Why Not Me the World Introduction

Welcome to Why Not Me the World?
Podcast hosted by Tony Mantor, broadcasting from Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee.
Join us as our guests tell us their stories. Some
will make you laugh, some will make you cry. Real
life people who will inspire and show that you are
not alone in this world. Hopefully you gain more awareness, acceptance,
and a better understanding for autism around the world. Welcome
to my podcast, why Not Me the World. I was
going to take this time to introduce myself to you,
and then I remembered I just did an interview with
Tony Lloyd. He's based out of the southern part of France,
and it covers everything that I wanted to tell you.
We talk about my music, what I do here in Nashville,
and most important, my plans for my podcast supporting autism awareness,
acceptance and understanding around the world. Now, once the interview
is complete, I'm going to look into my crystal ball
and I'm going to give you all the inside information
on future episodes of my podcast.
Hello, this is Tony Lloyd. It's being a broadcaster for
many years, I've writtensed some great stories in the music industry. Allowa,
what's to bring as many music stories to you as
I can in this series of podcasts. My goal is
that there will, inspite of us, making their way in
the music world. Music Stories with Tony Lloyd Tony Man's
speaking to me from the fabulous Nashville.
Welcome to Music Stories. How are you.
I'm doing great, Thanks, thanks for having me.
Well nice A pleasure, A pleasure.
I've done a little bit of research into you, as
I do, and it says that you are a singer, songwriter, pianist,
and producer and a few other things besides.
Is that right?
Yeah, yeah, I've I've had a good run here in Nashville.
I started out just doing music production development, pitching the
record labels, you know, that type of thing, but the
major publishers, and then it developed into a record label
in two thousand and five, and since then I've had
the opportunity to work with a lot of fairly well
known names.
Yes, I understand, give me the list.
Well I worked.
I produced and managed Mila Mason, who had a lot
of big hits back in the late nineties on Country
Atlantic Records. I've produced Jackie Wilson, Sunbobby I did. I
produce and manage him for about eight years. I produced,
I produced and manager I think a singer that was
just on your show here recently Debbie Campbell, Glenn Campbell's daughter.
And then I'm currently producing and managing the star of
Happy Days TV show, Donny Moss.
It was used to be Ralph Mouth.
Ralph of course, so hello, it's of Ralph.
For me, I will, I will.
He's got he's a great singer, and he's got that
Frank Sinatra Bobby Darren swing style and just really really
takes you back in time to to when music was
was just really really about music.
Fantastic, I said, he it's still just for laugh if
you know, and again imitate the Fonds and go to
a mirror, because he went into the mirror and the
men's room, didn't He with a comb and then started
to come and then said no, hey, it's.
Perfect, exactly exactly.
Oh just remember that. That's that's fantastic. Or maybe we
can interview him Ralph.
Yeah, absolutely, I know he would love to.
Okay, great, well we'll sort that out later.
That would be really cool. It also says say that
you're a multi award winning producer.
See what one prizes?
Well, you know, awards I've won. I've won awards as
Manager of the Year and Record Label the Year. I've
managed to get my name on on the ballot for
the Grammys four or five times. I've just just been
announced as a Grammy mentor for what they call Grammy You,
which is kind of a mentorship for up and coming people.
That want to get into the music business.
So I'm going to be working with a sophomore this
in Belmont College here in Nashville that wants to be
either producer and engineer. So yeah, I've I've been very
fortunate a lot of things that come my way.
That's very modest of you. It's all down to your talent.
I'm sure guess how many awards I've won.
I wouldn't guess. You know, you've probably done some. I'm
guessing absolutely none.
Well, you know, I've never been really about the awards,
you know. I mean, it's nice to it's nice to
be recognized, it's nice to have people put you up
for him, But really what it comes down to is
the body of work and the quality that you do.
That that really is the most important.
And how long have you been playing the piano?
Well, I started, I started thanks to my mother. At
age eight, I was just like a normal kid, like
anybody else, just running around having fun. And we had
an old beat up piano. I'd go over there and
pound on it for a while, and I paid a
lot of attention to it. So my mother said, well,
if you're going to take and pay attention to it,
we'll fix it up, put new ivories on and get
it tuned, get it really in tiptop shape, and send
you out there so you can have piano lessons. And
I did, and you know, just as as and I
was classically trained Beethoven, you know, Broms, chopin all those
and and then as I got into my teens, I
started finding you know, the Eagles and and you know
Creeden's clear Water Revival and and the pop bands and
so it's my my focus shifted on the style of music.
But but the biggest thing is I just had a
love for music, and I decided that I wanted to
at least try to see what I could do in it.
That's amazing.
I got to grade three and then gave up because
I became a teenager and other things were more interesting
in my life.
Well, I did that at one point I was.
