I often think about the seemingly small decisions in life that lead to much bigger things. It was the Spring of 1986 and I was a year out of college, working for very little money at my first official music biz gig. I knew this was a dead-end job. All my life I dreamed of… → Read More

Growing up in Australia, my maternal grandmother was my favorite person to Spend time with. As a child as far back as I remember and until I moved to Nashville, Evy , as she was called was my babysitter , and inspiration. She always had something delicious on the stove, chicken curry, tripe in white… → Read More

I was working in film production and wanted to a producer. She suggested my name to a director. This one person was responsible for starting my producing career and changing my life.

To understand this story, you have to know a little about my past. As a child, I could not sing. And, I had the feedback to prove it. My kindergarten teacher would ask me to do “something quiet” while the rest of the class sang. In school, guys who played in the band always recruited… → Read More

I was 18 years old and just booted from Alice Lloyd College for going into a boy’s dorm. Ed and Norma were leaving Pippa Passes, Ky for a new job in Bowling Green, Ohio. Bless them, they took my sister and me along with them. My sister took a job at the college there while… → Read More

I thank Roger, my 7th grade biology teacher, for recognizing the special person I knew I was inside, and encouraging her to come out. The amazing thing is that you’ve continued to provide that encouragement for 40 years, never failing to see me as I am when I could not. Thank you, Roger – you’ve… → Read More

Dear Tricia, I’ve been thinking of how of I have come to my great place in the world. By great place I don’t mean a place of notoriety or material success, but success in becoming the person I wanted to become. When I think of all the people who have influenced me in my life,… → Read More

Clarence, I’ll always remember the last thing you said to me. It was after your retirement party, and I was both blown away and honored that you asked me to lead the prayer. There were a lot of folks from your church there. You let me work for two years with no supervision—the ability to… → Read More

Eddie Mattingly and Carol Reesor, I owe you big.      I could write dozens of these. And I just might. But every creative road I am currently on leads to Eddie Mattingly, my friend and mentor from a small town in Western Kentucky, a good hour from any decent grocery store, but just minutes from… → Read More

In the late 1970’s I first met Richard when I was working as a summer intern as a Petroleum Engineer. I had just gotten married to my wife of 35 years now and really looked up to him as an experienced engineer. One day he introduced me to a friend that had a small business… → Read More