Bobby Bones talks to Mark Chesnutt about his new music and also dives into some of his throwbacks from the 90s. Mark talks about the time he first met Steven Tyler from Aeromsith. Steven was a fan of Mark after he covered their song “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. Dan Rogers is the Executive Producer of the Opry. He talks about how they choose members, history of the Opry and the decision to keep going during the coronavirus.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to episode to forty three, where we will talk
to Mark Chestnut. We'll also talk to Dan Rogers, who
runs the Grand ol Opry. Got new music coming up
in a second, so I'll be good to talk to
chess Nut. I guess we already did it. I got
to ask if his name was the Nut the Nut. Also,
let me say this before we get into Dan with
the Grand ol Opry, that you know I work with
(00:25):
the operation now. I loved the Opery and just I'm
so proud that not only have I been performing there
now for I guess three or four years. That was
a humongous deal. But you know, in the past year
so I've I've been allowed to come in and work
and and help produce the show that's happening now. But
you know, it's just crazy to go into that place
and you can watch every Saturday night the Grand ol
(00:48):
Opery continues and nobody in the building. I got a
camera guy that's like twelve feet away, a producer that's
in my ear. I stand in the middle of the floor.
There's not a single person in the seat. There's the
artist and that's pretty much it. But it keeps running.
They did such a good job and get anything going
and and making something pop when when it was hard
to make anything pop at all. Um, So every Saturday
(01:09):
night you can watch it on the Opery or the
Circle Networks Facebook page, and it's all the bells and whistles.
It's not like somebody just grabbing their acoustic guitar and
playing into an Instagram, you know, their phone. It is
the real deal. And we've had some great shows. Garth
and Tricia was amazing, Craig Morgan and Luke Combs. I mean,
I love Ricky Skaggs obviously, Lauren. I don't want to
not say someone, but it's been such a cool project
(01:31):
for me to be involved in on on all levels.
So just we'll talk about the Grand Ol opportunity, how
people get to be members of the Grand Ol Operation.
So that's coming up with Dan in just a second.
So but just I'm very proud to be a part
of the Grand Ol Operation Circle Network and grateful to
Dan and Scott and Drew and everybody who allows me
to be that over there. So, um, why don't we
(01:52):
do new music first and then we'll hop into Dan
and then Mark Chestnut. Feel good about that? All right?
New music out today? The first song we mentioned is
Tim mcgrawl. He's got a new song called I Called Mama,
or the Bud and the Trees from My Party, not
(02:18):
Cam Timmergral's got that way to make those those real
precious songs that it's just that, the diamond rings and
barstools and mama and and heart. What's one? Lauren McKenna wrote, humbling, humbling,
(02:41):
There's just something about like soft mcgrawl. I like he
can pull those off. Daniel Bradberry shared a new song
called never Have I Ever? Never Have I Ever. When
I saw her Instagram this said never have Ever, I
thought she was starting a new Instagram show called never
Have I Ever? Watched the play game yeah, I was like,
(03:01):
oh that's interesting game. But no, it's a song. Jordan
Davis has almost maybe he used to be almost around.
We need to talk. I saw where he's putting out
an EP roll soon. That's not today, right, No, just
(03:23):
a song. I just scripe, swipe Instagram so fast and
only catch partial stories of things. And I don't even swipe.
I don't even like stop long enough to light most things.
That is, I'm trying to take in so much and
I thought I saw that he said he's putting up
because I follow Jordan's said he's putting out an EP,
and I think he said he's it's the proudest he's
ever been to put something out, or it's the most personal.
(03:44):
What do you think you have to say about everything? Right?
Because if I was gonna put out something and I
wasn't proud of it, it's okay, you know, it's it's
pretty medio. It's a little slightly about medio. Yeah, but
I mean, we're gonna put that up. But he didn't
say that. He said he's the proudest he's ever been,
and I salute him for that. Here is Valley Road
from Riley Green. This is an EP of songs. They're
(04:05):
all acoustic. Here's the acoustic version of there Was This Girl.
There was This Girl. You know that was the number
one from maybe a year ago. Y'ere an af ago.
What I like about that is that it sounds like
a different recording. Some artists we'll go, hey, we're putting
out the acoustic version, and all they did was take
(04:26):
the audio of the studio version and peel everything else back.
There's only nothing different except you're hearing less of the mix.
I like when they do an acoustic version to actually
re recorded acoustically. Yeah, that sounds like every recording this.
I like that. Willie Nelson has a new song called
I'm the Only hell My Mom ever raised, Take me
(04:52):
back to the good old. Lauren Jenkins has a new
song called Ain't That Hard? So you ain't as special
as you? Thank you. It ain't there, It's break. We'll
give you a couple more here before we are jump
into the rest of this. Nikita Carmen, it's a good
(05:12):
song called came Close Close. She kissed me till I filty,
held me till the morning with my eyes closed against
my heart, and I'm sitting because I never felt love
(05:32):
came Adam Hambrick has between me and the end of
the world. It feels like scout for this time, not
bad news. It's to those home and darkness drown Ah,
(05:57):
God on my side facing the Father devil. Can it's
him watching you? Swan sween me alright, one more, I'm
going to do Wheezer Hero. They are delaying their new album,
(06:20):
but they shared this song and no clips, but a
couple of things here. Pedals for Armor from Hayley Williams
from Paramore. It's her debut solo album. And then Hayley
Steinfeld put out Half Written Story, her second EP that's
five songs. So there's a bunch of music for you
right there, right there, right there. Um and Eric pass Lay,
(06:43):
who we're going to talk to you in the next
episode a little bit. He has a new song out
that's really good. You have that at my This is
uh and it's Sarah Buckston's in this song too. I
believe she is. All right, hit that clip now next
to you. That is a heartbeat higher for Merrick Passley.
(07:11):
All right, there's your new music. Give it a run.
A pretty good music week, pretty good. Yeah, some weeks
I'm just like a lot. I'm just not moving. Maybe
it's just the where we are in the world right now.
There's not a lot catching me right now. I do
like the Direk Passley song a lot, in the Nikita
Carmen song a lot too. I did see where and
breaking music news, not that we're breaking things at the
(07:33):
podcast and who knows. When you hear this smash mouth
Steve Harwell slapped with their straining order from ex Fiance.
I'm not even clicking the link, but there you go,
all right, let's get going here on right now? Is
Dan Rodgers. His title is the executive producer of Nashville's
Grand Old Opry. What does that title mean? Because I
(07:56):
know you, Dan, I guess I never know to call
you the executive producer? What does that mean? Um? Basically,
I would say I'm responsible for everything at the end
of the day that happens on stage of the world
famous Grand Ole Opry. You know who you see and
here on the show every night that the big red
curtain goes up on, making sure the best possible show
(08:20):
it can be. And and something that is not listed
on my job description but that I wake up thinking
about every day is how I help propelled the year
old Opery to its birthday such that it's in hopefully
better shape than it's ever been for our centennial. Oh wow,
(08:43):
that is coming up. Wow. Okay, So here's the three
things I want to talk about. One, how someone gets
to be in the opery to I want to talk
about how the Opery's pivoted a bit with the pandemic.
And then three what's happening right now? So it just
kind of laying out the chapter guide there, So we'll
start was first. I think you probably get asked us
the most, but how in the world does someone become
(09:04):
a member of the Grand Old Operate at this point? So, Um,
you're right, it's the most asked question. Um, I think
of anyone who works at the opera. And I have
a great vantage point of my new office at the opera.
