Hey, it's Bob Pickett. We are on our way to the legendary Broken
Spoke. Come on, let's get out the truck and head inside. Come
on, let's go inside. Get ready for another tale from the Broken Spoke.
Let's get back to our conversation with John Michael Whitby on Tails and the
Broken Spoke. John Michael, how long? How many times you played here
at this spoke? I know you mentioned you were here just the other night
playing quite a few, but a few in fact, Kyle when he was
getting started, I got in the gig to open up for a sleep at
the Wheel. It may have been how he met Jason a long time ago.
When did you first meet Kyle? Because I I you know, the
first record that Kyle had out, Sammy already got it played on Kendre.
Were you part of that project? Yeah? Yeah, I produced that.
One singer played on it, What's Hot to Sing on it? Jason Roberts
played on it, John Carroll played on it. I'm thinking about But it
was the collection of songs. So that's that's that's before the Texas Tree.
I think Kyle was nineteen. How did you meet Kyle? Then? That
was through? Uh, there was a guy, uh, Alex Lipsitz.
We called him Alex Lipschitz, but he was he was from Waco growing up.
I knew him and he was playing with Shooter Jennings and Stargun in LA
and anyway, he was doing producing. I think he still does. I
haven't talked to him in a while, but he was producing this his mom.
Kyle's mom knew his mom, and he knew I was doing some music
in Austin and he didn't know anybody, and so he said, put a
band together. So that's how we did it. That was on his demo,
Kyle's demo, and I think I think Sammy got that, but Sammy
might have gotten the first, uh the first record. So and I produced
that over to Cedar Creek Adam or to produce. Anyway. Yeah, back
in the nineties we're talking about. I didn't realize that you've known Kyle that
long. I'd have to think about what year though it was, but it
might be early two thousands maybe, yeah for sure. And I know,
so how long have you been picking with the State Line Band? Which I
love and I think Jody's such a phenomenal He's a great singer and great guy.
Looks like a star. Well, I won't play with them all the
time, but they do a little you know, George Straight tribute or set
and we we play I don't know, over twenty George Strait songs. I
remember when we did the thirty number ones and the thirty number ones, you
know, Friday Saturday Night in Las Vegas, and oh the Mighty Georgia that
was the one one and done right there. Boys, that was a lot
of stuff. But anyway, we played. They play some George Straight stuff,
so they I like them and they take care of me, and so
they're like, hey, this guy's in the band. So it's like a
license to print money. I just I'll draw. So there was a bunch
of dancing people the other night, and it's being south By Southwest. There
was a that was a who Mike was getting something to drink Me and Benny
Mack and Bennie Man goes, hey, you see that guy over there,
so yeah, he's from Norway, and you hear people talking. This one
lady came up and said we took a break and she goes, when when
are we going to be able to do the group dance? And I said,
I said, oh, the group dance. I said, I don't
know, you need to talk to him, and she goes who And I
said, the lead singer, go tell that I don't know, Joe.
She's in here, you know, given lessons before, but the group dance.
So anyway, but I'd be a special guest with the state line.
Anytime somebody asks you that, you go that's in the next set. Yes,
well, we got done at whatever, twelve forty five. I mean
it's a it's a marathon. And then then they start this one more song,
one more song, one more and I'm like, dude, give me
a break. And so Hayden, they can come up to Hayden but Terra
and Hayden goes, no, they make a shut down at twelve forty five.
It's there. You know, we're blaming everything on Mike and Spoke.
So yeah, we didn't play one more song because if we know anything about
Mike and the Spoke is they hate selling more alcohol. Yeah, having people.
It's a hard cut boys, get off the stage. Music's over,
get out, parties shouts over. No, what is it about that Spoke?
Though? This special toy? You man? The I mean, just
look around, Bob and if you haven't been to the Broken Spoke, which
some people haven't been to the Broken Spoke. I'm like, man, this
is so much history right here, and to think about, you know,
if the walls could talk and seeing, Yeah, Bob Wills and Ernest Tubb
and Hank Thompson, everybody. And I'm just George Straight on Wednesdays in nineteen
seventy nine. Well, how much are those tickets back then? One buck
the riff raft tax. Mister White called that the riff raft tacks. One
buck to see George Straight, I see, we call that the riff raft
tacks. That's how to keep all the bombs out. That's yeah, that's
good. And James White knowing him, you know, over the years and
having just good memories of the spoken, just how much history is here.