I was supposed to practice every day for my weekly
weekly visit with my piano teacher, and it got to
the point.
Where I was doing so much other stuff.
My mother actually got quite upset with me and said, Okay,
if you're not going to take and practice every day
like you're supposed to, and you're not going to do
what you doue diligence like you're supposed to, we're not
going to pay to have you go down there every
every week and learn something when you're not learning. And
that kind of kind of set me, set me straight,
and I changed my way and got back to practice,
and I'm glad she was tough on me.
And at that age, could you have imagined what you
are today?
Not at all?
I mean, I mean back then, I had discovered you know,
the pops, you know, Gendre of Music, Elvis and and
you know all the R and b X and the
Motown and you know and all that, and and I
always dreamed of of being on stage and performing and recording,
you know, putting my songs out there.
But but you know, I was.
I was in a little little town in Maine, you know, Madison, Maine,
and about five thousand people, and and it was a
mill town and you just worked and you had your
nine to five Monday through Friday jobs, and the entertainment
business was a pipe dream, you know. So so everybody
that I told, you know that I wanted to do this,
it's like, what are you thinking?
You know, you can't do that, you know.
And and and they weren't being negative because they didn't
think I could do it. They would just being negative
because it wasn't anything that was perceived in that area
as being something that's viable.
And he's a bigger audience.
Yeah, yeah, you know.
So so I took, and I took and joined a
local band and we became fairly popular.
And then I had an opportunity to go to Nashville.
And and people get a laugh out of this because
I had two friends of mine that were country songwriters
and they wanted to go to Nashville, but they didn't
have any transportation. So they asked me, they said, would
you drive us down? We don't have any good transportation.
And my response is why would it? Because I was
into pop music, so I was thinking Boston, New York, LA,
not Nashville, you know. And and my comment was why
would I want to go to a hic town like Nashville,
you know, so everybody get a big laugh out of it.
So I wound up taking him down.
And then because when I drove up there, I saw
the high rises and it was concrete and steel, just
like any other city. And I got to walk music
Row and meet people, and and I just really liked
their back back, laid back attitude, and it was much
more companying than going to New York in LA. And
you know, I wound up going to Nashville and started
recording and just kept going back and forth, and here
I am today.
Been there ever since.
I've always wanted to go to Nashville always. That's a
great I don't know anything about it apart from the
TV series Nashville.
Yeah, and and that was partially true and some of
the things that they had in that. But Nashville has
changed dramatically over the last thirty years. I mean, this
year here celebrate I celebrate my thirtieth anniversary of being
in Nashville.
You know.
So when I first moved to Nashville, there was twenty
six major labels. There was there was recording studios, just
abundant with life I mean it was just just hustle
and bustle and just just really really good.
Today you've got three major apels.
I mean you've got like Universal, Sony and Warner Brothers,
because you've got Curb and and you know, and a
few other major independents. But but all those May twenty
six major labels have been have been bought up and
they're under one, you know, one of two umbrellas now
And a lot of the recording studios that were just
busy all the time, they've been torn down for corn
condos and high rise. I mean, Paul McCartney recorded in
one of these studios. They tore down and put put
up a condo.
You know.
It's just really sad. So it's it's changed dramatically in
the last thirty years. It's still great. I mean, they've
got the Country Music Hall of Fame, you've got to Rhyman,
You've got you've got to you know, the Predators that
play there. You've you've got a lot of uh, you know,
good good places to go and still a lot of
entertaining things to do here in Nashville. But but compared
to what it was in the nineties, it has changed dramatically.
It's a common story, isn't it, especially in the music
industry unfortunately, but it is. So it says here that
you were a band leader on tours. Does that mean
you were a deacon?
Well, what I did is is when I first came
to Nashville with my with my my friends.
The first time, it was.
The we we traveled Music Row, which is one little
building after another, and.
Then we we went.
We came back a second time, and we actually got
a publisher that was interested in recording some of their
songs and and helping them.
So they lined up a studio.
We went into the studio and the piano player didn't
show up for whatever reason. And so they looked at
me and they said, they said, well he can play piano.
So the producer looked at me and said, well, you
says you want to want to want to take and
make yourself a few bucks. I said sure, So I
went in and here I am playing with some of
the some of the best musicians in Nashville. I mean
it's like like he's a country hit guy, right, you know,
playing with with with some of the top session players.
And and then uh, this this guy just had and
to happen to come in to meet somebody, and he
saw me playing there, and he didn't recognize me, know me,
because he knew all the other players. He come up
and introduced himself and and and asked me what I
was doing. I told him, you know how I wound
up in that seat, and he goes, you know, He goes,
are you're doing anything right now?
He goes, you're you're going on tour? What are you doing?
I said, no, I'm actually in between bands, and I'm
going to when I go home, I'm going to figure
out what I'm going to do. And he goes, well,
how would you like to go with with Ronni McDowell.
