Persistence is the key to success. Not giving up.  – Steve Dean    We were having so much fun talking to hit songwriter Steve Dean, we had to divide it into 2 parts.   Over the past few years, we’ve learned that when you are interviewing an artist in their own home, you get to know them on a deeper level and that was certainly the case with Steve Dean.   Steve raised his children in the house where we recorded this interview and when you walk in the door, it feels that way.  Steve and his wife have created a cozy home, where love lives.  He’s a family man who ..read more

The competition for songwriters in Nashville is off the charts crazy and there are a lot of great writers coming to town every single day.   – Steve Dean   Welcome to part 1 of the country music success story of hit songwriter Steve Dean. This Grammy nominee has written 6 #1 songs including Watching You by Rodney Atkins…the most played song on country radio in 2007.  Recorded in Steve’s writing room at his home just outside of Nashville which is filled with guitars, Beatles memorabilia, and BMI awards this episode is full of wisdom for songwriters just getting started. &nbs ..read more

The first time I sang was at Pilgrim Holiness Church.  I was 3 years old and there were only 20 people in the pews. I got a lot of pats on the head but the most memorable thing was I heard this voice inside of me say:  “this is what you do.”   – Sylvia    Recorded in Nashville at the home studio of producer John Mock, this interview with Sylvia is full of stories.  Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, she grew up in a place called Tall Timbers Trailer Park, just 30 feet from the railroad tracks.   Sylvia recalls spending lots of time perched high in a tre ..read more

Our goal has always been to take you with us as we go inside the homes and onto the back porches of country music icons as we discover what makes these talented people tick!  -Candy O’Terry & Jacy Dawn Valeras     Welcome to a recap of some of Candy and Jacy’s favorite 2022 interviews. Chockfull of behind-the-scenes stories that didn’t make the final cut, this episode includes Jacy’s terrifying flight from Nashville to Palm Springs, California to visit Candy, what it was like to be served espresso in a room full of guitars at Anthony Resta’s 1920’s hunting lodge/studio in La ..read more

In the early days especially, I really did have a fire.  I was very self-motivated.  I wanted it so bad and I pushed that internal override button and just got on with it.  – Pam Tillis  Welcome to part two of our exclusive interview with multi-Grammy winner Pam Tillis. Recorded at the Glen Campbell Museum, this part of our conversation includes the stories behind some of Pam’s greatest hits including Mi Vida Loca, Maybe It Was Memphis, Shake the Sugar Tree, and Don’t Tell Me What To Do.  Pam also reveals the vocal performance she is most proud of, and how it felt to s ..read more

You can’t record a good song. You have to record a great song. I don’t want a song, I want an event. I knew that’s what it would take to get me off the ground. – Pam Tillis  This week, we’re sitting down with Pam Tillis who is not only the daughter of country music legend Mel Tillis but an icon in her own right. Pam is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and a 2-time Grammy winner with 6 number-1 hits and 14 top 10 singles. With more than 30 singles charting on Billboard, Pam has sold more than 7 million copies of her studio albums. A 15-time CMA nominee and a 9-time ACM nominee, Pam’s m ..read more

If something fills your soul like music fills mine when I’m singing on stage, the feeling that I feel driving back home is I don’t wanna go back home, I wanna go to the next town and that’s how I’ve always been.  -Julie Roberts  Welcome to the story you probably never knew about platinum-selling singer/songwriter Julie Roberts.  We jumped in the car for a ride to her home just outside of Nashville expecting to get the scoop on her comeback record: Ain’t In No Hurry and ended up hearing a story steeped in incredible highs and the lowest of lows. From a childhood marked by an abus ..read more

I believe that when you have a dream and a calling is put on your life, no matter what you have to endure to pursue it,  God will give you the strength to do it. – Brennley Brown  We’re back at the Glen Campbell Museum for CMA Fan Fest to interview emerging artists from the Rhinestone Stage. When Brennley Brown arrived for soundcheck with her guitar and a smile as big as the room, we knew we were in for a great interview.   Raised on a ranch in Apple Valley, California, Brennley’s first performance was at a kindergarten talent show where she sang Faith Hill’s Mississippi Girl, c ..read more

Welcome to a very special episode of our podcast, taped on the Rhinestone Stage at the Glen Campbell Museum…the jewel of Broadway. There is so much talent in Nashville and we wanted to introduce you to some uber-talented emerging artists who are this close to making it big. First up, our interview with Darin and Brooke Aldridge, a married couple who were born to sing together. Darin’s superb musicianship as a guitarist, along with his rock-solid baritone are the perfect combination for Brooke’s angelic voice.  Their harmonies and phrasing have set them apart from the rest and fueled ..read more

Music was always my first love.  I had an aching, a longing to get on a stage as a very young age. – Rita Wilson  Get ready for an up-close and very personal interview with Rita Wilson. Recorded in the green room at CMA Fest 2022 (while her husband Tom Hanks walked around Nashville in disguise) this is a rare look at one of the entertainment industries’ most versatile artists.  From her early career on legendary TV shows like The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, MASH, Bosom Buddies and Three’s Company to leading roles in film and on stage, Rita’s inner-glow shines through in any ge ..read more