#276 - Country Hits Meant For Other Artists with Bobby and Eddie + Deanna Carter on 25th Anniversary of ‘Strawberry Wine” and Her Early Friendship with Kenny Chesney + New Music Top 5

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Speaker 1: M H. Welcome to episode two hundred and seventy six of The Bobby Cast. I will be talking with Dina Carter, who you know from Strawberry Wine. Did I shave my legs for this? We danced then, we danced just so many But the song is years old Strawberry Wine, which was one of the biggest songs of my young life. Eddi's here, Oh yeah, I'm here, what's up? But really this song was generational and that everybody knew it, and it was a woman singing a song about women, but guys sang it too and weren't embarrassed to sing it. Will even sing this today, which which was weird for a twelve year old boy. Maybe maybe I was older than that school yeah, fourteen or fifteen year old. So to be able to sing this song loud, to be proud and do you want to sing girls song? It's okay. So we'll talk to her. Coming up in a little bit the New Music Top five. This week, Loretta Lynn released Coal Miner's Daughter to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of her signature song. But it's a new recitation. Here is a new version. Well, I was born to coal miner's daughter in a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler. We were poor, but we had love. That's the one thing that my daddy made sure of. It doesn't like a poem, does she's singing. It's still pretty cool. It's all spoken my daddy. He worked on out in the Vani their coal mines all day long. In the Field of horn Corn. Number four, Amanda Shires released a cover of the Genesis classic That's All the lyric videos and animated take on the year featuring murder hornets, burning cities, protest signs, and closed concert venues. Here's a clip of That's All I'm staying one time. That is a jam from Genesis. Yeah, and that's the jam right now. I like this version. Did you know what that song was? When I said that's all I don't know about title? My two's yeah, turn it up. I'm looking at me to tell the same. It's just the shame. That's all that's jam on. Aaron Watson has a new album called American Soul. Here's his song Whispered My Name that's been out because when do you whisper my Name? You buy that? And here's a new song called boots whispin it around and I can't keep my boots on the drag. Verry GiB has a new album called Greenfield's The Give Brothers Songbook, Volume one, now very GiB from the Bags. Yeah, he has a new song called Words with Dolly Parton. Here's that in ye Hey Day to me. Have you seen the Beaches documentary? It's on HBO Max and really good. Well I've almost started a few times, but either something's come up or Caitlin's been like, no, let's not watch that. She has no interest in the beach here. It was before me as well. But I think we're just music nerds. I think I'm gonna watch it this week. Um. I think Barry Gibbon Dollar are coming on the show No next week. I think that'd be awesome. I don't think in person, because they're both older, so I think I can't talk to them. And what I like about this sound when you just played right there, it's I mean, it's just what they used to sound like, like they didn't say, you know what, guys, it's two thousand twenty one. Let's uh try to make it sound new things like this. Let's just keep it the way we had it back in the seventies. Maybe you were someone understand a love stayd Alve, I like on these things that uh and number one. Morgan Wallen has a new album called danger Us. Here is the title track, Dangerous. You should know. It's a double album, so it's like thirty songs. Here's another new one called Warning. Alan slaps a little bit man. I go to Sonic and turn that up. People be like, who's that? Wow, it's done pretty dark and that's that's a slightly different sounds. Albums out today Sammy Hagar in the Circle, Lockdown, Passenger, Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted, which I like, Passenger, blew Oyster Cult Live eighty three a reissue, but it's a live record, a song we missed on vacation that I have heard ten million times in my house when Caitlin's cooking, she plays music. Justin Bieber released a new song called Anyone on New Year's Day. Here You Go Anywhere So good A is good. And I was at the vending machine yesterday and I was talking about good Justin Bieber was People were like, what are you talking about? You're an adult, are they listen? I'm an adult that doesn't care people think about my musical opinions anymore. You know, this was your vending machine, um conversation. Interesting. I don't know how it would were you with me, with a random person at work, I had a vending machine and I was like, I have no shame in loving just somebody questioned me about it because I said, Harry Styles and Justin Bieber. You know it wasn't the vending machine. It was the juke box in my house. Okay, I just knew I was some sort of machine. Looking at that. We have a jukebox in my house and it hasn't been we don't have music putting it yet. It's a really cool old juke box, but as of today it works. Do you need records, well, the small records. Yeah, I have small records. And a friend, a friend to me, said, hey, what would you put in there if you could? If one side was Caitlin yours? And I said, I would do John Mayer and like a nineties country assortment. And I said Caitlin would do Justin Bieburn Harry Styles And I said, you know what, I'm probably playing that side a lot too. And he was like, what do you mean. I said, they're both freaking great. I know they were kid pop stars, but they've matured in their music. Harry Style is amazing. Really music is amazing. Parker McCallum released a song called to be Loved by You. Here you Go in musing news. The Grammys have been rescheduled from January one to March fourteen COVID, and you know, some award shows were happening, but because COVID has gotten so bad, especially in l A l A County, they've shut down all production. You can't shoot anything there right now. So the Grammys have been rescheduled. Quote or thoughtful conversation with health health experts. Our network partner, CBS are host an artist schedule to appear, we've made