WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:03.680 Hey, it's Bob Picket. We are on our way to the legendary Broken 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:05.919 Spoke. Come on, let's get out of the truck and head inside. 3 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:12.199 A little Girl and rockets Land they told, damn, you're proud of it. 4 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.399 Come on, let's go inside. Getting ready for another tale from the 5 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:27.480 Broken Spoke. Time for another great tale tales the Broken Spoke. I'm Bob 6 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.800 picking my buddy Monty Warden right here and on the line with us. We 7 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:37.200 and got the legendary John Conley. Now you were just in Texas and Georgetown 8 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:41.640 saw a great show you that night. Ernie's an would and were you surprised 9 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:44.119 at the crowd getting up and dance? And I tell you there's nothing like 10 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.399 a Texas crowd at a concert, is there? I know, I mean, 11 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:52.000 all these weeks with the with the hot temperatures, and we've done several 12 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:59.719 dances amongst the various shows I've done, and there they dance anyway side this 13 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:03.319 is outside. Oh no, but man, correct, Well, you know 14 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:07.079 we're gonna get up and dance. You know, that's the that's the whole 15 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.120 thing is you know, that's the thing about a Texas dance hall for our 16 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.920 listeners that might live in other parts of the country. Is the whole family 17 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.319 comes out, young mens come out and uh and also you know, if 18 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:23.599 I may, if you're at a John Conley concert, so you're gonna hear 19 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:26.280 hits, Yeah, non stop, non stop, and it ain't fun unless 20 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:30.480 you're sweat and let's just put it that way, no matter what you're doing, 21 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:36.439 right, correct. Oh you, my friend, I could not believe 22 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:41.640 you told the audience your age and I will say the average medium age out 23 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:46.519 there, which is probably uh, mid forties maybe, but they knew every 24 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:51.719 one of your songs that you sang. That's one of the amazing things that 25 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.680 no matter where we where we play, there are always people in the crowd 26 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:00.640 who are who weren't born when these songs came out and they know the words 27 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.280 and that's very flattering. You know. Well, it's because the songs are 28 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:08.479 great, and that's the key. That's the key to you know, producing 29 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:12.599 a body of work, in my opinion, and having it last a long 30 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:15.039 time. So you know, I'm very proud of that and thankful for it. 31 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:19.960 Before before I forget this, I gotta tell you, Monty, I've 32 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:23.319 never seen this before when it comes to your merch that you were selling. 33 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.520 Of course you had rose colored glasses, which we'll talk about in a minute. 34 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:30.639 But I have not been to a show where they saw not only T 35 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:37.000 shirts, not only CDs, your music was on thumb drive. Oh yeah, 36 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:42.080 yeah. We've got a serious called Classics, which is a greatst sitch 37 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:45.639 package with a lot of new music, and we have it both in CD 38 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:50.400 form, three discs in the series, but we started this year carrying it 39 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.719 on a thumb drive. All three all three albums on the little thumb drive, 40 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.800 and people are leaving it there. There's a great idea, I'd a 41 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.800 great idea. Oh yeah, that's brilliant, Yeah, brilliant. It works 42 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.439 great. You know, in this streaming world we live in, in this 43 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.199 digital world, it's just another way to deliver it, and it doesn't take 44 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:12.599 up a lot of space. Well, and mister Connolly Monty Warden here, 45 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.960 Uh yeah, and listening, just call me John bye, by the way, 46 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:21.039 Well, mister Conley, go away, just John. Well, hey, 47 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.759 we're all one big family. It's okay, let's take that up with 48 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:30.000 my late grandmother. But but you know, one thing I think that that 49 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:37.960 has allowed your music to be uh classics and and timeless is your uh, 50 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.280 the records that you've made your entire career with with Bud, Bud Logan your 51 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.280 record. You know, I was listening to your to your music over the 52 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:49.120 past weekend, just doing the show prep and refamiliarizing myself. Thirty two chart 53 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:53.080 records, twenty one top tens, seven number ones. But those records that 54 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:58.000 you all started making in the seventies and still having hits up until just a 55 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.439 few years ago, there is a timeless quality to it. And I notice, 56 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:05.759 you know, y'all went through the urban cowboy phase and disco and country 57 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:11.879 politan and all that stuff in nash Vegas and all that stuff. You and 58 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:18.160 Bud made timeless sounding country records and at the time were y'all purposeful in not 59 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:21.839 putting the frills on it that everybody else in Nashville was doing. Because your 60 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:27.839 music issues guitar based difference, and it gives it a timeless quality that makes 61 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:33.120 it just sound like a John Conley record. Was that Why did you avoid 62 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:38.519 the gimmicks and the trends at the time. I've always wanted to ask you 63 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:44.120 that, well, because those gimmicks and trends will date you, and there 64 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:48.000 will come a point in time when they will sound silly to somebody, I 65 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:53.560 think, and you know, and so we did that on purpose. A 66 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:57.920 long time ago, I worked with the guy in the funeral profession. He 67 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:01.279 would never buy when all the car when when cars actually had a different look 68 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:05.480 year to year, like they no longer do. But you know, one 69 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:11.839 one year some one of the carmakers would have big fins and big curves and 70 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.000 they change the look of the car. He always said that if you buy 71 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:20.560 