#81 - Robert Deaton - Producer for the CMA Awards, Music Video Director and Interesting Guy,

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Speaker 1: I welcome to episode eight one. So I guess it's Robert Deaton, big time TV producer. I mean, he's done so much. I don't even want to call you. What do you call yourself? What is what do you do for a living? I am in the entertainment business, But that's what you say. I guess so because I do so many different things. Yeah, that's why I was like, I was like, what do I even call Robert? So um because I want to talk about a lot of stuff. But like, you produce the c m A s, the CMA Country Christmas, the Billboard Awards, the c m A, the big show outside the c m A Festival. I've done, like hunt tons of music videos. I did The Passion with Tyler Perry. You did that? I did that? Yeah, that was That was in the last five years. That was the year before last. Yeah that's a recent Yeah. That was fun. It was hard, but it was fun. That's interesting to you because when I was growing up in Arkansas, like I went to watch the Passion play and in Northwest Arkansas, they I don't know, I know if they still have it anymore, but it was such a revered thing. Like every year it was our youth group. We would go up and we would it was a big deal to watch the Passion play. And people travel from all over the all over the world to this one tiny place in Arkansas to watch this this passion play. And I remember whenever you guys, and it wasn't exactly the same, but whenever you're taking on something like that with Tyler Perry that has kind of a religious tone field, I mean, that's what it's about. Like there's some weird pressure to that, right, Yeah, you don't you know, the most pressure I ever had because you don't want to let Jesus down. Did it rain or something crazy? Like? It rained every day during rehearsal when we rehearsed Trish Yearwood, who played Mary, it was like we were in a hurricane. It was completely raining. We never did one rehearsal. Uh, all of it was in the rain until we did the show. Now, let me ask you for Itill like, if you if it's raining every day and you're doing something with Jesus, do you a little bit ago? All right, Jesus talking to me right now. The whole project, the whole project, it was like it was a lot of pressure, but you know, what Tyler Perry the man can throw down a prayer. He is, He's incredible. It was like that when we get in the room and he'd throw down a prayer. It's like you get into what room, like just going into his dressing room or just getting ready for the show boy, he would he would pray and he would. It was like, I wish I had a script I had. I wish I had it written down somewhere where I could go back and look at it. He's just he's he's awesome. He's awesome. So as a producer, what does a producer do? Because I think a lot of people see it on TV pop up and go producer, you know, Robert, They don't really know what that entails. So like if we were to go talk to explain it, like I'm five, what does a producer do? So every creative decision goes through me? So set design, lighting design, individual performances. Who gets on the show, what are they going to sing? Every single aspect of the show goes through me. So now I have a great team. Of course, I've got great people. Lighting designers, set designer. I think that you know, a producer has to have a good taste yeah, I think that's really important. Um So, yeah, everything goes through me, every creative decision. Just I'm gonna veer around a bit when you talk about creative decisions and at times you take risks as a producer. And I don't know if this was a risk or not, but I was watching the c M A UM Festival special and to me, I thought Brother's Osborne stole the show, killed it. Now I'm biased because I love those guys and I'm friends with those guys, but I really thought they stole the show. And there was a point where there was a really long John guitar solo on Network TV in prime time seven minutes, and I'm thinking to myself as it's happening, like I love this and I enjoyed this. But that was a risk and I think it paid off. But for you to put that first of all Brothers Osborne, who to the mainstream aren't so known yet correct and guitar so low for that long, sometimes I feel like you have to do do it because it's great, you know you Sure, I'm answered to the ratings, and I answered to ABC and in the c m A. But sometimes didn't the answer good enough that it's just great. And so it was great, and there was you know, and I didn't know them. I met them to the day of That's when I met them during rehearsal and they I'm I'm in the truck and I'm looking at going, oh man, I'm gonna have to cut this down. It's like this is going on and on and on. And then you watched how he it was genius, how he created that guitar solo, that how the movement worked in it, and how it progressed. And so we looked at it in the edit and I was like, oh, we just gotta do it. I was like, let's just put it in and see if ABC says anything. That's such a like that's such a big time commitment for setchal out of the box thing it is. Did you think they were gonna come back and say you need to did? I did think they were gonna cut I thought I thought they would call back. Luckily, Um, you know there's music guys. You're a music guy, right, you get you know, growing up, I was all growing up, I was about TV and TV shows and music. That's all I was about. Just now, I would look on the back of the album covers. You know who played on this record and who did that? And I just love music and so luckily, uh, there's a guy at ABC. He came over from Kimmel who was the music booker. Scott. Yeah, he's a great guy. And so, uh, Scott called me and said, I love the brothers Osborne. I was like, great, we're gonna keep it all right, He's like, absolutely, keep it all So Scott was the guy that saw it and said this is a good let's keep it. It's like the perfect team. Like it's two music lovers. Am is in trouble now, but no, surely it is two music lovers. And and again I've booked things again just because it's it's the right thing to do. Like Girl Crush. You know when I first booked it, I booked it for the Billboard Awards and it wasn't the hit now that everybody remembers in the award winning and uh, it was just one of those things. Man, it's like, we should book this because it's great and uh and we did talk to me a second. We'll just stay on the CMA Awards for a minute. There's a lot, but we're talking about a risk and I can the opening. Last year's CEMA Awards was a risk. Last year's Oh in Dallas, No, No, the fiftieth for me here in Nashville, the fiftieth anniversary of the CMA Awards. Oh, that's right, that's right. Because all the acts it was a legendary that's right. Because you had a lot of legends. Some of them were really older, older, older, like because what it was I'm remembering now what it was is they all played part of a song and at the beginning of the c m as it was like this one song after another of all different greats. But some of them were really old. Well, you know, it was struggle. It was a risk, and I will tell you I had calls from people going wow that you were really wow. Just managers going by the way, we're for you, we want you to do this. Uh. And when you get when you see you know, when you get Charlie Daniels and Roy a Cuff, I mean, I'm sorry, Charlie Daniels are Roy Clark and they're thanking you for being there. It's like, you don't need to thank me. You've earned being here. But it was it was a risk, and it was also the rehearsal was