So I got onto one guy. He said something about a dive baruh I
remember his name, but he said something about Garth Brooks playing dive bars and
dive bar. But Garth was here because of south By Southwest. He played
was green, yeah, which is but that's what he should have called it,
a Texas honkey talk to her right. The dive bar got lumped into
the spoke, and I got on social media and scolded him publicly on social
media? Did you set him straight? It's an institution, it is.
It's a dance hall to some people, it's a honkey talked up, just
a piece of history to me, should be here forever and ever. Amen,
And yeah, I agree with you. It is the Texas going to
play here. I don't know. That's a great question. The grown man's
gigs. So are you going to have a record release here? Because I
can't think of a better place. You know, that's a great idea,
uh Bob, And we're actually talking about that. Answers, Yes, right
now. I want to have a release. We should. I think you
could be invited and wouldn't miss it. But we are only only three and
there the talk is if somebody ever wanted drums and bass, I mean we
could do that for sure. Oh drums for parades. Yeah, don't even
worry about that, man. Yeah, you don't need that. We got
the didn't have a drummer for two years, man, we do really Yeah,
yeah records that that's Bill Black slap in the base. Man, it's
not even a drummer. You don't need that. So I don't know if
we're gonna play here or not. But uh yeah, we're looking. We'll
see May seventeenth, when the Sucker gets released. You don't have a date
that day with straight in place to you. May seventeenth, We don't,
No, we don't. And that's his birthdays eighteenth, Yeah, yeah,
my birthday, Bubba's birthday, Kyle Park's wife's birthday, May fourteenth, five
fourteen. It's club that we have. Actually, it's good, fantastic.
You said you grew up in New Bronfels, right, well, Waco,
born in Austin, Waco and the New Bronfles Yes high School in New bron
Feles. Okay, all right, And did you start picking just to like
meet chicks or playing in church? I had to. I had to take
piano, remember was I picked out a little a little you know, a
melody on on the TV and figured out the notes es. I was young.
You could already had the aptitude for I think it's paid off for you.
So the day you were born, God made you a piano player.
That's what that is. Yeah, for sure, that's what it is.
And then just started taking lessons from there and had to play recitals and all
that. And then I thought it was stupid, like, so like,
you can read and everything. Well, I did graduate from New Bronfles High
School, so I can't. I can't read. No, you want to
speak a little bit slower, I can. I can read numbers. Yeah,
the note for note takes me a while now and I just never enjoyed
that. Yeah, shape notes mean that it is chicken scratch. But you
know numbers. Yeah, that's easy, of course, right yeah, but
uh yeah, So anyway, I had to play and then and then but
I got into Jerry Lee, Lewis and McKey gilly. After that I got
to hanging around the Kicker crowd. You're just like, man, I want
to play some that's the piano I want to play well. And then in
particularly those Jerry Lee country records, those things that were on monument Billy Ryl
did and those are those are some of the greatest. Like if he if
he'd never ever made one rock and roll record in the fifties, if he
just had been known as a country act, I think he's still in the
Country Music Hall of Fame, those those Jerryley records. Yeah, he went
in shortly before he passed. They waited for he went in the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame was one of the first. Let's make a little prediction.
Writer. First of all, let's give the date we're taping this.
This won't be on the podcast for a couple of weeks. But this is
May the thirteen. No, it's it's excuse me, March thirteenth. March
thirteen. Coming up Monday morning, Brooks and Dunn will announce the class of
twenty twenty four for the Country Music Call of Fantastic. Now, if June
Carter Cash does not get in this year, I'm gonna do some hoop and
holler and any any predictions, Well, people vote on that. I guess.
No, Charlie Richarding in, yeah, and Johnny Paycheck's not in.
