When I left Monument Records (not my choice) I had no idea what I was going to do. Jeffrey Steele said he’d never met anyone who loved playing guitar and talking about music and playing music more than me, he said he was starting a pub co and if Ii could wait till the company was set up, he wanted to sign me. WOWZA!!! Ok, so now what… I started writing a bit with Jeff, which was great but a bit scary, he’s really good, but who else?
Well, I went to a bar called the Tin Roof one afternoon and ran into a great friend from my record days, Jaime Austen. She had just moved to town to work at Big Machine Records, a great move for her! She asked what I was doing and I told her I was going to try to be a writer. She asked if there was anyone I wanted to write with and said I was already writing with Jeff so I guess the only other guy I wanted to write with was Bob DiPiero. She just smiled and proceeded to introduce me to her blonde friend with the million dollar smile and a heart to go with it, Rachel Adkins. Rachel said “I think I can make that happen.”
WHAT? Oh yeah, she was Bobs assistant at the time! I’m so thankful God told me to say Bob’s name!! I met him at his office a week or two later and we wrote our first song which was “You Can’t Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl,” which became my first demo, first cut and first single. Not bad for a first write huh?!?
Me & Bob at the 2004 BMI Awards