tough. Man, it was like it was a nightmare. Okay, we had people you can fall back on, like I remember if again, I'm just going to remembery ever, like Paisley was Carrie Underwood and Alabama and Roy Clark and and they were in it. So it was almost like a balancing act where you kind of had to stack someone who maybe it was older and couldn't move as well as they used to against someone who could. Just in case that's correct. It was funny. We were, like I said, the night we never did get one full rehearsal. I mean the first time you saw it was on the air, and so it was just like you know, because we were bouncing back and forth between bands, between Brass Band and Carry's band, and it was it was so important to me though, but so it was a train red nightmare the rehearsal. So I'm walking across the stage, I got my head down and I hear a voice look better on paper, didn't it? And it was Vince Gill. I'm like, it'll be fine, and this is like, yeah, it'd be good, it'll be good. Who was it that was struggling rehearsal when you're like, man, you know what it was. It wasn't necessarily artists struggling. It was the number of artists in the time, you know, just the time period of going from one to the next, because you know it transitions. It was the transitions. And it wasn't any one particular artist. Um, we had a hard time with of all things. We had a hard time with Mountain Music, Alabama, Alabama, of all things. Just musically, you know, we were playing the wrong chord or something and only Randy could hear it, and it was like, so that took a minute. But it was just the sheer number of artists back and forth. But I will tell you it came off. I've looked at it five times. It's like the proudest thing I've ever done. So once you do that and it comes off early on in the TV show, and that's the hardest thing. Were you able to kind of go a little bit even though it was early in the show? Yeah, Well, I will tell you the first reaction is, uh, we can be men in here, right, But I cried. It was like, none of us are men in here world, We're not. So I cried. It was when I knew by the time we got to Alan, I knew we were through it and I knew it was great. And then, because you know what, growing up, I grew up in Welming to North Carolina, and my dad worked. My father worked at a television station. He had a Friday night country music show. I was five, six, seven, eight, nine years old and he had a and I was on the show. I was a squared answer on the show. So and uh so what he would do his book all the country music grand old Lobry stars that were coming through buck Owens right, Pilla Jack Greene, Jennie Seeley. So I was always around this as a kid, So I felt pressure even in that. I was like, I gotta get this right, not for me, but for them and for the history and what we're what we're trying to accomplish. So yeah, I cried at the end of it. And then and I did feel that way. I felt like we're gonna be because I knew what I had coming up to. I knew I had George Straight Alan Jackson. I knew I had this great duet with Garth and Tricia. You know, I had Garth singing Don't Close your Eyes by Keith Whitley. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that. So I knew I had those things that you kind of like the old Al Joelson thing, you ain't seeing nothing yet. I felt that way, um, but it was a lot of pressure. Let me talking about Express Pros for one second. So if it just one corporate job, only four to six people, we'll get to interviewed. Every two d and fifty resumes we're see like fortesting people. That's it. And that's for every two fifty like resumes from people trying to get the job. Those are not good odds if you're trying to get the job. If you're just uploading your resume, you're just giving your resume. The fact that you need a real person advocating for a real employer that has a real job. 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Because they've been doing it successfully for a long time. This will be their tenth year, and it's always the joke, this is the last year we're gonna do it. That's Brad's like, as long as I'll have as long as I'll have this, I mean ten years and they're still funny. But when you started ten years ago, like, was that who put them together? Put them together? I did, Yes, the first year. This would be my eleventh year. So the first year we didn't have a host. Most people don't remember that there was no host. The first year that I was at named the executive producer. We had multiple different people from from from TV, from movies, and then artists. I just didn't. I felt like that there wasn't a through line, you know, there wasn't that I like a host, you know, I like the host is that's taking you through the evening. Um. And so I picked Brad and care Ry And did you pick them separately or did you know that there was a dynamic between the two that had already existed. I did not know that there was a No. I had worked with Carrie. I had had her do a couple of intros for the festival and worked with and she just like completely brightens and lightens up and on when when on on television, it's incredible when that when that light goes on, it's like crazy. And then I just felt like Brad was modern day Uh yeah, oh gosh, the artist Roger Miller. It's like clever and songs were funny, and but he could also do whiskey lullaby at the same time, and he was like you know, and also uh A felt like Carrie was very contemporary. And you know, uh, I just I did not know that they would connect the way they did. Did they connect year one? Well? They did? We didn't know, I say, no, we just didn't. If you look back at the first year, there's like two jokes in the whole monologue. It's like literally four and a half minutes. I mean really, we were just hoping they would not fall off the stage. You know. It was that kind of thing. Everything that we did, uh, it grew, everything grew. We started figuring out who they were on stage, what their relationship was on stage, because it is it's like playing characters, you know. Um for example, we decided she's gonna be like more like a sister to him. There's not gonna be any um humor where she's trying to uh put him down. What's the what's the writing room like the week of whenever you're going in, because the monologue it's nine to ten minutes long. It's long, and it's very important because again, whatever you put at the front of a show sets the tone for a whole show. It does, and so the monolo it's very very important. So what's a writing room like the week of? We and Brady Cary involved. Yeah, to back up just a little bit, they're always involved, by the way, So we've already it's it's September. Our first meeting we had was in August. That's insane to have artists involved at early Um, it's a you know, we meet every day and there's a lot of changes. We never get really locked in until uh maybe the day of it is constant we are. We are in the room together. It's myself, Brad and Carey uh and and build their management and David Wilde, our writer, and myself and it is one outside writer. There's one, just one for the most really. Yeah, it's us. That's a really that's really strong man. Yeah, it's really us. Uh uh Yeah, it's it's crazy. We feel like that, you know. And again, just like anything else we get, we can get in rhythm. It's like the first couple of times we meet, I mean, we come up with a few things that are good, but we're still not yet right in rhythm. You know. It's you developed that you know, when you practice free throws in basketball, it's becomes muscle memory. We had