He goes, he's looking for a keyboard player and a
backup singer right now. He goes, you could do both,
you know. So so I wound up doing it. I
wound up doing a tour with him.
I was band leader.
I watched over, you know, made sure that the band
you know, knew the chops and and you know, played
the songs correctly, and wound up doing a short tour
with him, and and then I went back to I
didn't want to be a side man any longer, so
I went back to doing my thing and trying to
present myself as a as a singer. But I worked
with the Ronnie's manager and he would gave me some
mentorship and help me out here and there, and and
that worked really good.
That's amazing.
So it's it's as quite often is the case. It's
luck as well, isn't it. But the right place at
the right time it is.
I mean, you can have all the talent in the
world and still not hit that right spot at the
right time. And and you never know what that spot
is at the time. And that's why I tell everybody
that I work with or potentially work with, make sure
that you put your very best product out there that
you possibly can, because you never know who's watching you,
and you never know who's around that next corner that
can help you.
I was going to ask you, if you've got any
advice for up and coming musicians.
That's what I tell them.
Do your best work always, you know, because because it
doesn't matter if you if you're doing it and five
people here it or five hundred thousand people here, if
it's not the best, you know, always do your best.
Great advice, of course, and your single why not me
is available. Now tell me the inspiration behind that.
Well, you just brought up luck at the right time.
That's what this was. I've been when I when I
moved to Nashville, I took myself off the stage and
I went behind the scenes, producing, developing, managing people. And
I didn't I just didn't think about getting back on
that stage and performing or doing anything again. And then
in twenty twenty, when the pandemic hit, I.
You know, I mean, everything shut down, you know.
And about seven years earlier, I had I had wanted
to do a CD just for myself, just for fun,
just to give to my friends, family, kids, grandkids, you know,
just a little legacy, you know, nothing, nothing to try
and sell a million records or anything. So we a
friend of mine called me up. He goes, hey, we
got nothing to do, let's let's finish your CD. And
I said, well, you know, rather than finishing, let's just
start fresh. So I started picking songs that started coolvoting them.
And then that spring a friend of mine that had
written a song that I produced on a previous artist
that I had been working with, sent me a song
that he had written and he says, I think this
is one of my best songs. I want you to
hear it. So I heard it was called why Not Me?
And I listened to the lyrics, and it's about positivity,
never giving up your dreams. It doesn't matter when you do,
it only matters that you do. And I said, man,
this is what I've been preaching on my social media
for the last years, you know. So so I told him,
I said, you know, let me record this song.
I'm not going to make it a big hit.
I'm not going to sell I might sell a hundred records,
not one hundred thousand or a million. I said, but
you'll have a great demo to you know. That's a
radio ready to pitch around if you want. And so
he goes, go ahead. So I did, and then my
promoters in New York, LA, Nashville and him over in
the UK said I want to hear what you're doing.
So I sent him this song i'd just finished, and
I had done it in a pop version, but I
added a steal in it, just to give it a
little texture like the Eagles.
Used to do with their steals. And everybody says to me, oh,
you recorded a country song.
The country music twang.
The steal yeah, you know, and and I'm going I don't.
I said, okay, whatever you want to classify it, I
don't care, you know. So everybody said, oh, you've got
to release this. I said, you're out of your mind.
I said, I'm not. I'm not trying to do anything
to get myself a star or anything. I'm just doing
this for my own enjoyment.
And they come back to me, they.
Say, yeah, but there's nothing out here like this that
is as positive. So I said, well, okay, if I'm
going to do that, then I've got to at least
point fingers to help people out of this. So I
picked the First Responders because they was going through tough
times through the pandemic and getting getting things, you know,
thrown at them and everything. So I did a video
on that and and I let people know that I
was going to do this, and all of a sudden,
I started getting pictures and short video clips from all
over the country telling me.
That I can we be part of you, of your video.
So I put it together and over out five or
six months, it got one hundred and twenty five thousand views,
and and it got and you know, it was good,
you know, And then I figured, okay, that was it.
You know that that was That's I've done my thing.
And and then a few months later, this lady calls
me out of Saint Louis and she goes, I really
love what you did. For the first respond is can
you help us do the same thing? And I said, well,
who's us? And it turns out she's a speech therapist
for autistic children.
So I gave us some thought. We talked back and forth.
I talked with her regional manager and everything, and I said,
you know, if I'm going to do this, I've got
to re record it as a more adult contemporary pop
so there's no mis miscommunication on what it is and
no misunderstanding from the from the other song.
And I did, and then I wound up getting, uh.
Some people, I got all all I got everybody that's
in my video now people go see it are autistic
people from Nashville. So so I did that, and within
a few months, I've got I've got over two hundred
thousand views on it. I've got I've got people call
me up for interviews and and and how can you
bring attention to this? And I've come I've become kind
of an advocate or an ambassador for for for autistic
you know community. So I believe in believe in this.