That's wild, yeah. I mean to me, it's like Charlie Richard in
for political reasons because he earned the envelope. He burned the envelope with John
Denver's name in it, which I think is great. But Charlie rich deserves
me to country, me to call of Fame. I mean, my god,
that behind closed doors, rolling with the flow of some of the greatest
records ever. You know, Eddie Rabbit, I think Eddie Rabbit, But
I think before Rabbit, and he certainly deserves it. I think Johnny Paycheck
and you know, on paycheck's not there because of you know, Travis Tritz
not in there. So he's been making records. Thirty five, timmcgra something
something tells me Tim mcgrawl will probably be in this year. This year,
I'm just guessing. I think so, yeah, I don't think Toby Keith
should be that Toby won't be because of I think that he will be eventually.
He will be eventually. You know, I don't know if my girl's
body of work is has the depth. Well, I'm telling you that I
think he's sold a lot of records, but it's not r I A A.
It's your peers. You know. R I A A gives you the
gold records, and the Country Music Hall of Fame is is also about your
artistic contribution. And that's why I think somebody like Charlie Richard, Johnny Paycheck
of the newer people quote unquote newer you know, I would say Travis Tripp,
Tricia, Oh my god, yea, Tricia, certainly, how about
you? What do you think I have given that zero thought about? This
is called show prep. We're making predictions. We sent you the email.
No, I agree with Johnny Paycheck. You know his real name, Donnie
Donnie Lytle. That's correct. And what was his first full time gig he
played with? Uh? Was it Roger Miller? It was Jones, Jones,
George Jones. I'm just he had to think harmony says we're growing all
And you never mentioned the word turtle meat to Johnny Paycheck. Yeah, shot,
Yeah, that's that's why I think that he got thrown in prison.
Far fight. Well, first country star I ever met was Paycheck in seventy
nine. Wow, I'll show you that photo. I would love to see
how old you had to been? Just well, sixteen seventeen. I was
eighteen? Wow? Eighteen? Are you from Austin? No, I'm from
Sweetwater Man, grew up in Sweetwater, spent some time in Lovebock came down
here in eighty one. Wow, so I've been some time in Loveck.
You were paroled. I spent time in Lobock, Texas tech one to come
down here and see water, women and trees. Done. So what was
it like? I mean Paycheck seventy eight, that's shove it. That's Colorado
kool aid. That paycheck that was the time seventy nine when I saw him.
That's when he was big man. Yeah was it? Was he cool
to you? Yeah, very nice, fantastic, Yeah, very nice.
That was a steel player, Jim Big, Jim Murphy with a sleep at
the Wheel. But he had played with Think Thompson and Lorett Lynn and Paycheck
and and there's he was. They were playing some TV show. He's got
a free Sonny Barger shirt on and they were all friends with with Sonny Barger.
And anyway, the story is from that guy. But but uh,
there's a Merle Haggard live at Anaheim Stadium. Yeah yeah, so yeah,
so and Ronnie gave me that video or let me watch it or whatever.
And at the end, you know, uh, Merle brings out Willie Nelson
and uh Johnny Paycheck. So whatever, there's song there. That's a great
album. I forget about that. That was hard to find. It was
out of print for a while, but they came out early early eighties.
Yeah, it's one of my favorites. He made so many. Right,
don't take her, she's all I've got eleven months, nine days. Take
this job and shove it, ir. Yeah, it's good stuff. I'm
sure. You know, being the youngest member of the Ace and the whole
band, you've heard a lot of great stories from the people, your fellow
band members and everything. Yeah, and that deal was Jim Murphy was on
the bus and they dropped dropped him off at Johnny at the Kansas City Airport
or whatever, and Willie had a plane, and will he said if he
got over there, he'd fly him to Anaheim or whatever. So they did.