to get that back, you know. Uh, And we do. And it's because we're in a room together and we can sit in a room and any we can say anything, we can throw out anything. There's nothing off limits. You're comfortable being vulnerable, which creates the best creative you can create the best when you're vulnerable, and if you're in a room where you trust everyone, it seems like you guys have that. We do have. Yeah, in fact, we have made people leave the room that have come in before. Like we've had people like I remember the year we had we went up remember when Carrie did the the uh she did the music are Cool the sound of music. So those first meetings had to happen in New York because she was up there, right, So we went up there and uh had a Rodgers meeting and Randy Goodman, the head of the label, came into the room, and that was great. It was we were all glad to see him. But but I told for him to be well, you've got to leave me. It's up at one point in time I was. And by the way, I've known Randy since I was fifteen years old, so uh, so I said, Randy is so good to see you, but you got to go. You have to leave the room. And he's like laughing, and I'm like, no, that's not really, you really have to leave. And because we we have to be in an environment that we can say anything and make a fool out of ourselves or take a joke too far. There's a lot of jokes that we would never put on the air because they go too far. But you've got to go there to be able to get to the real Joe or to whatever it is we're trying to say. So, at what point in that of the let's say ten years it was coming up, uh, did you realize, Okay, we have something here that can maybe kind of be a staple of the show, Like these two together, that's a this is a thing at least for a bit. I think that the third year that the first year, again we're just all of us. This is just my second year too, so it's like we're all babies together, just trying to figure it out. First year, four and a half minutes to jokes. Second year. What we hit upon that I felt it was very important still today is the musical parodies when we when when Brad came up with that, Hey, I got this idea. I was like, nobody else can do that. That's something we can own. Nobody, I mean, nobody else can do that like that where they pick up a guitar, do a parody, play like Brad, sing like Brad and carry. Nobody can do that. So but it was the third year where we hit the stride. The third year where it was the third year we opened with Hank Williams Jr. And And the Barbie dolls with Tim and Faith. That was the year where we're like, okay, now we're off to the races. We know exactly what we're doing, we know what we're trying to achieve, and you know, the Barbie dollars. For example, that happened. I read it in the paper that they were coming out with Barbie dollars. Called my assistant immediately, I don't know what we're gonna do with them, but ordered to pairs of Barbie dolls. Then at the same time, Carrie was texting Brad, have you seen that that Tim and Faith have Barbie dollars? We've got to do something. So by the time we got into the room, it was just in rhythm. It was like, well, how are we gonna how are we gonna get into it? I think we should, you know, I said, I think we should. This is your fourth year, give each other gifts, presents, and and then Brad's like, oh, and I can act like a two year old Tim mcgirl Barbie timber Girl party and so it was just rolled like that. So we made something that's like, uh, a one beat joke where it's just a visual into this whole you know, two minutes of two minutes of monologue or two minutes of content, so that you know. And then it was like that was the years that you know, Hank Williams and I did all the openings for Monday Night Football. So for seven years I created, I worked with Hank. So we came up with this whole bit, this whole parody of Hank, and I said in the writer's room, Hey, what if we had if we had Hank come out. Brad didn't know Hank, neither did Carry, and it was like, oh my god, are you kidding me? You think we can get him. I'm like, I just I've only worked with them for the past. Yeah. So when you talk about the jokes, has there been a joke or two that actually went out when we're like, oh, that was not received well, like it went over the line. Even though you've read, you know, listen as a stand up comic. There are jokes that I have that I that I don't one that I only have tried once because you know, I worked clean so I don't curse what all in my act? And so I did, and so i'd have a joke and I only did it once, and I kind of was like, and it was about, I mean, we're I can tell the joke here, right, You're not. So the joke is, uh, there was this dude that was whacking off in a movie theater, watching the Emoji movie, right, and everyone was upset about this, like disgusted by it. And the joke was I wasn't disgusted, but I was wondering which emoji he was whacking it over. And it was then I started to you know, was it the dancing girl or was it the poop emoji? It was that whole thing. But when you start talking about whacking all your your act kind of goes from PG. Thirteen ish too a little more than that. So I did it once. I was like, oh, that didn't It was funny and my I'm daring. I have a darctored humor. But there's certain things I can put on stage and some things I don't feel comfortable putting out there. And after I did it, I was like, you know, I probably should have held off on the whacking off joke, like it didn't feel like until I did it and I was like, why can I went in a little bit too far? And so has there been a joke where it went out and you were like, oh, maybe that was a bit too far. Yeah, it's hard for me because I'm not out in the audience, so all I can react off of is what I hear, you know, on television because what and also, by the way, I'm I'm backstage, right behind the stage, so there's so many things going on. I think that, Um, there's been some you know, there's been things where I thought, oh, you know, I'm not sure or maybe going after people. Do you ever think about that, like maybe we shouldn't go after the situation. Well, here's the thing that we try to do. We try, you know. We we hope that we're not hurting anybody's feelings that they are that for example, Blake is always a great sport. Tim and Faith they're like they love it. The first couple of years, I will tell you the truth, Well, especially three four five, we we had to stop doing the monologue and dress rehearsal because I would get back. We do the dress rehearsal the day of show. I get back to my office and there be ten managers. You can't say that about them. You can't say that, you know, it's like really that it's funny, you know what. And they would want me to take it out of the opening monologue, like not doing it, you know, this is this is what we're doing. And so we stopped doing We don't do a rehearsal anymore. Uh. The first time that Brad and Carey do it on stage is the first time that they is. You see it on network television. And now I will tell you this that. Uh So there's there have been a few things where things took off, like for example, that we didn't intend, you know, for example, the year Um Kerry said the line yeah and I'm pretty sure that's why the Democrats lost the Senate. It was whoa who you know? And we're like, really, that was a that was a throwaway line that was you know, we weren't even thinking that that was even anything that anybody would even think about. Uh. And then there was oh, Obamacare by morning, where it was like we got all this the