the decision to postpone, so Trevor Noah is still gonna host. You know, there was some controversy about Blake Shelton's latest single, minimum wage is Dumb. It's a dumb controversy, a bit contrived. Um. Ronnie Donne was speaking out. They're like Ronnie Dunn's the only one to speak out. I was like, I spoke got the millions of people on our radio show. Maybe people are just used to me saying dumb stuff just expected, just like we don't need any pan attention to that. Um. So there's that. Ricky Skaggs that quadruple bypass surgery last summer, but kept it quiet until now. He tells people that he was experiencing tightness in his chest and shortness of breath, but he did not have a heart attack and angiogram can miss him to have surgery and he feels a hundred and fifty cent better because of it. You know Ricky pretty well? Do you know this? And I've talked to him? M hm. Corona has hurt my sense of time. I feel like I've talked to about when you talk to someone, but maybe I haven't talked to him. It's covid. Well, the last time I saw you talk to him was that the opery backstage. I think he was playing and we were playing, so that must have been what you No, wait, I mean February but probably so, I that's probably the last time I talked to him. Then I love him. He oddly loves me, which is crazy. So I mean, he talks to you like you guys are best. But I didn't know that that had happened. No, But I don't know that would have come out because we're not close like that, and like, hey man, how are you we I'm glad Jaz that just that hard work. I don't know, you just know. Also, it's of weird random stuff. Raby McIntyre son got engaged. She's about to be the mother of the groom. The singers. Son shall be the singer Son show, She'll be the guy. I saw this Instagram post where the girl who's Marissa Branch. People have posted it and she went and coming and she was like, hey, I'm not the one that just got divorced for Kelly Clarkson. This is not the same. She's like, so you guys get off. It's pretty funny. That was my question. I thought that was the same. Dude, it's pretty funny. She'll be announced the news with a picture of him popping the question at Epcot at disney World Parking. Mc call himself for a grand Old Lot Prey debut, which is pretty cool. Fairbuarty six that will be there. Kid Rock donates a hundred thousand bucks of Small Business COVID Relief Fund. He's doing his part with small businesses, so a hundred thousand dollars there which is great. Little nos X has released a children's book, and Tim Tebouts put out a book next week. We're talking to him on the show. Um. And then someone made a list of the one and one most anticipated albums of one. So here you go, at number hundred and one. I'll read just some of them. Drake, food Fighters, Little Nozacks, Chili Peppers, Queens at the Stone Age, My Morning Jacket, Adele Billie Eilish, Casey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar Lord. You know it's cool that food Fighters still make the list of cool Yeah, because they're dave girls. Gotta be fifty for sure, Yeah for sure. I mean he's maybe fifty four, and you're talking about a dad with kids that are probably getting ready to go to college. Okay, And how about Anthony keatings Hot Chili Peppers doing they have a new record, It's listens a top five. I mean, they're from our childhood. But the rock world, there's not a lot there. I'm sure there's a lot of bands, but that that format doesn't really put up superstars right now. The occasional Anthony Keats is fifty eight, and he's so ripped and it looks good. I don't know if he still is he's got to be, or if it's like Aaron Tipping thing where he always just is even if he's not a tipping so ripped. Did you guys ever see that video of of the Chili Peppers playing somebody's kids elementary school? No? No, this happened like maybe four three, three or four years ago. I think it was Chad Smith, the drummer, his kid at the principal asked like, hey, what the band come play or whatever the auditorium and they, I mean it was a Chili Peppers set like the kids school. I mean, Anthony Keatons was jumping up and down the rock in his head and Chad Smith was just going crazy in the drums. Fleet was doing this thing. They did not hold back, and all these kids are just like, Okay, see, I don't know what this is. That would be like us as kids and Ario Speedwagon shows up and we don't really know because we're too young to even like that music. We know our parents like that, and we're like, huh. I just feel like if someone's gonna play at school like that, they would be like all right, children, not then, and they're like, I gotta Google that coming up, we'll talk to Diana Carter. We're gonna hit this real quick. On the other side of this, songs meant for other artists, which is the music topic we'll talk about here, Songs that were made for other artists and didn't then somebody else cut and Kevin big hit. So we'll talk about that coming up. If I want to talk about country hits that were meant for other artists. Now, I saw this article on the boot, pretty fascinating article. Some of these have heard of, and I've even talked to some of these artists about it. But some of these blew my mind too, because sometimes there's an artist or a manager who says it's probably not for you, and then they don't cut it, and maybe it wasn't for them, Maybe it wouldn't have been a big smash for that artist, and then someone else gets it and it goes on to be a big success. So it's just hard to imagine some of these songs that are so defined by the person singing them being as memorable within it. But but I'm sure some of them would have been. So let's talk about the stories behind some of these songs, and then would it have worked with the other artists. I mean, this is almost the same argument as an actor that turned down Yeah, and then we saw the movie. We're like, no way. Tom Hanks couldn't play Tom Cruise in that movie, but he could. Here. You go up first, Johnny Cash, take Me Home Country Roads? All right. This song was originally intended for Johnny Cash. The song's co writers Bill dan Off and Taffy Niver intended to sell it to Cash, but when John Denver heard it, it was like, I gotta have this song. They all