But then you know, towards the end of the video, you can
see Johnny Paycheck. He has on suspenders and he's man, He's walking around,
just pacing, and he's just popping those suspenders. You know, man,
he is. And the photo I got it's like Mork and Mindy suspenders
he was wearing. He was the photo fired up. So Murph just died
laughing because he had never seen that, and he just remembered dropping him off
on the plane and then he was just laughing. Yeah, he was good
friends with Johnny, So he was a He was a cool, cool,
interesting guy, A lot shorter than I thought I met him. I was
at a airport I think it was. I think it was in Phoenix,
somewhere out west fixed I was fixing fly back to Nashville. It's a late
flight. And he comes in and he has on an an army coat like
a like a World War to just coat, no shirt, bandana on his
head. And he comes and he goes up to the girl at the gate
and he said, I want to upgrade my ticket first class. She said,
well, sir, we don't normally do. I only fly first class
and I'm coach and Johnny Paycheck does not fly coach. I'm Johnny Paycheck.
And he pulled out this wad of hundreds out of his army coat and he
and I had I was on having my black leather jacket, jeans and you
know. And he goes, you're a picker, ain't you, boy?
I said yes. She said you know who I am. I said,
yes, sir, I know exactly who you are. I love your record,
sir. And he goes, let's fly first class together. I'll buy
you a first class ticket. And I said, well, I got I
got mother guys, you know. And he thought I meant so by them,
you know, I thought, I just hang out to them. And
he goes, he goes, are you the main one? I said,
yes, sir, the main wanted. I'll buy the main one of the
first class ticket. The rest of those boys can set back there. What
did you do sat with the bath? I didn't want to put I didn't
want to get on the buses, the main one that flew first class.
When they were back in the cattle section. His father in law wrote one
of Johnny Paycheck's hits, three of his hits hits Brandy's dad. He wrote
Colorado kool Aid. He wrote me and the I R s. And he
wrote Billy Bardow and this is way before you knew Brandy. Oh yeah,
yeah. Matter of fact, first time Brandy came down from Nashville when we
first started courting, I said, what are some of your dad's cuts and
and she said, well, he wrote the flip side to take this job,
and Sep and I went, no, in, Austin, take the
job and shove. It's the flip side, Colorado kool aids the A side
as far as radio, and Austin was concerned. I had the original forty
five. He also wrote, uh, baby or baby for straight. Her
dad did so. He played that the other night. Yeah, y'all don't
have desperately in the ship, but you have Colorado. I mean or baby,
the gold record for Desperately is in there, and you ingreat some yeah
that that that odd cords a two minor when it gets to it. Don't
let it scare you. He'll ride on the sett list for you, okay,
not her chart, yes, please do. It's too with a dash.
The dash means mine. Okay. So I mean you're busy all the
time, You're you're you're with Straight on the road. Occasionally you're with Ray.
You've got this new project, and you've got real estate and any books
and he got two kids, don't you books? Wait a minute, No,
he put me and Walt Wilkins on a juicy gig talking around. Just
try to take care of everybody, you know, just whatever needs to be
done. But I do enjoy the booking thing. There's a nice lady,
uh from Cameron that uh you know, she's in the finance world, but
she loves live music and singer songwriters all this stuff anyway, But they had
a reception for some of her clients and she needed two world class singer songwriters
and they weren't available. So he hired me. So yeah, Money and
Walt did it and it was great. It was a nice evening. It
was. It was fantastic. So but I'll go and try to, you
know, talk to everybody and which job you enjoy the most? One of
that feeds his kids? Well, yeah, I'm playing music. You can't
top that now, you know, Yeah, just playing you know so,
and that's not really the job. The job is all the other stuff.
That's right. It goes around around it. But everybody that that's on the
rovio. For instance, this year the gigs with stapleson, you know,
opening up the Moody Center, Willie Nelson, Yeah, you know, I
mean, oh, man, that's a that's a lot from a kid who
you know, uh, started playing piano and had no idea where he was
going to end up. Man, it's been a fun journey for you.
Well, I'm picking with straight. I mean really, there's been enough time
for a historical perspective. That's like Sinatra, Pressley Gerald one of the all
time great artists in any genre, and you picked with him for years.