a car with a straight line from front to back, it will appear new 72 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:25.560 longer. And he's right, Uh, straight lines instead of all the all 73 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:29.519 the tricks. And that's true for music as well. Amen, ah man, 74 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.040 that is it's I I didn't think about that. It's beautiful. Well, 75 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:34.279 and that's the whole thing. Is that what people need to know. 76 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:38.759 Uh, there's no such thing as a hit record on accident. And and 77 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:44.040 these records that mister Conley and Bud Logan made together and make together sound timeless 78 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:46.560 like uh. I know, mister Connley, back about a few years ago, 79 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:51.439 twenty fifteen, and then again in twenty seventeen, you cut two songs 80 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.959 that my late father in law Phil Thomas wrote, Standing in the Shade and 81 00:05:56.040 --> 00:06:02.160 Walking Behind the Star, and those records, say, sound just sound similar 82 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:05.639 and in the same vein as as if they've been cut on the Rose Colored 83 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:10.279 Glasses session or in the backside of thirty session. It just sounds like a 84 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:14.879 John Connley record. And I think that is what is so wonderful when people 85 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:17.800 put on your records, is they don't sound old. They just sound like 86 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:23.560 a John Conley record. And I, as a fan, I just want 87 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:27.319 to thank you and Bud for making records like that that don't that don't date 88 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.920 themselves. You know. Well, yeah, I appreciate that. And Budd 89 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.879 certainly gets the credit. He's produced everything I've done. We agree our ears 90 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:40.759 are in tune as far as the types of songs we like to begin with, 91 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:45.519 and that's been a pleasure. We've never had to argue with each other 92 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:48.959 about you do this, you know, and have to argue about what we 93 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:55.680 do. We just agree on those things. And uh. But he gets 94 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:00.480 the credit on that production value thing because he comes from you know, he 95 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:08.600 worked with Jim Reeves. Uh. And that's another great example of song quality, 96 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:11.639 if you will. That's one of the things I miss about today's music 97 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:16.480 is that we don't have enough songs that tell a story, that have a 98 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:20.279 distinctive melody, that don't say the same old thing, I mean everything. 99 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.879 We've had enough songs about pickup trucks and drink and beer. I'm sorry we 100 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:30.600 have that. We don't need any more of those. Uh. And but 101 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:35.360 we you know, something that expresses something positive and with a distinctive melody and 102 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:40.639 by a distinctive voice. And I miss all of that in today's music. 103 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.639 I do too. Now it's a slice of life. And I got to 104 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.079 tell you you made a few people, more than a few people crying the 105 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.959 other night and the show, but I didn't mean to. I mean, 106 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:56.000 I didn't off in your gospel numbers and the way you ended your show with 107 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:01.959 a gospel tune. I mean it was just beautiful money. Thank you. 108 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:09.120 Well, Yeah, we close every show with Amazing Grace, which me and 109 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:13.480 so many others have recorded. I believe it's an anointed song and we put 110 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:18.439 it on our first gospel CD, and so I close every show with that 111 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:24.800 song because it's my favorite of all time and all formats it it just preaches, 112 00:08:24.920 --> 00:08:28.720 you know. And we're looking forward to having this new gospel project out 113 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:33.679 here soon. We gave everybody a little preview of of a song that'll appear 114 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:37.000 on that project. At the show the other night. Yeah, what song 115 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:39.879 was that? Mister Conne Scars in Heaven is the name of it. Casting 116 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.360 Crowns one of the people Casting Crowns helped write it, and of course they 117 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:46.519 had it out as a single, but we're going to release it as a 118 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:50.840 single as well, both the country and gospel. And you know, there 119 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.799 was a friend of mine, it was at the show the other night and 120 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:58.639 you started singing that and she cried because her late husband that's the song they 121 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:05.080 played at his funeral, and it write so much for her to hear that 122 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:07.080 song. And then she told me the story when you're and she was just 123 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:11.720 she goes, God, I love this song. This Like we said, 124 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:16.279 your your music is timeless. Every time I hear Rose Colored Glasses, it 125 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:22.720 takes me back to when I was first this jockey, and it's your voice 126 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:26.879 is of course there's no other voice like John Connley's voice. Well, and 127 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.320 also it's important I feel for the listeners to know. I mean, mister 128 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.320 Connie's had such a he and Budd you know, found so many great songs. 129 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:39.519 Sonny Throckmorton and Rape Van Hoy and Harlan Howard, well mister Conley John 130 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:45.000 Connley wrote Rose Colored Glasses and Backside of thirty. So that's a pretty easy 131 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:50.840 pitch when you're pitching yourself. And yeah, and you know the way this 132 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:54.120 business works. Of course, I wrote those in nineteen seventy six, that's 133 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.679 also the year Budd and I met. But but when I demoed those songs, 134 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:01.639 we pitched those around town before I had my recording contract. Really, 135 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:07.840 we pitched those around town to everybody a town, and nobody picked up on 136 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.399 it. Nobody, well, one exception, Joe Stampley did cut Backside of 137 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:16.360 Thirty before I did, and he released it on two different albums because he 138 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.600 wanted it to be a single, but he couldn't. He couldn't talk his 139 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:24.399 management and people into letting him do that, and so he put it on 140 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:28.360 two albums in a row. It never did come out as a single for 141 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:31.000 him. By that time, we had started recording and we released it as 142 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:35.360 a single, and uh, you know, and it didn't work for me 143 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:41.240 the first time out it was it didn't hit the national charts until it was 144 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:48.039 rereleased. It was our first and our sixth release Wow, I didn't know 145 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.960 that at all. Didn't know that at all. Now you brought up a 146 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:52.879 you were a more titian. We did not get into this with the first 147 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:56.320 time I interviewed either day. But how long were you in the funeral business. 