worked together to rework the lyrics and it eventually became then Verse signature song, Let's try it. I mean, it sounds weird, but I'm sure you would have made it work. This song, though, makes with Johnny. Again, this is all speculative, so I'm not right. There's no way. There's no right or wrong here. So I'm gonna saying, pretty dumb, I don't think it would have worked for Johnny Cash because I don't think this song is a It would have worked fine, But I'm saying I don't think we had been as big of a hit because he had so many hits that I think it was just falling into the context of Johnny Cash, because there was nothing that screamed Johnny Cash in this song except just another good song. John Denver this song, he made it about him. So I think it worked for John Denver because it was John representing a lot of people singing about his life, where with Johnny he sings a lot about that all. I just don't think it would have been the same good point, I wouldn't. You're just saying it probably wouldn't have been as big as it was for John Denver for Johnny Cash. It wouldn't I have been as impactful on Johnny as it was for John River because Johnny had a on a hit, But it still would have been a jam tell you Me Home? You know, June you take this last? So Diamond Rio had this song unbelievable. Oh, this song was meant for George Jones. I hear it right, don't you hear? Um? What's the car one? Who's like earn uh? The George Jones car one? What's it called? That's not hot Rod Lincoln. I'm drawing a blank, but I don't know it's it kind of sounds like this, Yeah, I don't know, you don't know what I'm talking about. I hear no this. I can totally hear George Jones doing this. That's an odd one. Okay, here we go. Do you find the song like he's talking about? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what I'm talking about. Dirk's Bentley has four one he was gonna get Whiskey Lullaby. Oh wow, would be good. This is one of my favorite country song of all time. And finally drink away, drink a beer, which is Luke what's per sable? Then watching airplanes watching and I Drive your truck Lebryan. Now think about this for a second. Does dirt and love Dirk's he's a friend a bunch of bunch of hits. Does he have a song that's as big, like as as any of those four that's his long lasting and saying riser what was I thinking? Yeah, I would have I would have gone, Um, I don't know that he does. I'm just throwing out the big hits here, because Whiskey Lullaby is a massive twenty five years song I Drive Your Truck one the CMA for Song of the Year. Maybe he maybe he is up there with watching airplanes to drink a beer. Yeah for sure, I mean and I even he's such a deep all his songs are deep, you know. I was listening to one of the way here, like it's it's just it's not your regular country song where it's like, you know, just to tell I'm telling you a story. It's always like I saw a tree and it reminded me of this, like you know, it was always like a little one level deeper, and that's kind of what, um what what's the first song you said, Whiskey La by Is. I mean, that's a deep, deep song. And then the last one, I drive your Truck to Me. I think those are the two that he would He would have done really good with the two in the middle, though I don't really see Dirk's doing that. I wonder if he'd made it a duet. Whiskey which was a big deal and Alixe Cross is freaking awesome. Brad Paisley and Alice Cross had that one before the two recorded it the song staff for three years. Dirk's listened to it but decided to pass on it because he never heard it as a duet. Via the Boot Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, who've done a podcast with is a friend of ours who yeah, has written a bunch raging idiots stuff with us. Yeah. He also also wrote but he wrote drink a Beer Beer, and the song was pitched at Dirk Spentley. He turned down the track, which was big for Luke Bryan. Derek Spenley almost took Watching Airplanes a song was written by Jim Beavers and ultimately went to Gary Allen. Gary Ellen is probably glad he got it because it's a big hit for him and Lee Bryce's I Drive Your Truck was another song that almost went to Dirk's. He first revealed during an intimate concert that he almost recorded it himself. So drink of Beer when that came out, I remember Luke had a story with that, you know, like his brother had just passed, so I mean there was definitely a story to attach Luke to it. So now I can't even hear drink of Beer without even thinking about Luke and his what he was going through at that time. I wonder if these artists like a Lee Brice, who did I Drive Your Truck? I wonder if it's like, okay, Derek, stop saying you passed on it, Like stop saying that you were offered it first, because that makes me not seem like I was offered it for you. I wonder because I'm sure Derek's Dark's a big star. The big songs go to him first, and then it trickles down. Yeah, but I think people have to realize that's just the business of it. You know. This happens all the time where someone even cuts it and reserves it and won't let anyone else use it, and then they don't. You end up using it, and then it gets lost for a little bit and somebody says, hey, whatever happened in that song that so's Oh, it's still there. You can do it now, you know, Like there's so many stories like that where I think everyone's just used to that now. Jac Owen was pitched this song Big Green Tractor, which is Jason a Dean song, but ended up turning it down. The song was a big hit for al Dean and then She's Got Away with Words. Here you go. Blake Shelton recorded this one Jacob and liked a song but decided to record it. Didn't didn't record it for a good reason, he goes. He said, that's a really cool song, well written, but if I record this song, I'm taking it literally, and I don't want my ex to perceive that I did that to her. It's interesting because we all went I was talking about Miranda Araya. He didn't write it again, very fitting at the time, and that's does I have a lot to do with picking songs these artists, yes, can they also tell a story how it relates to them, so they're just not going Yeah, heard it, thought I had a good, good catchy horse and I recorded it right, which would