When I keep my office store open, which I try
to do, I hear on a typical day when there's
(09:25):
no pandemic. UM, tour after tour come through and people
from the round the world, from Australia to Japan to
my hometown of Zania, Illinois, all asked of the same
question you did. So you're not alone. And basically for
the opera's entire existence, UM, operate membership has always been
(09:47):
determined by the management of the opery. So it's a
pretty select group of people who are always watching the
relationships with various artists have with the opera, and they
can be you know, with the operate itself, with the
fans who come to the opery, and with the their
(10:08):
fellow artists there. So there's no magic formula and there's
no you know, really right or wrong answer, which is
one reason you can spend um if you want Bobby
your entire weekend UM. Looking at blogs with people arguing
about should and shouldn't be great operate members, well, that
means that you're relevant, though, Like I like when people
(10:31):
have differing opinions on things that I do. And I
read a lot of that too about UM what they're
going to Opery does and for example, and I've talked
to her about this a lot too, So I'm not
speaking out of place here, But like when Kelsey was
put in Kelsey Ballerini, you know, there was a contingent
of folks who thought, wow, she's too young, you know,
(10:52):
is she even country? I'm on the opposite side of that,
where I feel like she's right in the vein that
that keeps the Opery cool. Absolutely, a small town writer
from Knoxville that makes any country music shouldn't be panal
lot and so but I think the fact that there
is such talk about it means that it's thriving a bit.
I wonder do you guys feel the same way when
you see something controversial written about it. You absolutely want
(11:14):
UM fans to be passionate about the grandle Opery. I mean,
God forbid we do something and there is no there's
no reaction, you know what I mean. And I just
i'd say about Kelsey and really all opera members that
operate membership, UM, if you look at our entire roster,
(11:36):
it looks a lot like what we want any opery
show to be, which is to showcase the past, present
and future of country music. So you know, your operating
membership isn't going to be just about people who have
had fifty years of earth of year career and all
(11:56):
those hits under their belt. It's also going to be about,
you know, a young upstart that the operation feels like
is going to be committed to the opera and it's
going to be popular amongst its fans for years, for
years to come. And that's again that's what makes it
fun and what makes um those blogs, if you ever
(12:17):
take a chance to take a moment to read it,
it's it's what makes them interesting, you know. I will
say for every Kelsey, then there was a Gene Watson
who um we inducted in February that I was so
excited about because the man and has had, um, you know,
(12:38):
just this incredible traditional country voice for years and it
just felt to me like he had come and he
had paid his dues at to operate, and it just
somehow been overlooked for a while, and it just felt
really right to me for him to, at this point
in his career get to say he was a Grand
(12:58):
Ol Opera member. And of course, to the point of
you can't always win, then, um, the naysayers of the
world had, rather than celebrating, said what took so long,
that's a whole other time. You can't wait. Listen, I've
learned too, And you can't win for everybody else. You
can only win for what you care about. So exactly,
at the end of the day, wants in UM sitting
(13:21):
down in Texas, Um, wherever he is, whatever chair he's
sitting in, he knows he's a Grand Ol Opera member.
And that makes my day every day time I think
about it. Have you ever sat in a room where
and no names are needed, obviously, Have you ever sat
in a room and you're talking about someone who could
possibly remember, and you get and they're so close, but
(13:42):
you're just like one vote away and they didn't make it.
You know, it's never there's not there's not a vote.
It's um, just a matter of a conversation about is
this right for this and you know what, I should
back at them, say, it's not about it being right,
it's because no one really knows because there's not that
(14:04):
magic formula. But does it feel right for the opery
and for this artist at this given point. You know, So,
how often do you guys go and meet about Okay,
who's who are you feeling? Who's who's the criteria? How
often do you guys have those conversations. Um, it's not,
(14:25):
it's not a set schedule. It's just you're kind of
always you know. It's kind of like I guess if
you're on a if you're the manager of the Yankees,
you're it's just always in the back of your mind,
back of your mind a bit. You know. It's like
you're doing your job week to week. But just like
(14:45):
fans out there who are interested in it, I think
if you're really doing your job as one of the
folks who are looking for the long term success as
the opery, it's something you're you're always thinking about, you know,
even when them I mean, I'll say, even when someone
comes out and just kills isn't a debut? You know,
(15:06):
sometimes in the back of your mom and you're driving home,
you think, you know, what does the future hold for
that artist? And um, can we engage with them so
much that, you know, oppery membership becomes something they really
to which they really aspire? You know, back you went
(15:28):
to the opera as an intern, kind of works your
way all the way up to the you know king
dangling that you are now, which is pretty cool to
see that you know, you've been there the whole time.
My question would be, since you've been there the whole time,
you obviously love the Grand ol Opery, just for a bit,
just once, have you ever wanted to walk out and
do a little performance? Um. I should not admit this
(15:49):
to you because it is your forte. But somewhere along
the line, at some point, I'm going to um work
up five minutes of um comedy and um, somebody is
not going to make it to the stage, and I'm
going to go out and really bomb and it's gonna
(16:09):
be awesome. Unless I really for that story to really succeed,
I have to bomb, and I'm fairly sure I will. Well,
you know we can help you with all those parts. Well,
you do you schedule me? I get sick right the
last minute on purpose. We've been working on your material together.
You walk out and you don't nail it. It's perfect,
We're ready for it. I love it. Well, we'll schedule
(16:31):
a lunch when we can, when we can all gather again,
we'll schedule. That's funny. I will tell you there was
a time, probably three years ago now, that our radio
radio announcer went m I A before we came back
from intermission, and seriously, there were maybe ten seconds left,
and our stage manager came and said, we cannot find
(16:54):
him anywhere. You've got to do this, and so I
was ready to put on my best. Announcer was headed
to the podium to say welcome back to the and
then I thought, holy crap, what did they even say?
And at that moment the announcer came running around the
corner and my dreams being an opera announcer for ten
seconds for dash. If you want real controversy, invite yourself
(17:17):
to be a member. You go out to five minutes
bomb and then have vents come on and be like,
well ready to have you as a member. Um, I'll
tell you in the hot country nights which I have
wanted them to play, the opera since I even heard
the first rumblings about Hot Country nights. You know, like, man,
we've got to get them out there, just because it'll
(17:37):
be so much fun. From the moment those guys walked
in the building, Um, Dirk's character Douglas was certain that
every time I approached them, I was going to invite
them to become opera members. When we were shooting the
TV show and he was in character, obviously, Dirk's was going,
all these cameras are here. I guess it's ready for
(17:59):
our big invitation. Huh. And I'm like, no, it's it's
a TV show. Yeah, yeah, Um, I do want to
pivot over now and talk about what's happened with you guys.
What's happened with you know, you know most, if not all,
of America right now, is that you had to make
some tough decisions and pivot. And yeah, the Grand Ol
operation is still going, but it's happening right now with
nobody in the audience like kind of walking me through
(18:19):
what those meetings are like and how that decision was made. Well, UM,
I'll begin that by saying that genuine thank you too.
You you are one of the few folks who um
we actually see every Saturday night and you're out and
about what section seven or so, UM, throwing into the
crowd and keeping everybody around the world entertained, UM when
(18:43):
we're going to commercial breaks in and such. So thank you, UM,
genuinely thank you for your commitment to the opery. I
will tell you, UM, there was never this isn't a modesty.
