So here’s the spoiler. I moved to Mukilteo WA based on a gut feeling of following my own compass, making new friends and excelling in a career. After 5 years and 8 months I’m graduating from Home Depot Paint Associate to Buyer at Airbus Robotics.

The following are some words I wrote. Something from a lyric notebook. The spiral notebooks where I write poetry, lyrics, ideas and sometimes just what's on my mind. Here’s an excerpt from one of them.

“I spend a lot of time with those people. Time well spent. My mind and body get to do what they like best: chat about anything in the world with the brightest group of people I’ve ever met while doing a feel-good workout. Suddenly I realize how good it really is. No amount of money could buy this.”

These are the guys I see every week morning. I think we all have little slots of time where you’re with your friends, work colleagues or just warm thinkers. Sometimes it's at work, sometimes with your family. For me? I met this motley crue at the local YMCA. There’s over a dozen of us depending on the day. We’re ages from 42-80. Non-exclusive…it just worked out we gelled.

One of the regulars said the group is a sweet thing. I found what I set out for years ago when I moved here from Aberdeen. This was written for the relationship between her and her sister. Freya and Annie, The Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known.

It’s a team that was formed purely out of showing up to start the day at a gym. That simple gesture of peace to your body and mind is a good way to begin a day on your A game. We do our best work when all cylinders are firing.

So back to the Trainwreck of Aberdeen. Sometimes life is a complete tornado of disturbing changes and rip offs. I was spending a moment now and then on the edge of I don’t give a shit anymore. With a little help from my friends the train got back on track. And somehow when you look back at it all, it plays out like a finely crafted novel.

Flashback to June 2016. I moved from a trainwreck in my hometown Aberdeen. I was looking for love in all the wrong places. Maybe it’s ironic the first friend I made when I landed in my new hometown was named Haight. I met Graham Haight as a fellow real estate broker at Windermere and followed him around town like a stray puppy. I was a rescue. He later had me fixed. Then he had me sew some on.

I joined the same gym, hired the same doctor, dentist and even auto body man as Graham. When I needed to buy a car on my Wendy’s wages budget, he was there with a car dealership of a guy Graham was a corner trainer for in boxing. Graham was my ride for my hand surgery.  I drafted behind him.

He became my head football coach and the guy to bounce things off. Someone to give me some focus and direction. The big brother I never had.

My real estate attempt in Mukilteo was an unreachable dream. Competitive beyond my budget and timeframe. I fell back on my painting business, gave guitar lessons, worked at Home Depot and spent the rest of my time writing, producing podcasts and playing an occasional gig.

All the while, I searched and applied for jobs. Then the pandemic hit.

I didn’t stop applying for jobs. I was looking for a job in procurement but was willing to start at any level with upward mobility.

Back in September Graham mentioned his daughter needed some paint work done. She’d just bought a house that’s nearby the Y and only blocks from her new place of employment, Airbus Robotics. 

I said I]]>Always do your very best to live a life you’re proud of, and if it falls short, have the strength to start over again. I used Better Each Day as my mantra. In the words of 19th century psychologist and pharmacist Emile Coue: “Everyday in every way, I’m getting better and better.”  

So here’s the spoiler. I moved to Mukilteo WA based on a gut feeling of following my own compass, making new friends and excelling in a career. After 5 years and 8 months I’m graduating from Home Depot Paint Associate to Buyer at Airbus Robotics.

The following are some words I wrote. Something from a lyric notebook. The spiral notebooks where I write poetry, lyrics, ideas and sometimes just what's on my mind. Here’s an excerpt from one of them.

“I spend a lot of time with those people. Time well spent. My mind and body get to do what they like best: chat about anything in the world with the brightest group of people I’ve ever met while doing a feel-good workout. Suddenly I realize how good it really is. No amount of money could buy this.”

These are the guys I see every week morning. I think we all have little slots of time where you’re with your friends, work colleagues or just warm thinkers. Sometimes it's at work, sometimes with your family. For me? I met this motley crue at the local YMCA. There’s over a dozen of us depending on the day. We’re ages from 42-80. Non-exclusive…it just worked out we gelled.

One of the regulars said the group is a sweet thing. I found what I set out for years ago when I moved here from Aberdeen. This was written for the relationship between her and her sister. Freya and Annie, The Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known.

It’s a team that was formed purely out of showing up to start the day at a gym. That simple gesture of peace to your body and mind is a good way to begin a day on your A game. We do our best work when all cylinders are firing.

So back to the Trainwreck of Aberdeen. Sometimes life is a complete tornado of disturbing changes and rip offs. I was spending a moment now and then on the edge of I don’t give a shit anymore. With a little help from my friends the train got back on track. And somehow when you look back at it all, it plays out like a finely crafted novel.

Flashback to June 2016. I moved from a trainwreck in my hometown Aberdeen. I was looking for love in all the wrong places. Maybe it’s ironic the first friend I made when I landed in my new hometown was named Haight. I met Graham Haight as a fellow real estate broker at Windermere and followed him around town like a stray puppy. I was a rescue. He later had me fixed. Then he had me sew some on.

I joined the same gym, hired the same doctor, dentist and even auto body man as Graham. When I needed to buy a car on my Wendy’s wages budget, he was there with a car dealership of a guy Graham was a corner trainer for in boxing. Graham was my ride for my hand surgery.  I drafted behind him.

He became my head football coach and the guy to bounce things off. Someone to give me some focus and direction. The big brother I never had.

My real estate attempt in Mukilteo was an unreachable dream. Competitive beyond my budget and timeframe. I fell back on my painting business, gave guitar lessons, worked at Home Depot and spent the rest of my time writing, producing podcasts and playing an occasional gig.

All the while, I searched and applied for jobs. Then the pandemic hit.

I didn’t stop applying for jobs. I was looking for a job in procurement but was willing to start at any level with upward mobility.

Back in September Graham mentioned his daughter needed some paint work done. She’d just bought a house that’s nearby the Y and only blocks from her new place of employment, Airbus Robotics. 

I said I looked forward to the day I didn’t have to rent. He responded with “well, she’s got a good job.” Not that my Home Depot gig wasn’t the motherload. She works in human resources for Airbus Robotics. It’s just down the street a couple blocks. The dream job location.

Throughout the whole process, the Y Fam supported me with an even stronger vibe than normal. The Human Resources Manager Jill hand delivered the offer to me, with an audience of Rusty, Mary, Paul, Carol, Wayne, Rosalie, Mike, Joe, Freya (who says I’m an optimistic visionary) and Annie. And more. This part of the new job was scripted. It’s the part of the show where they tell you to never give up. No matter how long, no matter how utterly stupid it seems sometimes, tenacity! Easy to say, harder to write a song about.

Now keep in mind that I am, and apparently always will be, a hopeless romantic love song writing fool. One thing we can all agree on is that some songs just need to be written. And some people need to be written about.

This year the vote was unanimous to introduce some songs you may have heard on previous shows, songs that were inspired by friends. The friends I speak of are sisters Freya and Annie. They are the stars of the show. 

Now, I wrote, produced and performed everything you’re hearing but it wouldn’t be happening without someone to write about and an audience.

Just to set the scene, I met Freya and Annie at the local YMCA almost five years ago. They’re happily married with kids but while we’re at the Y we are all kids. 

When I see them it's in a noisy environment full of competition for their attention. Sometimes I’ll squeeze in for a chat and hear a story that leads to a song like this one.

Roses and Strawberry Rain was inspired by my friend Annie, now grown and a mother of two, who played with Little Ponies…the toy Little Ponies. So I did my best to capture a story about a little girl playing pretend with her hero and champion race horse, Strawberry Rain. Rain wins the roses at the Kentucky Derby, the rain washes time away and years later she tells her children about her legendary story of…Roses and Strawberry Rain.

Annie’s older sister Freya, who like Annie, is the warmest of warm people. Going nose to nose with Annie’s miraculous ability to jump rope and defy gravity, Freya, who has super powers also, saw the crappy clothes I wore when I performed…my ragamuffin clothes weren’t hittin’ it and she went into her rescue mode to save my sorry ass. Freya took me by the wrist and we went clothes shopping. And she organized a photo shoot with Annie as part of Operation Dress Bruce for new promo pics.

One of the new promo images created by Annie was the result of a filter that, I don’t know if it was intentional or not, formed several images of my head in the shape of a heart. It looked like a kaleidoscope version of a heart with me in my Freya shirt.

Sometimes something is said in the morning workout that rings in my head and becomes a lyric. In this case it was a scenario where Annie stopped me briefly during our morning ant farm gym jam to tell me a quick Annie happy word about nothing in particular…to which I smiled and looked blankly at her. She responded, “that’s all I got.” 

I turned, walked away and looked back. I thought “That’s all I got?” Other than stand ups, who says “that’s all I got?” I turned to see her waiting for me with a goofy smile.

That’s all I got? Sometimes we end a conversation with “that’s all I got”...or even end a sentence.

I used color names from Home Depot paint for this “xanadu, limousine leather and melody” list of paint color names. “Comfort words and hearts and rainbows in my feed, that’s all I need.” 

Annie introduced me to her mother Kerri at the gym one morning about three years ago. It was hugely apparent where some of Annie and Freya’s magic came from.

My little song Kerri is about a small town girl meeting a small town boy, on bicycles, on a sunny summer day and Kerri announcing to the world “someday I’ll marry that boy.” If it sounds like it could be a true story, it is. Well 50 years and 6 children later…Kerri and Dad are still a small town girl and a small town boy.

Combine Kerri, Freya and Annie, put them in a blender and voila, a song, the...]]>Hey to all the Better Each Day Listeners, this is Bruce and welcome to episode 251. Welcome to the show but most importantly welcome to the first annual year end Christmas party where we feature a special theme.

Now keep in mind that I am, and apparently always will be, a hopeless romantic love song writing fool. One thing we can all agree on is that some songs just need to be written. And some people need to be written about.

This year the vote was unanimous to introduce some songs you may have heard on previous shows, songs that were inspired by friends. The friends I speak of are sisters Freya and Annie. They are the stars of the show. 

Now, I wrote, produced and performed everything you’re hearing but it wouldn’t be happening without someone to write about and an audience.

Just to set the scene, I met Freya and Annie at the local YMCA almost five years ago. They’re happily married with kids but while we’re at the Y we are all kids. 

When I see them it's in a noisy environment full of competition for their attention. Sometimes I’ll squeeze in for a chat and hear a story that leads to a song like this one.

Roses and Strawberry Rain was inspired by my friend Annie, now grown and a mother of two, who played with Little Ponies…the toy Little Ponies. So I did my best to capture a story about a little girl playing pretend with her hero and champion race horse, Strawberry Rain. Rain wins the roses at the Kentucky Derby, the rain washes time away and years later she tells her children about her legendary story of…Roses and Strawberry Rain.

Annie’s older sister Freya, who like Annie, is the warmest of warm people. Going nose to nose with Annie’s miraculous ability to jump rope and defy gravity, Freya, who has super powers also, saw the crappy clothes I wore when I performed…my ragamuffin clothes weren’t hittin’ it and she went into her rescue mode to save my sorry ass. Freya took me by the wrist and we went clothes shopping. And she organized a photo shoot with Annie as part of Operation Dress Bruce for new promo pics.

One of the new promo images created by Annie was the result of a filter that, I don’t know if it was intentional or not, formed several images of my head in the shape of a heart. It looked like a kaleidoscope version of a heart with me in my Freya shirt.

Sometimes something is said in the morning workout that rings in my head and becomes a lyric. In this case it was a scenario where Annie stopped me briefly during our morning ant farm gym jam to tell me a quick Annie happy word about nothing in particular…to which I smiled and looked blankly at her. She responded, “that’s all I got.” 

I turned, walked away and looked back. I thought “That’s all I got?” Other than stand ups, who says “that’s all I got?” I turned to see her waiting for me with a goofy smile.

That’s all I got? Sometimes we end a conversation with “that’s all I got”...or even end a sentence.

I used color names from Home Depot paint for this “xanadu, limousine leather and melody” list of paint color names. “Comfort words and hearts and rainbows in my feed, that’s all I need.” 

Annie introduced me to her mother Kerri at the gym one morning about three years ago. It was hugely apparent where some of Annie and Freya’s magic came from.