be the story for most of them. But if you do find a good catchy course you have to make up some story. Like the first time I heard it reminded me of n was out on this farm and a donkey came up, So you just have to you have to create something. Then Frankie Ballard was pitched Hillbilly bone. What you may know right here down be sad no matter where you're wrong. He just came. I didn't win up my stars, but he might be kicking himself on this one. That's a big hit. But I wonder though, because this is Trey Satkins like Shelter. I wonder though part of this hit was that it was big stars doing it singing about something a bit trivial. Funny. I think if a new artist is doing it, people just go who is this guy and what is he singing about? A bone or for I think there was some credence with them singing its Tim McGraw and T Shirt, which is a Thomas rhtt song. Here you go now Tom Shot wrote the song. Yeah, he said Tim McGraw had it on hold for a long time so he couldn't put on his first record. Once he let it go, I latched that thing down and put it on my second record. Yeah. Now this is one where I hear and I'm like, na, Tim couldn't pull this one off. I don't know, man, Tim's able to pull off some some stuff that you don't think you can. Again, it's one of those things where, like Tim's older, he's a legend in our eyes. He comes out with a song called T Shirt You were my T Shirt like brought You Home from the Bar, Guns and Roses video, we'd be like Tim, come on, But I think his song now, that's that which Keith Urban does that with Pink right now, and sometimes they do do that. But I just feel like Tim's got some more songs that are more his age appropriate. Now here's an interesting story carry under What Shows Jesus Take the Will as her debut single after winning American Idol, But according to Wide Open Country, it was originally pitched to Sarah Evans, who didn't like that stupid song. Wow, that's a quote. That's pretty lucky for Underwood, who used it to kick start her career. Massive song massive. I can hear Sarah and singing this too. Lady Annabelleum better Dick two, which was a Band Perry song. They passed on the upbeat but dark song which became a huge hit for the band Perry. They could have done this for sure. Props to these bands and artists. Man, they've really established a sound for themselves where we can hear a song and say, hey, I can see them doing that, because it sounds like Lady Annabellum could totally do this song. Jason Aldean almost did Drunk on You, which is a Luke Bryan song. He liked a song, but he was looking for something different the day he heard it, so he shoved it aside. It was a win for Luke in every possible way. Didn't Luke write that too? Luke wrote it. I was pitching it out. Jason didn't want it much like the Thomas situation. Said, Jason didn't lock it down. He was like, Okay, if you're not recorded, I'll record it massive. Maybe his first hit, uh, there was the Flyover States. That's Jason Aldean. I'm talking. I'm talking about Luke and Jason's first hit was not Flyover States. I don't think we can go back to first hit, which I'm interested, I would bet. Let me think about this because it's basically I think, um, Big Green Tractor was this first number one? Do you think I think you're probably right Luke's was? Do I okay, alright, good, that's right? That sounds right? Is another sound song that kind of that tempo. Do you think if Luke, if if al Deane would cut a song like this? Though we may not, we may not have had the al Dean because I mean that's around the time when al Dean did get harder and it changed it sound a little bit before he was very easy listening compared to what he does now. Al Dean had a number ten with Hicktown. But why was his first number one? Really? And then Amarilla Sky was his third? What was number two? There you go? Flowers dates hit me Mike number two yeah, he said one in three yeah, Hicktown ye, and Amarilla Skuy his first three. Oh why we both sucked and I was very good and a fan club Florida, Georgia. I'm burning it Down. When they finished co writing Burning it Down, they knew it was gonna be a hit, and as the now dean, they both they wrote it and then it went to somebody else because it wasn't in the timing of them making music for themselves. Miranda Lambert in Downtown, which is lady Anabellum song here. Miranda Lambert had DIBs on this song. Lambert quote very very selflessly said, let lady A have it. Wow. Yeah, because again this can totally sound like a Miranda song. Martina McBride had Independence Day message hit. What artists do you think could have pulled this off around the same time frame? Tricia faith faith Hill, Yeah, she could have the answer. I'm looking forward Reebing McIntyre for sure. So Martina McBride Cotton Flag for the music video of this song, which it was a great music video. Um. But Reba McIntyre, well, like, I don't think I'm gonna do this, um. But she had it was gonna cut it. You know, we have to remember these decisions are tough for these artists, like they probably how many times do you think they listen to this long before they say should I do this? Should I, shouldn't I? Or did they just go that song sucks? There's so many songs. Yeah, I would imagine it's much like when you listen to an album from an artist that is new to you and you kind of like you're just pop it through songs, and there's probably a couple songs you passed up prettyquickly that end up later on and you go back to us, like, it has a great song, Why did I go over so quickly? Yeah? I would think the majority are like that. But there's got to be something that you know, have been floating around, like so and so I thought about using it, so and so thought about using it, and like, well, there's a reason there's a lot of people listening to this song. A Little Big Town almost cut American Kids that Kenny Chesney cut Jesus, Sammy Jane Baby, A Little Big Town had it on Hold Kenny Chesney, I believe he told the story on this podcast. Shane d j McNally. He was on a plane with Kenny and he had a bunch of songs and this one. He played this one and he's like, man, I want that song. He's like, I can't. A little big town has it? They called him? Is that Can I have that song? And they were