There was never a moment where yeah, we thought, oh,
should should we skip a show this week? Should there
(19:05):
not be a show this week? In the middle of UM,
this pandemic Because I told you, I'll tell you the
operis live audience shows were canceled on a Friday, UM,
so we you know, we had people in towns who
were expecting to see I think it's thirty so tickets
sold for that night where we had to cancel that show.
(19:25):
So it was the next night that we went on
with our first Saturday night broadcast without an audience. And
it was by the following Saturday that we were on
Circle Television UM and on the live stream around the
world with you hosting. Of course, Marty Stewart, UM, Ben
Skill and Brad Paisley, separated by the social distance we
(19:48):
needed on stage, and we've continued every week since. You know,
some weeks have been easier than others in terms of
finding the right mix of artists to be to be
out on that stage. With Circle Network, that's a that's
a big deal for the Opery and the Opery brand.
And you know, it was a long time ago that
we first met about the network before the show is
(20:12):
what it was, and it is what it is now.
But you know, to me, I'm such an advocate and
fan of the Grand ol Operate that even before there
was the show. You know, we sat in a sat
in a room and I said, I'd like to be involved,
and you guys said, I'd like me to be involved.
And you know that's kind of how the first steps
to Operate happened, which is the show that we're kind
of doing now. We're I guess we're doing it like
(20:35):
a version of it with no crowd. But um, talk
about the Circle Network and how you know how long
ago that happened and you know where it is now? Sure, Um,
you know it's something that has been discussed, um really
for years basically my entire tenure at the Opery. But
(20:58):
you know it's you know as well as anyone it's
not an easy task at all to create a television network,
but we've managed to UM do it. And I think
of the Circle Network as you know, the it's not
just the home of the opery, but I really think
of it as the opera's network, just because it's so
(21:21):
much of what you would see on Circle really fits UM.
For a fan of the opera, if you like what
the opera stands for, you're gonna like UM all of
that programming. And I'll say you know this, UM. In
terms of looking for a silver lining, I think that
the UM one of the silver linings here is that
(21:45):
we've we were able to have UM the Circle Network
launch on January one of this year, and who knew
how important it would be to delivering people across the
country their daily or their weekly dose of grandal Obpry.
You know, when we were talking in January, I'm sure
(22:08):
our goals were to, you know, have a wide array
of programming and keep people interested UM in the country
lifestyle programming all week. But we never dreamt that we
would be among a few people standing on the stage
anywhere in America UM performing live music for hungry audiences
(22:32):
week after week. And you know, we'd be able to
deliver everything from great blue grass like you saw Alrecky
Skaggs doing about a month ago now, to Luke Combs
playing something he had just written um six ft apart
about the pandemic. To Ashley McBride, who had obviously a
(22:54):
completely different plan for launching her album um and you
know she couldn't do any of those pieces she had
planned and instead was standing on that Oprey stage the
day after her album was released planning just a great
music from the project. I think I get a lot
of people asking me the most, you know, how do
(23:15):
they find Circle Network? And you know, because of with
Corona hitting, I think it's delayed the launch of the
digital part of the network because there's some great content.
Craig Morgan show is so good, you got that, the
show about artists wives, obviously Opery, which is the show
at the Grand Ol Operation. There's just a lot of
fantastic content um and again a silver lining is the
(23:38):
Grand Ol Operations now also being shown on tons of
affiliates like not Circle Network, but they're taking that show
and they're putting it on you know, uh, their ABC, NBCCBS, Fox, whatever.
The affility is all over the country but do you
know as of right now when they're thinking of launching
the network so people can watch it on their phones
or Apple TVs yet UM we that's moved around because
(23:58):
of the pandemic as well. So for the near future,
UM I would always suggest folks just to go to
the website UM determine how you can get Circle in
your area, and then of course always UM for the
near future will also be UM sharing that broadcast via
live stream as well, So even if you can't yet
(24:21):
find Circle in your UM area, you can find its
programming via the opery and that live stream every Saturday night.
And of course, as we move through UM and continue
forging our path forward, there'll be a lot of other
great new programming and you will want to make sure
(24:42):
that you can find UM Circle on your device, on
your computer, on your smart TV, etcetera. Three minutes, I'm
gonna ask you some pretty quick questions here, Dan, okay,
all right, who was cool to you back at the
Grand ol Operate when you were like an intern? You
were you were young, that went on that there was
(25:03):
a massive star like you're an intern, But who was
so nice to you back then? UM I will always
be amazed back when um he had his debut hit, Um,
how Brad Paisley seemed to remember everybody's name from one
Opery visit to the next. Good answer, I like that.
(25:25):
I like that. Okay, how about this in just a
few words. What makes a good opera member? Uh, great
opera member is someone who um is a great family member.
You know. It's like the person at the people always
think of the opera as a family. And I really
do believe that the great analogy, it's the person at
(25:46):
the family reunion that you know is going to be there,
that you can count on in good times and in bad.
And UM is the person who love us to interact
with like the people his his or her own age,
but also goes and plays with kids and uh talks
(26:08):
to the older people. You know, the kind of the
person that's the hub. But of course any family, it
takes all kinds kinds. You know, we need our blue
grass pickers. We need the folks who have are number
one on the charts, like um Blake Shelton is this
week when he's playing the Opery, and we need you know,
(26:28):
the singer songwriters like and Oprey show is at its
best when it showcases all the great stuff on the
makeup a Oprey performance. All right, do you ever see
or hear anything weird when you're there late at night?
Like the ghost of an old country star there? Um?
You know, I'll tell you. My office used to be
(26:48):
in a home that was where Roy Acuff had lived.
And one night I was there really late at night.
This is going to be a let down. Just let
you know. I was there late at night and I
had was working on an obituary for an offer, remember
who had passed away that day, And it's probably like
(27:09):
twelve thirty am one am, and I had finished that,
and I've actually read a file about Roy aka kind
of for inspiration on what to write. And I was
walking through Roy's old home with all the lights off,
and I thought, come on, like, if there's ever a moment,
this is, this is my moment. Haunt me. Come on
(27:30):
nothing nothing. Oh, you're right, we were disappointed. I was
ready for the big, big ghost reveal. Well, listen, I
appreciate the time, obviously. It's you know, a great pleasure
to to to work with you professionally and and too
you know, also uh no yet on a personal level too,
So thank you. I know you get a million interview
requests today, and I appreciate you you spreading some of
(27:50):
that knowledge and and forward look with us here. Thank you, Dan,
I thank everybody for tuning into circles, for tuning into
the operative. Thanks for what you do, and I look
forward to working on my failed comedy. Alright, d see
you later. See you? Hey, Mark Chestnut? Hey, what's up?
(28:13):
How you been? Hey? Bro, You're good. I've been doing
pretty good, you know, all things considered. Yeah, it's kind
of what everybody has to say now, Like, you know,
I'm doing good, but the world's not doing it's best,
so we gotta put that in perspective, you know. Yeah, Yeah,
it's it's uh, it's really it's really weird because this
(28:34):
is usually you know, we're using getting real busy right now. Yeah.
I was reading to think about that when you're touring
and said, you worked twelve twelve months a year for
almost thirty years and never took any time off. So
this has been an oddly nice break for you. Well, yeah,
you know, I've enjoyed being home and the most of
(28:54):
all the best thing about it is I haven't had
to travel after all those years on the road. You know,
I'm going on thirty years now, and um it will
be it will be thirty years coming up in June,
I think are But um, anyway, I'm not people wrong
(29:15):
about that. But no, I haven't taken much time to
speak of off and all that time and I've traveled
every week and I live in Beaumont, Texas, and you know,
my my band and my bus and everything is all
up in Nashville. So every week I'm having to drive.