next day, like we can't believe you said this stuff about the president and blah blah blah, and we're like no, no, no, no, we just were making fun of a slow website. We never you know, so things like that that take on its own life. You know. It was that we're surprised sometimes about people interpret some of that thing, those things under For example, the Blake and Randa thing was so big. It was such a big thing, and they have two different personalities. Haven't gotten to know them. Blake, we'll talk, Branda doesn't want to, but it's almost like an elephant in the room. How do you well, you know, how we did it. We didn't address it with Miranda. That exactly how you just described it was how we handled it because we knew there was no way it would hurt Miranda's feelings, I feel like, and we wouldn't want to do that. I mean, it was just you know, we kind of gave it to Blake a little bit, you know, um, but not not much. You know, we just weren't going to make a big that would have been wrong for us to do, um, you know, especially something that was again we're not there to hurt anybody's feelings, and that was not the right time or the place. This m A Awards and where the we feel like, you know, we're the oscars of country music and two to do something that was, you know, obviously painful for both of them. Uh, just wouldn't have been the right thing to do, but it's And I'm fascinated with jokes because I'm a writer and a joke teller, So I think we could probably do two hours on just the philosophy of of writing a monologue. But it was such the the current event, and not even because it was good, but that's what everybody was talking about. And when you get up and you have to talk about what everybody's talking about, it kind of puts you, guys in a bind because what if you're saying what if you saying nothing? Well, we talked about if I remember correctly, we you know that we talked about the breakup in the room, you know, and uh, everybody knows what we're talking about. And just so the misdirect is it was Kermit and ms Piggy, you know, and then and everybody felt that got it was addressed without it being addressed. Without it being addressed, I've got just some blutz puckered like crazy. I mean, well, and here's the thing, we just we felt like it needed to be addressed and we would, but uh. And then what we did was is there was a beat, you know, we showed Kermit ms Piggy out in the audience and then uh, and then the next beat was Brad, so, how's it going, Blake, you know, and we cut to Blake and he laughs, you know, and so you know, again that was a touchy situation for everyone, for everybody who touch for me, and I wasn't having to do the national TV show, you know, I had both people. One of them wanted to come on the radio and talk all about it, and one of them was like, I don't want anybody talking about it. And the thing about it is they're both great artists, uh, you know, and have been very important to the c m A Awards and country music and what they've done and individually, uh, what they've done. Just you know, I just had Blake on the telethon last week, you know, uh, for Hand in Hand where we raise money raised what million dollars And then when I left, it was only like ten and I woke up the next morning it was the next day. It was like it was crazy. And then you know, Miranda has done so much with Mutt Nation and it's like you just you can't you know what, that would have been another thing. Uh, as far as writing the joke, that would have been the easy way is to the easy way would have been to go through, you know, to do something off color. But we're more clever than that. I feel like we tried to be clever and we tried not to hurt anybody's feelings. So you know, to me, last year, the crazy part was it was Game seven of the World Series of versus the c m as. That was crazy first of all, as like, I'm a die hard sports fan, I'm a dire coach fan, and at when the couple one three one, you had to be feeling pretty good that it is it gonna go game seven, right, Like you had to be feeling pretty good, correct, because that's worth case scenario that they come back and went three in a row. Yeah, so game six you gotta be like, come on, come on Indians, like you were you the biggest Indian fan ever? Game six? Oh absolutely no. I was pulling for the Cubs when it started. When it started, yeah, but then it was like no, then then I had to switch. So yeah, yeah, now that was it was um, you know what it was demoralizing. Actually, at first when we realized that they were gonna Game seven, it was terrible. But then you know what, what am I gonna do? I mean I I stayed that way for like thirty minutes, and it was like I still got a show to do, and you know what, it's still going to live in the universe forever and and so people are gonna be So it was just like, you know what, We're just gonna do the best we can. We still retain n of our ain't uh seven percent of our audience, which is amazing considering that the Cubs an't once is ight and even the less than casual sports fan. I wanted to flip over and see, that's why it was such a good number for you guys, because that was that was a huge victory well exactly, and just think of what our number would have been had it I mean, we were attaining nine seven percent of our audience, So what would that number of been if we hadn't have been against Game seven? I wanted did they come to you? Because I remember the next day looking at it, and frankly, I was like, man, everybody, because I did the right carpet for television and my girlfriend played with Carry. Lindsay L played guitar for Carry that night, and so I was told I was torn. I was like, oh, so I watched. Then I had to kind of a diary Cubs fan, and so I did. I was back if I went, and then I came back, and then I flipped and I did it all back and forth, and I was like, I wonder. The next day woke up, I was like, I wonder what the rating is for the for your Awards show? And I was like, wow. Honestly, I was a little blown away that it was that high. Not because the show wasn't good, because let's show it's fantastic, but that that's a that was a once in a lifetime sporting event and it still did so well. So does ABC go, hey man, great freaking job. Like even like they had to write, they did, Yes, they did. They were they were ecstatic, Like what a victory, even though, like you said, you retained almost all the year before. But who would have thought you go up against the one time in baseball in our whole the biggest baseball game of our entire life. Yeah, you're up against Yes, it's crazy. Congratulations because that's a win. It is a win, and I was very proud of the show. But you know, and you know what, do you know what? Um? Again, the rating is important, it's the it is the important thing, um. But the other thing is for our our artist in our genre and any show that I'm doing it again, it is where it also lives in the universe. Think about the uh justin Timberlake Chris Stapleton moment. I mean that following week it had been viewed by over twenty million people. That's in addition to our audience that's watching it live on television. So people are just like late night television. You know, people are finding these things or finding the performances, or finding the monologue or finding all these all this content in different places. It's not the same thing as it was five years even five years ago. I have you to think for a big part of my career that that some things that I get to do as far as breaking artists. So I'll set you up with the story and then