In fact checking myself, I discovered that James Island was not named after Confederate Captain George S. James. It was named after King James II, King of England, born 1633, died 1701. My apologies.

"Stories with a Beat"

Just the other day I released the latest edition of "Stories with a Beat," a video podcast, featuring Nashville stalwart Marc-Alan Barnette on my Don Wall Productions YouTube Channel. The Birmingham native is celebrating 37 years in Nashville as a songwriter, artist, and most recently, teacher. His slogan is "You Don't Choose Music. Music Chooses YOU." Our video features a lot of MAB's original music, cuts with major artists, and tips for anybody coming to Nashville with stars in their eyes. He offers a lot of guidance about avoiding the potholes and road closures that block the long, slow road to success in Nashville

Marc-Alan Barnette on YouTube

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Jim Sitton (1932-2024)

We experienced another sad milestone in Kimberly's family. Her father, Jim Sitton died in his sleep at 91. Kimberly remembers good times as Daddy's Girl, riding around town in Hendersonville, North Carolina in Daddy's truck, getting double bubble at the local gas station. Jim was a Marine, firefighter, paramedic and devoted husband to Martha, who passed away last year, and father to Kimberly and her older sister, Sindy. He liked me playing old country songs by Charlie Pride, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams. Now he and Martha are reunited in their little cabin in Gloryland.

Debi Champion

It was special to celebrate another milestone in Nashville recently. Debi Champion celebrated her 20th anniversary as host of her Writers Nights at the Commodore Grille at the Vanderbilt Holiday Inn. It's a terrific showcase for songwriters and a wonderful audience. Debi invited me to join the show, a huge honor for me to join the 60 songwriters and friends of Debi who performed. I, like many others, owe a debt of gratitude to Debi, who puts us up on this popular stage and provides amazing sound every time. The special guest was Jerry Foster, a Hall of Fame songwriter, who wrote many of the big country hits in the early 70's with his songwriting partner, Bill Rice for artists like Charlie Pride, Johnny Paycheck, Conway Twitty, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Singing Lessons

I thought I was done producing my first Nashville album, but after consulting with industry pros, I decided I need some singing lessons. The musicians are so good that I need to step up. I once took voice lessons in New York City to fix my Massachusetts accent and it worked well enough that I was able to work on the air as a TV reporter in Texas for 20 years. I'm working with Cecily Gardner, a professional singer and singing teacher in Los Angeles. I like that Cecily is West Coast. She comes from a pop, jazz, R&B background and has recorded or sung with artists like Bobby McFerrin ("Don't Worry Be Happy"), David Foster (16 Grammy Awards), Linda Tillery, and Patti Carthcart (Patti & Tuck).

Co-Writing

I've finally embraced co-writing in Nashville, which is key to getting anywhere around here. MAB calls it "The Nashville Handshake." It is still possible for a great, new artist to fall off the truck in Nashville and have success, but George Strait, Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, and Luke Combs only come around once or twice in a generation. Thousands of songs are produced and uploaded on a daily basis. All you can do is keep improving your songwriting and make friends, not just in low places, but with the right people. Nashville provides proximity and the best way to write a hit song is to be in the same room as the artist that is producing the hits. Who you know has never been more important.

Billy Strings

We saw Billy Strings at Bridgestone Arena, the Friday night show, with special guests Mickey Raphael and Bela Fleck. What a treat! They did a nod to Willie with "Blue Skies," sung by bass player, Royal Masat, which was cool. I think we were all just "California Sober." "Freeborn Man"was amazing.

String City

Kimberly volunteered to help the Nashville Public Library's "String City," a puppet show celebrating the history of Country Music in Nashville. It was fantastic. "Mercy Now," Mary Gauthier and Jamiee Harris provided some wonderful music to top off a great evening of puppet magic.

Halls of Fame

We also met one of my songwriting heroes, Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter, Don Schlitz. Then we spent a few hours at the Musician's Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. We saw so many incredible instruments, including Glen Campbell's first guitar, and Michael Shrieve's Ludwig drum set used with Santana at Woodstock in 1969.

30A and Santa Rosa Beach, FLA

When the freezing cold and deep snow socked Nashville in January, Kimberly and I were camping at Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and volunteering at the 30A Songwriters Music Festival. We enjoyed Roseanne Cash and Rodney Crowell, and lots of other great and successful songwriters. We did our duty at the venues, and made some nice fires at the campsite. Isolation felt good. The last day we planned to take a long hike in the dunes of Topsail State Park, but being rainy and cold, and Nashville still frozen, we packed up the tent and drove on to Savanah, Georgia and on up through the low country to Charleston, South Carolina, one of the few warm places in America.

Charleston, South Carolina

Kimberly lived in Charleston for a time back after she graduated from college. I had been there once briefly covering a hurricane. The first thing I wanted to see was Fort Sumter. We went down to the dock, but the last boat of the day had already departed. We decided to find the spot where the Confederates fired the first shots of the Civil War. That took us to James Island, originally named after King James II. At 4:30 in the morning on April 12, 1861, Captain George S. James of the Confederate States Army gave the order to fire a mortar shell, which exploded over Fort Sumter and began the tragic four years of the War of Secession. Today, the spot is part of a marine science laboratory.

The next afternoon, we took the boat out to the ruins of Fort Sumter and got the tour. We joined people from all over the country and the world in lowering and folding the American flag at the end of the day. It was a meaningful experience. In our divided country we hear talk of secession in Texas, Alaska, California, more than 20 percent nationwide. I don't think people have really thought it through. We disagree on many things these days, but I still believe in America, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the durability of our democratic republic, "if we can keep it," as Benjamin Franklin famously prophesied.