That that is an honor, that's a generational honor. Your brand babies will
talk about that. Yeah. Well, hopefully the people recognize you. So,
hey, aren't you remember the ash and the whole band you and MONI
due Mike does Hey Mike, he recognizes me? Uh I No, not
really. I mean sometimes you'll get this or that, But I don't know
if recognized is the word i'd use for what I see. See you.
George show me a story about his trailer blowing a tire or something one time
by new Brothels, and he walked into the tire shop, that truck stop
on top of the hill. He said, I need a new tire or
whatever, and the lady said okay, blah blah blah, and then yeah,
okay, all good, and then she started looking and looking like that's
recognized. But uh yeah, I'd say if I walked into some show,
they wouldn't turn me. They usually don't turn me away. But yeah,
we all know one another. I think pretty much. Right well, I
think you hang around with a great you know, cool guys. You know
when Elvis came with playing golf at Peter Pan here and Allston, the girl
that gave him his him Scotty and Bill of clubs, she said, you
look like that new boy Elvis Preshy and he said, I get that a
lot. That's great, that's good. I think Ray Ray was in the
truck stop eating one time, and the lady came up and said, you
signed an autograph for me? And I was like, oh, sure,
I think I have this right. But anyway, she said, I know
who you are. He said you do, said, yeah, you're Tray
Sadkins. I think he signed the trace. That's so great. Ray just
had a birthday yesterday. As you call him up, wish mappy birthday.
Well, I think his birthday's Friday or Saturday. I got in my phone.
I will but birthday party could be wrong. Birthday party was last night.
I think it's a fifteen. His birthday party, well, hell,
let's just call it, you know, Ray Benson week, My god should
be I was unable to. Uh. He got a proclamation from the mayor
last night, Saturday, birthday sixteenth, sixth sixteenth? Did y'all go?
I went? I went excellent last night. Brandy and I went for about.
That's an annual event that I look forward to all the time because just
the talent that Ray will bring out on stage. You never know, you
know who's going to show up and see. Kelly Willis was there last night
because she just recorded a song of mine on a great album and see because
she wants to be successful, right, whereas the people that have fear of
success tend to not record people. People watching the video podcast can see you
holding up the album the CD right now and kind of t X three x
three great people, great music. Well no, wait a minute, t
X three. There needs to be a t X two before a t X
three. See planning these and the three of them. The second one I'm
talking about the album though, one you got to and two should have a
money Warden. It should be a money Warden tribute record. Really is what
it should be. A ten cut. Nobody's made that yet every time I
make a record, it's a money Warden talked about it. She needs to
talk to Ray. Vincent got exactly the one artist he had, Vincent's reggae
record he's got coming out. Uh. The only way that I'm a part
of that is just being appreciative as a fan listener. Yes, no,
because he went to Jamaica and did that stuff. That's good stuff. I
mean it's it really is the cuts I've heard it great. It is different,
yeah, and it is good. I mean it's you got all these
guys playing, there's some girls singing and it's fun the groove. I can't
I can't play that groove. You ever had a moment where you froze up
on stage and you forgot whether the words or how to how to play the
piano and a certain song, or any kind of equipment problems that happened to
you. You know, I got to sing the national anthem at the National
Finals rodeo, I don't know a few years ago or whatever, at Texas
Ranger at the ballpark. You do say, yeah, yeah. A buddy
of mine called and people had canceled, and I was like the one hundred
millionth person on the list, all the way down on the phone book.
Randy Carroll couldn't do it. Randy Carroll couldn't do it. Eric Rains couldn't
do it. They went, they went through everybody. I've heard. I've
heard Randy singing before the ballgame the Rangers. Wow, that's anyway you talk
about. No, No, I got through that. I just looked at
the flag, stared at the flag because that was maybe the most nervous like
that I've you you cannot, but oh man, it was. It's huge.
