twang, but beautiful. The two of them together – scrumptious! They spun stories of how they met, how they fell in love, and their chemistry was oozing. It was truly refreshing to see a couple working so beautifully together.

After the show I met the stars and they signed their new CD I had just purchased. Gee, what a surprise! Stacey and Mark are very friendly and made time for everyone who wanted to meet them. She and I briefly talked shop, and she said to me “you just gotta dive in.” I believe she spoke to me from her own experience.

October 26

Today started with a yummy breakfast, then off for a road trip into South Carolina. I was hoping to make it to Georgia as well, but the weather has been rainy, so I’ll keep it to 3 states in 2 days.

I drove to a beautiful state park in SC then returned to rainy Hendersonville for football watching. The sports bar I picked came with halftime entertainment – a fight! Two fans started verbally sparring and before I knew it they were “taking it outside.” I had flashbacks to junior high. Well, the victor, a regular, returned to pats on the back. Ugh. The loser had bitten the victor’s finger and it was bleeding pretty good, as was his mouth, nose, and well, everywhere. His bloody shirt and finger didn’t keep him from sitting down and watching the rest of the game. Cops showed up later, but apparently decided it wasn’t worth the red tape and soon left. My dilemma? He was rooting for the Steelers which happened to be playing my Rams. After each Ram score I cheered half-heartedly, having visions of my fingers being dislocated. I escaped with a Rams win and no personal injuries. Welcome to North Carolina.

October 27

I decided to check out a day early and spend the day on the road. I took the Blue Ridge Skyway south out of Asheville and headed towards the southern entrance of the Great Smokys at Cherokee.

Though the weather was a mix of rain, fog and a few moments of sun, this was one of the most beautiful spots on Earth I have ever seen! The reds and greens and yellows of the leaves on the trees were absolutely gorgeous. The panoramic views were breathtaking. At the Tennessee/NC state line at 5,000 ft.+ elevation, it was pretty chilly, but well worth the stop.

October 28

Back at David’s in a ver

y nice part of Nashville called Green Hills. It’s to the south of the city center and not too far from Music Row. David’s street has charming old brick houses spread on huge lots adorned by trees turning colors of Fall. We darted over to the Calypso Café for some takeout and back in time to watch the season premier of “24”. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a total “24” junkie. Took a nice walk in the neighborhood and checked out the beautiful homes and a quick jaunt on the campus of the local Catholic college. Now I am reclining in the cozy guest bedroom with the Lakers season opener on in the background. After a few hard days of driving and wet weather, it’s nice to relax in a friend’s home.

October 30

So first it was a walk around GORGEOUS Radnor Lake, just a mere 10 minutes from downtown. Wow, the colors are majestic. Lots of deer nibbling on whatever it is they eat. I am so glad I came here this time of year. No chiggers or mosquitoes. 70 degree weather. Only a touch of rain and cold so far. And as I was walking I felt some lyrics stirring.

October 31 Halloween!!!!

Finally, off to the party. Located in Beverly Hills-like Forest Hills, the house was very Nashville. Old, with lots of stone and brick, spiral staircase, sun room, huge yards with gazebos, and a houseful of who’s-who in town. Totally decked in Halloween décor, laden with cocktails and food trimmings, this party was a happening scene. I met many of David’s friends, and made some new ones. The costume winner of the evening was a couple: He was wearing a, how do I say it? A dick head. Use your imagination! She was, well, barely dressed. Another theme was men dressed as women, tarts, angels, any excuse to put on frilly clothes and huge padded bras. Ahhh, Halloween.

November 2

I have to start with a little tidbit from last night in Lexington. I had a really awesome dinner downtown at De Sha’s. It had to be the most memorable honeyed cornbread I have ever tasted! Totally yummy with butter. Well, after the meal and a Starbuck’s decaf, I wandered over to the local sallloooon. No Rocky Raccoon, but there were lots of Wildcats. This town is U of K crazy! Everywhere you look is the color blue. In the Cheapside Bar & Grill I was stopping in for the R & B band, but hold everything. It was the 4^th Quarter of the University of Kentucky vs. Arkansas football. It turned out to be the team’s longest game in history – 7 overtimes! Alas, after screaming fans, many beers by the rowdies all around me, the final heartbreaking score Arkansas 71 – U of K 63! And the band finally got on the stage at around midnight after a scheduled start of 10 pm. I had endured the cigarette clouds for 2 hours too long so I then drove on back to the motel.