You know, I drive an hour and a half or
(29:36):
more depending on the traffic. And you can jump on
plane and fly to Nashville and hop on my bus.
Sometimes I'm lucky if we're planning here in Texas somewhere,
the bus comes from my house and picks me up
and bringing me home. Wow, you have to fly to
Nashville basically every weekend that you're touring. Oh yeah, yeah,
(29:57):
just about just about. It's uh, that's what I'm tired
of because it's about like said hour and a half
depending on traffic, and and and then you gotta miss
with the airports and all that stuff. I've done that
for so long. Um, this kind of nice break too,
to not have to go anywhere. But I'll tell you
(30:18):
what I sure miss. I missed being on stage. I
missed my band, I missed my I missed my my crowd,
of my audience most of all. Well, I was listening
to your new song. I found another you and she
hates me too. And I tell you I listened to it,
and I said, I gotta get chestnut on the show.
And I gotta get chestnut on the countdown. And so
(30:41):
tell me about this song and and and why you
picked it. Yeah, there's a cool little story about this.
It's Uh. I was working on a album project a
few years ago, and we um, we cut to try
X and we we we laid down two songs. I
(31:02):
did all the vocals on them. Since I don't get
to Nashville very often, I was I was right in
the middle summer tour, so we were liked to basic
tracks and and um out after that, right after that.
The next day, I did all the vocals, and so
we had all that, and you can and we've been
(31:24):
needing to put something new out here. So I didn't
had nothing new since UH Tradition Lives album came out,
you know, and so so let's let's put it out
on our own on our own little label or whatever.
I like multi column labels anymore. But so, uh, we
finished it up. They mixed it, mastered it, and um,
(31:48):
I always thought it was such a great song. I
hate that I was. I was hating that it was
just sitting there. I wanted to put it on Tradition Lives,
but for some reason it didn't happen. But the two
songs I recorded are really cool. They're they're up tempo
and um, you know, kind of kind of funny in
(32:09):
their country, you know, if that's what I like about there.
And I'm so glad people are finally gonna get to
hear all this stuff. Yeah, me too. I was looking
at some stuff. This is by the numbers. I'm gonna
read you some of these numbers. You have fourteen number one,
twenty three top ten singles, over twelve million albums sold.
You were one of the most played country artists of
the nineties. What song do you think define Not not
(32:32):
your song, because I would go abubba, but I would say,
what song for you to find the nineties outside of
your music, outside of yeah, oh you know, I would
have That has to be Garth Brooks. Um. You know,
everything he did in the nine. It was an inspiration
(32:54):
to everybody else. And you know, I think my favorite
is um with under Rolls, because I don't know, it's
hard to it's hard. It's hard to say it's under
Rolls or or or if Tomorrow never comes. That's my
favorite one, if Tomorrow never comes. And I was lucky
(33:17):
that I had the opportunity in the early nineties when
I was just starting out and he was just catching
fire and I was I got to tour with him
quite a bit, and that's when he was playing you know,
smaller venues and uh so we got to hang out
(33:38):
quite a bit. And he's a great guy. Do you
remember a specific moment when you realized that you were
famous where you're like, whoop, life has just changed. I
was famous. It got kind of crazy. They're at the
very beginning. I didn't think it would happen that fast
(33:59):
because uh, you know, you you you read all these
stories and hear all these stories about how people take
so long to catch on. I got lucky, man, I
tell you, I was very very lucky. I was blessed, well,
was what I was, because I had that the song
Too Cold at Home just took off. I didn't even
have to do a radio tour. That just they released
(34:20):
it and radio jumped all over it. Next thing I know,
I'm out on the road almost two hundred days a year.
It was crazy, man, I was. I was. It scared me,
really overwhelmed me because I was always playing in them
and Donkey talks around here in Momont, and I always
had always packed me in. We always had a big
(34:43):
crowd every night. But I was not prepared for for
a walk was coming. I came with that song, you know,
back in the day when you covered I Don't want
to miss a thing. Did Errol Smith ever reach out
to you after you covered it? Yeah, well, really reach
out to me. But I was. I had all access
(35:05):
passes for Aerosmith because I'm a big Aerosmiths fan. I
love him. But I was. I got the tickets and
all access passes and offer for the their show there
in Nashville. I guess I can't remember what year it was,
but I was. I was backstage. They let us come
(35:28):
back there, and and uh they were real nice to
us and said, hey, not not the band, but I
mean the managers and stuff. And they said, uh, well,
y'all can part back at parking for us, and uh,
a friend and I went and so we we went
in there and he said, the guys are doing me
doing interviews and all right now he said, y'all come
(35:51):
in here and catering, get you something to eat. And
we walked backstage the catering and sit down and and uh,
of course I go looking for beer. Of course you
can't drink backstage because signs they are absolutely no alcohol
past stage. It's so uh. We were just sitting there
(36:13):
talking and all of a sudden, I hear this. I
heard this, um loud voice and I know exactly who
it is singing, and I don't want to close my eye,
just at the top of his lungs. And I turned
around and it's Steven Tyler walking towards me. And he's
(36:33):
who's um. He's got his arms spread out like you
know for a hug, and he comes he comes up
to me. I got my hands stuck out to two, uh,
shake his hand and he and he just bear hugs
me and he's singing at the top of his lungs
right in my ear. Can you imagine that? And so
(36:57):
we stood there and talked and for about thirty minutes
and I don't remember that thing he said, or I said,
big blur to me, I'll re memory that we're saying.
He said, uh. He said something about what are they
gonna do with us old guys? He said, Man, I'm
(37:18):
doing better now. You know. He just had throat surgery.
He said, I got a new girlfriend. You know. He
was just talking, talking, talking, talking. I probably didn't say
two three. That was so cool for him to to
do that. And that was the very first time I
met him, and he acted like we were old friends.
(37:39):
He was talking to me about stuff like we've been
knowing each other for a long time. I got a
couple more things talk to you about. I want to
mention this first. The new EP six songs will be
out in August, but you may get it out in July.
Is that true. I don't know. The last I heard
it was set for August, but it maybe if we
(38:01):
can get it. I've got one more thing I want
to do for this album, one more special thing that
I want to do. I don't know if I'll have
time to get it done, but I'd like to get
it out as soon as possible. Your son, Casey is
getting out of the Marines this month. Is that right?
That's right? Is he gonna move back to Beaumont. He's
(38:23):
gonna move back here, and he's going he's got to
go to the police academy and then go to work
for the Beaumont Police Department. Man, tell him we said
we appreciate him. Oh, I will, I will. It's great.
I'm so proud of you. Man. It's having us a
(38:44):
son that's a in any branch of the military is
just a it's a great feeling. Well, I'm gonna ask
you one final question. Does anyone just call you the
nut or Mr? Nutt? What? Does anyone ever call you
just the nut or Mr Nutt? I don't believe anybody
(39:05):
had ever called me Mr Nutt. A lot of people
call me nut hey, nuts, okay, just no, but not
Mr Nutt? Okay, okay, just asking you never know what
nicknames are gonna happen there. Well, listen, Mark, good to
talk to you. I you know, I've always been a fan.
We've we've been able to see each other a couple
of times in real life, and I wanted to to
highlight this new song to my listeners on you know,
(39:27):
both my radio show and on the Countdown Show. That
runs all weekend all over the country. So um yeah,
I appreciate that, and good luck, and you know, let
me know whenever this record gets ready, well you'll you'll know.