Here's the secret. You start low, say, is the lowest note
in that song and people always start too high. If you can hit say
deeply and richly, but hit it low, you'll be okay. But if
you you know what I did was I started with the high uh Land of
the Free right, Yeah, I started with that high. That's what I
did. Yeah, okay, And I doubt they doubt they will, but
I actually I'm not a singer, but I thought i'd did good and people
said that's the way the anthem should be, saying absolutely, so I gave
it justice. But anyway, freezing it well. Keyboard fell off the stool
one time, Ranch on Nicosia will Sleep the Wheel Race said, I won't
say the S word, but he said trick. He looked over at me
and the keyboards on the floor and I'm like, what the Obviously the stand,
you know, gave way or something, but I hadn't set it up,
so I didn't know anything about it. But he said, trick your
crap before the gig and they come over there and we're trying to lift it
up, and I'm like, oh, what happened? So that broke?
My stool broke on stage one time with George we were in Tulsa, Oklahoma
city. Whatever arena and I've had nightmares about that. And the damn thing
broke gave way. It was this wrinky ink thing. I can tell you
all about it, what I won't use ever again. On stage, I
was switching back and forth from the Hammond to the to the you know string.
I have wall controller for that, but anyway, yeah, and it
gave way man and I hit the hit the deck and I heard the section
behind me go, you know, they kind of gasp. And I look
up and I see the top of the arena and I'm like, oh,
And I think we were playing like run or something where the keyboard the since
starts the song and I've got petals everywhere, and I remember having to make
do and and the little man came up there and was trying to fix it.
George was walking by, and I mean, he's cool, but he
had to be. I never did ask him, but he had to go,
what the hell is going on there? But did you stand up like
the stand up and play the gig saying hey that's once? No, No,
there was no that was that was none of that. So genuinely,
genuinely was not my fault. But if it had been your fault and didn't
set you up for that, then he did not set me up. But
also something like that. It wouldn't anybody's fault. It just gave it time,
Okay, But was it like a keyboard player. I mean, you
see guitar players the string breaks. I saw that happen the other night at
the Eagles concert, you know, with Joe Walsh. What's the worst thing
that can happen to a keyboard player on stage? I mean, really,
you're just stuff doesn't even turn on. No, your stuff not working.
Sometimes your ship just didn't. That happened to Ronnie, like I don't know,
months ago. He was playing some gig and he turned it on and
I mean I think it worked during soundcheck and turned on nothing and couldn't get
it. And I'm so I don't know what he did, but I know
he was not happy at all. So that's the worst. Who's the band
leader? N Ronnie's a band leaders, Okay, he's very regimented. So
and that's a good thing in that position because that's just a lot of junk
stuff to keep up with. So there's a lot of people in that band,
and if you're at a stadium, you're on end. You gotta be
looking. So there's a lot more a drummer as the artist job, I
think because he's watching the main one. But watching the main one. Money
didn't get watching the watch and he was watching everybody in your and it's like,
yeah, I mean so, but like I think, like like you
know, and I've only done you know, maybe a couple of dozen stadium
gigs, but they kind of it's just kind of just a stage but bigger,
like you know, for me, the like playing a theater. The
soft seaters are the ones where, really, I mean, you can hear
everything and the audience can hear you talking to the band. And that's one
of my main things is, you know, I talk to the guys all
the time and we use you know, cinemax language when we talk to one
another, and in a theater they can hear everyone. Also when you're playing
the round, I mean, y'all like having something behind you solid. I
mean, that's gonna be nerve wracking. I'm doing that because then you can
see everybody. You get a chance to see it, Yeah you do have
you want to make sure that you got your wrangler patch and and and your
Zilker belt ready to be seen. And you know, say, hey,
I'm not trying to be funny here, but can you take a picture of
me from behind so I can send Yeah, So I don't need anything solid.
I like the round better because then you're looking and and you know,
and and it's fans, so they're they're on your song, they're on your
side. They know that they made a point to come to the show.
Get you know, put on a clean shirt, ask some chick out,
you know, all that stuff where you know, it's uh it really it's
particularly in country music. I mean, the fans are so wonderful and so
low and all they really expect you is to play songs they want to hear,
and don't get above your raisin. You know. It's really cool time.