like, yeah, the power of Kenny? Yeah. He told us a story about how Kenny found it. Maybe either he played a form and there was an email situation, it was on his computer and then that was it. If you want to go back and hear that with Shane mcinally he episode forty five amazing way back in so and now he's on song Land and that's kind of done, done his thing there. All right, there you go anything you'd like to say, Boy, that's just great. I mean again, great job by all these like A and R people record labels and artists to just distinguish themselves, because you can definitely hear the sound of an artist in a lot of these songs. That's pretty cool to me. Do you want to do before we go? Uh? Flashback Friday? Music wise? Where were you ninety four? I was angry man. I was in middle school, probably eighth grade or maybe freshman year in high school, real into Pearl Jam, you're angry. I was sad. Well, Pearl Jam just released Vitology not for you, but Corduroy, and that was my That was my mantra, like, this is not for you, man, you just don't understand what we're trying to do. Me and Pearl Jam, well, me with Nirvana, Stone Tuple Pilots, Alison Change, you were the lonely side of grunge. Absolutely. I was like, you guys just don't understand me. Yeah, well that was me too, But I was pissed and I'm just gonna be quiet and stay to myself. Did you have Doc Martin's I can't afford it. I never wore h either. But the biggest country song this day was faith Hill Wild One with the Angels Shout and stay great and said kid. And the biggest pop song is Mariah Carey and there's a Hero comes along a good him. And the big news story from this year, Tanya Harding at this time was embroiled a controversy because why she hired somebody to stab to to beat h Nancy Karrigan on the leg not hired right, Well, sort, I guess nobody really knows. That was the controversy her you know her ex husband's name, Jeff Galuley. Okay, he orchestrated an attack on Nancy Kerrigan her US skating arrival. Here's a clip from the footage right after the attack. Why black Nick. Can you imagine she's training and someone comes up and pops her in the leg with At the time, I'm a kid, it's just TV make believe. But now as an adult to think about she's your competition. She's not your only competition. You've got people from all over the world competing. She was the main competition, the American competition. And so she says you nothing about it. But someone goes in clubs are it's like a bookie who can get his money mobster style for sure, pops are in the leg? How awful? This crazy? Like if you watched any of that, you watched the movie that came out with Mark with Margot rob Yea, Tanya great. It was good. Both women that competed in the February Winter Olympics where Karagan won the silver medal in Tanya Harding finished eighth. That is straight mobster, huh man, that's like ugly gangster. Yeah, you're trying to take your competitor out. Literally, Yeah, that's that isn't good. Okay, there you go. Coming up my chit chat with Dina Carter, who I just think such a wonderful person. And it's twenty five years since Strawberry Wine and that's coming up in a second. Hey, Dina, how are you? Goody? Good morning? Hey? Are you l A or Nashville or California? Like? What? What's the timing of this call? Is extremely early for you? No, I'm actually I live near Grayton. Now, I don't know Flora your east coast. Yeah, I'm actually at Central, so I'm the same time as you. But we lived down near thirty A now where everybody Nashville sal look at that. You know, I have never been down there. A lot of my friends that are in the music industry kind of go there for their vacation because it's like the closest beach to us. And you decided to live down there. Is that just the greatest place? Oh my gosh. Well, we've come here obviously for decades, because like you said, where you've some either go to Pama City or come down. I remember when Grayton with houses are now like ten million dollars. You know, you could get a lot for twenty grand or something when we were broken waiting tables and going twenty thousand dollars. You know, you're talking about waiting tables. Did did you ever bartend before you became a country music star? I did. What was that like for you? Well, honestly, I loved it because I was studying to be a rehab therapist, rehabilitation therapists for stroke and head injury patients. That's what I got my degree in at you t And when I would bartend, you know, you have your regulars that would come in, and a lot of the times in the afternoon, you'd have a lot of older people that would come in, usually gentlemen, that would come in and just pour their heart out to you, like what's going on in their life. Then bartending to me was um, it was always more about the relationships. And you knew what everybody's favorite beverage was. You know, they'd walk in and you could start making it for him. It just made them feel cared for and heard. And I know it sounds kind of silly, but it was a coveted job for me because I really loved the people. It wasn't about the Booze. I mean we had a great time, obviously, but it was really about getting miss in that time with people and just hear their most intimate feelings about life and what they're going through, and um taking care of them. I loved it. Were you performing at all while you were attending bar? I wasn't. I was just in like a sorority. We would do, you know, me theater things and just whatever we get on campus. And I've seen here and there, but nothing really pursued at the time, just kind of meddling around in it and getting my toes in the waters. Um. But when I was touring, my first big tour was Alan Jackson and you know, Strawberry Wine written and everything. I went back to Potties, which was one of the little places I barked into in Knoxville, and I barked in it. After the gig, we played them the arena and I went back to Totties and got behind the bar, and I was like working like normal. It was awesome. So You're going to school your tending bar with the goal to become like a rehab specialist. Was it was? It? Never in your mind at that point that country stardom awaited you, I honestly felt like I didn't know it would be in country music for sure, but