you'll see where you come into play here. Uh man, it's been now. I don't even know the timeline, but I can't. There was this artist that lived in towny is a songwriter and I kept bringing him in and nobody knew. It was I can't bring him in, and yet you never record out or anything. I called him the first time ever called him. I called him my homeies in the shower and he was like, let me go, let me go back. I'm wet in the shower. I'm like cool. So it came up nobody, he was blew the root roof off. Second time came up. No. I started getting in trouble for bringing him in because my bosses who don't some of them don't listen to the show because they're nash or they're in New York or l A. And they're like, hey, people are reporting back that Bobby who has five million listeners, So why is he playing this unknown artist on the show that doesn't have any hits. So my direct boss said, hey, what what are you buying this dude? I was like, trust me, he's really good. And then thank you Robert Deaton because you put Stapleton on with Justin timber Lake, and it was it's that's the I think it's the biggest moment in the in the last five years of the CMA. I think that's the biggest moment that and I don't know how you because I want to ask what that what went into that decision? But you made me look brilliant, like you putting that and creating that. That's what made Stapleton what he is. The people he already was awesome, people just hadn't yet. He would come to my studio blown a way. I'd be like, how is this guy not something? But you're the one who put them on. And because of you, I get to break artists like crazy now like my companies like you know what I quit? You just do you? And because you put those two together, they finally gave me the you go ahead, Okay, well we'll leave you alone. So I gotta know, first of all, thank you very much for that. Secondly, how did that come together? Well? I had been already in touch with Justin for several years and trying to figure out a way to get him on the show. We were close. One year, we thought we were going to do a remote from I think he was in New Jersey. Uh, And then you know what, his manager call and said, listen, he he definitely wants to do the c m A Awards one day, but he wants when he does them, he wants to do him in the room. He wants to be there. I'm like, I totally get it, you know what, he should be here because this is a great room. You know. It's like if if you're an artist and you haven't done the CIMA Awards, it's like, I have people at a genre all the time going. I had the best time. It was awesome. I loved the people that there's writers and you know, it's just great. So, uh, I've I've found out through christ Appleton's management that they were friends and uh and so I reached out and Chris reached out, but we both reached out. When you got the yeah, he'll do it, it was on the phone with Justin. Yeah, so this is what happened. So how much? So the questions are from Justin, well, how much time do we have? And I said, as much as you want. You know, it's like, because well, first of all, let me back up this one bit. My son, you know, he was, I guess junior in high school at the time. Like I mean, I knew Chris Appleton's record backwards and forwards, like every note because my son was such a huge fan from the day the record came out. So I am constantly hearing this record right try alert and it's a great record. Uh. And so I knew everything about the record. Uh. And then he comes out with all these nominations. That was that was I will tell you that was a surprise. He's so beloved in the industry that a lot of people in Nashville were like, this is the underdog guy who's so good, that's unknown, we're voting for him. Correct. Yeah, So he gets all the nominations and you go, okay, all right. So then we reach out to Chris. So then we have a telephone call. It's myself, Chris Stapleton, justin Timberlake and management. So the questions are again how much time do we have? It's like how much do you want? You can have whatever you want this this is gonna be great. And then the other question was where are we going to be in the show, And I said, you know where you you know? For most people don't know. But the highest rated show, the highest rated points of division show are crossing the hours. Joe I was like, let's cross the first hour, I said, And then I said, are those the right answers? And Justin started laughing, and Chris and Justin's like, yeah, those are the right answers. So then you have to decide what to do. Now who gets because it was drinking away and it was um the David downa cooke stable and cover. Yes, um, help me out, Mike d what's the how do how do you guys decide on the song Tennessee whiskey? Thank you very much. So they decided on that. So they and they come to you and say, hey, this will we like to this is what we'd like to do. I say, of course you got, of course, you know, this is what we want to do. And it But I tell you what was interesting though, because you know, you know, as far as the look is concerned, you know a lot of artists, like Justin Timberlake, they bring in you know, tons of people from Los Angels or whatever, and uh, we got on the phone and we're like, this is what we all, the three of us to kind of decided what we thought it ought to look like, and uh and then we just did it. Did you feel like it was special the first time they did it together on stage? I did. I thought it was really great. Okay, there's a lot of it, but I did not. Yes, I thought it was great. I did not I did not know that. So we did the rehearsal. It's it's great, Okay, it's obviously going to be a moment. Justin came up to me at the producer's table and said, don't worry about it. I'll really bring it up tonight. I was like, at It's like, oh, okay, great, thanks, you know, I'm like, I'm already onto the next rehearsal. You know what I'm saying. It's like And it was very polite of him to do that and very professional. Um but yeah, but they brought it up. Did you know it when it was happening last when it was live? Yes, I did know it was you could see even backstage, you could feel the room changing. Uh. And then what we also started doing was seeing the reaction of every of the audience. I mean you can from me, it was mind blind. It was crazy. I was like, this is the greatest thing I've seen, this mix of all of it. I just started telling the camera guys, start shooting the audience, you know, because that was also the story. Like you, I mean, you cut to anybody, you cut to any artist, and you can it's there's no it was genuine, genuine love, genuine genuine all. You know. I think there was all for Justin Timberlake and going, oh my gosh, it's justin timber Lake. And I think there was love for Chris Stapleton and a whole crap like, how have we not known this guy until right now? Right? Well, you know what it is a perfect storm too, right, because it's like, okay, So we made sure that we mentioned Chris Stapleton in the opening monologue because we felt like it was important. I didn't know he's gonna win any awards, but we were like Brad and Iron Carreer, like, hey, we need to mention this guy. This is one of the greatest singers ever to be in the format. Let's make sure that he gets some notice, you know. So we thought, let's take care of that in the opening monologue, and we did. Brad says, you know, Chris Stapleton, one of the greatest singers it's ever been in the format. Well then he wins and wins and wins, and then the performance it's like it he was trending worldwide, you know, on Twitter, Chris