Amen, definitely want to see that. And the cool thing about the
straight gigg also, everybody knows the songs they sing along changed, and these
songs their lives. They're in an indelible part of it, part of their
lives, chapters of their lives actually and everything. And you got a cool
gig, man, you got a real cool gig a long time ago where
I didn't play because I was just sitting there and I think I was like
singing along like still much or something. I don't know, something. I
was just you know, listening to the song. You were a fan,
Yeah, I'm just you know, I remember just looking down and then kind
of waking up, going, dude, you got to play on this.
It's like start play your parts. You know. I was just enjoying.
Yeah, wait, don't do something here. That's a really cool B three
part here coming out? Yeah yeah, yeah or ship that's me. So
yeah, when you enjoy the music that you're playing, and that's a lot
of fun and rewarding. You know. I heard that you guys are going
to be part of this new Straight album too coming out. We got to
play four songs on the new records. There's thirteen something like that, but
we did Yeah, we did a Dean a Dean Bubba George song more like
a gosp tune called the Book, and then we did way More's Blues.
Oh wow. Yeah, so that's how we did it, just like that,
And I think that I'm proud of that because I think everybody really played
awesome on on that. So that's cool and we like it. And then
uh, there's a Keith Gadda song called I Wish I wish I could say,
and uh, I don't know if Keith co wrote it with somebody,
but uh, man, it's like, I don't know. We did it
just like Eith had the had the the demo, you know what I'm saying,
And and then there's an there's another one. Uh what else did we
do? Oh? The one that we did was am I, Am I
Down and am I. That's a Dean Dylan song. And I know that
he wanted because when I saw him months ago, he said, well,
we didn't get any songs on the new George record. It's okay. I
told him, I want you to make the best record you can. I
thought, well, that's cool, and then we did. We cut two
of those songs, so that's so that's tasty. But yeah, the overall
record sounds. It sounds great Joe Kinley and all the players. But there's
some good songs. A couple of them, A couple of them moved me.
There's one that Keith wrote with Guy Clark called Rent and man that's just
like Killer. There's a few Killer songs that are really good. But it's
been I think five years since George released a record, and man, he's
uh he's singing better than he ever has. It seems he sings great,
sings great, sounds more comfortable. I mean, it's just wild. It's
like, you know, because like the male voice is like like it's it's
peak is like from you know, fifty five to sixty five they say,
and straight it's just he's singing his ass off. I mean, it just
sounds so good. And you know, and I because I've been a fan
since you know, straight counting since before he cuts you right here. Yeah,
oh my lord, of course. You know. I stood out in
the rain there at the Double League one. I'm fifteen years old. It's
it's uh me and a thousand chicks. I was like the only dude in
the audience, Hucky, They're only human after up. But now Hukaby,
I was right up front, and Huckaby was laughing his ass off. He's
going to that kid, here's pointing about to everybody. I was the only
I was fifteen, because they sneak me in, Wayne Nagel sneaked me in
because I just loved Joe and uh and I was the only dude in there.
But anyway, you know, I just uh loved him and uh,
I just think he's singing is like it's like there's no he's not taking any
breaths or checking out or ducking anything. He's singing his ass off. I
mean, it's so inspiring to see somebody like George Strait who doesn't have to
necessarily sing great her even more though, and he's just it means so much
to him, And because it means so much to him, he's singing so
great. Have you learned anything from being a member of the e of the
whole band from the other band members, anything that we can publicly talk about.
What haven't I learned? Really? You know you're playing You're playing with
the best band. That's what Bennie Mack says is he's my illegitimate father on
the road. And I passed the beer joint school because he'd always give me
marks in the back lounge. But I passed me. Jason Robertson Hayden Materia,
we all passed Bennie's beer joint school. But uh, you learn a
whole lot. One thing you learned is to not drink the last glass of
wine and uh from a wine bottle on the bus that you think is just
like bus stock that you don't know what's yours. You can learn that lesson,
Yeah you learned that? What other what others? There's there's there's a
lot of lessons to be to be learned out there. Musically, you guys
are just yeah, having Rick McCrae and Joe Manuel and yeah you can.