148 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:01.120 It seems like six years. It seems like they jobs never going away. 149 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:03.279 Why did you leave it? Oh, no, it isn't. I 150 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:07.960 didn't mean to do it, you know, I was supposed to do it, 151 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:11.919 but my plan out of high school was to go to college to major 152 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:15.279 in radio arch. I was in love with the radio and broadcasting, and 153 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:18.639 that's what I wanted to do. But I started working part time at a 154 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:24.600 local funeral home, mainly because my best friend had already started doing that and 155 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:28.639 he talked about it incessantly got me curious about it. So I started working 156 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:33.279 part time at the local funeral home, and indeed became intentionally interested in it 157 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.159 and felt called to do it, so I pursued it. I got my 158 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.600 licenses, which I keep renewed. I renew him every year. But wow, 159 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.440 yeah, absolutely, yeah, I'm still a licensed undertaker in Kentucky. 160 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:48.840 However, I don't practice. I mean, that's the other question. I 161 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.600 was going to ask you until last time. Yeah, I have no intention 162 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:56.159 of doing it. However I could if I wanted to, And I'm very 163 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:01.759 proud of having done it because I learned more about helping people serving people doing 164 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:05.159 that, and I could have with any other thing I can think of. 165 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:11.639 It was a ministry really to me, and it has influenced well. Plus, 166 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:16.159 the gentleman that that we both my friend and I worked for was such 167 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:22.480 an incredible detailed person. He was he was He was a great educator, 168 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.679 a great trainer because he cared about what he what he did, and he 169 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:31.559 concentrated on the little things, doing the little things that nobody expects you to 170 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:33.639 do. Uh. And I've applied that to everything I've done At the mean 171 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.360 time. It's all about the details. I'll the details. Yeah, exactly 172 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:43.440 exactly, mister Connley on Bud Bud Logan, your producer, dear family friend 173 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:50.200 and best friend of my late father in law, right Brandy, my wife, 174 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.480 Brandy and publisher. She was talking to Bud helping to set this up 175 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:58.159 and he sent over you know what in the final mix or anything like that. 176 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.519 I guess it was a rough mix, but it is. It is 177 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:05.000 a song going on your your upcoming spiritual record something about is it the last 178 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:09.679 suit? The last suit you wear, the last suit you wear. Let 179 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.080 me tell you something, mister Connley, and I am a first chair. 180 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:16.519 I would say this standing on your grandma's kitchen table. There is not a 181 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:20.840 bigger John Connley fan than me. And and the Last Suit You Wear is 182 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:26.159 one of your finest recordings in your entire care. Oh, thank you very 183 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:28.440 much, appreciate Wait till the folks get to get to hear the song, 184 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:33.440 but please give them the premise of the song and the story behind that song. 185 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:37.799 Well, the key line in it is the last suit you wear when 186 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:39.799 you die. It doesn't say when you die, but the last shuit you 187 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:45.279 wear won't need no pockets because you ain't gonna take nothing with you when you 188 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:48.399 go here. When you leave this earth, you're going just with what you 189 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:52.440 came with, which is your spirit. And uh, you know, whatever 190 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:58.200 you've accumulated here is going to stay right here. So that's the theme of 191 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:00.840 the song. And it's it's a great song. I can't wait to hear. 192 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.720 Oh, it's it's about like in one of the verses is about a 193 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.320 banker. It might afford closed on some properties well, this is the last 194 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:09.240 suit he's gonna wear. And it's just yeah and just you know, and 195 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.759 can nobody sell it like John Connley. It's it's a Brandy and I. 196 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:16.039 We had like old time country songs like you know, the first time you 197 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:18.519 heard he stopped loving her to day or something. We had just tears coming 198 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:24.080 down our face. We must if if B and MI was plugged into our 199 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:28.399 house, whoever wrote that song is gonna have a good day based on our 200 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:33.240 living room, I hope it was. That's a great Yeah, it's a 201 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:37.240 great song. I've had it in my pocket for a long time. It 202 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:41.799 uh, you know, I heard it on a bluegrass album a long time 203 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.440 ago and fell in love with with the that version. So I've had it 204 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:50.759 on my mind for years, and we finally got to record it. So 205 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:52.399 I'm thankful for that. I'm glad for it. And do you all yet 206 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.720 have a release date on your upcoming spiritual project? Now we're we're down. 207 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:01.600 We've got all the music mixed and we're down to the the artwork and you 208 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:07.799 know, getting all that together and scheduling it. As you know, anything 209 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:09.559 you do today, you have to schedule it two or three months away. 210 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.759 From when you when it's due. So I'm hoping by the end of the 211 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.480 year we have it out, but