This morning it was off to the Kentucky Horse Park! The Horse Museum was terrific, with everything you’ve always wanted to know about the history of the horse, as well as how many of the breeds were developed around the world and especially here in Bluegrass country.

The highlight of walking around the grounds was the Hall of Champions. Among the many horses living there was Cigar. Lucky for me that he rolled around on his manure in his stall. Due to that mishap, the handlers had to give him a second bath. This allowed all of us looky-loos to get a good look at the champion and take lots of photos. He was very handsome, even as the brownish greenish slime was hosed off his haunches. The runner up highlight was getting to see the very handsome Seabiscuit Too, who is, yes, one of the horses from the movie! He was in a circular pen running around and eating lots of hay. Ahh, the life of a movie star. Also there was Man of War’s tomb, and a beautiful monument statue. All in all, a stunning facility, set amongst beautiful landscaping, and I got my taste of Kentucky horse country.

November 3

But onto more important matters: I passed it on the way north but I was determined to stop in on the way back – The National Corvette Museum! Housed in a bizarre cylindrically shaped yellow building with a space needle jutting out of it, there I got first hand looks at everything Corvette. A couple of cool things for you Vette enthusiasts out there: The original impetus behind the Corvette was military base commanders wanted something for the men to get excited about, so why not a fast car? It’s kind of like a Seabiscuit story of men from disparate settings coming together to create a masterpiece.

November 5

So we met up with David’s friends and joined in on the Famous Music Publishing CMA Awards Show party. In a tent situated in a parking lot, tons of food and drink, and a huge TV with stereo speakers, at least 200 people gathered to watch the festivities. The highlight of the night had to be Dolly and Norah, and also the tribute to Johnny Cash featuring Willie, Kris, Hank Jr. and Sheryl Crow. But what was more fun was the people-watching and hanging out with some fun people. It was definitely cool to be here for the awards show cuz you can sense the pride when winners were announced and you realize you are sitting with folks directly involved with the artists.

November 7

Today was a little more eventful, and a nice way to wrap up the week here in Music City. I popped down to Gruhn’s Guitars and caught the cool vibe. I spoke with a gal there who said Vince Gill was in earlier. I got David a gift certificate, bought some souvenirs, and looked at a gorgeous new Martin for under $800.

Later…….

Tonight was a terrific treat. First another yummy dinner at Green Hills Grille. David’s friends had free tickets to the Nashville Symphony. What was really hip is that it was the world premier of a commissioned original piece by world class musicians Bela Fleck (banjo) and Edgar Meyer (upright bass). It was absolutely fascinating to hear banjo with a symphony. The music itself was a symphonic blend of jazz and bluegrass I call “bluphonic.”

November 8

Today was absolutely wonderful!  After a good breakfast and helping David rake up the leaves that have overtaken his front and back yards, it was off to Soundwave Studio to hang out at a recording session. David’s friend invited us down. I met legendary engineer/producer Richard Adler. Once again, I found myself sitting in a place where history was dripping from the walls. Neil Young, Alison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Johnny Cash, Mark Knopfler, John Prine and Dolly Parton to name a few have cut albums there. Today, a rock band from KY was laying down tracks for a Kentucky music compilation CD project.

Later it was off to a party with a new friend out in the country by a beautiful lake, which was actually the Cumberland River east of Nashville. The house is remarkable with breathtaking views. Upstairs, the hosts put out quite a spread of delectable homemade soups, salads and entrees and killer desserts. I met some delightful people and possibly some new friends. The highlight of the party was a full lunar eclipse (spectacular!) and a bonfire out in the yard overlooking the lake. Kids roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. All in all, a memorable experience 

November 9

Today was all about the Tennessee Titans game! The seats were located almost at field level at the Titans endzone but off to the west side so you had an angle view of the action. The first TD by the Titans came right at us. The Titans went ahead 14-0 over the Dolphins, and they never looked back winning 31-7. The noise was deafening, T-Rac the raccoon mascot was cool, Martina McBride sang the Anthem and there was a B1 Bomber flyby. Even the 6 dollar beer tasted good and the winning food item was the roadhouse hotwings.