I guarantee it, and I sure appreciate you playing it.
Man it it really means the world to me. I'm
so I'm so excited about it. All Right, Mr Nutt,
(39:49):
all right, see soon.
Welcome to episode to forty three, where we will talk
to Mark Chestnut. We'll also talk to Dan Rogers, who
runs the Grand ol Opry. Got new music coming up
in a second, so I'll be good to talk to
chess Nut. I guess we already did it. I got
to ask if his name was the Nut the Nut. Also,
let me say this before we get into Dan with
the Grand ol Opry, that you know I work with
(00:25):
the operation now. I loved the Opery and just I'm
so proud that not only have I been performing there
now for I guess three or four years. That was
a humongous deal. But you know, in the past year
so I've I've been allowed to come in and work
and and help produce the show that's happening now. But
you know, it's just crazy to go into that place
and you can watch every Saturday night the Grand ol
(00:48):
Opery continues and nobody in the building. I got a
camera guy that's like twelve feet away, a producer that's
in my ear. I stand in the middle of the floor.
There's not a single person in the seat. There's the
artist and that's pretty much it. But it keeps running.
They did such a good job and get anything going
and and making something pop when when it was hard
to make anything pop at all. Um, So every Saturday
(01:09):
night you can watch it on the Opery or the
Circle Networks Facebook page, and it's all the bells and whistles.
It's not like somebody just grabbing their acoustic guitar and
playing into an Instagram, you know, their phone. It is
the real deal. And we've had some great shows. Garth
and Tricia was amazing, Craig Morgan and Luke Combs. I mean,
I love Ricky Skaggs obviously, Lauren. I don't want to
not say someone, but it's been such a cool project
(01:31):
for me to be involved in on on all levels.
So just we'll talk about the Grand Ol opportunity, how
people get to be members of the Grand Ol Operation.
So that's coming up with Dan in just a second.
So but just I'm very proud to be a part
of the Grand Ol Operation Circle Network and grateful to
Dan and Scott and Drew and everybody who allows me
to be that over there. So, um, why don't we
(01:52):
do new music first and then we'll hop into Dan
and then Mark Chestnut. Feel good about that? All right?
New music out today? The first song we mentioned is
Tim mcgrawl. He's got a new song called I Called Mama,
or the Bud and the Trees from My Party, not
(02:18):
Cam Timmergral's got that way to make those those real
precious songs that it's just that, the diamond rings and
barstools and mama and and heart. What's one? Lauren McKenna wrote, humbling, humbling,
(02:41):
There's just something about like soft mcgrawl. I like he
can pull those off. Daniel Bradberry shared a new song
called never Have I Ever? Never Have I Ever. When
I saw her Instagram this said never have Ever, I
thought she was starting a new Instagram show called never
Have I Ever? Watched the play game yeah, I was like,
(03:01):
oh that's interesting game. But no, it's a song. Jordan
Davis has almost maybe he used to be almost around.
We need to talk. I saw where he's putting out
an EP roll soon. That's not today, right, No, just
(03:23):
a song. I just scripe, swipe Instagram so fast and
only catch partial stories of things. And I don't even swipe.
I don't even like stop long enough to light most things.
That is, I'm trying to take in so much and
I thought I saw that he said he's putting up
because I follow Jordan's said he's putting out an EP,
and I think he said he's it's the proudest he's
ever been to put something out, or it's the most personal.
(03:44):
What do you think you have to say about everything? Right?
Because if I was gonna put out something and I
wasn't proud of it, it's okay, you know, it's it's
pretty medio. It's a little slightly about medio. Yeah, but
I mean, we're gonna put that up. But he didn't
say that. He said he's the proudest he's ever been,
and I salute him for that. Here is Valley Road
from Riley Green. This is an EP of songs. They're
(04:05):
all acoustic. Here's the acoustic version of there Was This Girl.
There was This Girl. You know that was the number
one from maybe a year ago. Y'ere an af ago.
What I like about that is that it sounds like
a different recording. Some artists we'll go, hey, we're putting
out the acoustic version, and all they did was take
(04:26):
the audio of the studio version and peel everything else back.
There's only nothing different except you're hearing less of the mix.
I like when they do an acoustic version to actually
re recorded acoustically. Yeah, that sounds like every recording this.
I like that. Willie Nelson has a new song called
I'm the Only hell My Mom ever raised, Take me
(04:52):
back to the good old. Lauren Jenkins has a new
song called Ain't That Hard? So you ain't as special
as you? Thank you. It ain't there, It's break. We'll
give you a couple more here before we are jump
into the rest of this. Nikita Carmen, it's a good
(05:12):
song called came Close Close. She kissed me till I filty,
held me till the morning with my eyes closed against
my heart, and I'm sitting because I never felt love
(05:32):
came Adam Hambrick has between me and the end of
the world. It feels like scout for this time, not
bad news. It's to those home and darkness drown Ah,
(05:57):
God on my side facing the Father devil. Can it's
him watching you? Swan sween me alright, one more, I'm
going to do Wheezer Hero. They are delaying their new album,
(06:20):
but they shared this song and no clips, but a
couple of things here. Pedals for Armor from Hayley Williams
from Paramore. It's her debut solo album. And then Hayley
Steinfeld put out Half Written Story, her second EP that's
five songs. So there's a bunch of music for you
right there, right there, right there. Um and Eric pass Lay,
(06:43):
who we're going to talk to you in the next
episode a little bit. He has a new song out
that's really good. You have that at my This is
uh and it's Sarah Buckston's in this song too. I
believe she is. All right, hit that clip now next
to you. That is a heartbeat higher for Merrick Passley.
(07:11):
All right, there's your new music. Give it a run.
A pretty good music week, pretty good. Yeah, some weeks
I'm just like a lot. I'm just not moving. Maybe
it's just the where we are in the world right now.
There's not a lot catching me right now. I do
like the Direk Passley song a lot, in the Nikita
Carmen song a lot too. I did see where and
breaking music news, not that we're breaking things at the
(07:33):
podcast and who knows. When you hear this smash mouth
Steve Harwell slapped with their straining order from ex Fiance.
I'm not even clicking the link, but there you go,
all right, let's get going here on right now? Is
Dan Rodgers. His title is the executive producer of Nashville's
Grand Old Opry. What does that title mean? Because I
(07:56):
know you, Dan, I guess I never know to call
you the executive producer? What does that mean? Um? Basically,
I would say I'm responsible for everything at the end
of the day that happens on stage of the world
famous Grand Ole Opry. You know who you see and
here on the show every night that the big red
curtain goes up on, making sure the best possible show
(08:20):
it can be. And and something that is not listed
on my job description but that I wake up thinking
about every day is how I help propelled the year
old Opery to its birthday such that it's in hopefully
better shape than it's ever been for our centennial. Oh wow,
(08:43):
that is coming up. Wow. Okay, So here's the three
things I want to talk about. One, how someone gets
to be in the opery to I want to talk
about how the Opery's pivoted a bit with the pandemic.
And then three what's happening right now? So it just
kind of laying out the chapter guide there, So we'll
start was first. I think you probably get asked us
the most, but how in the world does someone become
(09:04):
a member of the Grand Old Operate at this point? So, Um,
you're right, it's the most asked question. Um, I think
of anyone who works at the opera. And I have
a great vantage point of my new office at the opera.