John Connley dot com will be the place 212 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:20.120 to know when it's available, John Connley dot com. Now I didn't didn't 213 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:24.159 realize this until then I told it Rose Color Glasses. Did you ever think 214 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:26.799 that was going to be hit at all? Well, I didn't. I 215 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.720 knew this. I had written it and backside of thirty, and we put 216 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:35.919 backside of thirty out first because if I was going to lose a song, 217 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:39.879 and coming from radio, I got and I was a music director, so 218 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.799 I got to see a lot of records come into the library that never got 219 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.840 played, that never hit and if I if I was going to lose one, 220 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:50.960 I didn't want to lose Rose. Rose was more special to me than 221 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:56.519 backside a Vote. But so I didn't put Rosecolor Glasses out first. We 222 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:00.440 saved it till down the road and it ended up being the fourth release, 223 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.720 and and indeed the first three did not make it, including backside of thirty. 224 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:08.159 And so you know, now, if Rose had not made it on 225 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:11.879 that fourth release, I'm sure they would have done me from the label, 226 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.159 you know, rightly, so we would have given it four shots and nothing 227 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:19.519 worked. But it did work and thanks thanks to doctor Bruce Nelson and Houston. 228 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:23.159 Okay, tell that story because I did not know that story till the 229 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:27.000 other night about doctor Bruce playing it. Doctor Bruce Nelson, who was at 230 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:32.080 KAHE and R Radio in Houston at the time, was the first to play 231 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:37.159 it in Houston, and it just exploded in Houston, and its spread from 232 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:41.120 there because Houston is such a large market, it spread from there to the 233 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:45.440 other regions of Texas and then then eventually the rest of the country. You 234 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:48.759 know, Rose never made it to number one. People don't believe this, 235 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:53.200 but it was not a number one record nationally. Yeah, but you know, 236 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:56.960 here's the reason. To have a number one record nationally. All of 237 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.240 the stations in the country have to take it up their individual charts at the 238 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:06.079 same time. And because it bicycled from region to region, it stayed on 239 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:11.759 the charts forever. However, it you know, the first region that played 240 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:14.640 it, it was an oldie by the time the last region got on it. 241 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:18.119 So it couldn't be a national number one record for that reason. But 242 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:21.759 I've always said, if every every record could be as big as Rose and 243 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:26.200 become a standard like it has. I'd take seven every time. What a 244 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:27.880 huge hit? And again what a time was it? Well? And also 245 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:32.720 miss Conn when I was doing show prepped for this Rose Colored Glass. You 246 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.480 know, most songs hit songs, most top tens are in the charts about 247 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:41.359 three months, maybe a four month ride. Rose Colored Glass was then the 248 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.960 top ten three months. Yeah, right, exactly, That's what I mean. 249 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:49.160 It just stayed, you know, right, it pointed itself, so 250 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.319 to speak. Ye, that's right. Yeah, And that's why I know 251 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:56.480 you didn't hate that at all. Oh, I don't know. Hey, 252 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:02.200 the numbers got I've always because I again because I come from radio, and 253 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.440 because I knew what the chart thing was all about and all that. The 254 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:10.599 chart deal and the numbers game is an inside deal for the industry. People 255 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.839 don't care. They either like it or they don't. And that you know, 256 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.640 it doesn't matter if it's number. We spread these numbers around, number 257 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.400 one, number ten, number five, It doesn't matter. Is it good 258 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:25.720 or is it not? And do you like it or do you not? 259 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:30.920 That's the only important. It's a hit, exactly, that's right. Now, 260 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.680 you keep bringing up radio. I always thought that you were a country 261 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.079 disc jockey. Yeah, you weren't a country disc jockey, were you. 262 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:44.240 The only country I played was at a small station I helped put on the 263 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.599 air in my hometown. I played about an hour of country every morning. 264 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:52.920 Before I went into the MR format. I had a block programming deal. 265 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.319 It was the way we did the station. But no, I never worked 266 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:02.319 at a full time country station. But again that doesn't matter, because radio 267 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:06.079 is radio, whether you're playing rock and roll or Middle of the Road or 268 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:11.000 country. Radio is radio or news talk. I was part of news talk 269 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:14.960 for In fact, when I came to Nashville, I came to read news 270 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:21.720 for four hours every morning at a news talk station here WLAC and which later 271 00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:25.480 became rock and roll. I ended up big music director for the rock and 272 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:27.640 roll part, and then they turned it back into news talk. It's it's 273 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:33.200 news talk again. These days everything comes around, right, but it's uh, 274 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:38.000 you know again, radio is broadcasting. Is broadcasting. You're doing it 275 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:42.359 right if you're speaking to one person while you're doing it. And so yeah, 276 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:45.799 I loved it. I fell in love with radio and music at the 277 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:49.160 same time. Well, you know, you got something to fall back on. 278 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:52.839 It this if this singing thing doesn't either either radio or you go back 279 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:56.480 to the funeral home. Shut her home. I'm still on a farm. 280 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:00.799 I still have the farm. I'm okay, let's talk about talk about farmaid, 281 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:03.000 because then you brought it up the other night. I forgot all about 282 