I’m on a roll of late as far as to getting new video up.
I shot this for a compilation video that I’m working on. I’m hoping to be able to get back into the live music scene around here in the near future and I thought I’d put together an audition video that is not as dated as the rest of my catalog. I mean it doesn’t seem right to leave a potential talent purchaser with the impression that I’m still the hunk I was when I started shooting these things, so many years ago.
There’s a big wedding venue market around here and I figure this to be one of the best romance tunes that I know. I’ve got a few more though, so consider this the first in the “romance” category.
BTW, I’m hosting all of my videos on Rumble and would appreciate you following me.
Though I learned this song many years ago, I’ve never played it much. But the events of the past few years have inspired me to polish up this old masterpiece and after doing so, I thought I’d share it.
Over a hundred years ago an English lady named Katherine Bates penned the lyrics while gazing easterly from the top of Pikes Peak. I spent most of my Army days at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs so I’m a bit familiar with the awe of the view.
America The Beautiful
But it was Ray Charles who really put the song in perspective, for me anyway. And though I don’t have access to all the great musicians he worked with (or any others, actually), I’ve tried to put the same passion and patriotism in my little guitar/vocal version.
I realize now why posting on my website has been so hard to do. It’s because in all my years of trying to be social with the new media, I’ve worried too much about mentioning something that would piss off someone who might be a potential listener. But that was then and this is now. Now I don’t give a shit!!
It all started when Bruce Springsteen started airing out his political views at his shows and everywhere else. His pansy liberal attitude made me so mad that I started hating his music and I had always been such a fan before. So I decided, as hard as it is to get people to even listen to music that it would be pretty stupid to turn off half of the market by letting the world now what a flaming patriot and conservative Christian that I try to be. (BTW, I’m the worst phucking Christian ever and I’m OK with it. I’m just grateful for His grace.)
Now I see how being afraid to let my roots be known was what the reason sharing on Facebook and here on my own website was so difficult to do. So now that I’m out in the open, you should expect to hear a lot more from me now.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I started working on a new album shortly after “Piece of My Soul” was released back in 2006. My plan was/is to be a bit more genre specific this time, leaning towards the blues side since that’s really what I’m all about.
I had quickly began writing but since I had already chosen and charted the three cover songs, in an effort to feel like I had officially started the process I made a dedicated trip to Jay’s Place to get these tracks out of the way. They included “Georgia on My Mind” and “Since I Fell”. Sadly, between the economic crush of 2008, shortly followed by my mom’s accident which forced me to re-prioritize my responsibilities, these tracks have been gathering dust in the vault ever since.
New Single / Slide
Available 2/15/2018
The single that I have decided to release is a song that I picked up from a great songwriter who I met years ago in the Myspace days named Kristy Jackson. Kristy is one of the most disciplined songwriters I’ve ever met. She’s recorded several albums of her own but has also had cuts by Reba McIntyre and Patti Page.
I think the main reason I wanted to record this song is that even though I absolutely loved Kristy’s version, in my humble opinion the song needed to be sang from a male perspective. It makes the storyline much more believable.
Anyway, the track will be available at most digital retailers including Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and CDbaby as well as being streamable at Spotify and Apple Music on February 15th. But if you’d like to hear a sample I’ve included a preview for you to check out right here.
Christmas is upon us and for some reason I seem to be looking forward to this one more than most. I can only assume it’s because for me, it’s another Ranger Christmas
For the past several years I’ve teamed up with Warrior Farms to make sure that the families of the 5th Ranger Training Battalion at Camp Frank D. Merrill here in Dahlonega know just how much our community appreciates all they do.
Front Gate
Last year I was a bit under the weather and was unable to visit as many of the Dahlonega merchants as I had in past years but this year I made it a point to avoid Walmart before midnight and it seems to be paying off. I feel great.
So if any of you business owners (or individuals) in our lovely little community would like to contribute a gift certificate or any other suitable door prize gift, be sure to let me know before the end of day, Thursday December 14th. I’ll be happy to swing by and pick it up.
If you’re looking for that unique gift for the music lover in your life, I’ve still got a few “A Piece of My Soul” CD’s left. They are no longer available at CD Baby or Amazon and there’s not that many left so get ’em while they are hot.
Well it turns out, I just thought I was in the music business.
Those of you who’ve been around for awhile know all about my CD, A Piece of My Soul that was originally released back in 2006. I say originally because it seems it was removed from distribution at CDbaby sometime back and I wasn’t aware of it. I mean I noticed I wasn’t getting any payments on it anymore but I thought it was simply because nobody wanted to hear it. Since I don’t go looking to stream or purchase my own music, I didn’t realize that it was discontinued.
Maybe it’s something I did, hell I don’t know. But I’ve spent the last month working to get it back into all the online distribution outlets. It seems to have made its way to Spotify but for some reason, iTunes and Apple Music seem to be a problem. Hopefully they’ll both be resolved soon.
As for physical copies. I’ve had a bit of luck there as well. I was down to only a handful due to the fact that I thought I had lost a box in my last move. But they’ve been found. So I’m turning those lose again as well.
For now I’m not going to use a third party distributor I plan on doing the order fulfillment myself so they are exclusively available here.
The last time this album was available it was a big hit on Myspace. I’m hoping things go even better this time around.