My little song Kerri is about a small town girl meeting a small town boy, on bicycles, on a sunny summer day and Kerri announcing to the world “someday I’ll marry that boy.” If it sounds like it could be a true story, it is. Well 50 years and 6 children later…Kerri and Dad are still a small town girl and a small town boy.

Combine Kerri, Freya and Annie, put them in a blender and voila, a song, the Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about a man that’s trying to get by day to day with only his music. He shows up for jobs, life and to the world with only his music. Since no one is hiring he wanders from town to town looking for work and maybe a place to belong…a safe harbor. The candy shop reference is about Annie’s bubble gum and the dancing across the floor is my favorite rock ballerina Freya. With only one song I come a-wanderin’ for you. Is a song even considered wealth? Depends on who’s listening. The song is called Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known.

I’m grateful everyday to have what I have, live where I live and know who I know. Maybe this is as good as it gets! I’m a lucky guy just to know ya.

This next song has about 15 of my voices in the All Bruce Sha-La-La Choir. The song is about Freya sleeping and dreaming. I needed to edit some of her dream lyrics because she has really weird dreams. The song is also about the dreams and visions we all have, and need to know when to let go or hold on with everything you got.

Another Freya song here. She told me her favorite color was navy blue. Without ending up with a Village People Naval cover, I associated navy blue with the color of her van and better yet, her blue jeans.

The song has her catching a limo at the beginning and later, the last verse, she’s cruisin’ the Alderwood Mall Parkway in the van I know and love. And guess what. Dressed in Blue Jeans.

The stream of consciousness and flat brilliant weirdness at the morning gym is a beautiful thing and it’s not uncommon for something that’s said in the morning pops into my monkey brain later in the day and makes me laugh out loud…when I shouldn’t.

This is a Christmas song that sort of a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest white coat Christmas. The subject is being committed to home for the wacksters because he believes in Santa Claus…and giving. The lyrics were a stream of conscious freestyle and fit this guy that dares to run run Rudolph.

So, I’m finding out the very most important things in life, the really good stuff is free and needs to be loved and nurtured. I hope you enjoyed the stories, the tunes and my optimistic vision. That's all I got.

Merry Christmas 2022.

So here are a couple of covers starting with one from an album called Help! It’s by that band with the name that catches on after a while, the Beatles.

I just recorded this last night. The Bee Gees’ To Love Somebody.

Here are two songs in a row that I wrote about my imaginary romance.

This is a song I’m proud to say was written and recorded by two brothers of different mothers from mine, the Murchy Brothers with On The Harbor…that would be Grays Harbor where we grew up together.

Thank you so much for listening. Here’s on more of my tunes. This one is one of those “stop and smell” the roses…Doesn’t Anybody Fall In Love No More.

This song was the result.

Runaway

Thinking again of leaving it all behind

Packing my things and wondering why oh why I feel this sometimes

You and I will runaway, taking our time, let the whirlwinds blow

You and I will runaway, I wanna run away with you

You and I will run away, taking it easy time can wait

And I will run away with you

So sleep silent angel go to sleep until the morning comes

There is a place, where we both can live and never live without love

You and I will runaway, taking our time, let the whirlwinds blow

You and I will runaway, I wanna run away with you

You and I will run away, taking it easy time can wait

And I will run away with you

Here’s a set of originals. I’ll list the titles in the show notes. I hope you enjoy your drive with me on an ocean road to wherever you want. A little influence from the Byrds and anyone with a 12-string Rickenbacker.  I’m Going Home.

In my hometown Aberdeen WA, Hampton Rudolph Wines is a legend. He came to us as a young teacher from Eastern Washington, Pasco is the city I remember him mentioning. In Aberdeen he set a standard for excellence in everything from marching band, symphonic band, pep band, stage band, brass choir for Christmas, witty humor and other psychological mind games he messed us up with.

So, after working closely with him during some very formative years of my life, I’m writing a pod letter to my dear and recently passed high school band coach, teacher and visionary, Mr. Wines.

Dear Mr. Wines,

Thanks for the mind games. I say mind games in a good way. You knew what we were capable of and figured out ways to trick us into achieving it. You taught us as teenagers the importance of discipline and accountability. You preached respect for our instruments and uniforms and most importantly the attitude to carry it off with 100+ other students fueled mainly by fries and hormones.

You used signature phrases like “well this week is shot”, “moxie, intestinal fortitude” and if we sucked you encouraged us with suggestions like “you might as well take that horn and make it into a planter.”

The “this week is shot” speech was a landmark in my way of thinking everything, yes everything, is funny. Do you remember how 52 weeks per year could be shot year after year?

Every Monday morning sounded like this: Well today is Monday and the day is half shot already. Tomorrow will rain so we can’t rehearse on the field but we can stay inside but since it’s Tuesday we’ll be getting ready for Wednesday…and that day is shot. (And he’d be diagramming this on the chalkboard.) That leaves Thursday and Friday. Friday is the pep rally and game (actually the Friday concert at the football stadium). So Thursday is the only day of the week we can do anything…unless it rains. (Which it did.)

And Mr. Wines…I was apprehensive to visit you in your house on the hill later in life because when you’re busy you say “don’t bug me man.” I wonder what you think about the current educational system. I believe you took an early retirement when budget cuts hit the arts first. Many people were disappointed to see you retire.

Music was morphing into the rock era and in your lifetime went from Gershwin to Nirvana, from analog to digital and back. From formally educated musicians and composers to garage bands. Did you like my bands Denny and the Chadwicks and Tahola Toilet Authority? 

Somehow those that followed your fundamentals went on to appreciate your white glove inspections. You literally wore white gloves during our periodic inspections of our gear.  You commanded cosmetically perfect white marching shoes to march in the football field mud. 

And...]]>Bruce Hilliard speaking. The leaves are falling, times are a-changin’ and I heard Mr. Wines took the coda. My most influential band director Mr. Wines passed away a few days ago. In music, a coda is a passage that brings a piece of music to an end. It may be as simple as a few measures, or as complex as an entire section. This guy was an entire opus, an epic rock opera for me and many others. Mr. Wines, one of my personal influences and motivators of my music career, passed last Sunday October 23rd 2022. He was 97. A long life for anyone. It deserved a long coda. He was the lifeblood of my music community…the Professor Harold Hill from The Music Man. And to think he was old by my standards when I had him in his late forties…what seems like a lifetime ago.

In my hometown Aberdeen WA, Hampton Rudolph Wines is a legend. He came to us as a young teacher from Eastern Washington, Pasco is the city I remember him mentioning. In Aberdeen he set a standard for excellence in everything from marching band, symphonic band, pep band, stage band, brass choir for Christmas, witty humor and other psychological mind games he messed us up with.

So, after working closely with him during some very formative years of my life, I’m writing a pod letter to my dear and recently passed high school band coach, teacher and visionary, Mr. Wines.

Dear Mr. Wines,

Thanks for the mind games. I say mind games in a good way. You knew what we were capable of and figured out ways to trick us into achieving it. You taught us as teenagers the importance of discipline and accountability. You preached respect for our instruments and uniforms and most importantly the attitude to carry it off with 100+ other students fueled mainly by fries and hormones.

You used signature phrases like “well this week is shot”, “moxie, intestinal fortitude” and if we sucked you encouraged us with suggestions like “you might as well take that horn and make it into a planter.”

The “this week is shot” speech was a landmark in my way of thinking everything, yes everything, is funny. Do you remember how 52 weeks per year could be shot year after year?

Every Monday morning sounded like this: Well today is Monday and the day is half shot already. Tomorrow will rain so we can’t rehearse on the field but we can stay inside but since it’s Tuesday we’ll be getting ready for Wednesday…and that day is shot. (And he’d be diagramming this on the chalkboard.) That leaves Thursday and Friday. Friday is the pep rally and game (actually the Friday concert at the football stadium). So Thursday is the only day of the week we can do anything…unless it rains. (Which it did.)

And Mr. Wines…I was apprehensive to visit you in your house on the hill later in life because when you’re busy you say “don’t bug me man.” I wonder what you think about the current educational system. I believe you took an early retirement when budget cuts hit the arts first. Many people were disappointed to see you retire.

Music was morphing into the rock era and in your lifetime went from Gershwin to Nirvana, from analog to digital and back. From formally educated musicians and composers to garage bands. Did you like my bands Denny and the Chadwicks and Tahola Toilet Authority? 

Somehow those that followed your fundamentals went on to appreciate your white glove inspections. You literally wore white gloves during our periodic inspections of our gear.  You commanded cosmetically perfect white marching shoes to march in the football field mud. 

And hey Mr. Wines. While we’re on the topic of football, do you remember going Exorcist on me when I showed up at a varsity football game as a player and not a march geek? You said (at a high decibel level) that I didn’t tell you I was suiting up for football. Until then, you hadn’t explained the unwritten rule that the Friday night gathering at the football stadium was for a marching band show with a side of football. The Aberdeen football team was the opening act for the band. Band was everything and you were the hammer of the gods before Led Zeppelin.

Do you remember when you heard I played electric guitar and had a loud amp? You were into loud and the first thing you asked was “where's the volume knob?” My first thought was you wanted to know how to turn it down when I went into a Hendrix hair blowing solo. Not you. You wanted to turn it up.

You were firm and weren’t afraid to embarrass us in front of each other. You were flipped off more behind your back than most teachers but you got results. And damn. We were pretty good!

Thank you Mr. Wines. Your patience and perseverance was and still is inspirational. You taught me to keep my ax out of the case so it’s easy to pick up and play. I teach everyone of my students that and I’m thinking about slamming a yardstick against a music stand to keep time. Time is precious.

Yours very truly,

Bruce

Check this out Tom Copeland’s solo on Danza Allegra.

And that is why I played second chair trumpet and not first. But I guess guitar and songwriting was my calling and I couldn’t walk away…Even If I Wanted To.

Roses and Strawberry Rain

Just To Know You

Sweetest Thing

Kerri

Pollyanna

Endless Rain

Thanks for listening!

Being a fan of vocal harmonies, Beach Boys and Four Seasonsy stuff, I heard this version of “I’ve Got Rhythm” by the Happenings. I had the honor of speaking with David Libert, the baritone and arranger of the Happenings a couple days ago and he said the stereo separation he did were copying the Mammas and the Papas strong stereo separation. As you’ll hear in the following chat with David, I say no one invented anything from zero. So here it is, from Bruce’s 45 collection, “I’ve Got Rhythm” and listen for the lead vocal on the left and the other Happenings happening on the right.

David Libert had such a long and interesting career in the music business, his friends encouraged him to write a book about it…so he did. 

The result is an autobiography 50-plus years in the making aptly entitled Rock and Roll Warrior, recently released on Sunset Blvd Books.  It’s a chronicle of David’s inner circle life in the music industry as a popular international performer, singer/songwriter, tour manager, booking agent, producer, and drug dealer on the Sunset Strip.  It’s a story so wild, so crazy, so over-the-top that it can only be true. He was Alice Cooper’s road manager and knows as much about the business as anyong…so he wrote a book on his experiences.

Pollyanna

You don’t even know me , so how can you show me what to do

You don’t even need  me, if only for less lonely night

You shouldn’t go on thinking we’ll be someday

And turn that  darkness into day?

I don’t know

(Chorus)

Pollyanna won’t you please come out of the rain

You know you’re driving me insane

Always looking for a miracle

Always searching for revelation

How can a loser ever win?

You’re always looking for a miracle

Always searching for a supernova

Somehow you always find your way

You find your way  

You find silver lining, somewhere were the skies are always blue

Wake up when your makeup starts to run

Boo hoo’n when you do the things you do 

You always find a way to make things work

Catch a falling star and you’ll get burnt

No, not you (ding)

(Chorus)

My first memories were of 78 rpms with about 25% of the Mom/Dad record club collection being the standard 33 ⅓ rpm vinyl that prevail to this day.

By the time I was old enough to buy a record, 33 ⅓ albums were the norm and the coolest things ever invented. But for affordability? Forty-fives. And you could avoid the filler crap songs on albums that were fairly common in those days. Buy the songs you liked, avoid paying more for lame filler songs on the LP and when the album you liked came out…buy it and listen with friends.