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.200 that. You were involved with that the early by the first the first nine 283 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:11.599 or ten of them, I did. What happened is we did a concert 284 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:18.559 in Omaha, Nebraska in nineteen eighty five. I called three or four of 285 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:23.039 the farm organizations National Farmers Organization and two or three others to put together a 286 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:27.400 concert to call attention to the farm crisis that was that had reared up in 287 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:33.480 nineteen eighty five. And so we did that show in June of eighty five. 288 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:40.440 Just behind that, Willie announced the first farm Aide to be held in 289 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:45.839 Illinois in September of eighty five. And I called Willie and volunteered to be 290 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.359 a part of that, and so we did the first nine or ten. 291 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.039 I was sort of on the board, if you will, a farm aide 292 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:57.519 for a while, and uh, Willie keeps it going, God bless him. 293 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:03.039 He's still calling it to the issue. And that's what farmade was created 294 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:06.039 to do, is call attention to the fact that there was a farm christis 295 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.000 yeah, keep it relevant, Yeah, yeah, certainly. Yeah, mister 296 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:11.079 Connor, I want to ask you just real quick about just the whole recording 297 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:18.240 process. I just such a huge fan of your your records and just the 298 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:22.319 way your voice translates on tape and just all those things. I mean, 299 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:26.559 just to give you some perspective, sir. Uh. You know your Greatest 300 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:30.000 Hits Package that came out in eighty three. I remember it as a summer 301 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.759 release. And the reason why I do, sir, is I rode my 302 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.000 bicycle up to the Ecker Drugs in my neighborhood and I put the album in 303 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:40.880 the basket and I was just in my bike basket and I was hoping I 304 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:45.240 could make it home in time before the Texas Sun cook gets But I did, 305 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:48.000 and it was It was one of the best purchases ever made. Uh, 306 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:52.960 when your Greatest Hits Package came out, but with you and Bud You 307 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:56.039 and Bud Logan, And I was doing some research on this. So y'all 308 00:21:56.039 --> 00:22:00.559 started making records in seventy six, correct sir, so right, so that's 309 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:06.599 forty six, that's forty seven years ago. I know of no other artist 310 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:11.480 and producer relationship. And for our listeners, a record producer is kind of 311 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:15.039 like a movie director, you know. And uh, and in the relationship 312 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:19.400 y'all have of you and Bud understanding the right songs and the right keys and 313 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:23.039 the greater right arrangement. I mean like the Beatles had George Martin, the 314 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:29.400 Everly Brothers had Chet Atkins, Loretta Lynn had Owen Bradley. But these relationships 315 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:33.759 only lasted at the most eight or nine years. Y'all have been making hit 316 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:40.759 records, incredible records for close to fifty years. I hope so I heard. 317 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:44.000 I hope in seventy six, y'all sorry, in twenty six, y'all 318 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:48.960 are going to do a fiftieth anniversary. You know that would be great. 319 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.640 Yeah, I'm for that. I'm for that altogether. I mean, we're 320 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:57.920 like brothers, Bud, not just we When we met and we've we met 321 00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:07.000 in a restroom at a golf tournament in nineteen seventy six. Yes, the 322 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:11.519 guy that I worked with in radio, his name is Dick Kent. He 323 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:15.000 ended up being my first manager as well, but he was chairman of the 324 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:19.839 four star golf tournament outside of Nashville that year, and he got me to 325 00:23:19.960 --> 00:23:25.480 come down with a guitar and just do three or four songs during the dinner 326 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:29.000 meal under the tent of golf tournament at night, and Bud was in the 327 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:33.359 audience, and I guess it he was attracted to what I was, my 328 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:37.799 singing, my voice and everything. Anyway, we ended up in the restroom 329 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:41.839 together after I had done that. He introduced himself and we, you know, 330 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:45.559 made an appointment to get back together when we got back to Nashville the 331 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:48.799 following week, which we did, and uh, you know it started from 332 00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:53.160 there, so I tell you, oh, absolutely yeah. And it took 333 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.599 us. You know, it took a while. I mean we he and 334 00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:59.720 I were hooked up before I ever had a recording. I didn't have a 335 00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:03.240 record to contract at that time, and it took some months for that to 336 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:07.480 come together. But when I got that first recording contract with ABC Records, 337 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:11.960 I requested that Bud be my producer, and of course they agreed, and 338 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:17.599 we've been together ever since. Well, I know that Bud uh told told 339 00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:21.400 all our listeners and told me in Brandy that just shortly before he met you, 340 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.839 he was just praying to God. He said, God, just please 341 00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:26.799 please send me a voice, and it was just a few days later. 342 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:30.039 And of course, you know Bud, you know he can't tell that story 343 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:32.839 without without crying. Of course, you know it's Bud. He cries over 344 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:37.359 a good steak. But well he and you know what, he just told 345 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:42.160 me that within the last some months year or two, he had never told 346 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:48.119 me about his praying to find a voice and and and then meeting me until 347 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.119 within the last eighteen months. I'd say, before I ever knew that, 348 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:55.039 and I was I'm thankful to know that. I mean, well, you 349 00:24:55.079 --> 00:24:56.440 know, when God knows what he's doing all the time, you know, 350 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.880 well, exactly right, exactly right. And that's why I've said earlier, 351 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:06.039 everything I've done to make a living, from being raised on a farm to 352 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:10.319 the funeral profession, to radio to me has led me to the spot I 353 00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:14.200 am today. I was supposed to take all of those steps for a specific 354 00:25:14.279 --> 00:25:18.839 reason, and it still serves me. Well. So it's it's among it's 355 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:22.400 among my many blissings. Yes, sir, Yes, sir, absolutely, 356 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:26.920 And you know I was just so the listeners out there, you had said 357 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:32.240 John Conley dot com, uh j O h N C O N l EE 358 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:36.880 dot com correct your classics packages. I know classics one, two, and 359 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:40.160 three are on there, and it's not just your greatest hits like you said, 360 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:44.640 Uh, Classics two and three have new songs well, and new songs 361 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:48.559 too that people had and and that's why it's three this wide. You know, 362 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:51.839 we could have put all the hits on two this without any problem. 