When I keep my office store open, which I try
to do, I hear on a typical day when there's
(09:25):
no pandemic. UM, tour after tour come through and people
from the round the world, from Australia to Japan to
my hometown of Zania, Illinois, all asked of the same
question you did. So you're not alone. And basically for
the opera's entire existence, UM, operate membership has always been
(09:47):
determined by the management of the opery. So it's a
pretty select group of people who are always watching the
relationships with various artists have with the opera, and they
can be you know, with the operate itself, with the
fans who come to the opery, and with the their
(10:08):
fellow artists there. So there's no magic formula and there's
no you know, really right or wrong answer, which is
one reason you can spend um if you want Bobby
your entire weekend UM. Looking at blogs with people arguing
about should and shouldn't be great operate members, well, that
means that you're relevant, though, Like I like when people
(10:31):
have differing opinions on things that I do. And I
read a lot of that too about UM what they're
going to Opery does and for example, and I've talked
to her about this a lot too, So I'm not
speaking out of place here, But like when Kelsey was
put in Kelsey Ballerini, you know, there was a contingent
of folks who thought, wow, she's too young, you know,
(10:52):
is she even country? I'm on the opposite side of that,
where I feel like she's right in the vein that
that keeps the Opery cool. Absolutely, a small town writer
from Knoxville that makes any country music shouldn't be panal
lot and so but I think the fact that there
is such talk about it means that it's thriving a bit.
I wonder do you guys feel the same way when
you see something controversial written about it. You absolutely want
(11:14):
UM fans to be passionate about the grandle Opery. I mean,
God forbid we do something and there is no there's
no reaction, you know what I mean. And I just
i'd say about Kelsey and really all opera members that
operate membership, UM, if you look at our entire roster,
(11:36):
it looks a lot like what we want any opery
show to be, which is to showcase the past, present
and future of country music. So you know, your operating
membership isn't going to be just about people who have
had fifty years of earth of year career and all
(11:56):
those hits under their belt. It's also going to be about,
you know, a young upstart that the operation feels like
is going to be committed to the opera and it's
going to be popular amongst its fans for years, for
years to come. And that's again that's what makes it
fun and what makes um those blogs, if you ever
(12:17):
take a chance to take a moment to read it,
it's it's what makes them interesting, you know. I will
say for every Kelsey, then there was a Gene Watson
who um we inducted in February that I was so
excited about because the man and has had, um, you know,
(12:38):
just this incredible traditional country voice for years and it
just felt to me like he had come and he
had paid his dues at to operate, and it just
somehow been overlooked for a while, and it just felt
really right to me for him to, at this point
in his career get to say he was a Grand
(12:58):
Ol Opera member. And of course, to the point of
you can't always win, then, um, the naysayers of the
world had, rather than celebrating, said what took so long,
that's a whole other time. You can't wait. Listen, I've
learned too, And you can't win for everybody else. You
can only win for what you care about. So exactly,
at the end of the day, wants in UM sitting
(13:21):
down in Texas, Um, wherever he is, whatever chair he's
sitting in, he knows he's a Grand Ol Opera member.
And that makes my day every day time I think
about it. Have you ever sat in a room where
and no names are needed, obviously, Have you ever sat
in a room and you're talking about someone who could
possibly remember, and you get and they're so close, but
(13:42):
you're just like one vote away and they didn't make it.
You know, it's never there's not there's not a vote.
It's um, just a matter of a conversation about is
this right for this and you know what, I should
back at them, say, it's not about it being right,
it's because no one really knows because there's not that
(14:04):
magic formula. But does it feel right for the opery
and for this artist at this given point. You know, So,
how often do you guys go and meet about Okay,
who's who are you feeling? Who's who's the criteria? How
often do you guys have those conversations. Um, it's not,
(14:25):
it's not a set schedule. It's just you're kind of
always you know. It's kind of like I guess if
you're on a if you're the manager of the Yankees,
you're it's just always in the back of your mind,
back of your mind a bit. You know. It's like
you're doing your job week to week. But just like
(14:45):
fans out there who are interested in it, I think
if you're really doing your job as one of the
folks who are looking for the long term success as
the opery, it's something you're you're always thinking about, you know,
even when them I mean, I'll say, even when someone
comes out and just kills isn't a debut? You know,
(15:06):
sometimes in the back of your mom and you're driving home,
you think, you know, what does the future hold for
that artist? And um, can we engage with them so
much that, you know, oppery membership becomes something they really
to which they really aspire? You know, back you went
(15:28):
to the opera as an intern, kind of works your
way all the way up to the you know king
dangling that you are now, which is pretty cool to
see that you know, you've been there the whole time.
My question would be, since you've been there the whole time,
you obviously love the Grand ol Opery, just for a bit,
just once, have you ever wanted to walk out and
do a little performance? Um. I should not admit this
(15:49):
to you because it is your forte. But somewhere along
the line, at some point, I'm going to um work
up five minutes of um comedy and um, somebody is
not going to make it to the stage, and I'm
going to go out and really bomb and it's gonna
(16:09):
be awesome. Unless I really for that story to really succeed,
I have to bomb, and I'm fairly sure I will. Well,
you know we can help you with all those parts. Well,
you do you schedule me? I get sick right the
last minute on purpose. We've been working on your material together.
You walk out and you don't nail it. It's perfect,
We're ready for it. I love it. Well, we'll schedule
(16:31):
a lunch when we can, when we can all gather again,
we'll schedule. That's funny. I will tell you there was
a time, probably three years ago now, that our radio
radio announcer went m I A before we came back
from intermission, and seriously, there were maybe ten seconds left,
and our stage manager came and said, we cannot find
(16:54):
him anywhere. You've got to do this, and so I
was ready to put on my best. Announcer was headed
to the podium to say welcome back to the and
then I thought, holy crap, what did they even say?
And at that moment the announcer came running around the
corner and my dreams being an opera announcer for ten
seconds for dash. If you want real controversy, invite yourself
(17:17):
to be a member. You go out to five minutes
bomb and then have vents come on and be like,
well ready to have you as a member. Um, I'll
tell you in the hot country nights which I have
wanted them to play, the opera since I even heard
the first rumblings about Hot Country nights. You know, like, man,
we've got to get them out there, just because it'll
(17:37):
be so much fun. From the moment those guys walked
in the building, Um, Dirk's character Douglas was certain that
every time I approached them, I was going to invite
them to become opera members. When we were shooting the
TV show and he was in character, obviously, Dirk's was going,
all these cameras are here. I guess it's ready for
(17:59):
our big invitation. Huh. And I'm like, no, it's it's
a TV show. Yeah, yeah, Um, I do want to
pivot over now and talk about what's happened with you guys.
What's happened with you know, you know most, if not all,
of America right now, is that you had to make
some tough decisions and pivot. And yeah, the Grand Ol
operation is still going, but it's happening right now with
nobody in the audience like kind of walking me through
(18:19):
what those meetings are like and how that decision was made. Well, UM,
I'll begin that by saying that genuine thank you too.
You you are one of the few folks who um
we actually see every Saturday night and you're out and
about what section seven or so, UM, throwing into the
crowd and keeping everybody around the world entertained, UM when
(18:43):
we're going to commercial breaks in and such. So thank you, UM,
genuinely thank you for your commitment to the opery. I
will tell you, UM, there was never this isn't a modesty.
There was never a moment where yeah, we thought, oh,
should should we skip a show this week? Should there
(19:05):
not be a show this week? In the middle of UM,
this pandemic Because I told you, I'll tell you the
operis live audience shows were canceled on a Friday, UM,
so we you know, we had people in towns who
were expecting to see I think it's thirty so tickets
sold for that night where we had to cancel that show.