Here’s more from a random grab of songs from my ancient gallery of 45s From an Old Box. These are the songs I liked, maybe didn’t buy but currently am holding…waiting for the unknown owner from 1963 to call.

Please enjoy the memories and scratches, the way we used to listen with gum.

So, randomly, here are ten or eleven 45 r.p.m. records played on a 1972 turntable I found while looking for my retainer.

I was into Santana/Page/Hendrix for guitar inspiration but for melodies and vocals, this apparently was what I was listening to as a young teen.

I think these are the melodies and sincerity that people miss.

These are the songs I listened to in bed, in the dark on my General Electric clock radio that I could operate the knobs proficiently at the top of my head without looking.

Aberdeen, the town that put the Gator on the Animal House movie via Bill Murray who watched in person our hometown ritual dance, the Gator, performed at the Rocker by our beer soaked Schmenges flailing on the dance floor like freshly caught fish on a dock. He told someone at SNL and low and behold, the John Belushi Gator. 

Aberdeen was the childhood home of both football icon John Elway and Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers. William E. Boeing was a local and Nirvana sprouted out of a garage just down the street.

Most importantly to me are the friends and family that came with the magic of growing up there. I remember a happy childhood with neighbor kids everywhere. We were the baby boomers and we knew how to have fun. As a kid, I’d go to door of my buddie’s homes, knock politely and ask in my best Eddie Haskell voice if their precious child could come out and play with the well adjusted neighbor Bruce.

Then we’d go out and build a howitzer slingshot or blow something up. Hot air or hydrogen balloons with fuses, model cars with fuses, everything with fuses.

As I got into my 60s I found myself metaphorically going from door to door to see if anyone could come out and play. It seems in our old age we’ve become jaded and have seen and done it all. No one to play with anymore.

Until one day I received a call from Aberdeen friend Paul Koski asking if I’d like to take a three hour tour on his awesome boat with Ginger and Mary Ann. (I made up the Ginger and Mary Ann part but the boat was pretty cool.) Plus, I got to reunite with some people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

We did two of those boating day trips and had plans to travel to Finland to visit his relatives and see the sights. COVID put that on the back burner but last March we drove to Helena MT and back in four cold and snowy days. The goal? To deliver a car and visit with his brother-in-law and have fun. We did both. I’m so glad I got to know him beyond our teenage years.

He returned to his wife and home at Aberdeen Gardens to complete his new house. What was to be his final home I assume. He was killed working on it about a month ago in a tragic accident. He never moved in.

His friends gathered for a rememberance and there was still a sense of numbness. Those get-togethers can be so healthful and bring some smiles but for me there was a silver lining bonus of being asked to play a set at Aberdeen High School’s graduating class of 1972 reunion in a week. 

Now those guys graduated two years prior to my class of ‘74 but having known many of these classmates, my friend Paul being one, I said “yes, where, when” without hesitation.

So from my heart to all the Aberdeen High School Weatherwax graduates of 1972, here with us or gone, my song I’m Coming Home. There’s a line at the end: It’s not on a map, only a poet would know, I’m coming home.

Please kick back and listen to our chat and music from the Born Free climate change project.

Born Free Climate Change Contributions Welcome Here!

Coming up, a few cuts from the LP written by our guest Steve Blaze and a chat with Steve!

Folk/Rock music, spiced up with Irish Trad! Based in the north of Italy (weird, innit?) and made up of lads who, in one way or another, lived or spent too much time in Ireland!

Too rock for the Folkies and too folk for the Rockies, the Bastards could please or disappoint almost everyone. Formed back in 2007, they play a unique blend of folk/rock and Traditional Irish Music. Uilleann pipes, tenor banjo, mandolin, Irish flute: there are few others bands in the folk/rock scene that could compete with the Bastards in terms of deep knowledge of Irish

Traditional Music and Irish culture and society.

As written in a review of the first album, “Uncle Bard & The Dirty Bastards don’t pretend to be Irish. [...] They are showing “huge gratitude and all the due respect to Irish music and culture”. They are really Ireland’s adopted sons and have brought a new breeze to the European Celtic rock scene.”

CONTACTS

Management: info@ubdirtybastards.com

Booking: booking@ubdirtybastards.com

Web: www.ubdirtybastards.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/UBDirtyBastards

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dirtybastards

Here’s a conversation from last September (when we first warned the village folk that the Zombies were coming) with Colin Blunstone, the voice of the Zombies’ #1 hit Time Of The Season.

Asher’s expertise in trans-genre improvisation has led him to a career as a soloist in demand, performing at venues such as Madison Square Garden, Carnegie, Lincoln Center, the Jacob Javitz Center and across four continents. Asher has also been featured on PBS, and has made headlines on CNN, WABC, and NBC and many other major news sources.

Asher is known for breakdancing across stages with his LED electric violin, in addition to performing as a DJ violinist, bringing his experience as a live performer and technical prowess as an audio editing and mixing guru to countless clubs and stages across the country.

There’s no better defining moment between artificial intelligence, in this case the dating app on my iPhone, compared humanoids, in particular your friends that know what you like, than the blind dating process. 

The blind dating process that involves a matchmaking algorithm that’s set up to keep us using their app, flipping and flipping through screens in search of love only to meet this awe inspiring person and embarrassing yourself into permanent submission. 

Smart Picks. Up sells. You have to budget your dating app investment to allow a few bucks for the date. I’m doing a reverse Houdini here. How hard can it be to get locked into a trick? I’ve become great at escaping but getting handcuffed and submerged in ice water in a coffin hanging from the Space Needle is getting harder and harder to find these days.

I went on a college blind date when I was 19. It was possibly the funnest date ever for me. It was a WSU barn dance in a small grange building in the middle of a wheat field in the Palouse of Eastern Washington. She was a short freckled faced chubby girl in bib overalls and a “let’s go have fun” face.

We got drunk on the way there, parked on a small road and with only the light of far off grange we cut across the pitch dark field to save time. Without being able to see where hell we were, we fell ass-over-tea-kettle into a 15 foot deep irrigation ditch full of mud. It was so dark we couldn’t see and when we realized we couldn’t climb the slippery muddy embankment to escape the bowels of death, we started laughing. And man, it’s hard to climb out of a muddy irrigation ditch when drunk and laughing hysterically. 

Climbing out involved inadvertently pulling one another back to the bottom of the ditch which got us laughing to paralyzation. The picture we posed for later is one of the best mud photos ever taken at a dance.

That was then, this is now. The dating scene for us old guys is brutal. If you’re married, stay there. Don’t be thinking you can put on your “hey I’m hittin’ it now” look on and strut out there with the confidence of Buddy Love. I read in the one Christmas gift I received this year, Dating for Dummies, you should never talk about other women on these trial dates. So stay tuned because just as I felt the Titanic start to wobble and sink I played the “talk about other women” card.

I was at the meet up bar before my mystery date and spotted her oddly shaped butt as she waddled though the doors. I waved to her and pulled out her chair. Something told me I was in for an awkward test of my character.

We chatted for a minute and ordered. She said she was dying for a rum and coke so she ordered a Margarita and meatballs. I wanted a glass shard Tabasco smoothy but stuck with the near beer I’d been nursing before the princess arrived.

Then the screening began. It began with the description of her favorite husband…the one that could do everything I do only far better. He played every instrument and was an awesome DJ. He was ambidextrous and had perfect pitch. I wanted to say “same here” but walking on water wouldn’t have impressed this jaded lady.

So it was my turn to impress. I wanted to use the airline joke and tell her in the unlikely event of a water landing, we could use her ego as a floatation device, but no. Here’s what I did.

I changed the topic to my YMCA friend Freya. My way too young Freya is happily married and is in no way romantically involved, at least that she knows of, with me. Freya was my helper smurf when I needed advice as to a place to meet this ice cold blind date super sized Slurpee. 

My...]]>Thank you for being here with me, Bruce Hilliard and today’s guest Flood Dud, yes me, to talk about blind dates. You can say what you want about them, or even worse….go on one. This can be a marathon event to locate someone you like but with the right amount of perseverance I’ll be finding a mate.

There’s no better defining moment between artificial intelligence, in this case the dating app on my iPhone, compared humanoids, in particular your friends that know what you like, than the blind dating process. 

The blind dating process that involves a matchmaking algorithm that’s set up to keep us using their app, flipping and flipping through screens in search of love only to meet this awe inspiring person and embarrassing yourself into permanent submission. 

Smart Picks. Up sells. You have to budget your dating app investment to allow a few bucks for the date. I’m doing a reverse Houdini here. How hard can it be to get locked into a trick? I’ve become great at escaping but getting handcuffed and submerged in ice water in a coffin hanging from the Space Needle is getting harder and harder to find these days.

I went on a college blind date when I was 19. It was possibly the funnest date ever for me. It was a WSU barn dance in a small grange building in the middle of a wheat field in the Palouse of Eastern Washington. She was a short freckled faced chubby girl in bib overalls and a “let’s go have fun” face.

We got drunk on the way there, parked on a small road and with only the light of far off grange we cut across the pitch dark field to save time. Without being able to see where hell we were, we fell ass-over-tea-kettle into a 15 foot deep irrigation ditch full of mud. It was so dark we couldn’t see and when we realized we couldn’t climb the slippery muddy embankment to escape the bowels of death, we started laughing. And man, it’s hard to climb out of a muddy irrigation ditch when drunk and laughing hysterically. 

Climbing out involved inadvertently pulling one another back to the bottom of the ditch which got us laughing to paralyzation. The picture we posed for later is one of the best mud photos ever taken at a dance.

That was then, this is now. The dating scene for us old guys is brutal. If you’re married, stay there. Don’t be thinking you can put on your “hey I’m hittin’ it now” look on and strut out there with the confidence of Buddy Love. I read in the one Christmas gift I received this year, Dating for Dummies, you should never talk about other women on these trial dates. So stay tuned because just as I felt the Titanic start to wobble and sink I played the “talk about other women” card.

I was at the meet up bar before my mystery date and spotted her oddly shaped butt as she waddled though the doors. I waved to her and pulled out her chair. Something told me I was in for an awkward test of my character.

We chatted for a minute and ordered. She said she was dying for a rum and coke so she ordered a Margarita and meatballs. I wanted a glass shard Tabasco smoothy but stuck with the near beer I’d been nursing before the princess arrived.

Then the screening began. It began with the description of her favorite husband…the one that could do everything I do only far better. He played every instrument and was an awesome DJ. He was ambidextrous and had perfect pitch. I wanted to say “same here” but walking on water wouldn’t have impressed this jaded lady.

So it was my turn to impress. I wanted to use the airline joke and tell her in the unlikely event of a water landing, we could use her ego as a floatation device, but no. Here’s what I did.

I changed the topic to my YMCA friend Freya. My way too young Freya is happily married and is in no way romantically involved, at least that she knows of, with me. Freya was my helper smurf when I needed advice as to a place to meet this ice cold blind date super sized Slurpee. 

My dear Freya, without hesitation texted me the name of this happy hour haven. It sounded like she recommended the place based on her experience there. (Turns out she’d never been to the place.) I took off on how special my friend Freya is, what a friend she has been through the years, how young and pretty she is, how smart she is, and that she defies the 95% chance of being a grossly out of shape gas bag in a statistic America leads the world.

Maybe the actual turning point in the evening occurred when I said how lucky Freya’s car seat must be. 

I got up to go to the bathroom and looked for the escape window like the one in the long running sitcom Big Bang Theory. I laughed out loud, zipped up and returned to an empty table. She had paid for the drinks and meatballs and was ready to bolt. I walked her to her car and went home to share the story with you.

Thank you for being here with me, Bruce Hilliard and today’s guest Chuck Wright, to talk about his new and first solo album, or project as he refers to it, Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky.

Chuck is proud and excited to release his debut solo album, Sheltering Sky, on Los Angeles-based Cleopatra Records, on May 20.   The album features guest appearances by several of Wright’s musical peers including keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater/Billy Idol), guitarist Lanny Cordola (House of Lords), vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen), Troy Luccketta (Tesla) and the late Mr. Big drummer, Pat Torpey.