363 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.359 And uh, but we kept over the course of putting this together, over 364 00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:57.519 the course of a few years, we kept finding new songs. So we 365 00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:02.759 decided to add the new music to the old. And that's why it's three 366 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:06.240 this wide. Well, and I'll just tell the listeners, as we said 367 00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:11.400 earlier, you cannot tell one era from the next because you and you and 368 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.920 Budd just have that great John Connley formula of making all the record sound like 369 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.759 a John Conley record. You know, yeah, right, well, we 370 00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:22.880 we we we've tried to do that on purpose and it's it's worked up pretty 371 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:27.519 well. I don't think your voice has changed. I know that the older 372 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:32.200 we get it, we seem to have our voice changes, but your voice 373 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:34.880 has not changed since you started recording back in the seventies. In a lot 374 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:40.759 of ways, it's more mellow now than it than it was I know this. 375 00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:45.079 It's it's more fun to sing than ever before. And but my voice 376 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:48.880 is that's the one comment we get more than any other for people. It's 377 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:51.599 it's kind of funny in an autograph line after a show, a lot of 378 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.279 people will come up and say, well, you really sound good, like 379 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:57.039 they're shocked. Well, and I said, well, thank you, I 380 00:26:57.079 --> 00:27:02.680 appreciate it. But yeah, because a lot of people's voices deteriorate with age, 381 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:07.559 and thank the Lord, mine has gotten better, really and uh burne 382 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:11.960 mellow, and it's more fun to sing than ever So I'm thankful for that. 383 00:27:11.079 --> 00:27:12.640 Well, what do you do to take care of your voice? He 384 00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:17.799 thinks, Well, passed to money night, because we're getting it is it 385 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:21.480 is in spite of me. That's what another thing I tell people, it's 386 00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:25.680 it's not my fault. That it is not my fault at all. The 387 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:30.400 only the main positive thing I did for my breathing and my voice was I 388 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.480 quit smoking over twenty five years ago, and that helped me more than anything 389 00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:40.200 else probably. But in the meantime, no do I do vocal exercises, 390 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:45.680 No do I eat right, absolutely not. So So again it's in spite 391 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:49.519 of me that it's held up like it is again common man's theme. Right 392 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:56.279 here. You sang a Vince Gill's song the other night, which I have 393 00:27:56.400 --> 00:28:00.519 never heard before. Everybody and you told the story. Then this has written 394 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:03.240 two songs about his brother, right of course, go rest Town the Mountain 395 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:06.599 and the other song that you did the night. What was the name of 396 00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:08.839 that song? Bread and Water? Is the name of that? You and 397 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:14.079 he and yeah, he and Leslie Satcher wrote it. I found it on 398 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.640 one of his albums a few years ago, and when it was brand new, 399 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:19.599 I went to Vince. I said, well, do you have a 400 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:22.119 plan for this song? Are you going to release it as a single? 401 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:26.680 He said no, he didn't think so I said, well, with your 402 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:30.160 permission, I will, And so we recorded it and we did release it 403 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:33.119 as a single. And of course, you know these days, if you've 404 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:37.000 been around over fifteen minutes, commercial radio is not going to play it. 405 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:41.720 I mean, Merle Haggard could rise from the dead and record and they still 406 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:44.440 are Elvis and they still wouldn't play it, I don't think. But at 407 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:48.319 any rate, so we released it as a single. But I do it 408 00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:52.960 on every show just about unless there unless it's a crowd that's talking and too 409 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:56.400 loud to be quiet, then I leave it out. But it is an 410 00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:02.920 incredible song story of redemption, and uh, I love it. I mean, 411 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:07.960 you know it's on Classics too, and we produced a T shirt with 412 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:11.680 that theme as well on it. Yeah, whose idea was it to come 413 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:14.799 out with the rose colored glasses to sell at your concession? Because I had 414 00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:18.759 great idea. I know Willie sells. You know hair braids are used to 415 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.200 but boy, I tell you that top seller. Once I got a pay 416 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:25.440 of those glasses of the night, everybody wanted them. Yeah, it is 417 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:27.759 a top item. And the guy that helped me write it, another guy 418 00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:33.359 in radio. Uh and my first road manager, George Baber was his name. 419 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:36.319 He wrote the third verse to the song. But it was his idea 420 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:41.960 years ago. And you know my original pair when when the song came out, 421 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:48.200 I went to an optometrist or or glasses shop and had a had a 422 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:52.119 real pair of glasses tinted rose to wear for the show. And I used 423 00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:56.920 those for the first year and a half or so. Finally realized that I'm 424 00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:00.480 going to end up losing these things or somebody's gonna grab them. They're gonna 425 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.440 get broken, so I put them in the safe and we found some people 426 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:10.119 to produce the ones we now sell and that's what I use on stage. 