(19:25):
So it was the next night that we went on
with our first Saturday night broadcast without an audience. And
it was by the following Saturday that we were on
Circle Television UM and on the live stream around the
world with you hosting. Of course, Marty Stewart, UM, Ben
Skill and Brad Paisley, separated by the social distance we
(19:48):
needed on stage, and we've continued every week since. You know,
some weeks have been easier than others in terms of
finding the right mix of artists to be to be
out on that stage. With Circle Network, that's a that's
a big deal for the Opery and the Opery brand.
And you know, it was a long time ago that
we first met about the network before the show is
(20:12):
what it was, and it is what it is now.
But you know, to me, I'm such an advocate and
fan of the Grand ol Operate that even before there
was the show. You know, we sat in a sat
in a room and I said, I'd like to be involved,
and you guys said, I'd like me to be involved.
And you know that's kind of how the first steps
to Operate happened, which is the show that we're kind
of doing now. We're I guess we're doing it like
(20:35):
a version of it with no crowd. But um, talk
about the Circle Network and how you know how long
ago that happened and you know where it is now? Sure, Um,
you know it's something that has been discussed, um really
for years basically my entire tenure at the Opery. But
(20:58):
you know it's you know as well as anyone it's
not an easy task at all to create a television network,
but we've managed to UM do it. And I think
of the Circle Network as you know, the it's not
just the home of the opery, but I really think
of it as the opera's network, just because it's so
(21:21):
much of what you would see on Circle really fits UM.
For a fan of the opera, if you like what
the opera stands for, you're gonna like UM all of
that programming. And I'll say you know this, UM. In
terms of looking for a silver lining, I think that
the UM one of the silver linings here is that
(21:45):
we've we were able to have UM the Circle Network
launch on January one of this year, and who knew
how important it would be to delivering people across the
country their daily or their weekly dose of grandal Obpry.
You know, when we were talking in January, I'm sure
(22:08):
our goals were to, you know, have a wide array
of programming and keep people interested UM in the country
lifestyle programming all week. But we never dreamt that we
would be among a few people standing on the stage
anywhere in America UM performing live music for hungry audiences
(22:32):
week after week. And you know, we'd be able to
deliver everything from great blue grass like you saw Alrecky
Skaggs doing about a month ago now, to Luke Combs
playing something he had just written um six ft apart
about the pandemic. To Ashley McBride, who had obviously a
(22:54):
completely different plan for launching her album um and you
know she couldn't do any of those pieces she had
planned and instead was standing on that Oprey stage the
day after her album was released planning just a great
music from the project. I think I get a lot
of people asking me the most, you know, how do
(23:15):
they find Circle Network? And you know, because of with
Corona hitting, I think it's delayed the launch of the
digital part of the network because there's some great content.
Craig Morgan show is so good, you got that, the
show about artists wives, obviously Opery, which is the show
at the Grand Ol Operation. There's just a lot of
fantastic content um and again a silver lining is the
(23:38):
Grand Ol Operations now also being shown on tons of
affiliates like not Circle Network, but they're taking that show
and they're putting it on you know, uh, their ABC, NBCCBS, Fox, whatever.
The affility is all over the country but do you
know as of right now when they're thinking of launching
the network so people can watch it on their phones
or Apple TVs yet UM we that's moved around because
(23:58):
of the pandemic as well. So for the near future,
UM I would always suggest folks just to go to
the website UM determine how you can get Circle in
your area, and then of course always UM for the
near future will also be UM sharing that broadcast via
live stream as well, So even if you can't yet
(24:21):
find Circle in your UM area, you can find its
programming via the opery and that live stream every Saturday night.
And of course, as we move through UM and continue
forging our path forward, there'll be a lot of other
great new programming and you will want to make sure
(24:42):
that you can find UM Circle on your device, on
your computer, on your smart TV, etcetera. Three minutes, I'm
gonna ask you some pretty quick questions here, Dan, okay,
all right, who was cool to you back at the
Grand ol Operate when you were like an intern? You
were you were young, that went on that there was
(25:03):
a massive star like you're an intern, But who was
so nice to you back then? UM I will always
be amazed back when um he had his debut hit, Um,
how Brad Paisley seemed to remember everybody's name from one
Opery visit to the next. Good answer, I like that.
(25:25):
I like that. Okay, how about this in just a
few words. What makes a good opera member? Uh, great
opera member is someone who um is a great family member.
You know. It's like the person at the people always
think of the opera as a family. And I really
do believe that the great analogy, it's the person at
(25:46):
the family reunion that you know is going to be there,
that you can count on in good times and in bad.
And UM is the person who love us to interact
with like the people his his or her own age,
but also goes and plays with kids and uh talks
(26:08):
to the older people. You know, the kind of the
person that's the hub. But of course any family, it
takes all kinds kinds. You know, we need our blue
grass pickers. We need the folks who have are number
one on the charts, like um Blake Shelton is this
week when he's playing the Opery, and we need you know,
(26:28):
the singer songwriters like and Oprey show is at its
best when it showcases all the great stuff on the
makeup a Oprey performance. All right, do you ever see
or hear anything weird when you're there late at night?
Like the ghost of an old country star there? Um?
You know, I'll tell you. My office used to be
(26:48):
in a home that was where Roy Acuff had lived.
And one night I was there really late at night.
This is going to be a let down. Just let
you know. I was there late at night and I
had was working on an obituary for an offer, remember
who had passed away that day, And it's probably like
(27:09):
twelve thirty am one am, and I had finished that,
and I've actually read a file about Roy aka kind
of for inspiration on what to write. And I was
walking through Roy's old home with all the lights off,
and I thought, come on, like, if there's ever a moment,
this is, this is my moment. Haunt me. Come on
(27:30):
nothing nothing. Oh, you're right, we were disappointed. I was
ready for the big, big ghost reveal. Well, listen, I
appreciate the time, obviously. It's you know, a great pleasure
to to to work with you professionally and and too
you know, also uh no yet on a personal level too,
So thank you. I know you get a million interview
requests today, and I appreciate you you spreading some of
(27:50):
that knowledge and and forward look with us here. Thank you, Dan,
I thank everybody for tuning into circles, for tuning into
the operative. Thanks for what you do, and I look
forward to working on my failed comedy. Alright, d see
you later. See you? Hey, Mark Chestnut? Hey, what's up?
(28:13):
How you been? Hey? Bro, You're good. I've been doing
pretty good, you know, all things considered. Yeah, it's kind
of what everybody has to say now, Like, you know,
I'm doing good, but the world's not doing it's best,
so we gotta put that in perspective, you know. Yeah, Yeah,
it's it's uh, it's really it's really weird because this
(28:34):
is usually you know, we're using getting real busy right now. Yeah.
I was reading to think about that when you're touring
and said, you worked twelve twelve months a year for
almost thirty years and never took any time off. So
this has been an oddly nice break for you. Well, yeah,
you know, I've enjoyed being home and the most of
(28:54):
all the best thing about it is I haven't had
to travel after all those years on the road. You know,
I'm going on thirty years now, and um it will
be it will be thirty years coming up in June,
I think are But um, anyway, I'm not people wrong
(29:15):
about that. But no, I haven't taken much time to
speak of off and all that time and I've traveled
every week and I live in Beaumont, Texas, and you know,
my my band and my bus and everything is all
up in Nashville. So every week I'm having to drive.
You know, I drive an hour and a half or
(29:36):
more depending on the traffic. And you can jump on
plane and fly to Nashville and hop on my bus.