Stapleton. It was like who is christ Apleton? And the winds would have been a big deal. But I don't know if you in your heart feel this way. But had you not created that scenario and that performance, the Chris Stapleton world that we live in now, where he's a door because he deserves to be a door, I don't think it would have happened. Well, I don't. I can't. I can't say that, but I'm saying it though. Like I'm saying, I think you created the environment. And it's always like for me. I've had people do it for me. I've had people that said, hey, I believe in you're putting you here. I'm believing you're putting you here like I think that you're putting Stapleton and creating that environment is what has allowed Traveler to be hurt. It was made wonderfully. That product is going to be fantastic regardless of there are so many things we don't get to hear though, because we're not exposed to it, Like you exposed Chris Stapleton to the freaking world. Well, I I will say, I am really proud of that moment. I was in l I was in Los Angeles at the Soho House, the restaurant, it was there were like twelve people at the table. I was the only person and that had anything to do with country music. And uh. They started talking about great performances and awards shows history, not the same awards, all award shows. So they asked me mine mine. One of mine is Prince and Beyonce opening the Grammys. I was there incredible. Uh, And it was funny because four of the people were like, my favorite moment is the Chris Stapleton justin timber Lane. They didn't even know that I had produced it. I was like, you know, I raised my hand, that's mine. You're talking about other performances that because you produced the Billboard Awards too, and the Florida Georgia line John Legend performance when when they crossed over. Tell me tell me how that because I I thought that was awesome too. I love the fact that Legend played Holy Yeah. And I know John a bit and to go to how did that come apart? And how receptive was he to doing that? Well? He was really, John was really receptive because we're good friends. I don't know if you remember this, but I did a I did a one season of a show called Duets. He was on ABC. It was John legend, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Nettles, and Kelly Clarkson. So John and I became really good friends. And since we did duets, I called John. I was like, hey, come do the Christmas show. I know you don't have any Christmas music, but you know coming into the cm a country Christmas show. So he did, and we've worked together again, uh on the Billboard Awards and were stay in contact, and you know, literally he went he won the Oscar. I texted him and he responded like ten minutes later. I was like, that's cool. You know, it's like he just won an Oscar and he's I thought maybe in a couple of days I might hear from him. But he is one of the most unique talented intellectual He's just a really good human being. And I had and and he loves country music. By the way, he's friends with Faith and Tim. Uh. I knew that he had been in Nashville writing before and and so I so a guy named Mark Schimmel, and I came up with this idea and I just called John and he got out of UH. He actually changed the date to come and be a part of it. So when they do the rehearsal I had written out, you know, different parts like the arrangement, you know, I'd like. So he was like when we got there and we were doing the rehearsal um, they were each doing their own song, and he was like, well, that doesn't work. It's like, why are we doing this then? If you know? So, I asked John. I said, John, I you know what, this doesn't work unless you sing part of Holy. And John's like, well, I'm alright with it if the guys are. So the guys were around the corner right and for another rehearse all around the other side of the set. So this was so great and this is what's great about working with musicians and great people. And so I went over to the Florida Georgia line guys and I was like, hey, guys, this doesn't work unless John sings part of Holy. And they looked at me and they were like, oh my god, do you think he would? And I'm like, no, he will. I just talked to him and they're like, really, he could sing the whole thing if we if he wanted to. They were like, oh my gosh, you're kidding me. John Legend's gonna sing our song. And I'm like, now, he didn't need to sing the whole thing, but he's just gotta be able that way the performance works. So they were like thrilled that he would even consider doing it, and so I thought it would really worked. I thought I was really proud of that moment. And Chrissie hosted right, she coasted the year before the year before, so I know that I love her too. By the way, so how I know them is one of my best friends, Andy Roddick is wats Brooklyn Decker and Brooklyn and Chrissie are really tight, Okay, so I would know that him through hanging out all together. And Chris is awesome. Yes, she's awesome. And now I knew Chrissy before she became Chrissy Teagan. You know she was she was still don't get me wrong, she was still an s I swimsuit model, so it was like nothing to go. But before she was like the super influencer and became super famous. Well, I didn't know. You know, this is sometimes my my head's in the ground, But when I met her, I didn't know. I didn't know any of that. She was just John's girlfriend. We would go over like he would have like cookouts and stuff while we were doing duets, and so we would go over and have food and hang out, and I just I didn't know, but and that's how we became friends. And I was so thrilled when she I did the Billboards with us because it was just, you know, it was great just to be with her. And then she got pregnant and coutt't do the next year. So yeah, that's why. Yeah, that's why she couldn't do it. So you're you're background televisions. I mean, man, it's long since you've been having memories. You've had memories of television and music. It's like they're both your thing, which works perfectly with a lot of what you do. But even like I guess before we can go back to your childhood, Like you've done a lot of music videos. Yes, like that, a lot of m like we don't do any anymore though, but looking back, like you do some flat, you do, some flats I did. I did, like I would say, the majority of all the Rascal Flats music videos. I did save a Horse Ride a Cowboy by Big and Rich, Independence Day by Martina Believe by Independence Day. Let's hold on that one for a second, like that was a big video. That video, like the video was vivid to me, like the song was a big deal for me listening to the radio, like Independence Day, that was a big deal for me. But I remember the video at a time when videos were starting to not be as video e if that makes sense, Like they were videos were such a big deal, but Independence they cut through the time for me whenever I was kind of getting off the video thing. But it's I can still vividly see it when I can't think of any more videos around that time. Yeah, it's interesting how that whole thing, you know, we we made that wasn't a number one record either, by the way, that was I think really maybe maybe top ten maybe. Uh it's the first time and about the only time when I heard a record and I called the label and asked to do the video. So you actually pursued the video because you thought you were that passionate about it. And I hadn't heard. I didn't know Martina and we had never worked. I had never worked with her, you know. Uh, my business partner George Flanning and I didn't