Southern Americana

Darryl Worley topped the charts with three #1 hits, "Have You Forgotten, "I Miss My Friend," and "Awful, Beautiful Life," and recorded a string of top 20 country music hits. It all began in Hardin County, TN, where his musical talent was forged on his family's front porch.

Worley's blue-collar roots ring true in his songs and stories. His dad worked at the area paper mill before being ordained as a United Methodist minister. His mom, who Worley describes as a "prayer warrior," always sang in the church choir and played a key role in his love for music.

The family moved around following the call of his dad's ministry during his early teen years. By the time he was a senior, Worley had returned to his home community and graduated from Hardin County High School in 1982. Although he began playing the guitar and other instruments as a child, few of Worley's classmates knew the extent of his musical gifts.

It was those formative years growing up in the Pyburn community that Worley had big dreams. But it wasn't a career in music. He had aspirations of becoming a doctor.

Worley spent his first two undergraduate years at Martin College in nearby Pulaski, TN. From there, he transferred to the University of North Alabama, near the magical, musical town of Muscle Shoals and Fame Recording Studios. However, the young student focused on his arduous courses while earning a biology degree. It wasn't until after he graduated that Worley allowed his love of songwriting and performing to blossom.

Under the direction of Fame Studios' legendary founder, Rick Hall, Worley worked diligently to develop his songwriting skills. Others, such as Larry Roser in Savannah, TN, and Jimmy Pyle of nearby Mississippi, encouraged him to pursue his recording career in Muscle Shoals and Nashville. Steve Bigbee of Tuscumbia, Alabama, was also instrumental in Worley's early development.

With the DreamWorks Records release of his debut album, Hard Rain Don't Last, featuring the songs, "A Good Day to Run" and "Second Wind," Worley built the foundation of a loyal fan base.

But it was the release of his albums in 2002 and 2003 that sent Worley to the top of country music charts.

"I Miss My Friend," a heart-wrenching ballad claimed the number one spot for several weeks. Worley's biggest hit came in 2003 when he released "Have You Forgotten," a patriotic anthem that inspired a generation of American troops sent overseas to fight America's war on terrorism.

Worley's life is easily found in the songs he sings. "Awful, Beautiful Life," Worley admits, contains lines about his immediate family. "Sounds Like Life to Me" is another. It's a story reflecting the struggles of an average, working-class guy, much like the lives of the people Worley holds dear.

Even though Worley was a late-bloomer to the country music charts, his longevity is a testament to his authentic heart and lifestyle, his deep love for his family, and devotion to his country and community. Part one of this two-part episode provides a glimpse into Worley's legitimacy and integrity, both on and off the stage.

Music lovers who favor Pop, Rock, Country, or Americana have undoubtedly heard songs produced, written, or performed by Jim Messina. Over the past six decades, this multi-talented artist has hundreds of songs to his credit.

Messina was born in California and spent his formative music years in Texas. He recorded his first album in the early 1960s. His foray into the mainstream music scene came a few years later when he was the recording engineer on Buffalo Springfield's "Last Time Around" album. Before he knew it, Messina found himself as the group's bass player.

After the band dissolved, Messina and Richie Furay formed Poco. Moving from bass to lead guitar, he was an intricate part of their "country-rock" sound. The group recorded three albums until Messina was exhausted after hundreds of live performances. He also wanted to move back behind the soundboard instead of living the life of a touring musician.

It was in December of 1970 when an aspiring singer/songwriter by the name of Kenny Loggins showed up at Messina's door. Loggins didn't bring a guitar, so Messina handed him one of his and asked if he wanted to record a couple of songs. Recognizing the young singer's talent, Messina asked record company executives if he could help Loggins in his first studio sessions.

Among the songs recorded by the duo were the hit, "Danny's Song," "Listen to a Country Song," "Same Old Wine," and "The Trilogy." It was suggested that the duo we named Messina and Loggins, however, the experienced engineer and musician requested the names be reversed, so that if and when Messina ever left the duo, Loggins's name would more easily carry forward.

The duo recorded nine albums before Messina ventured into a solo career in 1977. Over the next four decades, Messina has released eight albums and still maintains an active touring schedule.

Besides his incredible musical abilities, Messina is a talented furniture maker and craftsman. He also finds time to mentor young and up-and-coming recording artists and musicians from his farm in Middle Tennessee.

Lee Roy Parnell grew up in Texas, surrounded by Country Music royalty. His father was great friends with the legendary Texas Swing fiddle player and bandleader, Bob Wills. Parnell is also cousins with Americana singer/songwriter, Robert Earl Keen.

As a teenager, Parnell began his music career as a drummer before picking up the guitar. The young musician spent a decade playing in the bars, dance halls, and honkytonks of Texas before making the move to Music City in 1987 as a songwriter. He quickly parlayed his singing ability with his tremendous slide guitar skills, which created his own identifiable sound and stretched the boundaries of Country Music.