The album’s 11 tracks also illustrate Wright’s impressive songwriting ability as he either wrote or co-wrote all nine original songs on the album.  Also included is an edgy, intense version of Bjork’s “Army of Me” along with a soulful, Celtic-rock take on the The Youngbloods classic, “Darkness, Darkness.”  Chuck also produced and engineered most of the album.

Sheltering Sky exhibits a diversity and breadth of musical styles that embraces facets of Wright’s hard rock legacy while also delving into a more varied side of Chuck’s musical vision with well-written songs that feature ethereal guitar work, tasteful, soulful 70s era influences, Prog, Jazz Fusion and even a bit of heavy funk.  Besides his usual outstanding bass work as performed on a variety of different bass instruments, Wright also contributes on keys and acoustic guitar on several tracks.

The new single from Sheltering Sky is Throwin’ Stones, a fierce and passionate call for the end of armed conflict, a call which couldn’t be more perfectly timed for today’s world.  It features a heavy funk groove that emphasizes Wright’s powerhouse playing and the various playing techniques for which he is known.

Okay, I’m back with a couple minutes to play this by request. A song I wrote about a promise made by a little girl to a little boy one sunny day in the 60s. Her name and the name of the song, Kerri.  

It's a DYI project for you alone, “do-yourself-it”, FYI. 

Today’s guest just turned 18 on Monday May 9th 2022. She is Hungary born and Scotland raised beautiful young Hannyta. Her original debut song Wildflower reached #5 on the iTunes Pop Songs chart in South Africa. The video is Hannyta haunting. Here’s what Hannyta sounded like at 17

Phil Tittle is a singer-songwriter based out of Pensacola, Florida. His music has traces of blues, country, rock, and singer-songwriter influences that fit nicely into the Americana genre. 

​Phil's first studio album, “All Over the Map” was released in 2019 under his band's name "Colt Weston" and he released "The Roadhouse Hymnals" the following year. Phil now regularly plays solo throughout the SE region under his given name.  He released his first LP using his given name, appropriately titled, "The Truth in Me" in April 2021.

I love em all but here’s some of the music listeners have been asking for and I’m happy to deliver in under a half hour or you get a free pizza or something of equal value. A true Kodak moment. A true selfie occasion with videos and images to attach and text. The Kodak moment of 2022.

And there’s nothing more valuable than a good relationship with another person. I was invited to a birthday party last Friday and it was a room of people I know and admire.

Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known: Have you ever had a time when you looked at a couple, or a situation or even a relationship of someone elses and said “That’s so cool, people getting together?” The people are cool but the relationship is beyond words. This song is about relationships. Two sisters. Relationships may be the sweetest most precious thing in the world. The ragamuffin troubadour in this lyric wants one but all he has in exchange is one song for the sweetest thing I’ve ever known.

My friend and incredible singer/songwriter (I taught him everything he knows) Dean Backholm and I will entertain you for about a half hour starting with Dean-O and his song Montreal.

For wildlife I turn to my day gig at the Home Depot paint department, where doers get more done. I heard a standup comic say: If you haven’t worked retail you haven’t really had a taste of it's a small world afterall. 

One day at the paint department there was a guy that leaned over the counter and asked me what kind of paint would I recommend for a time machine. He specifically asked for fast drying paint to which I responded “Why not paint it in the past?” He agreed and asked what color I’d recommend. I suggested going into the future and checking out the trends. He agreed again and asked if I had any questions for him.

I told him I was a songwriter and was looking for ideas for lyrics. He said “look around and you’ll find them everywhere.”  That night while cleaning up the department for the morning shift I noticed he left some color swatches on the counter. 

Medallion, ginger, alabaster, pearl and ivory white, Xanadu and limousine leather and melody…all color names from the color name gods that gave me the idea for this song, Kaleidoscope Heart. 

Our guest today is guitar wizard Greg Martin with some music from his band Kentucky Headhunters.

We’re doing a couple of my darker songs, Pawn Shop Boulevard and Endless Rain followed by a country cover and a surprise. Don’t freak out, it’s not a new car. And I’m not depressed about my string of pitiful failures and I’m not going into a shame spiral . But for this set:

Pawn Shop Boulevard: It's about a broken man that's lost his wife and is desperate for someone to talk to as a friend. He has no money, no friends and no hope. He pawns his departed wife's wedding ring and spends his last penny on a lady of the night if only to "whisper in his ear, it's gonna be alright."

Endless Rain I grew up in a timber town called Aberdeen Washington…or Warshington as some people call it. It's located at the foot of an admitted rain forest, a very wet forest that’s no longer in denial, and my little town gets about 80 plus inches of rain per year. In fact, much of Aberdeen’s existence is the result of rain. It’s forte: Fishing, logging, suicide, homelessness and rock bands. 

Aberdonians make lame remarks about the weather but seldom do anything about having it replaced. When I meet people and tell them I’m from Aberdeen one of the most common responses, after the responder gets done apologizing for my struggle living in such a God forsaken impoverished ghetto, is “did you know Kurt Cobain?” 

No, I knew his immediate and extended family, friends and teachers. The second half of the 70s, in the pre-ghetto era of Aberdeen, I was a big man on campus (BMOC) in the region in the form of a long haired lead guitar player. My band’s  rehearsal house was about two blocks from Kurt’s childhood home. The neighborhood kids would hang out in front of the place to listen and see what was going on with these counter culture dudes. 

Fast forward about three years. I’d made the decision to get out of the band business and become a TV meteorologist. That’s when I met a newly divorced Wendy Cobain, mother blue-eyed blond hair Kurt and daughter Kim. (This could go into Come As You Are.) She apparently thought the world of rock was always giddy and fun. And for me at the time it was but I saw a need to get a real job so I went back to WSU to study communications. That was the third to last time I left Aberdeen for the final time.

I heard Kurt got guitar lessons but in true rock fashion taught himself. He taught himself many things…some good, some bad. Sometimes experience is the best teacher.

I was sad when I heard Wendy quoted as saying Kurt was now a part of the 27 Club with Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison…he was 27 and gone. There is a long and distinguished list of musician icons that made it to age 27 and stopped dead. OD’d, crashes, poisonings…whatever ya got.

This song Endless Rain was written and recorded prior to Kurt's death in 1994. About a year prior. It was not so prophetic as intuitive. His death was tragic but not accidental. Stop me when you see a red flag. There were drugs, money, a baby, work obligations, and I say that I don’t have a gun. Being from Aberdeen I predicted the more popular hanging. 

So here’s to “fighters fight and writers write and mothers sigh and sanctify a lullaby to a sleepy eye of a hurricane.” I wrote this as a stream of consciousness montage. In other words, my pen wrote it. I know plenty of people that were far more Kurt/Nirvana than me but this is my song. No approval required to venture into the abyss.

One of my workout buddies...]]>Thank you for being here with me, Bruce Hilliard, friend of those who want no friends and part-time dressmaker’s dummy. I’d like to thank DJ Richard Dee from Aberdeen radio for that tag and a shoutout to KOSW Ocean Shores for playing my show every Saturday morning. 

We’re doing a couple of my darker songs, Pawn Shop Boulevard and Endless Rain followed by a country cover and a surprise. Don’t freak out, it’s not a new car. And I’m not depressed about my string of pitiful failures and I’m not going into a shame spiral . But for this set:

Pawn Shop Boulevard: It's about a broken man that's lost his wife and is desperate for someone to talk to as a friend. He has no money, no friends and no hope. He pawns his departed wife's wedding ring and spends his last penny on a lady of the night if only to "whisper in his ear, it's gonna be alright."

Endless Rain I grew up in a timber town called Aberdeen Washington…or Warshington as some people call it. It's located at the foot of an admitted rain forest, a very wet forest that’s no longer in denial, and my little town gets about 80 plus inches of rain per year. In fact, much of Aberdeen’s existence is the result of rain. It’s forte: Fishing, logging, suicide, homelessness and rock bands. 

Aberdonians make lame remarks about the weather but seldom do anything about having it replaced. When I meet people and tell them I’m from Aberdeen one of the most common responses, after the responder gets done apologizing for my struggle living in such a God forsaken impoverished ghetto, is “did you know Kurt Cobain?” 

No, I knew his immediate and extended family, friends and teachers. The second half of the 70s, in the pre-ghetto era of Aberdeen, I was a big man on campus (BMOC) in the region in the form of a long haired lead guitar player. My band’s  rehearsal house was about two blocks from Kurt’s childhood home. The neighborhood kids would hang out in front of the place to listen and see what was going on with these counter culture dudes. 

Fast forward about three years. I’d made the decision to get out of the band business and become a TV meteorologist. That’s when I met a newly divorced Wendy Cobain, mother blue-eyed blond hair Kurt and daughter Kim. (This could go into Come As You Are.) She apparently thought the world of rock was always giddy and fun. And for me at the time it was but I saw a need to get a real job so I went back to WSU to study communications. That was the third to last time I left Aberdeen for the final time.

I heard Kurt got guitar lessons but in true rock fashion taught himself. He taught himself many things…some good, some bad. Sometimes experience is the best teacher.

I was sad when I heard Wendy quoted as saying Kurt was now a part of the 27 Club with Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison…he was 27 and gone. There is a long and distinguished list of musician icons that made it to age 27 and stopped dead. OD’d, crashes, poisonings…whatever ya got.

This song Endless Rain was written and recorded prior to Kurt's death in 1994. About a year prior. It was not so prophetic as intuitive. His death was tragic but not accidental. Stop me when you see a red flag. There were drugs, money, a baby, work obligations, and I say that I don’t have a gun. Being from Aberdeen I predicted the more popular hanging. 

So here’s to “fighters fight and writers write and mothers sigh and sanctify a lullaby to a sleepy eye of a hurricane.” I wrote this as a stream of consciousness montage. In other words, my pen wrote it. I know plenty of people that were far more Kurt/Nirvana than me but this is my song. No approval required to venture into the abyss.

One of my workout buddies suggested I cover this one: Old Dominion’s One Man Band.

There was and always will be music in River City. I’m hopelessly hopeful. 

I became interested in the singer/songwriter entertainment industry before kindergarten. It was the musical fun in black and white on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. You know, with Annette, Cubby and Darlene. Not the Britney Spears/Justin Timberlake era. Back in the 60s the number one goal for most of my friends was to either go to Disneyland or tell me about it…what an awesome time they had while they were there.

The Hilliards were never going to go to the happiest place on earth so when I was 10 I broke into my life savings and reallocated my Disneyland funds toward the purchase of an electric guitar. I learned Secret Agent Man, Gloria, blues, Led Zeppelin and how to make up my own songs.

I’ve written over 100 songs and would really like to share a few of them with you tonight.

Kerri is about a small town girl meeting a small town boy, on bicycles, on a sunny summer day and Kerri announcing to the world “someday I’ll marry that boy.” If it sounds like it could be a true story, it is. Well 50 years and 6 children later…Kerri and Bill are still a small town girl and a small town boy.

Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known Have you ever had a time when you looked at someone, or a situation or even a relationship of someone elses and said “That’s so cool and can I please have some?” This is about relationships. Relationships may be the sweetest most precious thing in the world. The troubadour in this lyric wants one but all he has in exchange is one song for the sweetest thing I’ve ever known.

Kaleidoscope Heart is my wonderful world of color song. I wrote it as a thank you for my photography and wardrobe. Most of the promotional photos you see are from the very photo session this song is about. I used color names from Home Depot paint for this “xanadu, limousine leather and melody” list of paint color names. 

Roses and Strawberry Rain was inspired by a friend, now grown and a mother of two, that played with Little Ponies…the toy Little Ponies. I took the reign and made up a story about a little girl playing pretend with her hero and champion race horse, Strawberry Rain. Strawberry Rain wins the roses at the Kentucky Derby (or wherever little girls bet on horses).

California For the young and hopeful, LA is the promised land. Once there was this young beautiful girl that let it be known that she was moving to California, broke everything off with her boyfriend who is pretending not to care…or does he?

I’m Going Home was a song I wrote while remembering the days when I had a couple bucks in my pocket and a half a tank of gas, a hot sunny day on an ocean road and a crappy radio that sounded like a million bucks when it played the good songs.

