Back in the mid-90s, I was working at a TV station, and every summer we got the chance to cover something in Nashville called Fan Fair. If you’ve never been, it was one of the biggest events in country music back then. For several days straight, all the stars came into town, and the fans lined […]
All-Access in the 90s: A Country Music Story. Read More »
In the spring of 1980, I was back home in Todd County, Kentucky, spending my days in the corn and soybean fields, working for David Stokes. Life was simple—hot days on the tractor, the smell of fresh-turned dirt, and the steady rhythm of farming. Then one afternoon my cousin called from Texas. He was working
The Bull I Never Rode. Read More »
Growing up, I had two aunts on my mother’s side—Nancy and Carolyn. They were my mother’s sisters, but life worked out in a way that I spent much more time around Carolyn. Her son, my cousin Allen, was like a brother to me. I did see Nancy at family reunions and sometimes at Thanksgiving, but
Back in the early seventies, when we moved to Todd County, I found myself with a fascination most kids didn’t think twice about—box turtles. For those who don’t know, a box turtle is that special kind that can close itself up completely, drawing every bit of its body inside the shell until it looks like
The Turtle Orchard Read More »
It always starts the same way. You’re not thinking about the past. You’re just driving to the store, washing your car, sipping your coffee… and then it happens. That one song comes on. And just like that, you’re somewhere else. You’re not in 2025 anymore. You’re 17, riding shotgun in your best friend’s car or
The year was 1966. My Aunt Nancy Bivens, along with my grandma and grandpa, took a road trip from Todd County, Kentucky, to Oklahoma to visit my grandpa’s brother. One warm, sunny afternoon, they decided to enjoy a peaceful picnic down by the river. After driving for a couple of hours along a dusty, narrow
Snake Bit, It Runs in the Family. Read More »
I was watching an episode of The Wonder Years the other night. In it, the main character, Kevin, was getting picked on at school—and that took me back. Way back. I moved up to Todd County in May of 1974 from Miami, Florida. My family had just bought Grandpa’s farm, and to me, it felt like stepping
“Hold This”—A Story About Respect Read More »
It was the late 1960s on my grandma and grandpa’s farm in North Todd County, Kentucky. Back then, every day seemed bigger than life, filled with chores to do, fields to explore, and a hundred ways for kids to get into trouble before sundown. On one particular morning, Grandma was packing a lunch for herself
The Great Lunch Heist Read More »
As I’m sitting here recovering from a robotic triple bypass I had just two weeks ago, I’ve had a lot of time to think. Thankfully, I was a candidate for the robotic procedure — it’s less invasive, and the healing is quicker. I’ve had plenty of support — family, friends, kind words, and prayers. And
“When the Voice Is Gone” Read More »
It was about four o’clock in the afternoon on prom day, 1977, when I had just picked up my tuxedo in Hopkinsville. The suit bag was hanging in the back seat of my ’74 Camaro, and I was running behind. The plan was simple—get home, get cleaned up, and get to the prom. But somewhere
Blue Lights and White Lies. Read More »