I'm trying to help people. And now my next I
haven't told anybody.
This yet, so you can. You can be the first
one that has announced time.
I'm honest, what is it? What is it I've just made.
I've just made an arrangement now to where we're going
to do the next episode of Why Not Me, And
it's going to be Why Not Me New York. I'm
going to be having the autistic community in New York
be part of the video.
Okay, awesome. And don't you feel I mean I feel no.
When you help somebody, or help lots of people, even
if it's just entertaining them and give them a good time,
doesn't it make you feel nice inside?
It does, and and and not all only does it
make me feel good?
But but this, this community, this autistic community, I mean,
I mean people don't realize.
I never did until I was told.
But there's one in seven people worldwide that either know
someone or has someone that's autistic in their family. So
it's a really you know, tight knit community. And and
and you know, uh, because of that, when I when
people find out what I'm doing, they'll they'll they'll reach
out to me and say, you know, I would love
what you're doing. Thanks for helping, you know, And and
they'll tell me stories of their kids or their grandkids.
I mean, I had one gentleman reached out to me,
sent me a message, and he goes, you know, I
really appreciate what you're doing.
My son's autistic.
And they sent me thirty pictures of his son doing
different things, you know, and and you know, and when
you get interaction that way, you know, it kind of
gives you a nice feeling that that people appreciating what
you're doing.
Plus you know, you're you're giving a little comfort to people.
And and my my whole, my.
Whole analogy on this thing has been and is if
I can help one person, you know, then it's been
a success.
Amazing.
And have you have you got to rewrite the song
for the New York version or what's going to happen
there with the production?
Actually, the production is going to stay the same.
The only thing that's going to change is I'm probably
going to I'm probably going to re record parts of
my my part so that it's not exactly the same
and and then we'll have the different different people in
different different spots, you know, trying to tell the story
of of their story.
That's amazing. Tony, You've been fantastic to talk to. Thank
you so much for talking to me.
Our music stories, all your stuff, of course is available
on your website, which is Tony Mantor, which is about
m A N t o r dot com tonymanta dot com,
including the video of the autistic children because I watched
it earlier for your single why Not Me?
And thank you once again for talking to me. It's
been brilliant.
Thank you, oh thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
First, I want to thank Tony Lloyd for having me
on his podcast, Great conversation, great guy. During that interview
I mentioned why Not Me New York. Because of the
tremendous response we've received for why Not Me Nashville, it
has now evolved to become why Not Me the World,
So over the next few months I will be accepting
short video clips and pictures of autistic people from around
the world to include in my new music video. Also
my why Not Me podcast? Well you guessed it, it's
going to be why Not Me?
The world.
I'll be having autistic people that will tell you and
me their life stories. I hope that this can create
conversations and give inspiration to those in the autistic world
that no matter where you live, you are not alone
in this journey called life. I also hope that it
can open minds. I want to see those that are
not in the autistic world gain more knowledge and a
better understanding of autism. So this will give them the
ability to have more acceptance when they meet someone that
is autistic because of the stories they've heard on this podcast.
I'm hoping to build a community that is worldwide. People
that can come on this podcast tell their stories, people
that can listen, and hopefully that will create a community
where everybody wants to give and help their local communities worldwide.
Some of you may think this is just too big
to get involved with. Well, let me tell you this.
Once you start hearing the stories that I've been told
by the people that will be on this podcast, it
will make you want to help.
Now.
Before I started my project supporting autism, I had friends
that have autistic children.
I was aware of it.
I accepted it because I was aware, but I absolutely
knew nothing about autism. Now I can carry on a conversation,
yet I still have so much more that I need
to learn. But that's where this podcast can really help us.
All we can learn together from the stories of the
people that will be on this podcast.
How do we do this? You ask, one episode at a.
Time, people telling their stories, people listening, people communicating, people
sharing this and ultimately real people telling real stories and
sharing to the world how they live their life.
So join us.
Let's do something exceptional together. If you want to keep
up with everything that's going on, go to Tonymantra dot
com and sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep
you updated on all the exciting things that will be
happening on Why Not Me the World Podcast. We are
now one month away from episode one and I am
so excited to have our first guest on our show.
So until then, if you're shooting for your dreams, remember this.
If they can do it, just ask yourself, why not Me?
Thanks for taking the time out of.
Your busy schedule to listen to our show today. We
hope that you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed
bringing it to you. If you know anyone that would
like to tell us their story, send them to tonymantor
dot com. Contact then they can give us their information
so one day they may be a guest on our show.
One more thing we ask tell everyone everywhere about why
not me? The world, the conversations we're having, and the
inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are
not alone in this world.