427 00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:12.240 And it's also, as you mentioned, a concession. Yeah, I think 428 00:30:12.359 --> 00:30:15.920 the original pair of glasses should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame and 429 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:21.720 Nashville that's that should be the homewriter along with John Connley. Well, we're 430 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:29.279 not going to talk about but John conn deserves uh membership in the Country Music 431 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:30.720 Hall. M definitely, definitely you should be in the Hall of Fame. 432 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.960 I mean you're well maybe maybe one day you know that that if they do 433 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:37.720 it, I'll show up, But I'm not lobbying for it. I mean 434 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:42.880 it's okay, thank you. Yeah, I appreciate we will do that, 435 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:47.519 you know. Uh. And and just so, just as a songwriter, 436 00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:52.200 John Connley has just one of those voice you want a Conley cut, like 437 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:55.839 my late father in law, and he had Johnny Paycheck hits and George Strait 438 00:30:55.920 --> 00:31:00.720 and Alabama and Barbara Mandrell all this, Randy Travis and he said and after 439 00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:04.079 he retired from writing on the row, Phil said, man, he goes, 440 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:07.480 I never got a Conley cut, and he goes, my must have 441 00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:11.319 thrown two hundred songs at Bud and then mister Conley cut the Shade and then 442 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:15.480 and Walking behind the Star and uh and he just uh and those were his 443 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:18.920 last two major cuts he got in his lifetime. And he said, man, 444 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:22.559 he said, I can close the book. I got a condott you 445 00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:26.920 know, and well let me let me let me point this out to you 446 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:32.039 now now as closer I mean, Bud and Phil Thomas were best friends, 447 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:34.400 I would say, you know, especially in the later life. They were 448 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:38.880 a Bud missus him still to this day. But here's the deal. In 449 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:44.279 spite of that friendship. It it took the right couple of songs for us 450 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:47.559 to go to the studio with for Buddy even show him to me. Amen. 451 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:51.960 For whatever reason, the other songs didn't didn't click with Bud, and 452 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:55.599 so he didn't use the friendship. My point is he didn't use the friendship 453 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:59.559 just to try and to make something happen. You know, the songs come 454 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:01.480 first, the music is the songs come first. Yeah, exactly right, 455 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:05.359 well, exactly right. And speaking of that, you know, early in 456 00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:08.599 my career was Condy, I kind of got mentor a little bit, uh, 457 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:12.279 kind of just took me on his wing. Harlan Howard was a big 458 00:32:12.279 --> 00:32:15.960 supporter of mine and those An don't know. Harlan wrote Heartaches by the Number 459 00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:21.319 and I fall to pieces and gone gone gone, and it busted, and 460 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:23.279 I don't remember loving you for you, but I will tell you when I 461 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:28.680 was in his h in his office there in Nashville, uh, and we 462 00:32:28.680 --> 00:32:30.599 were talking about his favorite cuts, and of course he listed I fall to 463 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:34.240 Pieces, and then he was talking about Busted, and he said, do 464 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:37.720 you know my favorite cut of Busted? And I said, well, Ray, 465 00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:39.319 Charles, I reckon, He goes, no, hell no, he 466 00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:45.359 said my favorite my favorite cut of Busted was John Conn. Wow that's pretty 467 00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:49.799 big right there. Oh that is, That's that's great. And you know, 468 00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:53.160 I mean he told Bud I think that he'd sort of quit writing for 469 00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:57.640 a while. And when we did Busted and it ended up coming back out 470 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:00.359 and becoming a hit for us, it short of got Harland picked his pencil 471 00:33:00.359 --> 00:33:05.480 back up again, and he wrote a number of great songs after that as 472 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:08.000 well. Certainly, but he was he was, yeah, he was, 473 00:33:08.200 --> 00:33:13.440 he was great. Harlan was. That's the one regret people ask me all 474 00:33:13.480 --> 00:33:16.279 the time, do I regret? Uh? You know, missing a song 475 00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:22.960 here and there or whatever. And h Harlan was the first to show us. 476 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:25.680 I don't know a thing about love that Conway had a hit off, 477 00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:30.400 but we had first we had first crack of that, and for whatever reason, 478 00:33:30.599 --> 00:33:32.519 Bud liked it and I liked it, but I didn't, you know, 479 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:36.279 it just didn't knock me out the first time I heard it. But 480 00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:38.799 here's the deal. My regret is I should have cut it just because Harlan 481 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:44.839 wrote it, you know what I'm saying, and exactly right, and uh 482 00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:49.799 but anyway, that's the only regret I have that I didn't. And and 483 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:52.400 Conway had a great record, I guess if he was supposed to have it. 484 00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:53.680 And I got to tell you, I can hear you sing that I 485 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:59.359 here, I would love to hear version. Yeah. Well, I guess 486 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:02.119 it's never to never no never. Two. I gotta tell you why, 487 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:06.480 Harlan howard story biggest thrill. Now when I was a kid, my biggest 488 00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:08.679 song that I love was Tiger by the Tail right. Oh yeah, So 489 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:12.880 I'm in Nashville. This is back when I was on Case in Austin and 490 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:16.159 Case one station of the year CMAS. I take my mom out there to 491 00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:21.199 the big ceremony in Nashville, and we're I'm up there, sitting at a 492 00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:23.800 table. They're getting ready to hand out the CMA Station of the Year awards. 