From the Florida swamps of Apopka to the neon lights of Nashville, John Anderson carved out a career as one of the most distinctive voices in country music. In this episode of Honky Tonk Tales, Jimmy takes you on a journey through Anderson’s early days roofing the Grand Ole Opry, his first break with “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal,” the million-selling smash “Swingin’,” and the career-saving masterpiece Seminole Wind.

Along the way, you’ll hear the backstories, the road tales, the highs, the lows, and the comeback that made John Anderson a legend. Expect laughs, surprising detours, and plenty of music talk in the only way Jimmy can tell it.

So grab a glass of sweet tea, kick back, and let’s go Swingin’ — it’s time for the John Anderson story.

#JohnAnderson #CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory

From Tex Ritter to Shania Twain, this week in country music has it all! We celebrate Jo Dee Messina’s birthday and her record-breaking run, remember Tex Ritter’s 1945 No. 1 hit, and mark the final broadcast of the legendary Louisiana Hayride. Plus, Hank Williams records “Moanin’ the Blues,” Shania blows out the candles, and Gentleman Jim Reeves is remembered. It’s a full week of milestones, memories, and music history from August 25th through 31st.

##CountryMusicHistory #TexasRadioOne #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusic #Podcast

From Tex Ritter to Shania Twain, this week in country music has it all!

We celebrate Jo Dee Messina’s birthday and her record-breaking run, remember Tex Ritter’s 1945 No. 1 hit, and mark the final broadcast of the legendary Louisiana Hayride. Plus, Hank Williams records “Moanin’ the Blues,” Shania blows out the candles, and Gentleman Jim Reeves is remembered. It’s a full week of milestones, memories, and music history from August 25th through 31st.

#CountryMusicHistory #TexasRadioOne #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusic #Podcast

In this episode, Jimmy takes you on a winding ride through the life and legend of Willie Nelson — from his humble beginnings in Abbott, Texas, to his reign as the red-braided outlaw poet of country music.

Packed with wild backstories, behind-the-scenes tales, and the songs that changed the genre forever, this episode explores Willie’s rise as a songwriter, his Outlaw Country revolution, his Hollywood adventures, IRS battles, cannabis crusades, and his enduring legacy.

Equal parts funny, heartfelt, and downright unbelievable, this is the definitive story of a man who never just played the game — he rewrote the rules.

#CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory #WillieNelson

This Week in Country Music History – Aug 18–24: George Jones plays NYC, birthdays for Clay Walker, Lee Ann Womack, Kacey Musgraves, and Kenny Rogers, plus remembering Fred Rose — and the week Elvis recorded “Love Me Tender.”

#CountryMusicHistory #TexasRadioOne #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusic #Podcast

From the cotton fields of Colt, Arkansas to the velvet-draped stages of Nashville, Charlie Rich defied genres and expectations at every turn. In this in-depth episode, Jimmy dives into the life and legacy of the soulful piano man who blurred the lines between country, jazz, rockabilly, gospel, and blues.

You’ll hear the story behind early hits like “Lonely Weekends,” his Sun Records years, his struggle for identity in a sound that couldn’t be boxed in, and the meteoric rise with countrypolitan classics like “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” Plus, the infamous envelope-burning incident at the 1975 CMA Awards that changed everything.

This episode tells the tale of a man too smooth for Nashville, too country for pop, and too good to ever be forgotten.

#CharlieRich #CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory

Step back in time with us for This Week in Country Music History, August 10th through the 16th!

From Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’” topping the charts to George Strait’s very first No. 1, we’re covering the milestones, the legends’ birthdays, and one toe-tappin’ fun fact you might not know. Whether it’s Kenny Chesney finding his beach, Trisha Yearwood’s movie hit, or remembering the King himself, it’s all here in one quick, boot-scootin’ ride through country music’s past.

#CountryMusicHistory #TexasRadioOne #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusic

She kicked in the doors of Nashville at 13, ran wild with the outlaws, broke hearts, broke rules, and still came out swingin'. In this deep dive, Honky Tonk Tales tells the unfiltered story of Tanya Tucker — the spitfire who turned scandal into stardom and setbacks into stage anthems.

Hosted by Jimmy, this episode dives headfirst into Tanya's rise, her infamous romances (lookin’ at you, Glen Campbell), her battles with addiction, her defiant comebacks, and the Grammy-winning rebirth that proved legends don’t fade — they rise.

Packed with backstage stories, rare insights, and all the grit, glam, and grit again that made Tanya one of country’s most unforgettable voices.

#CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory #TanyaTucker

From Rhodes Scholar to Nashville janitor, helicopter pilot to Hollywood icon, Kris Kristofferson lived a life as epic as the songs he wrote. In this episode of Honky Tonk Tales, host Jimmy takes you on a journey through the wild, poetic, and unrelentingly honest life of a true country outlaw.

Hear the backstories behind classics like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” the wild days with Janis Joplin, tales from the Highwaymen years, and how one man rewrote country music with nothing but a pen and a purpose.

Raw, funny, and unfiltered — this is Kris Kristofferson like you’ve never heard him before.

#KrisKristofferson #CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory

He was the cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis, the voice behind “Room Full of Roses,” and the man who made Pasadena, Texas, the center of the honky tonk universe. In this episode, Jimmy takes you through the wild, hilarious, and heartfelt journey of Mickey Gilley—from humble beginnings in Louisiana to becoming the face of the Urban Cowboy era.

Learn how a failed rockabilly singer built a nightclub empire, soundtracked a Hollywood film, and helped take country music into the mainstream. With behind-the-scenes stories, legendary songs, mechanical bulls, and some unbelievable detours, this episode of Honky Tonk Tales is a boot-scootin’ tribute to a country music original.

#CountryMusic #HonkyTonkTales #CountryMusicLegends #Podcast #CountryMusicHistory #MickeyGilley #UrbanCowboy