know. We didn't know Martina, and uh I called because I thought the song was just so powerful and something that needed to be said. So I wrote the idea, we sent it to Martina, talked to her on the phone for about an hour. She still cutn't decide whether we were doing or not. So then she wanted to meet me. So I went down and we met with her for like an hour and a half. It was like therapy, crazy talking about everything, and I said at the end of it, I was like, well's so, I mean, do I had to get the gig and do we do we get to do this? And she's like, yeah, so that's so we did it. And you know, um it was at the time, you know of the o J, the whole o J thing going on, and so there was a lot of So what happened was is like we had released the video and there wasn't much. It was quiet actually at first, and then uh USA Today did a story on it because of domestic abuse and everything and reporting of what's what was going on in the world at the time. And then once they did that, did a story on it, front page story on it. Then the song and and then in the video took off. So it's too bad we had to have videos like that. But hopefully that it contributed to uh to somebody or help somebody somewhere. I hope you remember the last video you made before you start making easy videos? Do? I think I'm pretty sure it was reminded me by by Brad and Carry, because what happened was is I was really uh slowing that down and really uh getting out of it and uh and it and Brad and Carry had done this song together and it was they were like, you have to do this because you worked with Brad and you work with me, so you know, so it was like that made sense to do. So here's the funny ones. How so we shoot that opening sequence of Carrie walking towards the camera, you know, and it's Carrie Underwood. She looks pretty good, right. Brad's looking at the cameras like, oh man, this is not going to be good for me. I'm like, no, nobody's gonna pay attention to you first. Oh yeah, she's He's like, this is not gonna be good for me. No really, I started laughing. He's like, no, no, really this is And I'm like, yeah, right, as soon as you got Carrie under one in this video, noways paying attention to you. Pal. So So as a kid, who did you look at on TV and go, man, that would be awesome, that could be like that. You know, I always thought that it would be great two create these things. So you were even in your mind as yeah, you weren't the guy because for me, I like at David Letterman was my hero because he looked funny and I looked funny, and he was said weird things and I was the weird kid. Yeah, so I saw him as me. You saw I want to make David Letterman happen. I want to be the guy because I was always in a TV station. She saw it when I was little, so I would see the director of working and you know, and it was funny because my dad was on air talent he was you know, but I just never you know, I always like I just like the movies I love, like, for example, White Christmas. I gotta watch that movie every year. It's when I was little because it was behind the scenes. You know. I loved all that behind the scenes of the trunks and the clothes and the changing and you know, you are, you familiar with the movie, so yeah, I love that. You know all that stuff, So I um and then you know, before my dad was a TV station. He was a radio station. So he would bring home the forty five and I love my forty five. I love the the I love the the the actual seeing the logos of the record labels and all the different labels. You know, that was my collection. He would bring home records and or or I would go like he'd do remotes, you know, and I was like six five six years old, and he would do remotes it like you know, hardware store or whatever, you know, local thing, and you know, he would do an interview with someone like on the street or something, and I'd get and he would point at me when to push the button to play the record. So you were basically the producer engineer exactly. So you point to me and I pushed the record to me. That was magic. I love that. So I love everything about entertainment. Did he want you to pursue a career in entertainment knowing the entertainment sucks and it's awesome, but sucks a lot more than it's awesome, Like it takes a special breed to fail a lot, and that's what we have to do. In order to succeed the entertainment. You have to fail you have to be okay with failing a lot. How did he approach you? Well, you know, so honestly, that part of my life was young, you know, when I was around the TV station and all that, and then when I got into my teenage years, Honestly, I didn't say him much. You know, he had a he had started a band, and we're being honest and real here. So you know, I he was on the road and it wasn't around, you know, and so I uh, you know, there wasn't at that point much guidance, you know. So you know, all the women in my life, my grandmother and my mom, they were That's why to this day, I you know, I love strong women, you know, like Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood and uh So at the time, as a kid, you know, I was always I was rushing to get out. You know. It was like school in high school. I think if I'd go back, if I went back, I would rather maybe take a little bit more time and enjoy where I was. But I was I was ready to leave. I wanted to be in this business so bad, in film television, but now there wasn't that much. Honestly, there wasn't that much guidance at a certain point, and it was pretty painful there. You know, I spent spent a lot of time with therapy, uh, not having like I don't have a dad at all growing up, and you know, my mom had a lot of issues. But for me, you know, I was always chasing the Hey, you did a good job. Do you feel like that's why? Because you you wanted his approval? Because as you're saying those words, I'm like, I know that exact feeling, Like I know exactly what you're saying right now because that's how I felt my whole life. Absolutely, I think, uh, definitely want approval um. And I think these that absence of that, you know, growing up and not having not having him, Like here's the thing being so close and so connected and then and then like the door shut and there's like then not it was like, I mean, we did everything together, horseback riding, I was part of the TV show, I was always around the TV station and then all of a sudden, eleven years old, nothing, you know, And so I think you're right. I mean, I think I am definitely that way. But I think it serves me in a in a really good way, you know, Um, I think that, you know, it's there's nothing more important to me than getting the performance right and getting making sure that they're happy, making sure that the artist in the music is is right. So I think there is that wanting to make people happy. That's part of it. But you know what, I think that's what partly makes me successful. Now it might have been different, I know me like it's always been a that's where I searched for love, and it's going to again period like I would be in my therapisode like this is where this is where you go out to search for love. Is You're going to a crowd, You're going to do stand up, You're going to do for you to play, you get on the radio and tell your stories, you do your television show, and you this is your search for love because you never got it as a kid. My grandma you know, raised me, adopted me. You know, my mom was there on and off, you know, she died in her forties. I never had a dad until so it was just like that was my place that I as. At the same