The highly anticipated debut album from Riot Act, Closer To The Flame, is sure to please fans of the late 70s and early 80s era of Riot as well as fans of classic hard rock everywhere.

There are bonus recordings featuring the final ever recordings of their original guitarist Lou Kouvaris, who tragically passed away of Covid 19 in early 2020. The deluxe double album set will be released April 1 on Global Rock Records.

Riot Act features former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura, talented lead vocalist Don Chaffin, Paul Ranieri on bass and Claudio Galinski on drums. Our guest Rick Ventura was a member of the classic lineup of Riot Act from 1979-1984. Some bands are formed by record labels, some are the result of advertisements and a dare, and some just happen.

Bruce “The Snow Blower” Hilliard here and not since my winters at WSU have I witnessed cold like Montana cold…four below…bitter fricken fracken cold and in March! I packed lightly and don’t actually own skiing or North Pole exploration gear. 

Instead I resorted to layers. Lots of layers. I borrowed shoes about five sizes larger than mine from Paul’s brother-in-law and local artist Scott. I also wore Scott’s down coat, again, way large…cuz I'm a little guy. I looked like Ralphie’s little brother in the Christmas Story movie.

There are still plenty of Trump signs and I think even Donald would complain that it was too cold to vote. The warmth of the people more than made up for it. The topic of Russia attacking Ukraine came up a few times. 

I co-wrote a song called Snow Angel with a beautiful friend Victoria who currently lives in Germany. She is originally from Russia and is super sweet. She also sings, plays flute and piano on this. If you’re listening Victoria Lye, here’s to your health, here's to snow angels everywhere. Imagine being alone in a log cabin in the mountains of Montana on this one.

I was invited to a community potluck gathering at the local Helena fire department. There were about 30 plus refrigerator resilient residents there. We had probably 30 yumfull dishes too. But, I came with no dish, just a song. It was worthy of this song, Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known.

I played mostly covers. It was a great audience. The kids danced like children of the night and clearly copied some of my spider monkey dance moves. A very Montana looking rancher introduced himself as Bruce Anfinson. He owns and operates a ranch slash restaurant slash horse drawn sleigh and wagon rides slash music venue. Bruce, like most good Bruces, is a musician, singer/songwriter and sings the songs of the land.

I hope to have him on the show soon.

But this could be anywhere there are boys, girls and rock’n’roll. It started with lame school dances, followed by the necktie ones where the girl asks the boy and without warning she does something weird with her hair and you’re forced to have your picture taken with them.

There I was, in the prime of my teenage hormonal train wreck, checking out the girls' bums…I was known in medical circles as the gluteus to their maximus. Now, this coming from a dude that was too shy to ask anyone to dance. I used to go to these events solely to see the band.

We all were heading into those formative teenage years and joining the rest of the teenage “cloud”...teenage cloud, the place where knowledge and pertinent information is stored, in the teenage brain. The brain, according to modern science, through magnetic resonance imaging, has determined that it won't be fully functional until the little zit factories are 25. So, it turns out that most people get married before their brains are fully developed…makes sense.

According to what I’ve read, after the dramatic growth spurts of your childhood and teenage years, by the age of 25 your brain has hit peak performance.

So there you are, surrounded by hundreds of young girls with 86 billion neurons telling you “let us dance like children of the night.” The brain uses over 20% of a human’s caloric intake per day. That part we had covered with the calories of about a half triple cheeseburger. Not a challenge for a teen.

For some reason, at that age it’s not only okay among peers to be socially awkward but drunk and or stoned was not uncommon at parties or dances. In fact worthy of weird respect.

One of my formal tolo “girls ask boy” dates was Bumajean Scleavage, she put the “ugh” in ugly. She was so ugly she had, and this was something we said in high school, marks on her body from people touching her with ten foot poles. She was so ugly her mother had to breastfeed her through straw.

Bumajean and I dropped a party before the dance, well a quick get together at one of her buddy’s up in Bel Air aka snob hill. We weren’t there for more than 20 minutes when we headed across town in my mom’s yellow submarine mobile to the dance.

In true fashion, we never danced but not because of me. She spewed in my mom’s car. On the floor, down the door inside and down the window, and of course all over her.

It appeared to be a vintage Boones Farm or Annie Green Springs fortified wine. Her formal doo was smashed up, her masquara was bordering racoon. Once I got used to the smell I asked her “Well, Buma. Should we get our picture taken now?

I found this paragraph on a website called Pacific Northwest Bands. It says:

I was about 16. I had just played at the Harborena with my high school band.  I was driving my girlfriend's Mustang and I backed into the brown Ford LTD Hoquiam Police car parked in front.

Being young and dumb and I think somewhat high, I drove away at a brisk rate, thinking no one had witnessed it. I was arrested in Aberdeen about 15 minutes later (Duh!) and spent one of many nights in a juvenile hall.

My dad was thrilled, as was my girlfriend’s dad. I had to work off the community damages to the dented door…$225. I acquired a new nickname that I can’t...]]>Hello my little belly buttons and welcome to the Better Each Day podcast with me, Bruce Hilliard, the best looking face you’ll ever hear. This is the podcast where musicians talk about their music and backstories. But due to the influx of comments and suggestions for more tales with tunes and not so many interviews with top notch celebrity rock stars, here’s a story about the 60s and 70s dance scene in small town America, Aberdeen and Hoquiam Washington.

But this could be anywhere there are boys, girls and rock’n’roll. It started with lame school dances, followed by the necktie ones where the girl asks the boy and without warning she does something weird with her hair and you’re forced to have your picture taken with them.

There I was, in the prime of my teenage hormonal train wreck, checking out the girls' bums…I was known in medical circles as the gluteus to their maximus. Now, this coming from a dude that was too shy to ask anyone to dance. I used to go to these events solely to see the band.

We all were heading into those formative teenage years and joining the rest of the teenage “cloud”...teenage cloud, the place where knowledge and pertinent information is stored, in the teenage brain. The brain, according to modern science, through magnetic resonance imaging, has determined that it won't be fully functional until the little zit factories are 25. So, it turns out that most people get married before their brains are fully developed…makes sense.

According to what I’ve read, after the dramatic growth spurts of your childhood and teenage years, by the age of 25 your brain has hit peak performance.

So there you are, surrounded by hundreds of young girls with 86 billion neurons telling you “let us dance like children of the night.” The brain uses over 20% of a human’s caloric intake per day. That part we had covered with the calories of about a half triple cheeseburger. Not a challenge for a teen.

For some reason, at that age it’s not only okay among peers to be socially awkward but drunk and or stoned was not uncommon at parties or dances. In fact worthy of weird respect.

One of my formal tolo “girls ask boy” dates was Bumajean Scleavage, she put the “ugh” in ugly. She was so ugly she had, and this was something we said in high school, marks on her body from people touching her with ten foot poles. She was so ugly her mother had to breastfeed her through straw.

Bumajean and I dropped a party before the dance, well a quick get together at one of her buddy’s up in Bel Air aka snob hill. We weren’t there for more than 20 minutes when we headed across town in my mom’s yellow submarine mobile to the dance.

In true fashion, we never danced but not because of me. She spewed in my mom’s car. On the floor, down the door inside and down the window, and of course all over her.

It appeared to be a vintage Boones Farm or Annie Green Springs fortified wine. Her formal doo was smashed up, her masquara was bordering racoon. Once I got used to the smell I asked her “Well, Buma. Should we get our picture taken now?

I found this paragraph on a website called Pacific Northwest Bands. It says:

I was about 16. I had just played at the Harborena with my high school band.  I was driving my girlfriend's Mustang and I backed into the brown Ford LTD Hoquiam Police car parked in front.

Being young and dumb and I think somewhat high, I drove away at a brisk rate, thinking no one had witnessed it. I was arrested in Aberdeen about 15 minutes later (Duh!) and spent one of many nights in a juvenile hall.

My dad was thrilled, as was my girlfriend’s dad. I had to work off the community damages to the dented door…$225. I acquired a new nickname that I can’t mention here. I was banished from the Harborena.

Signed Maitland Ward, March 2006

But the real happening scene for the 21 and older group and holders of fake I.D, The Rocker. The Rocker was anything but sophisticated. They served beer. They may have had wine or something else to cause stupidity but beer, small, medium, large and super-sized kegs were the main exports.

The Rocker wasn’t only the place to go on the Harbor but whenever a featured name band played another local venue, say the 7th Street Theater in Hoquiam, The Rocker was the place to go after the show. That was the case when my band opened with Heart and Lee Michaels. Hell, we played 2 shows with Ramones actually at the Rocker. They were a CBGB band from Queens New York and are cited as being the first true punk rock band.

Forty years after Heart played in our little town, I happened to have the TV on when I saw the surviving members of Led Zeppelin sitting with Barack and Michelle Obama in the good seats. There were Ann and Nancy performing this one at the Kennedy Center Honors.

That was 2012. Way back when Dream Boat Annie was just climbing the charts my band Amberain aka the Rockles were opening for Heart. During the sound check I overheard the Wilson sisters talking about who would carry the torch after Led Zeppelin was gone. It sounded like a disbeliever’s open season to call them dreamers. You gotta love that.

They were originally the Heaters and ran into a trademark issue so they became one of my favorite PNW rock bands, the Heats. Keith, Keith Lilly the bass player, and I jam and Keith, if you’re listening…I don’t like your face…kiddin’ bro!

Last week I was invited to a 90th birthday party for a man that was a second dad to me. He was actually my best buddy’s dad, the guy I ran with from first grade into high school and beyond. And when things weren’t good for me at home, I was over at their house bugging them, a family of Mom, Dad and four sons…like they needed a fifth sugar infused spider monkey running around their house. They introduced me to  going to sporting events and family activities and many many sleepovers.

Not that there was a warzone at the Hilliard’s place but there was a whole different vibe with my lifelong friends on Hoo Humper Hill. The names have been changed to protect the innocent so for now, we’re talking Hoo Humper family as per advice from the Better Each Day legal department.

There was almost a guarantee there would be fun and learning about the things I wouldn’t have without my second family. There was even a Hoo Humper song that Mom Scooter would sing if your ears were shiny.

I never asked where the song came from but I know it's the same place that manufactures fun.

So, here’s to Bob, his wife Scooter and remaining sons Jim, Steve and Dale. My buddy, Eddie Hoo Humper, who introduced me to this family in 1962 passed away two years ago last August. That served to make things even tighter with the Hoo Humper family.

There are other relatives and friends that fit into this equation but this is the main lineup. They still stand tall in the community and still welcome my sorry ass over for some lovin’. 

These are the things that inspire songs about coming home. I wrote and recorded this one Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known just last week.

The Hoo Humpers, for some reason, took me, the neighbor kid in. It was Man From Uncle, blacklight posters and football in the mud. Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", which is Nigerian for "life goes on".

I was born in Seattle but Aberdeen will always be my hometown. When I tell people where I’m from, Aberdeen, they hang their heads in sorrow and ask who to make the check out to. To an outsider, it looks like a drive through Walmartian Beach. Despite its perpetual yard sale outward appearance as you drive through the main drag on the way to the beach, it has its upscale non-ghetto looking neighborhoods. 

That’s where we lived, played and I still look forward to driving down Think Of Me Hill into the old timbertown. But to get there from where I currently flourish up north, you need to drive through Tacoma. The city with the fifty year I-5 improvement. There’s about three miles of I-5 that cut through Tacoma that, no exaggeration, has been under construction at least since I’ve been driving, yes, fifty years, non-stop and they still don't have it quite right.

There must be at least one highway to heaven worker that can retire and say “I succeeded in congesting traffic through Tacoma for a half century.” They have a special award and lifetime supply of Tacoma aroma…another story.

But it’s the ocean beach I used to, and still do, love. Ocean Shores. It’s where I got my start in radio, at 91.3 KOSW, the sound of the shores.

Birthday Boy Bob Hoo Humper shared some compelling stories as a retired heater repairman. He knews where everyone hid their booze. Including my mom. And, he says he knew about all the times we snuck out during our sleepovers but no way…we were f’ing ninjas. He didn’t know where we stashed our booze.