That's pretty awesome. All those guys and anybody that's ever worked with Joe has
learned to say Joe no means no. Who's the announcer who announces that you
it is? That's right. I thought that was you when I wouldn't sell
you guys up in Fort Worth, I thought that was you saying that used
to be the backup singer. And then uh, that guy Tom Flora a
long time ago was wasn't feeling great, so he didn't want to do it,
and I always wanted to do it, like one time, and now
you got the gig. Ronnie said you still want to bring us on stage
tonight? And I said, he said you still want to bring us on
stage? Sometimes? I said, heck yea, he goes you're up and
I was like, what, he goes no tonight? So I was like,
uh, well, uh you know, and start doing that crap.
And then I get off stage. Yeah, and Georgia goes to Michael and
I said, yes, sir, and he goes, you're gonna bring me
on tonight. I said yes, sir, and he said, don't screw
it up. So gentlemen, please make well Georgia hold on a minute.
Yeah. Back in the old days, they had always have disc jockeys do
that, and I got to do that a couple of times. I got
to escort George one time the Irwin Center when it was in the round walk
with George, walk right behind Tom and George all the way to the stage,
and that was the coolest thing in the world. My mother was there
that night. And then I took my mom on the bus afterwards when we
got to meet George. Been on the bus. She was excited and we
get off of We get off of George's bus and Mom goes, that was
so much fun. But I think that George was drinking. But you know
what having having jocks bring you up is like, uh, it's dangerous.
Well what they all of you and you know, because y'all aren't taught,
Because it's your it's your deal, you know, ladon, gentlemen. Yeah,
but it's they they screwed with the mic. You have the mic ready
to go. You just you paced yourself. You've spaced it out just right.
And sure enough, Joe Schmoe from Lightning one hundred has moved the mic,
except the only cat that that did not do that was Cole. Bob
Cole never moved the mic from where the singer had it. Oh yeah,
why would you do that? I say what' saying? Yeah, they don't
know, they don't know any better. You don't mess with that. They
move it for them. And then you go, here's my big hit record
and you're not gonna hear it first half the first verse, the local jocks,
somebody messed it up. But Lee, you don't think about that.
But then like you get to a level where's something like George nobody touches his
mic. That's his Yeah, it's professional. Course. Again, before we
leave, we want to plug the new album, which comes out again May
seventeenth, twelve oh one a m The Texas Trio the Texas Trio dot com
and listen because I hope you guys do release date here at this spoke.
I think it's just natural. It's it's billed as the Texas trio featuring country
artist Kyle Park, two time Grammy Award winner Jason Roberts, and keyboardist John
Michael Whitby from George Strait Sason the whole man. So that's a long marquee
right there. That's a hell of a T shirt. Nobody says that it
is a long T shirt. So you say Texas treeover any guy's got long
sleeves put that name. Fantastic. We're excited about about this project for sure,
years years taking years to it. We can't wait to hear it.
In fact, I listened to it on the way back to Cedar Park.
Give you my opinion, Red Stiegall, I love bad Luck Cowboy Jason Kyle
wrote that one. That's great, So yeah, man, I love the
fact that you got some Benny tunes on here too. Yeah, hot Headed
Honey that he wrote for his wife years and years ago, and that's a
that's a you know, uh uplifting, it's uh I don't know, funny
as the word, but it's an entertaining song. So that fits fits certain
people's personalities that can try to sing that song. And then there's what other
one is there on there? Naomi Yes, Naomi which Jason ended up singing
that I like that song a lot. It's a ROADI you know, Cal
It's about a cow girl, you know, now my Now, My Naomi
and Shining Way. Yes. So it's thank you for something by Today and
lit'st If people want to get a hold of you, just just look me
up. You can find out. You can't swing up the cat without hitting
you man, everything everything it's people think they're hidden, but they're not.
So you can just google that John whatever you need, one of the nicest
guys, and he'll next time. He'll be back soon. But the next
time we're gonna have Kyle and Jason you too, So that'd be fun.
It'd be fantastic, little picking a little tails. Broken Spoke continues next week.
Tales from the Broken Spoke is recorded live at The Broken Spoke in Austin,
Texas, hosted by Country Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Pickett and Monty
Warden, recorded mixed down and produced by Mike Rivera