Parnell continues to tour and tear the roof off of theatres and electrify festivals. He is passionate about his songwriting and most recently his Blackberry Smoke cut, "Good One Comin' On," which as featured on the hit TV series, "Yellowstone."

Mississippi native Lisa Stewart sings with Parnell, yet her incredible talent stretches into recording voiceovers and acting. Like Parnell, Stewart began performing at an early age by singing in church, eventually moving to Nashville in 1987 to attend Belmont University on the Roy Acuff scholarship. Stewart earned her stripes in the music industry by playing clubs in Nashville while a full-time student. After a demo session with Byron Gallimore, she landed a contract with BNA Records. Besides promoting her singing career, Stewart hosted several nationally syndicated and cable entertainment news shows while balancing her touring career. She has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Lenny Kravitz to Kenny Rogers. And she has shared the silver screen with Oscar winners Gwynneth Paltrow and Melissa Leo. The young singer put her career on hold for several years when she married former Little Texas band member, Brady Seals, in 2002. After divorcing in 2018, Stewart has been touring with Parnell.

I interviewed Parnell and Stewart via phone in May of this year after they were forced to cancel performances due to the coronavirus pandemic. I first saw this duo in April of 2019 when they performed at City Winery in Nashville at a benefit concert for fellow singer/songwriter, John Berry.

Parnell and Stewart, who are raising young children from previous marriages, discuss their individual musical backgrounds and how their combined love of singing and performing has brought their careers together.

As a child growing up in North Carolina, Emily Scott Robinson didn't necessarily envision herself as an Americana recording artist. One thing she knew is she wanted to help others.

The Furman University alum graduated with degrees in Spanish and History. Emily spent time as a social worker - a noble calling indeed - before embarking on a musical journey that has taken her down roads unimagined. The journey continues.

When she decided to switch gears and become a full-time artist, this singer-songwriter had a plethora of stories to tell. Now all she had to do was to get them down on paper and make records. For some, that's easier said than done. However, it doesn't appear to be the case with Emily's songs.

In 2016 Emily recorded Magnolia Queen, an eight-song compilation including the title track which describes a typical small-town housewife with the lines:

"I spent all that, time practicing my smile; because I had babies and went to work, we raised the kids up in the church. Sunday's I play and sing, Monday's are for Junior League. I wanted all those things...Magnolia Queen."

Another track, "Marriage Ain't the End of Being Lonely," discusses a challenged young lady who eventually married, working on being a good husband and wife.

"Well our demons didn't take to long to show up. Turns out when I drink I love to fight. And then you leave you the house and wouldn't tell me where you went to ease your sorrows late at night. And we fought for three whole days when I got pregnant. Where I disappeared to no one knew. When I came home I carried myself different. It was all the growing up I had to do."

Her current album, Traveling Mercies, sets the young Americana artist apart from many of her contemporaries. Rolling Stone magazine named her one of "10 New Country and Americana Artists You Need to Know" for 2019. Accolades from Billboard and American Songwriter also followed.

Her emotional penning of "The Dress" that caught the attention of critics and fans alike.

At the age of 22, Emily was raped after being drugged at a bar by her date. The next few years brought forth an array of emotions ranging from guilt to anger to depression. She realized she was telling one story to her therapist, one to her parents, and another to the man she would eventually marry. "I needed to reconcile me and my story," Robinson told me in a phone interview during our podcast.

Emily has moved on. The painful memories transpose themselves into positive energy. She hopes they will help others struggling with life-issues. Yet there are so many more stories to tell and songs to write.

"Westward Bound," "Better with Time," and White Hot Country Mess" tell the story of Emily Scott Robinson in detailed yet simplistic statements.

She and her husband have logged well over 250,000 miles, and both are eager to get back in their paid-for, used RV. The line in "White Hot Country Mess" explains some of the challenges a female singer encounters on the road in these few lines:

"You put men in charge of dressing rooms, there will be beer and whiskey, that's assumed, but not a single mirror to be found. It's just dirty bathrooms, dingy lights, dealing with the drunk sound guy; 'hey buddy, can you turn the readers (lights) down?'"

Penned during the coronavirus pandemic, Emily asked fans to submit photos and videos of their stay-at-home lives to include in the official music video of "A Time for Flowers."

Emily talks about these topics and much more during our interview while spending time with family back in North Carolina. Like our previous episodes, you don't want to miss this conversation.

If you sat next to Mark Narmore on an airplane, chances are you wouldn't think he is an award-winning songwriter. He also hails from Muscle Shoals royalty. That's the way this humble wordsmith prefers it.