Saturday nights meant party on and rock out at the local roller skating rink the...]]>Hello and welcome to the Better Each Day podcast with me, Bruce Andrew Hilliard. Andrew came from my grandpa Andy Hilliard. He could chew Copenhagen all day without spitting, put horseradish on everything and drank Listerine. 

Last week I was invited to a 90th birthday party for a man that was a second dad to me. He was actually my best buddy’s dad, the guy I ran with from first grade into high school and beyond. And when things weren’t good for me at home, I was over at their house bugging them, a family of Mom, Dad and four sons…like they needed a fifth sugar infused spider monkey running around their house. They introduced me to  going to sporting events and family activities and many many sleepovers.

Not that there was a warzone at the Hilliard’s place but there was a whole different vibe with my lifelong friends on Hoo Humper Hill. The names have been changed to protect the innocent so for now, we’re talking Hoo Humper family as per advice from the Better Each Day legal department.

There was almost a guarantee there would be fun and learning about the things I wouldn’t have without my second family. There was even a Hoo Humper song that Mom Scooter would sing if your ears were shiny.

I never asked where the song came from but I know it's the same place that manufactures fun.

So, here’s to Bob, his wife Scooter and remaining sons Jim, Steve and Dale. My buddy, Eddie Hoo Humper, who introduced me to this family in 1962 passed away two years ago last August. That served to make things even tighter with the Hoo Humper family.

There are other relatives and friends that fit into this equation but this is the main lineup. They still stand tall in the community and still welcome my sorry ass over for some lovin’. 

These are the things that inspire songs about coming home. I wrote and recorded this one Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known just last week.

The Hoo Humpers, for some reason, took me, the neighbor kid in. It was Man From Uncle, blacklight posters and football in the mud. Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", which is Nigerian for "life goes on".

I was born in Seattle but Aberdeen will always be my hometown. When I tell people where I’m from, Aberdeen, they hang their heads in sorrow and ask who to make the check out to. To an outsider, it looks like a drive through Walmartian Beach. Despite its perpetual yard sale outward appearance as you drive through the main drag on the way to the beach, it has its upscale non-ghetto looking neighborhoods. 

That’s where we lived, played and I still look forward to driving down Think Of Me Hill into the old timbertown. But to get there from where I currently flourish up north, you need to drive through Tacoma. The city with the fifty year I-5 improvement. There’s about three miles of I-5 that cut through Tacoma that, no exaggeration, has been under construction at least since I’ve been driving, yes, fifty years, non-stop and they still don't have it quite right.

There must be at least one highway to heaven worker that can retire and say “I succeeded in congesting traffic through Tacoma for a half century.” They have a special award and lifetime supply of Tacoma aroma…another story.

But it’s the ocean beach I used to, and still do, love. Ocean Shores. It’s where I got my start in radio, at 91.3 KOSW, the sound of the shores.

Birthday Boy Bob Hoo Humper shared some compelling stories as a retired heater repairman. He knews where everyone hid their booze. Including my mom. And, he says he knew about all the times we snuck out during our sleepovers but no way…we were f’ing ninjas. He didn’t know where we stashed our booze.

Saturday nights meant party on and rock out at the local roller skating rink the Harborena. Here’s a song I wrote and recorded with all the instruments and the sound a ca. 1970 Pacific Northwest rock band. Strike up the B-3 Hammond and…hey, check on the six-finger guitar solo. Your Momma Won’t Let You Go.

Ninety years. Literally my hero. We sang happy birthday. I had an awesome conversation with the retired teacher whose office was ground zero for the fire that destroyed our 93-year-old Aberdeen High School in 2002. I had a super cool chat with brother Jim’s granddaughter Ashlea. All ages were there. It was and will always be the House on Hoo Humper Hill. 

Greg and I trailed off several times. I kept most of the chat and hope you find it interesting.

The Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock and Southern rock band consisting of Doug Phelps (lead vocals, bass guitar), Greg Martin (lead guitar, background vocals), and brothers Richard Young (lead and background vocals, rhythm guitar) and Fred Young (drums, vocals).  

The new album is That's a Fact Jack and it rocks!

Today’s guest is the Bonham half. recording artist Deborah Bonham, who is the sister of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and the aunt of drummer Jason Bonham who is the current drummer for Led Zeppelin.

What’s it like being part of the Led Zeppelin family, literally? You’ll hear her being humble and respectful. That’s got to be part of the recipe. Being a kick ass vocalist that “gets it” is the craft. But what’s the show about…for anyone? What happens between the artist and the beholder? Listen to Deborah Bonham address that magic connection between performer and audience and how a band her brother was in made it happen. 

Here to announce her new album Bonham-Bullick and what goes into that secret sauce is Deborah Bohham.

The '60s — an era when television was still a modern marvel, and viewers only had a few channels to choose from — TV variety shows were one of the most important influences of pop culture. Thus, Beatles fans were especially eager to show their support for their favorite boys by watching them on the small screen whenever they scored a televised gig. The band's February 9, 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a particularly historic moment. According to the show's official website, it was their first live American television appearance. 

The boys played five of their most popular songs at the time: "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The performance drew 73 million people to their TV screens.

I love the song list because it starts out with an up tempo, new to American ears “All My Loving” and immediately segues into “Till There Was You”, a ballad from a popular broadway hit and movie…a song that would prevent the parents from switching the TV to Disney. 

It worked like nothing our generation could have ordered from a genie. Annoying enough parents (check), introducing new music (check) and making it look so f’ing fun and easy everyone watching wanted to be part of it.

When I say “annoying the parents” I mean that in a way that points out that the Beatles never harshed anyone and didn’t intend Armageddon by wearing their hair a hair longer than the normal Brylcreem buzz of the day and the radical suits and ties. Punkers in a tux.

In honor of the iconic broadcast's 58th anniversary in 2022, the Better Each Day Podcast collected snips from the anals (I shouldn’t go for that one any more) of time for a scrapbook of memorabilia. We had just witnessed a seismic cultural shift." 

Fans started their own unofficial clubs, as well. Many of them amassed private collections of Beatles memorabilia. One Oregon club possessed a whopping "30 Beatle books, 9 Beatle records, over 2,000 Beatle bubblegum cards (some are duplicates) and 3,000 Beatles pictures."

Beatles fans who wanted to show off their affinity for the band with merch had a vast array of products to choose from. According to Consequence of Sound, in 1964, the Wall Street Journal declared that Beatlemaniacs across America were buying "Beatle wigs, Beatle dolls, Beatle egg cups and Beatle T-shirts, sweatshirts and narrow-legged pants." Beatle wigs? That's right. Plenty of the band's biggest admirers saw them as the perfect accessory to sport at concerts. The pop-on mop-tops were so popular that Lowell Toy Company, their officially licensed manufacturer, once told a reporter, "We're turning out about 15,000 a day, but we've got a backlog of 500,000 orders." 

The wigs were only the tip of the iceberg. According to American Profile, young Beatles lovers in the '60s could also purchase officially licensed Beatles Halloween costumes, complete with flame-retardant masks. Beatles-themed board games, stockings printed with the boys' faces, Beatles-branded hairspray, and "Big Beat Beatles Bongos" were available, as well.

My personal goal is to become famous, say something the journalist can spin, make everyone like me and have a Pez dispenser mass produced in my likeness.

Accents and trends: Start with kids. Someone didn’t come here from England in the 1700s and suddenly proclaim (with a thick southern accent) “Hey there whisker biscuit, what say we pop a few poppers and Q up some ribs!”

No. It’s the next generation of Americans, those little snots, that lead our societies off on their new...]]>Hello hello hello and welcome to the Better Each Day podcast where recording artists’ share their backstories and their music and any embarrassing moments they care to share. I’m Bruce Hilliard and thank you for being here.

The '60s — an era when television was still a modern marvel, and viewers only had a few channels to choose from — TV variety shows were one of the most important influences of pop culture. Thus, Beatles fans were especially eager to show their support for their favorite boys by watching them on the small screen whenever they scored a televised gig. The band's February 9, 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a particularly historic moment. According to the show's official website, it was their first live American television appearance. 

The boys played five of their most popular songs at the time: "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The performance drew 73 million people to their TV screens.

I love the song list because it starts out with an up tempo, new to American ears “All My Loving” and immediately segues into “Till There Was You”, a ballad from a popular broadway hit and movie…a song that would prevent the parents from switching the TV to Disney. 

It worked like nothing our generation could have ordered from a genie. Annoying enough parents (check), introducing new music (check) and making it look so f’ing fun and easy everyone watching wanted to be part of it.

When I say “annoying the parents” I mean that in a way that points out that the Beatles never harshed anyone and didn’t intend Armageddon by wearing their hair a hair longer than the normal Brylcreem buzz of the day and the radical suits and ties. Punkers in a tux.

In honor of the iconic broadcast's 58th anniversary in 2022, the Better Each Day Podcast collected snips from the anals (I shouldn’t go for that one any more) of time for a scrapbook of memorabilia. We had just witnessed a seismic cultural shift." 

Fans started their own unofficial clubs, as well. Many of them amassed private collections of Beatles memorabilia. One Oregon club possessed a whopping "30 Beatle books, 9 Beatle records, over 2,000 Beatle bubblegum cards (some are duplicates) and 3,000 Beatles pictures."

Beatles fans who wanted to show off their affinity for the band with merch had a vast array of products to choose from. According to Consequence of Sound, in 1964, the Wall Street Journal declared that Beatlemaniacs across America were buying "Beatle wigs, Beatle dolls, Beatle egg cups and Beatle T-shirts, sweatshirts and narrow-legged pants." Beatle wigs? That's right. Plenty of the band's biggest admirers saw them as the perfect accessory to sport at concerts. The pop-on mop-tops were so popular that Lowell Toy Company, their officially licensed manufacturer, once told a reporter, "We're turning out about 15,000 a day, but we've got a backlog of 500,000 orders." 

The wigs were only the tip of the iceberg. According to American Profile, young Beatles lovers in the '60s could also purchase officially licensed Beatles Halloween costumes, complete with flame-retardant masks. Beatles-themed board games, stockings printed with the boys' faces, Beatles-branded hairspray, and "Big Beat Beatles Bongos" were available, as well.

My personal goal is to become famous, say something the journalist can spin, make everyone like me and have a Pez dispenser mass produced in my likeness.

Accents and trends: Start with kids. Someone didn’t come here from England in the 1700s and suddenly proclaim (with a thick southern accent) “Hey there whisker biscuit, what say we pop a few poppers and Q up some ribs!”

No. It’s the next generation of Americans, those little snots, that lead our societies off on their new journeys to the latest ways. In this case, there had been a world war just over a decade prior, our president had been assassinated only three months prior. Really, the entire world was ready for something new and different…and really good.  

Great Britain had not been on the top of list of notable composers for quite sometime…like as in never compared to the rest of Europe. This resulted in British royalty preferring the German, Italian and French and just about anyone but some Teddy Boys from Liverpool. Elvis, Sinatra, Garland, Bennet. None wrote their own songs. It may be safe to say Lennon and McCartney are the most famous composers in English history. The Bach, Beethoven and Brahms of jolly old England. And, some of the first pop singers to write their own songs.

So class, let’s recap. The post WWII climate, the assassination of a president that most Americans loved and millions of young ears wanting something new.

People love hype. The younger generation usually makes the most robust impact on not only pop culture but the way we eat, dress, speak and interact with one another.

The 60s in America are an example of rapid change. Sometimes history moves along so fast we don’t recognize it as it unfurls and somehow we fail to remember the good times that bring us together. In the case of the Beatles, these were the times that really defined teenage innocence and a world that was ready for a new soundtrack.

National Geographic presents Pop Culture and Society (it comes with a poster and free fan club membership). Like a John Mellencamp autographed ashtray. Now for some history.

Oh mommy I was surprised to read among other trends infused into society by the youth, our accents are also a result of immigrants' offspring inventing new ways to speak English. 

When the first Europeans landed on the East Coast, they had been so seasick that they developed swollen tongues and baseball teams.

I’ve had the pleasure of producing this show for over five years without the use of sponsors. Why, you ask. 

Because I’m not selling out for anyone I tell you! That’s why I eat: (multiple ads for 60s food and deodorant).

That was Love Potion #9, the home game. I’ve got new songs coming up in the next episodes but while listening to the old TV sounds I couldn’t help but flash on my dad and his accidental influence on my writing…at least subject matter. 