time, I'm trying to piss everybody out by being successful, like I'll show you you want to don't support for me, I'll just go make it myself and I'll show you exactly what you've kind of missed out on. But my approval was always trying to find love from and still that's what I'm not talking about. Was like, that's still why I'm psychotic. I'm trying to find love from this other place because I never got. What I've learned is we all nobody's whole like that. I haven't met one person that we really sit down and talk to them. They're like, I'm just good. I used to think that I was just like a victim. I just think man in my life, but I think, as you said, it's made me stronger. And I didn't ted talk where I was like, you know, for a long time in my life, I was like it really sucks how I grew up. I was a food stamp kid. I was a kid that had really bad teeth, that was a poor kid. It couldn't but that's what made me stronger. Like I used that now and like I'm a fighter and I'm a grinder because of all of that time where at like I'm conditioned now too. I'm gonna work harder than anybody in thisially how I naturally work because I had to. And then well, I agree. You know it's what something that you said about, I'll show you. I've had that every single day in my life. It's like, there's no doubt about it. I'm gonna show you. I'm gonna here's the thing I tell people in classes or you know, there's a lot of talented people out there they're sleeping, like yeah, it's like that there. You gotta get out, you gotta get you know, every day I'm ready to compete. Uh. And that's but you know, and that's what you gotta do to be successful. But it is a part of I'll show you. It's a part it's really funny, it's I'll show you and it's part um, you know, serving people are wanting to do good by people and wanting to people people to go, oh, you did a good job, you know, And it is that. I would say those years, those formative years, definitely plays into I will tell you the truth four years ago. If we had done this interview three years ago, I would have never mentioned that to you. I would have never said it. What was the break through a point in your life where you're like, I feel like I could talk about this because I've had those. Yeah, but where was it? Where was it in your life that you hit where you're like, I'm now okay with that. I think that Uh. I think it's a conversation that uh I had. I was married once before, went through a divorce, um, and that was painful. It was also another situation where I don't think I, at least I perceived never accepted by her father. So that was another and I'll show you yeah. Uh but I think it was my mike. You know, I started, I got remarried, and I was dating uh my who is now my wife, and we were in a conversation and uh she said, hold on, hold on a second, wait a minute. You know, you're not like everybody else, right, And I'm like, what She's like, You're not like, you're not like everybody else, You're different, You're special. And she has made me believe that. So I think she's the reason why I can tell you that today, or tell that story, or go back into something in my past that was painful. And now you have a son that plays the crap out of an instrument. Yes, I mean he he beats those things he does, so he's a heck of a drummer. So now you have a son and he's drumming, like like he's fantastic. Yeah, he's really a good drummer. Like what do you tell him? Because it's it's a cycle, Like, are you're able to see? The cool thing is you can see the cycle, so you can break the cycle. That's a thing about the cycles. If you don't see it, you can't break it. I told him. Uh he he asked me when he was eleven years old, do you think I could be a professional drummer? And you know, and he's still you know, struggling. He's had to development deals. It's hard, you know, um, I said, you know what, then go for it. Don't worry about a backup. Don't do a backup. Don't have a backup plan. Because you have a backup plane, you'll use it. You'll use it. Absolutely. I've had our parents they literally think I'm crazy, just think I'm crazy, But well you are. But it takes crazy to be great, Like it takes crazy to be great. That's exactly right. I'll go I'll go speak and you know the same thing, I'll go talk to these classes and I'll do a ted talk. I'll do it and It's like, hey, plan A is what you're dreaming. Is the plan B is go back to Plan A. Otherwise you're just gonna go and work your your cousin's accounting place because it's gonna be the easier thing to do. Yeah, exactly. And you have to be crazy. You have to be crazy. It's the thing about it is if if you could be happy doing something else, then you should do it, you know. But if I would not be happy, you know, this is what I want to do. I don't have any hobbies, by the way, this is it, you know. I don't go play golf. I don't you know, you know what I love Seeing my son played drums. I loved you know, seeing uh my daughters and film and tell vision and I love seeing what she's doing. And and then my son James was an athlete. I love being and seeing what they're doing and being involved in their life and and uh my wife is constantly you know, there's when I'm with her, there's no place I'd rather be, you know, because she's like the most interesting person that I know and the kindest and so uh. But other than that, this is what I want to be doing. I want to be producing, directing. I want to do another film, I want I love my shows, I love the c m A Awards, I love the history. Um, yeah, this is what I want to be doing. Do you ever see step Brothers with I love that. I'll feel like, do we just become best friends? That kind of what I felt like that I think we became best friends. Well, listen, we we we spent an hour talking. It feels it just flies by. But I felt like I went to a masterclass a little bit. I appreciate it. All the kids out there, listen there, you call him a home give yourself on. Okay, so I'll say, because this thing lives forever. And uh, the c m as are coming up in November. People will be listening to this for a year or two years, but to come in November. Right now, what is the date for today? It is September of September. Um, So when you watch this year, Robert we producing everything that's going on in every decision that he's made. Because people wonder if they don't know, like they don't they just that word produces it. Nothink must know what that means. And I don't say that in the negative way. I didn't until I got involved into the business in different ways. But that's the guy or the girl, just the person who's controlling all all all, and that's you, the creator, the creator. Man. I can't wait to see what you got in store this year and the I love C m A especially. I thought the Brothers All More moment was such a cool moment. Like I was watching in a hotel because I was on the road and I don't even go do my set until like nine thirty because of a couple of opening eggs and I we were watching Brothers Osborne and going, man, next time I see a right, I tell him how great that I thought that was? It was, it was. It felt like a risky move that really paid off. Karen Fairchild texted me and she said, yeah, she just said, thank you for Brothers Osborne. That's that's, that's all. She said, Yeah, I totally get it. Well, thank you for being here. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Robert Deaton and uh, I don't know if the adet and we promote you want to sell a product or anything episode eighty you wanted the Bobby cast. Thank you, We'll see you next time.