I knew in my heart that I had some kind of calling and entertainment, and honestly, I thought it was gonna be like television or acting or something because I had done a lot of that in high school and in my college years that we did, like I said, the musicals really, but there were some plays that I did that um just kind of set the tone. And then when I graduated from college, there was a show that never got picked up, but it was like a Thurday Night Live type thing. It was a local Nashville variety show, comedy show like SNL and it was called Checkmate and please don't go find it because it's pretty ad. But I got cast in that show. So to answer a question, I just felt like it was more gonna be like on television more so than in country music. And I just wrote songs really about the relationships I was going through at the time and what I was experiencing in this little journey of trying to figure out which path to take and who I was, and that's when the music started taking over. So when was it then for you that you dedicated, because again, it is quite the dedicated thing to do to go, I'm going to be a singer songwriter, I'm going to tour. I'm like, this is going to be my life and I'm gonna be broke. Like when was that for you? Probably I had that feeling in college that was a good precursor to this struggling artist thing because I paid my way through school, so you know, I had to work really hard to pay off my foliage. I've worked at painting salons and TCB wide, worked pip service for lawyers, and all the parts store on Second Avenue and like anywhere I could get a job. So the struggle for me was real, like just in the real life world of trying to be responsible and not put a financial burden on my family and working hard to make sure I was, you know, stepping up into my part. And that transferred over into the struggle of like not getting discouraged when people would I'd wait outline. I did the Bluebird thing where you waited in the snow, you know, for an hour and a half to get in to have an audition to be at the Bluebird, and um, I don't know, it's just kind of how God's always mapped it out for me that, you know, one foot in front of the other. Each step that I've taken has kind of prepared me for the next step. So I've just been trusting of that. And when you quit taking the steps is the problem, you know. So we're gonna talk about in a second. I'm gonna get to it here about anniversary of Strawberry Wine, but I want to talk a little bit about leading up to that. So you're, you know, doing what most new artists do, and you're playing a song right around your meeting people. Was there anyone, i'll call it in your class that was coming up the same time you were, and you guys hadn't hit it yet, but you look back and go, yeah, I knew so and so when they were just a songwriter before they had a hit or two. Oh yes, for sure. Kenny Chaisney, I met him at Tom Collins Music on six when we were It's where the like the big White Word Music building is now. But there was an old Annabellum house there on that corner, and it had a very small parking lot in the back, and so we would all just spark in there and put your seas in a basket, so that if you had to move a car or whatever, it's a big deal. And and he was blossed me in and I was like, who's driving that. I can't remember what part it was, but I had a white Honda and I'm like, I need somebody to move. So he said, oh, it's me. Sorry, I'm Kenny blah blah, And he moved his car and I moved out. And we were just baby songwriters. This was probably nineties one or two somewhere in there. Um. So he was one and Mila Mason, she came out in the nineties. She was that. We were in a little band together before we each like the band dismembered and with our own ways. So I knew Mala trying to think too else. Um. You know Jay Joyce, who's the producer extraordinary now. He and I worked together, um and did a whole bunch of songs, and he played with me. We had this band that we go play eight the clubs and uh twelfth and Porter and all these cool places. And he and I were writing and producing these alternative songs. You know, it's trying to be like Atlantis Morris set with sort of a Southern Twist tour. And of so, I've known Jake for eons and eons um and just Doug Lancia was with us in that deal. Kelly Looney played with this son. It was just a great little community. Hello Grimey, I've known Mike Grimey. He was in that group, all of us running around together, you know. So it wasn't just the artist, it was the community that I came up in that now everybody's having a lot of success and it's so awesome to see. It's wonderful. What stage while you were kind of cutting your teeth, did you hear strawberry wine? It was I had done a full record with Jimmy Bowen full did I saved my legs for this album and we had um. I mean, it was a full deal. It was more orchestrated. It was very lush, and he brought in David Campbell to do all the strings for the album and his dad. It's such a cool little recollection of all this. Thank you for taking the time. But Bowen as me, he said how many strings? He was on the phone with David Campbell and he said, how many strings do you want on this record? And he's looking at me, and I said, um, like all of them. And so they brought the whole National Symphony in and they laugh had to be laugh about that, and we sat an Emerald sound and and did this. Did I shamulate for this record? And I asked if I could go overseas and tour first, because I didn't I knew being from Nashville it could be brutal. And I just wanted to have like a total queen slate and get all the chinks out and and work my live show and all that. So they said yes, and I flew over to London, mastered the record and did a full tour with UM Jimmy Nail, who's an actor, UM, with a British band. I've had my guitar and that was it. A flew in and had a British tour manager and you know, hold all Brits in my band. It was awesome flew back, but would have been fired and uh we were in limbo for a little while label so we we're gonna Scott Hendrix took over. We re recorded half of that record that I co produced with Bowen and UM. We brought in Chris Farren to help finish some new songs, and that's when I brought in Strawberry