While Dad was sitting in his recliner sipping a scotch and reading the newspaper, he, on more than one occasion, would comment on an article about a teenager getting killed as the result of a high speed chase.

His point, and the one that stuck with me for all these years, is that teenagers, especially guys, are wired to run when chased. If the police would give these guys a break they wouldn’t run and end their lives way too short.

Dad’s message, courtesy of a few scotches and the evening news, led to my story song about Joey. He was the young man that had it all and accidentally killed a peer in a tavern brawl. Joey had his eyes on a lady, the bad guy calls her a slut and Joey pops him in the snot locker and the guy “droped like a rock.”

Joey freaks and hears voices. He hears the angels sing and they tell him to run. 

With Valentine’s Day a few weeks from now, I take you from the morbid story of Joey’s hormonal imbalance leading to headlines to a syrupy love song. This song is about searching and finally finding the place you belong…and the people that make it exist. The title is Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known.

There’s a sneak at where it's going. But for now that's all I got.

Today's guest, Dale Bozzio is the co-founder and lead singer of Missing Persons, one of the 80s most distinctive bands…set apart by her distinctive, flat out sexy looks that MTV drooled over. A look that led her to the cover of Hustler Magazine.

Dale has just released her autobiography, entitled Life is So Strange –

Dale’s interview was originally scheduled for last week but she was down with the bug and graciously sharing a few nose stuffy words with us.

The opening minute was me inappropriately flirting with today’s guest.

Carla Williams wanted to be a country music singer from the beginning. She put her dreams on hold to raise four kids and grow a successful business. 

Well here we go. Carla morphed into the late Karen Carpenter and now she's back at it…and her forthcoming album is a tribute to Karen Carpenter and includes a who's who of the really good Nashville music scene.

From Carla's bio:

This Mobile, AL mother of four isn’t your everyday minivan soccer mom. Carla Williams' unique twist on country bridges high energy angst, throaty vocals and sound reminiscent of Patsy Cline and Karen Carpenter. 

“Inspiration for great country songs comes from real life experiences,” says Carla. This NSAI and SESAC writer uses everyday occurrences to develop new songs. “I want to feel these songs, put a lot of emotion behind them and I think in order to do that you have to have lived it!”

It’s heading into even more short days and long nights in Aberdeen. The rain always lives up to its reputation at the foot of a national rain forest that gets up to 150 inches in the west side. Roughly 90% of that crashed down on the kids without their jackets on in the elementary school playgrounds during recess.

Since it’s a new year I grabbed my high school yearbook, 1972. New year, old yearbook, makes sense but I can’t explain it.

The first thing you notice is the black and white photos. All the zeitgeist plus some really revealing words from my friends. The time capsule we call the High School yearbook and the friends that get to sign your yearbook. Sometimes you’d hand your book to a buddy to sign and it went off on its own meet and greet…off on its own tour getting thoughts and autographs for us all to reflect in years to come.

I sat down with a cup of coffee and started reading through one of them this morning. Priceless. Kids this age are where the term special needs comes from. Here we are entering the second half of our teenage years. Our bodies are looking grown up but we’re kids--our undeveloped prefrontal cortexes are being blitzkrieged by surges of raging hormones…rendering us helpless morons.

How can this be? We look and sound old enough to make sane decisions but somehow we just are not.

We have learned to read and write reasonably well but we have the social skills of a toddler. Please know, we were kids, and good ones. I am about to delve into my investigative journalism skills and read from the Aberdeen High School ‘72 yearbook. I flat changed the names and maybe took a few poetic edits but for the most part, this is my sophomore year experience hand written in balloony longhand.

Here’s one from my girlfriend Gorcon (I used a Klingon name because her real name was Cinderella). And pretend this is a teenage girl’s voice:

Dear Brooster the Rooster,

This year really has ended fantastically, and it's all because of you. I am sorry for all the griping I have done about certain people. But you know how it is. I guess it’s because I’ve been hurt so many times before and I couldn’t stand it another time.

I really like your family. I just wish they could feel the same about me. It hurts Bruce. I hate to be compared to someone, especially someone with certain advantages. Maybe someday.

I hope you will never hesitate to tell me anything because I feel that I have let you in a great deal. I’ll never forget the party when we kissed for the first time. Then there was the kegger at Alice’s Restaurant (it was actually a cow pasture a few miles out of town). The all nighter in the bleachers.

You have been so good to me. So understanding. But most of all, so much fun. Camping until 5:00 a.m. in a bush, dropping me on the floor, crashing my mom’s car while sun burning my boobs, trips to the beach, Harborena dances, track season and the naked lady in the Safeway parking lot.

It seems impossible for so much to happen in only one month. You are the greatest person I have ever known. I don’t say things I don’t mean unless I’m just kidding. I meant everything I said and I always will.

Love always,

Gorcon

She broke up with me that June.

So how can that be? We’re at the height of our sex drive, we’ve been down Heartbreak Road and pretty much know everything there is to know about love.

This excerpt is from my senior yearbook. It was written by my buddy’s girlfriend, both seniors. She wrote on the opening page:

Bruce,

Gol, it’s almost all over! It gets...]]>Hello hello hello and welcome to a new year of recording artists’ backstories and music plus a few tales of my own. I’m Bruce Hilliard and I thank you for being here.

It’s heading into even more short days and long nights in Aberdeen. The rain always lives up to its reputation at the foot of a national rain forest that gets up to 150 inches in the west side. Roughly 90% of that crashed down on the kids without their jackets on in the elementary school playgrounds during recess.

Since it’s a new year I grabbed my high school yearbook, 1972. New year, old yearbook, makes sense but I can’t explain it.

The first thing you notice is the black and white photos. All the zeitgeist plus some really revealing words from my friends. The time capsule we call the High School yearbook and the friends that get to sign your yearbook. Sometimes you’d hand your book to a buddy to sign and it went off on its own meet and greet…off on its own tour getting thoughts and autographs for us all to reflect in years to come.

I sat down with a cup of coffee and started reading through one of them this morning. Priceless. Kids this age are where the term special needs comes from. Here we are entering the second half of our teenage years. Our bodies are looking grown up but we’re kids--our undeveloped prefrontal cortexes are being blitzkrieged by surges of raging hormones…rendering us helpless morons.

How can this be? We look and sound old enough to make sane decisions but somehow we just are not.

We have learned to read and write reasonably well but we have the social skills of a toddler. Please know, we were kids, and good ones. I am about to delve into my investigative journalism skills and read from the Aberdeen High School ‘72 yearbook. I flat changed the names and maybe took a few poetic edits but for the most part, this is my sophomore year experience hand written in balloony longhand.

Here’s one from my girlfriend Gorcon (I used a Klingon name because her real name was Cinderella). And pretend this is a teenage girl’s voice:

Dear Brooster the Rooster,

This year really has ended fantastically, and it's all because of you. I am sorry for all the griping I have done about certain people. But you know how it is. I guess it’s because I’ve been hurt so many times before and I couldn’t stand it another time.

I really like your family. I just wish they could feel the same about me. It hurts Bruce. I hate to be compared to someone, especially someone with certain advantages. Maybe someday.

I hope you will never hesitate to tell me anything because I feel that I have let you in a great deal. I’ll never forget the party when we kissed for the first time. Then there was the kegger at Alice’s Restaurant (it was actually a cow pasture a few miles out of town). The all nighter in the bleachers.

You have been so good to me. So understanding. But most of all, so much fun. Camping until 5:00 a.m. in a bush, dropping me on the floor, crashing my mom’s car while sun burning my boobs, trips to the beach, Harborena dances, track season and the naked lady in the Safeway parking lot.

It seems impossible for so much to happen in only one month. You are the greatest person I have ever known. I don’t say things I don’t mean unless I’m just kidding. I meant everything I said and I always will.

Love always,

Gorcon

She broke up with me that June.

So how can that be? We’re at the height of our sex drive, we’ve been down Heartbreak Road and pretty much know everything there is to know about love.

This excerpt is from my senior yearbook. It was written by my buddy’s girlfriend, both seniors. She wrote on the opening page:

Bruce,

Gol, it’s almost all over! It gets kind of sad at the end. Enough emotion.

Bruce, I’m so glad we got to know each other. You’re a great guy with a lot of talent. I know you’re not the kind of person that would let that talent go to waste. Get out there in the world and make a name for yourself so I can tell everyone I know you!

Good luck, friends always…

Her name was Cheri. She and my buddy got married. She died of a brain aneurysm just a few years after graduation.

For years I wondered what had happened to those kids, roughly my age, that lived there before us. It turns out they used the same rec room for shows and rehearsals as we did years later. There was a room that just called out for audiences and performers.

They knew the neighborhood and some of the same teachers and businesses that have since passed. I think it's always comforting to know that the house you once lived in, had spent special occasions in, slept and grew in is still there and being cared for properly. Houses have soul.

But the music in the house, and I noticed this right when we started to move in, seemed to be there for the taking. There was a jukebox full of 78 rpm records left behind. There was that but there was an inherent sense of “hey, my uncle has a barn, let’s put on a show” to it. And they did and so did we.

We had rock bands as we got older and into the 70s. What started as little kid marionette shows and really crappy cover bands morphed into a band that would open for Heart and the Ramones and would carry on a tradition in Aberdeen. A tradition of good music that doesn’t really have a start and a finish.

But, I have to say when I got off the phone with the former kids of my house, for the rest of the day I felt I’d just seen a great movie. An unforeseen feel good flick.

In this show we’ll feature a few of my friends, Dean Backholm and the Murchy Brothers that played in this particular basement rec room for some formative years when we cranked our amps up to 11 and shook the glasses off the bar shelves.

Our next guest can relate to this band start up thing. Chris James is the current main vocalist of the Burrito Brothers, be they Flying or Notorious Burrito brothers. The band that laid the eggs for the Byrds and the Eagles.

Love is a River from the Flying Burrito Brothers’ Notorious Burrito Brothers album. And my life brothers that were a huge part of the Aberdeen 10th Street rec room Ed Sullivan show, here’s On the Harbor by the Murchy Brothers.

And Montreal by Dean Backholm.

My new friends that used to occupy my childhood home before me, Morry and Judy, are awesome and I’m so glad we talked for an hour or so. It sounds like an episode to me. It already sounds like “hey, my uncle has a barn, let’s put on a show!”

Well, I know now they moved to California. Thanks so much for the listen. Let’s make 2022 a year of less blame and shame and more Better Each Day.

I somehow gravitate to stories about my Dad, Dr. Glenn A. Hilliard, DVM. (reverb) 

Christmas is extra special when your dad is a veterinarian. A vet is the guy you call on Sunday night because your kid, a human kid, has a fever. The reason the callers would call the vet and not an MD?: “I can't call my people doctor, it’s Sunday evening.” So they called Dad, the town veterinarian.

Sometimes it was serious. Or sometimes just a comforting word from a trusted doctor was all it took. The call was always during dinner. It wasn’t uncommon to hear the the caller’s voice freaking out in Dad’s ear with “my cow broke his leg, fell in the river, drifted downstream for a spell and is stuck on a snag and gettin’ dark.”

When I was a small boy I was told by classmates that “your dad…he killed my cat.” Later in life I heard my peers say “Thank God for you dad, he saved my cat.” Even as a snot nose kid I knew my dad wasn’t in the business of killing cats. He was crazy devoted and had a gift both earned and inborn.

It’s raining and dark. It is evident Dad is the only vet available in the entire free world, so out he goes to save a cow…on a Sunday night. A cold outside but warm inside Disney, Ed Sullivan Bonanza Sunday night.

Christmas was a special time for Dad’s employees at the Aberdeen Animal Hospital. He always felt Christmas day was a day for people to be home with their families. So, in order to accommodate his helpers, Santa Dad would give them all Christmas day off. This meant Dad worked Christmas day and we spoiled baby boomers got to open presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve…a night of magic.

This changed everything for us present openers. My two brothers and I were always stoked to open presents on Christmas Eve to allow the Christmas day off for “the girls” as he called them.