493 00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:29.159 I look back. My mom is sitting there and this nice gentleman is 494 00:34:29.239 --> 00:34:32.320 sitting next to her, just talking up a story. It's Harlan Howard talking 495 00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:37.960 to my mom. And I'm going hold a big fan. Of course, 496 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:42.440 so I get the award, come back. Harlan's already gone, and my 497 00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:46.039 mom goes, what the nicest gentleman just sit there and talking to me. 498 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:50.079 She goes, I'm sorry, I couldn't pay attention to the ceremony. He 499 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:52.239 was he was talking up a storm. And I said, you know who 500 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:55.639 that was, Mom? I said, that was Harlan Howard. She goes, 501 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.320 who's Harlan Howard? And then I started listening to songs, you know, 502 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:04.039 and she goes, oh my god. I said, oh yeah, 503 00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:08.880 yeah, yeah, my goodness, yeah exactly right. Well, and I 504 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:13.519 and probably just from the timing of it, uh, I don't remember Loving 505 00:35:13.559 --> 00:35:16.800 You was was one of those songs that Harlan Howard had after he picked up 506 00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:21.400 his pencil after Buster, because yeah, right, exactly yeah, right, 507 00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:24.079 and he had that, you know that, that's one of those things he 508 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:28.599 had. He had made the had the idea and this happens all the time 509 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:31.400 with songwriters, but he had the idea of years before put it on a 510 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:36.480 scrap of paper and put it in a door somewhere and uh and then I 511 00:35:36.519 --> 00:35:38.639 guess she got the pile out. He and Bobby Braddick were going through it 512 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:44.480 and uh, you know, they just I guess Bobby probably pushed him to 513 00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:49.599 try to do something with it. And boy did they ever. The Roger 514 00:35:49.639 --> 00:35:54.559 Miller school of writing right there. Man, it's yeah. Well, uh, 515 00:35:54.800 --> 00:36:00.000 was this really going to be your final tour through Texas? Uh? 516 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:01.880 I don't know. I doubt it. I mean, we're going to alter 517 00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:07.280 things I am tired of. I love doing the shows. I love doing 518 00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:09.920 the shows, but I am sick to death of the road and the rough 519 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.280 road and the bounce in the back end of the bus and all that stuff. 520 00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:17.079 Come. So, how's that? Well, you know, that's one 521 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:20.880 of the things I'm I'm not going to quit singing. No, I'm not 522 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:23.079 going to quit singing. How we do it, I'm not sure yet, 523 00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:27.599 I don't know. Maybe we'll make a couple of trips in the year, 524 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:30.559 longer trips and stay out for a couple of weeks when we do it. 525 00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:35.440 I'm not sure how we'll do it, or we'll find someplace locally to play 526 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:38.599 and get people to come to see us there. I'm not sure, but 527 00:36:38.679 --> 00:36:42.360 i know I'm not going to do it like I've been doing it, which 528 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:45.840 is weekend after weekend after weekend, trip after trip after trip. That's got 529 00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:51.639 to stop. Yeah, well, I'm just tired. I'm tired of it, 530 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:54.599 that's all. And also, Miss Conney, you know, let everybody 531 00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:58.840 know, remind them they probably already knew. You've been a member of the 532 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:00.679 opera since eighty one, and you'll be doing it, still be doing operation 533 00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:06.880 Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly right. I'll be singing somewhere, 534 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:09.920 maybe in my kitchen, well the opery, but but I'll be I 535 00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:14.559 would always saying I want to hear you sing the last suit you wear live, 536 00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:16.320 you know that. Yeah, hopefully you'll be doing that on the opera. 537 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:19.880 And of course when you finally cut, don't know a thing about love 538 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:23.079 when you do that, and Howard tribute out there, you go, well, 539 00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:28.360 so we've already got something and I'll tell you we overcut for this gospel. 540 00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:32.000 We've got enough a good start on a second edition of the gospel album, 541 00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:36.199 so we'll no doubt be going to the studio for that as well. 542 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:42.000 Well. In in twenty twenty six, your fiftieth anniversary compilation with Budd Low 543 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:46.400 and fifty tracks, right, fifty fifty Okay, let's stop talking. I'm 544 00:37:46.440 --> 00:37:52.920 getting tired, Mr Conny. This has been such a dream. Thank you 545 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:57.719 so much, and thank you for just a lifetime of incredible music. Just 546 00:37:57.800 --> 00:38:00.559 some of the best records I've ever heard. Yeah, well, thank you 547 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:04.239 so much. Money. He was the first country artist that I got to 548 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:07.480 bring out on stage in Lubbock. Yeah, I think it was seventy eight, 549 00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:09.119 and I got to bring him out the other night, and it was 550 00:38:09.199 --> 00:38:13.480 just just an honor. So I hope to talk to you getting real soon, 551 00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:16.039 mister Conley. Alright, gosh, thank you so much. I've enjoyed 552 00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:21.679 been with you today. You gotta thank you, all right, Okay, 553 00:38:21.880 --> 00:38:24.920 Okay, John Conley tells some broken smoke. That was a fun little conversation. 554 00:38:24.920 --> 00:38:28.280 When John wouldn't it that was fantastic. I mean, you know, 555 00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:30.800 at first, I was trying to be cool and it want to be just 556 00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:35.639 the fans, and then I went to hell with that. This John and 557 00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:38.519 his voice, really, it's it's timeless. You know. I don't know 558 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:40.960 what you plan to do later this afternoon, but I'm going to pull out 559 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:45.719 my John Conley album I'm Vinyl, which I still have, and well, 560 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:47.440 dog, I wanted to buy that thumb Drive the other night, but I 561 00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:51.320 thought this is so unique he's selling he's keeping up with the times. Not 562 00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:53.280 only can you get it on CD, but thumb drives well. And if 563 00:38:53.320 --> 00:38:58.480 you go to his website, whoever's doing that form, it's uh up to 564 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:01.280 date. Yeah, and they will sell you what you want. John Connley 565 00:39:01.320 --> 00:39:05.280 dot com. So in the Connelly by the way, co O n l 566 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:09.480 e ees not to be confused with John Connley who was Texas governor. Believe 567 00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:15.079 me, there's loads of different sab More Taels and Broken Spoke coming up. 568 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.519 Tails from the Broken Spoke is recorded live at The Broken Spoke in Austin, 569 00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:25.119 Texas, hosted by Country Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Picket and Monty Warden, 570 00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:29.119 recorded mixed down and produced by micro Vera