Sometimes I'm lucky if we're planning here in Texas somewhere,
the bus comes from my house and picks me up
and bringing me home. Wow, you have to fly to
Nashville basically every weekend that you're touring. Oh yeah, yeah,
(29:57):
just about just about. It's uh, that's what I'm tired
of because it's about like said hour and a half
depending on traffic, and and and then you gotta miss
with the airports and all that stuff. I've done that
for so long. Um, this kind of nice break too,
to not have to go anywhere. But I'll tell you
(30:18):
what I sure miss. I missed being on stage. I
missed my band, I missed my I missed my my crowd,
of my audience most of all. Well, I was listening
to your new song. I found another you and she
hates me too. And I tell you I listened to it,
and I said, I gotta get chestnut on the show.
And I gotta get chestnut on the countdown. And so
(30:41):
tell me about this song and and and why you
picked it. Yeah, there's a cool little story about this.
It's Uh. I was working on a album project a
few years ago, and we um, we cut to try
X and we we we laid down two songs. I
(31:02):
did all the vocals on them. Since I don't get
to Nashville very often, I was I was right in
the middle summer tour, so we were liked to basic
tracks and and um out after that, right after that.
The next day, I did all the vocals, and so
we had all that, and you can and we've been
(31:24):
needing to put something new out here. So I didn't
had nothing new since UH Tradition Lives album came out,
you know, and so so let's let's put it out
on our own on our own little label or whatever.
I like multi column labels anymore. But so, uh, we
finished it up. They mixed it, mastered it, and um,
(31:48):
I always thought it was such a great song. I
hate that I was. I was hating that it was
just sitting there. I wanted to put it on Tradition Lives,
but for some reason it didn't happen. But the two
songs I recorded are really cool. They're they're up tempo
and um, you know, kind of kind of funny in
(32:09):
their country, you know, if that's what I like about there.
And I'm so glad people are finally gonna get to
hear all this stuff. Yeah, me too. I was looking
at some stuff. This is by the numbers. I'm gonna
read you some of these numbers. You have fourteen number one,
twenty three top ten singles, over twelve million albums sold.
You were one of the most played country artists of
the nineties. What song do you think define Not not
(32:32):
your song, because I would go abubba, but I would say,
what song for you to find the nineties outside of
your music, outside of yeah, oh you know, I would
have That has to be Garth Brooks. Um. You know,
everything he did in the nine. It was an inspiration
(32:54):
to everybody else. And you know, I think my favorite
is um with under Rolls, because I don't know, it's
hard to it's hard. It's hard to say it's under
Rolls or or or if Tomorrow never comes. That's my
favorite one, if Tomorrow never comes. And I was lucky
(33:17):
that I had the opportunity in the early nineties when
I was just starting out and he was just catching
fire and I was I got to tour with him
quite a bit, and that's when he was playing you know,
smaller venues and uh so we got to hang out
(33:38):
quite a bit. And he's a great guy. Do you
remember a specific moment when you realized that you were
famous where you're like, whoop, life has just changed. I
was famous. It got kind of crazy. They're at the
very beginning. I didn't think it would happen that fast
(33:59):
because uh, you know, you you you read all these
stories and hear all these stories about how people take
so long to catch on. I got lucky, man, I
tell you, I was very very lucky. I was blessed, well,
was what I was, because I had that the song
Too Cold at Home just took off. I didn't even
have to do a radio tour. That just they released
(34:20):
it and radio jumped all over it. Next thing I know,
I'm out on the road almost two hundred days a year.
It was crazy, man, I was. I was. It scared me,
really overwhelmed me because I was always playing in them
and Donkey talks around here in Momont, and I always
had always packed me in. We always had a big
(34:43):
crowd every night. But I was not prepared for for
a walk was coming. I came with that song, you know,
back in the day when you covered I Don't want
to miss a thing. Did Errol Smith ever reach out
to you after you covered it? Yeah, well, really reach
out to me. But I was. I had all access
(35:05):
passes for Aerosmith because I'm a big Aerosmiths fan. I
love him. But I was. I got the tickets and
all access passes and offer for the their show there
in Nashville. I guess I can't remember what year it was,
but I was. I was backstage. They let us come
(35:28):
back there, and and uh they were real nice to
us and said, hey, not not the band, but I
mean the managers and stuff. And they said, uh, well,
y'all can part back at parking for us, and uh,
a friend and I went and so we we went
in there and he said, the guys are doing me
doing interviews and all right now he said, y'all come
(35:51):
in here and catering, get you something to eat. And
we walked backstage the catering and sit down and and uh,
of course I go looking for beer. Of course you
can't drink backstage because signs they are absolutely no alcohol
past stage. It's so uh. We were just sitting there
(36:13):
talking and all of a sudden, I hear this. I
heard this, um loud voice and I know exactly who
it is singing, and I don't want to close my eye,
just at the top of his lungs. And I turned
around and it's Steven Tyler walking towards me. And he's
(36:33):
who's um. He's got his arms spread out like you
know for a hug, and he comes he comes up
to me. I got my hands stuck out to two, uh,
shake his hand and he and he just bear hugs
me and he's singing at the top of his lungs
right in my ear. Can you imagine that? And so
(36:57):
we stood there and talked and for about thirty minutes
and I don't remember that thing he said, or I said,
big blur to me, I'll re memory that we're saying.
He said, uh. He said something about what are they
gonna do with us old guys? He said, Man, I'm
(37:18):
doing better now. You know. He just had throat surgery.
He said, I got a new girlfriend. You know. He
was just talking, talking, talking, talking. I probably didn't say
two three. That was so cool for him to to
do that. And that was the very first time I
met him, and he acted like we were old friends.
(37:39):
He was talking to me about stuff like we've been
knowing each other for a long time. I got a
couple more things talk to you about. I want to
mention this first. The new EP six songs will be
out in August, but you may get it out in July.
Is that true. I don't know. The last I heard
it was set for August, but it maybe if we
(38:01):
can get it. I've got one more thing I want
to do for this album, one more special thing that
I want to do. I don't know if I'll have
time to get it done, but I'd like to get
it out as soon as possible. Your son, Casey is
getting out of the Marines this month. Is that right?
That's right? Is he gonna move back to Beaumont. He's
(38:23):
gonna move back here, and he's going he's got to
go to the police academy and then go to work
for the Beaumont Police Department. Man, tell him we said
we appreciate him. Oh, I will, I will. It's great.
I'm so proud of you. Man. It's having us a
(38:44):
son that's a in any branch of the military is
just a it's a great feeling. Well, I'm gonna ask
you one final question. Does anyone just call you the
nut or Mr? Nutt? What? Does anyone ever call you
just the nut or Mr Nutt? I don't believe anybody
(39:05):
had ever called me Mr Nutt. A lot of people
call me nut hey, nuts, okay, just no, but not
Mr Nutt? Okay, okay, just asking you never know what
nicknames are gonna happen there. Well, listen, Mark, good to
talk to you. I you know, I've always been a fan.
We've we've been able to see each other a couple
of times in real life, and I wanted to to
highlight this new song to my listeners on you know,
(39:27):
both my radio show and on the Countdown Show. That
runs all weekend all over the country. So um yeah,
I appreciate that, and good luck, and you know, let
me know whenever this record gets ready, well you'll you'll know.
I guarantee it, and I sure appreciate you playing it.
Man it it really means the world to me. I'm
so I'm so excited about it. All Right, Mr Nutt,
(39:49):
all right, see soon.
Host
Bobby Bones
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