Wine and we danced anyway while they came at the very very end of a recute. So we kept the first path of Chase that I did with Bowen and we just remixed it. Steve marc Antonio was an engineer. We came in and added a few things, but we kept the strings and stuff that would count me in. UM. How I could go through the list, but it was once it was I've loved enough to count me in Chase. UM. That's how you know it's love. And there was one other one I can't remember right now, but I love it worth making. That was an original. We brought in Barren and s is the last half and I co produced all of that, and that's when girls didn't get credit. Um. But I worked hard on it and he we all did. It was a team effort to get that record out and after about five years it finally saw the light of day as we know it now. The whole process was five years long, roughly. I think I was find originally in ninety three, two or three, so I was a development artist for two or three years, and then it was record go tour, comeback, re records, and release. So yeah, it was a long long road. I was like, the first single was strawberry Wine. Yes, the first thingle was related to me I've loved enough to Know and we had done the whole video and everything for it, and I gotta I was doing Strawberry Wine on my guitar and all the radio or and we were doing you know, promo, and the phones were like nu back then. Everybody was calling in like what is that song? We want to hear that again? And um, I guess the regional started calling the label and saying that the you know, fans were responding to Strawberry Wine more than I've loved enough to Know. So they changed this single and time for a new release, did a new video and everything like because the people were screaming for Strawberry Wine and they listened and they did it. Scott Hinder, it did a great job of turning all that around. When was it for you that you realize this was going to be not just a hit because that's a that's a building process, but just a massive song that pretty much everybody knew. Was there a moment where you're like, oh, this thing is a lot bigger than I had than I had expected it. Well, the thing about that it was, yes, I would say the arenas that was when it was really hitting home. And Alan Jack was such a sweetheart to take us out. For two years we were out with him pretty much and that made a big impact on the exposure. UM the video was big deal with CMT and everything, and UM doing a lot of television my management at the time. I was one of the first artists to do Letterman numerous times in Leno and all the morning shows and all these things, because there weren't a lot of country artists period, but much less a new artist that was given those opportunities. So it was sort of the as a lined up across the board and just the most awareness it was when the lighters started going up to these arenas. That's when I was like, what and and they weren't just singing strawberry wine. They were singing the record like because you know, we say strawberry wine at the end, and they would when we'd come out. They were singing the whole thing, like every song that wasn't a single yet, and that was just like, what in the world has happening? But I still do this day. Never dreamed, and I'll be honest that it would have the longevity that it's had, and just you know, it's in recurrent radio and it's like become this country. It's place to free the Stairway to Heaven or free birders. So it's like just anthem for country music that I still am blown away that I got to participate in and be a part of because I know that that is a very hard thing to do, and you know, it took us a village to make it happen. And just such talent. The writer's traces, the Burgan, Gary Harrison were so talented, and they told my story, they told the world story, and I was just honored to be able to put my spin on it and put my heart behind it because I lived it too. It's got to be pretty cool that even today's young superstars are still singing it. For example, Samhank came in a few weeks ago and I was like, hey, you can cover whatever you want and he's saying strawberry wine. Like that's got to be pretty cool to see it continuing to inspire folks. It is amazing and now it do not take it for granted. I'm so thankful for that and all the YouTube videos, you know, all the sweet people and talented people that are out there putting it on their platforms and things too. And you know, Kid Rock is like it was his favorite makeout song or whatever, and Vanilla Ice and like all of these people that I've met in my life that crossed the genres that know the song, and you know, it's just been such a gift. I'm so grateful. You mentioned Kenny Chesney earlier about someone you knew when you guys are both starting out, but really one of my favorite country songs in the past, you know, fifteen years as you and Tequila from Kenny and Grace Potter, which you wrote that song. So when you wrote when you wrote that, were you writing it for Kenny or for another artist or for yourself? Well, I wrote that was try Son and I showed up at her house one day and she had been out. She said that she's been out at the wake for Parlin Howard's because he had passed away, and they had been drinking and of had pequila and she was moving a little slow. And I'm like there to write for my record, which was my first records for Arista, so it would have been two records after Strawberry Wine albums. And we were writing it in two thousand two for me for I'm Just a Girl for that album, and so my version is on iTunes on that album. Um, but I got to go out on the road with Kenny and Keith and sing you and Tequila every night, so they would come out and watch that one song and then go get ready for their shows. And you know, a lot of the inspiration with me living in California at the time, the lyrics, and it's got like this Tracy Chapman kind of drone e guitar part in the beginning, and it's just really about not being able to shake someone and you're in this beautiful environment, it's still really you're still affected by the person, just like truthfully, toe Seela stayed in my blood like for three days. It's like a drug. So I try to avoid it if I can, but um, and we just put a lot