November 10

I drove straight to Graceland to check out Elvis’s digs. Thankfully, the touristy stuff, parking lots, gift shops, etc. are across the street from the grounds. After paying a KING sized tour admission of 25 smackers, I boarded the shuttle along with the other sheep and we put on our headsets and listened to the orientation. A quick drive across Elvis Presley Blvd. and up the driveway to Graceland. Sadly, no flash photography was allowed in the house. Also, the upstairs was off limits as was Elvis’s request. The highlight had to be the jungle room. God, what WAS he thinking? Could it be any more kitchy! The basement was cool with the infamous 3 TV sets because that’s what the president had to watch all 3 news networks simultaneously. The bar and décor was a banana yellow. The stereo system was vintage deco. In fact the whole house décor was deco and lots of Tappan in the kitchen and hideous green shag carpeting on the floor and the ceiling. The King loved colors.

Seeing the hall of gold/platinum records and all the awards was overwhelming. It goes on forever. He had 131 hit records and sold over 1 billion records, but had only 3 Grammy wins. He was most proud of his award for being one of the 10 Most wonderful or something Young Men. Just up the hall from there was a wall filled with processes checks given to charities. We’re talking millions.

It was intense to see his grave with an eternal flame burning. Next to him are his parents and his grandmother, and at the edge a marker for his stillborn brother.  Then it was off to see his crazy collection of cars, golf carts, motorcycles, planes, trains and automobiles. The guy loved anything with wheels. He had a bunch of Stutzs and several caddies. I did see an article that said he became a millionaire in his first year as a recording artist. Sadly, there were no Elvis sightings today, however, maybe he’ll show up to the Pyramid tonight to take in the game. Announcers are prone to say “Elvis has left the building” when the outcome has been decided. More after the game.

Well, the Lakers got whooped in Memphis. The Grizzlies played a perfect game. I don’t even know who they were but everything went in, they had at least 15 steals and the Lakers turned the ball over at least 20 times. Kobe was hounded by the fans all night long.

November 11

My last morning in Memphis consisted of a brief stop on Beale St. to take photos, then over to the Civil Rights Museum adjacent to the Lorraine Motel. I gotta tell you, it was totally eerie to be standing some 30 feet below where Dr. King was killed. The motel looks like it is standing still in time. I can see the aides looking up and around for the shooter. I can feel the mayhem that must have ensued. I glanced around at the remaining buildings mainly of brick, some two stories high. I wonder where James Earl Ray was exactly and I wonder if it was really he who fired the shot.

The Sun Recording Studio had to be one of the coolest places I saw over the course of this trip. Our tour guide Michael took us upstairs to cool displays of the early history of Sam Phillips’ label. Among the cool things I learned was that the tune “Rocket 88” is considered the first rock song because of the distortion from the guitar amp.  It just happened to be created accidentally by some newspaper that Sam crammed into it as a repair measure (it had earlier fallen off the band’s car roof). Michael also pointed out cool details like on Elvis’s first TV appearance his bass player Bill Black is chomping on gum, and Elvis may also being chewing gum while he is singing.

Downstairs in the studio, the room was rich with history. We were allowed to hold the standing mic that Elvis used to record all 5 of his songs there. Another tidbit I didn’t know is that Sam was having financial troubles keeping the studio up and running so he sold Elvis to RCA for 35 grand. With that money he was able to fund Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” which happened to be Sun Records first million selling record. One other good one was the secretary whose name I am forgetting had a hand in bringing Elvis to Sam’s attention. Always be nice to secretaries and remember their names! Sam was unimpressed with Elvis’s first vocal performance that cost Elvis 3 bucks to make and was for his mom Gladys. The secretary kept all of Elvis’s tapes hidden away in a drawer because she knew he was going to be something. Eventually, he caught on. I think he sold a few records and made a few bucks. One last detail that was cool to see was in the floor you could see the indentation from Bill Black’s upright bass steel point. Michael also told a story about Dylan who came in one time, didn’t record, but got down on his knees, kissed the floor, and walked out.

November 12

What a trip it was! I can truly say that I got a first class education as to what living in Music City would be like. Now I can sit back and evaluate what approaches to take. But let me have some time to just sit with it all. For now, I will sign off and say that I am getting closer to myself and that’s a good thing. 

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