In the late 1980s, Mark was a student at the University of North Alabama. For pocket change, he spun records at WLX in Lexington, AL. An aspiring songwriter, Mark honed his skills by working at the feet of Fame Recording Studios founder and producer, Rick Hall. It was at this famous studio where he wrote "The Moon Over Georgia," a top-ten Country Music hit for the group Shenandoah.

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In 1995, Mark and Walt Aldridge, another hall of fame Muscle Shoals songwriter, penned "Like There Ain't No Yesterday" for Blackhawk. However, his blockbuster hit came along a decade later when Craig Morgan cut "That's What I Love About Sunday," which was the most performed song on Country radio in 2005.

Mark grew up on the outskirts of Muscle Shoals listening to his cousin, keyboardist Spooner Oldham. He also had the good fortune of seeing the infamous Swampers and dozens of major artists who ventured to Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound recording studios during the 1970s and 80s.

Keyboards are his primary instrument, yet this versatile musician can also play guitar and sing. Artists such as Josh Turner, Alabama, Reba McIntyre, Terri Clark, Guy Penrod, and others have recorded his material.

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Mark continues writing songs for Noble Vision Music Publishing in Nashville, TN. He also has a star at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Mark and his wife, Sandy, live in his hometown of Center Star, AL. You don't want to miss Mark discuss his career and his memories of the Muscle Shoals recording scene.

Dino Villanueva grew up in Texas, playing music with his guitarist father and other musical influences. At the age of 13, Dino was the second lead guitarist in his dad's band.

In 2001, while attending Texas Christian University, a group of friends needed a bass player and asked Dino to fill in. He immediately fell in love with the bass, and as they say, the rest is history.

Today Dino is a session bass player in Nashville and also plays in the touring band for Country Music superstar and legend, Tanya Tucker.

I sat down with Dino on the patio of Moo Country boutique in Leiper's Fork, TN, in early May of 2020 after musical tours were canceled or rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. While the time off has allowed Dino to spend valuable time with his family, this versatile musician has used the opportunity to practice and even record his original material. He also recently released a version of "Danny's Song," in memory of his dad.

Listen to this episode, as Dino discusses growing up in a musical upbringing, his Filipino heritage, and life as a touring musician. Dino plays and is sponsored by Godin guitars.

Sandy Gennaro grew up on the outskirts of New York City and today lives in Nashville, TN. In 1965 he purchased his first drum set for $383. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

In a career that has spanned over 50 years, Sandy has toured with some of the biggest names in music such as Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Bo Diddley, The Monkees, Michael Bolton, and others. But it was a random act of kindness and taking a few moments to speak with a fan that opened a huge door in Sandy's life.

Today Sandy is in his seventh decade and still plays with Rock United, an 80s cover band. Yet this hard-charging, rock-n-roll drummer is also a highly coveted motivational speaker. Companies such as FedEx, Belmont University, Keller Williams, and The School of Rock have retained Sandy to provide the recipe for inspiration and success, whether the platform is business, music, or life.

In this episode, Sandy shares his life journey, which will inspire everyone to give their best every day.

As the past president of the Americana Music Association, Mark Moffatt has an incredible musical background. This Australian born producer and guitarist moved to London in the early 1970s and worked with many of Britan's hottest acts.

In 1996 Mark moved to Nashville, where he was director of A&R at Ten Ten until 2001. Mark has worked with such greats as Keith Urban, Tony Joe White, Deana Carter, and a host of other Country and Americana artists.

Mark discusses how the music industry is changing, the challenges and opportunities of the Americana genre, and how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting musicians and music venues throughout the U.S. and abroad. Mark also an inagural board member of the Americana Music Association Foundation.

Carey Bringle owns and operates Peg Leg Porker, a highly successful barbecue restaurant in Nashville's Gulch area.

When Nashville, Tennessee Mayor John Cooper proposed raising property taxes by 32% to keep all government employees on the payroll, Carey protested in an open letter that went viral.

I sat down with Carey in the Gulch on May 13, 2020, soon after restaurants were allowed to reopen in Nashville. We discussed the challenges restaurants would face in a post-coronavirus world, Memphis barbecue, bourbon, and his podcast, Live From BS Corner.

You don't want to miss this episode!

Jim Hagy is a third-generation restaurant owner. His grandfather started Hagy's Catfish Hotel on the banks of the Tennessee River near Shiloh Battlefield after hosting a fundraiser for Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning in the 1930s.

After 80 years, Hagy's Catfish Hotel is still thriving. Some say they serve the finest fried catfish and hushpuppies on the planet. Jim and his wife Cheryl, also own and operate Chef's Market, a restaurant and catering operation in Goodlettsville, TN, just outside of Nashville.

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Our families go back over 70 years so I interviewed Jim about the state of the restaurant industry and how the coronavirus pandemic has and will change the future of the restaurant industry for the foreseeable future.