of truth in that, and we're doing it for my record, not thinking a whole lot of it, and my record didn't do a whole lot, and but Kenny took it and made it dis great, amazing hit, and he told me that it was. You know, he was going through a breakup at the time, and it just he would play that song over and over driving up down the Hall and in Malibu and it meant a lot to me. Matresa had done a male version of it for demo and he had heard it and he's like, man, this just makes sense. So he recorded it. Did you think why you call me the other voice? You know you got Grace part them, Why wouldn't you call you all? I did tell him it needs to be a duet, and I was kind of waiting for the invite. I understand because Grace is amazing and look they you know, they have to pull it together with other genres and branch out, and you know, she was happening, and um, it worked out. I'm not upset about that. I think that to do at part I did suggest, but it's okay because it worked out. I'm just happy again to be a part of and im the traction. I got to go back to the Grammys, the team as APN S A m AS, like all of these honors. A decade after the first record, it was ten years almost, it was like eight or nine years, and it was we got an N s a I Award for that for songs that you know they was they had written the community like that was to me like an oscar coming from the Nashville community. It meant so much to me. So, yeah, that's pretty cool. The you know you're talking about awards. Do you remember you win the CMA for Single of the Year and you know they call your name, you're the winner, you go up on stage. Do you remember that or did you kind of blur out at all? No? I remember it vividly the first time I really screwed up on the acceptance speech. Those are the things where you get blurry and you forget who to sank it. Like, if you could have to do over, that's what I would. I have wished that so many times, that I could go back and be more thankful verbally and eloquent and all that. I was just trying. I was nervous and trying to crack jokes and so embarrassing. But I was on the side of this day talking to Tricia Yearwood. I think because I had just performed and I was on the side. We got to perform a couple of times on that show, and I've been talking to Ricky Skaggs about us going to the elementary school. He's a little bit older than me, and he had Mr Marian in fifth grade and I hadn't that Kenneth, and I always wanted Mr. Mary. We're having like this whole conversation about these teachers in our school, and they were nudging him, like it's time to go announced this award. So he said, oh gosh, i'll be We'll finish this when I get back. So he went out there and opened the envelope and that's when he said the Pride of Goodletsville because we've been talking about it. And I ran out and was doing my gooseball little cheerleading jumps. I was just like so excited, just I couldn't believe it. And that jump on him was our bond because we've been talking about it backstage, so that's what people didn't see. Well, it's so good to talk to you, just such sustained succes us, not only as an artist but a songwriter. And listen, you're moving all over the continental United States. Can't even keep track of you, but it is. It's really good to talk to you as always. Thank you. I'm so excited and look, this is our twenty five year, we're gonna do some cool things for We have some minds and a fire for the first album for this year to just be thankful to the fans and do something fun. So we're gonna try to make that happen in the midst you know, we talked about it before the world went crazy, so we'll see how we can pull it all together. But um, I'm very thankful the capital slash universal slash whatever for still loving on me and supporting me in that way and and the fans too, and so look for it this year. And I'm just I'm happy for you for your engagement. I've seen your online. I'm so proud of you and happy for you. Well, thank you very much. If you go listen, I hope you go. And once we were able to play shows again and people can get on the road like I don't know, because a lot of the artists that have had great records, like sometimes I'll just go out and play the whole record. I mean, you have three number ones on did I shave my legs for this? I mean, and probably five of them I could sing every word back to right this second. So are you guys considering that like just playing the record a few times as a okay, twenty five years, here's the celebration. Yes, and you know I did that one time on the road. We've been off the road for a little bit. I went back out and we just did the record from some One to the like in order, in sequential order, and the people went bananas because that's how they remember it. And for me, it's like nobody cares about other records anyway. I've had like nine records out. You get to play your other songs that you've written, though, because that's also cool to go, Hey, I wrote this. Uh anyway, I think you're fantastic. I love you as an artist and a songwriter ran a person. So whenever you're ready, you guys, get a plan to what you want to do, and you want to publicize it, just let me know. I'm happy to help you out. Thank you, Bobby. I appreciate it. And listen, I want to thank you for always being so kind, so welcoming, so gracious. You always hugged me. You want to see you at events and things. You go out of your way to come and be kind, and it's your your whole audience. I know that they know how awesome you are, but they need to know that that's you know, awesome Mike as well, because you're a stand up guy. And I'm I'm just so happy for your success because you deserve it and you've meant a lot to me. Not thank you. I feel awkward, but that's very kind of you. I don't do well with compliments, but I'm so I'm gonna end it there, Dina. Great to talk to you. I can't wait to see your face again and I'll see you soon. Okay, thank you? Alright, all right, you guys, by the way, go to her merch, Go get merch. All you have to do is go to dina dot com slash store d E A n a dot com slash store, and go get merch. Help help help an artist out by some of that merch, right, Dina, get it out of her garage. That's right, all right? Bye Dina. By fake