Christmas Eve, like every day at closing, dogs and cats are fed, treated and cages cleaned. I was sure to tell the animals I could get them out on good behavior. But on Christmas Eve there were secret little boy conversations with the inmates. The cats especially. They’ve always got a plan.

Hello hello hello and Merry Christmas little orphaned kittens. Don’t worry. My dad won’t let nothin’ happen to ya. He’ll keep all of you until he finds homes for you.

Kittens are fun but even more so--sometimes I’d take a cage full of puppies out for a roll on the floor. Puppy breath.

There was a certain silence in the animal world on Christmas Eve, just me and Dad this year. 

Wet food, dry food, an occasional pill, special tuna for the meow meow that won’t eat. 

Some of the animals were there strictly as hotel guests for the holidays. No Bing Crosby at this dive. It was clear the fuzzies were a bit broken-hearted about not being home with their families. As the evening got closer and closer to dad and I locking the doors and heading home for the annual Christmas Eve unwrapping, the gang gets gradually louder until it sounds like a rock concert with a dog and cat mosh pit.

Class, class, class, SHUT UP!!! Thank you. All they need is some lovin’.

Finally we’re done with the tasks required to secure Noah’s Arc and go home to see what's under the tree. The lights are out. It’s dark except for the glow from ultraviolet lights. We’re almost out of the building when there’s a scratch at the front door. I could see through the glass it was a large brown dog with a sad expression.

Dad opened the door and in limped a big wet dog with no signs of an owner. He looked tired and neglected. Dad had him up on the table, treated and bandaged his right front paw. I gave the patient a milk bone and...]]>Hello hello and Merry Christmas to all. There’s been a generous response from our listeners regarding hometown nostalgia material on the show. Being from middle- everything Aberdeen WA in the early baby boomer years, there are endless small town-everywhere stories for you. 

I somehow gravitate to stories about my Dad, Dr. Glenn A. Hilliard, DVM. (reverb) 

Christmas is extra special when your dad is a veterinarian. A vet is the guy you call on Sunday night because your kid, a human kid, has a fever. The reason the callers would call the vet and not an MD?: “I can't call my people doctor, it’s Sunday evening.” So they called Dad, the town veterinarian.

Sometimes it was serious. Or sometimes just a comforting word from a trusted doctor was all it took. The call was always during dinner. It wasn’t uncommon to hear the the caller’s voice freaking out in Dad’s ear with “my cow broke his leg, fell in the river, drifted downstream for a spell and is stuck on a snag and gettin’ dark.”

When I was a small boy I was told by classmates that “your dad…he killed my cat.” Later in life I heard my peers say “Thank God for you dad, he saved my cat.” Even as a snot nose kid I knew my dad wasn’t in the business of killing cats. He was crazy devoted and had a gift both earned and inborn.

It’s raining and dark. It is evident Dad is the only vet available in the entire free world, so out he goes to save a cow…on a Sunday night. A cold outside but warm inside Disney, Ed Sullivan Bonanza Sunday night.

Christmas was a special time for Dad’s employees at the Aberdeen Animal Hospital. He always felt Christmas day was a day for people to be home with their families. So, in order to accommodate his helpers, Santa Dad would give them all Christmas day off. This meant Dad worked Christmas day and we spoiled baby boomers got to open presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve…a night of magic.

This changed everything for us present openers. My two brothers and I were always stoked to open presents on Christmas Eve to allow the Christmas day off for “the girls” as he called them.

Christmas Eve, like every day at closing, dogs and cats are fed, treated and cages cleaned. I was sure to tell the animals I could get them out on good behavior. But on Christmas Eve there were secret little boy conversations with the inmates. The cats especially. They’ve always got a plan.

Hello hello hello and Merry Christmas little orphaned kittens. Don’t worry. My dad won’t let nothin’ happen to ya. He’ll keep all of you until he finds homes for you.

Kittens are fun but even more so--sometimes I’d take a cage full of puppies out for a roll on the floor. Puppy breath.

There was a certain silence in the animal world on Christmas Eve, just me and Dad this year. 

Wet food, dry food, an occasional pill, special tuna for the meow meow that won’t eat. 

Some of the animals were there strictly as hotel guests for the holidays. No Bing Crosby at this dive. It was clear the fuzzies were a bit broken-hearted about not being home with their families. As the evening got closer and closer to dad and I locking the doors and heading home for the annual Christmas Eve unwrapping, the gang gets gradually louder until it sounds like a rock concert with a dog and cat mosh pit.

Class, class, class, SHUT UP!!! Thank you. All they need is some lovin’.

Finally we’re done with the tasks required to secure Noah’s Arc and go home to see what's under the tree. The lights are out. It’s dark except for the glow from ultraviolet lights. We’re almost out of the building when there’s a scratch at the front door. I could see through the glass it was a large brown dog with a sad expression.

Dad opened the door and in limped a big wet dog with no signs of an owner. He looked tired and neglected. Dad had him up on the table, treated and bandaged his right front paw. I gave the patient a milk bone and out he went. Not thirty seconds later he scratched at the door again. 

Dad said, “Oh, he’s telling me I didn’t give instructions for the bandage removal.”

He pulled out a Sharpie and wrote “Remove after five days.”

The canine wanderer went back into the dark night and we made another walk though. The animals went back to sleep so I’m careful to be quiet and not provoke a riot or stampede. I’m getting little-boy-anxious and would really like to get us home and finally after long stressful December days of gift guessing, shaking a box and staring into space, we’ll open presents. There’s the dog back at the door.

Our wet and wounded friend knocked at the door for the third time. 

3(noise deafening and stops)

“I didn’t tell you five days from what date.” Dad wrote 12/24 as the wrap date and 12/29 as the unwrap date. All done. Peace out. The dog left happy, still with no owner on Christmas Eve. So that was a wrap for the three dog night.

Dad took ownership with all animals. The money was secondary to keeping creatures healthy and happy. As I went from a boy who was told by classmates that my dad “killed my cat” to a young man that in later life heard my peers say “Thank God for you dad, he saved my cat.” I was always happy for the change in relationship with the town cat executioner.

Christmas Eve at the Hillard’s involved dinner in front of the TV (just got a color one) while eating like cave dwellers , watching a little Rudolph and taking a drive through town to look at the lights. We were all there that year. Mom, Dad, my Gramma Haddow (mom’s mom) that lived with us my entire life until my late teens. There were brothers Rob and Gary and poodles Mitzi and Cookie. 

I’ll always remember the over-the-top generosity of it all. Way more presents than any one family deserves. The wild three piece modular tree cut down from three different locations and morphed by dowels into one Charlie Brown deluxe with tinsel the dogs would try to eat. And the fireplace with the quintessential Yule look.

That was my I’m Going Home song for all occasions. Next up, we drastically need snow for this cold and lonely song I co-wrote with Russian born German married Victoria Lye on vocals, piano and flute. Here’s Snow Angel.

Kerri, a song I wrote for Kerri and her daughters Freya and Annie. We’ve got I Remember Christmastime by a recent guest, son of The Christmas Song Mel Torme Velvet Fog, Steve March-Torme with his heartfelt I Remember Christmastime.

So now that the dogs are fed and the cats are climbing the tree, I’d like to take a sec and thank everyone for listening to the podcast that exists to promote music from everyone and everywhere. I wish you all the best for the upcoming year and be safe, come and see me if you get a chance…and Merry Christmas to all.

You're here just in time for an eggnog and my Christmas 2021 song Hello Hello Hello. It's about being committed to the Christmas fruit cake boom boom room for believing in Santa. “I believe in Santa Claus and giving.” 

Christmas Street can be anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t need to be a street. It can be in a Victorian home or visiting the mother ship. In this story it’s down a gravel logging road near North River. It doesn’t matter where my North River is, just come along for the ride. 

We’re riding with my dad in his veterinary van on a quest for the perfect North River Christmas tree. It’s December 1960 something. I’m about 10 and he’s about 42. It started snowing. The good stuff. The road is getting narrower with more snow and the thought of meeting a fully loaded log truck coming head on sucks even more than the cigarette smoke.

Dad finished his Winston and lit another one as we parked where only the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have dared…somewhere out in the cold wilderness where anyone could easily get carried off by a pack of bandicoots. 

This is one of those areas where people disappear and later reappear as a bat. I made that up. But time seems to be moving at the speed of a parked car.

The 27 mile trek in the snow uphill both ways was just about to begin. The hunt for, not the Home Depot tree or tree farm tree or Bigfoot, but the majestic tree that roams with its herd in the hills of the Pacific Northwest jungles…the aromatic but ever so elusive wild Christmas tree. We walked. The snow was morphing from creamy to crunchy style under my boots.

Somewhere along the way Dad got far enough ahead of me to secretly drop some raisins in the snow along the trail. Why? You ask. It’s the trick where later when we walk by the little SunKist pile together, the funny one who planted the raisins cries out “hey, Santa’s reindeer have been here” as he picks up a handful of raisins and eats them. The unsuspecting recipient says “oh major ew” and hilarity ensues. Always a fav.

After two weeks we ran out of supplies and began eating each other. No we didn’t but that’s probably a better show.

Now, most of the trees in nature don’t look like they’ve been pruned. In fact most of the trees down North River way looked a bit like a Charlie Brown tree. 

The scenery was getting whiter and I spotted an eight point buck not far away…just as Dad went to eat some of the raisins, at least what he thought were raisins. Yep. Once he got his mouth back we spotted what was to be one of the three wild trees required to make one domestic Christmas tree. 

The trick was to take three trees home, cut them into thirds and use the best sections. Each tree was carefully selected by the master himself for high end, mid or bottom. The thirds were attached with dowels. The concept defies any known grafting techniques.

The snow was really coming down as we slid our three donors to the van. It was a Kodak moment ingrained in my mind forever. Even more impressive was Dad’s knot acumen. He could sinch down a load that would make a Peterbilt log truck proud.

Dad was busy tying off the trees, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. It was dusk. A snowy dark December dusk. I watched until I drifted off into a song. A song about a hot snow angel that shows up if you wish hard enough. 

When I woke up I was 66-years-old, thrice divorced and living in a van…

The tree, as I’ve come to find out, once decorated, looked awesome like they always do. The experience is among some of my fondest childhood Christmas stories. 

Special thanks to the co-writer, flautist and vocalist on Snow Angel. She is Victoria Lye and I wish you, Victoria, and your loved ones a Merry Christmas in...]]>Hello hello hello and merry Christmas from the corner of Christmas Street and Better Each Day. Come on along and take a walk with me.

You're here just in time for an eggnog and my Christmas 2021 song Hello Hello Hello. It's about being committed to the Christmas fruit cake boom boom room for believing in Santa. “I believe in Santa Claus and giving.” 

Christmas Street can be anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t need to be a street. It can be in a Victorian home or visiting the mother ship. In this story it’s down a gravel logging road near North River. It doesn’t matter where my North River is, just come along for the ride. 

We’re riding with my dad in his veterinary van on a quest for the perfect North River Christmas tree. It’s December 1960 something. I’m about 10 and he’s about 42. It started snowing. The good stuff. The road is getting narrower with more snow and the thought of meeting a fully loaded log truck coming head on sucks even more than the cigarette smoke.

Dad finished his Winston and lit another one as we parked where only the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have dared…somewhere out in the cold wilderness where anyone could easily get carried off by a pack of bandicoots. 

This is one of those areas where people disappear and later reappear as a bat. I made that up. But time seems to be moving at the speed of a parked car.

The 27 mile trek in the snow uphill both ways was just about to begin. The hunt for, not the Home Depot tree or tree farm tree or Bigfoot, but the majestic tree that roams with its herd in the hills of the Pacific Northwest jungles…the aromatic but ever so elusive wild Christmas tree. We walked. The snow was morphing from creamy to crunchy style under my boots.

Somewhere along the way Dad got far enough ahead of me to secretly drop some raisins in the snow along the trail. Why? You ask. It’s the trick where later when we walk by the little SunKist pile together, the funny one who planted the raisins cries out “hey, Santa’s reindeer have been here” as he picks up a handful of raisins and eats them. The unsuspecting recipient says “oh major ew” and hilarity ensues. Always a fav.

After two weeks we ran out of supplies and began eating each other. No we didn’t but that’s probably a better show.

Now, most of the trees in nature don’t look like they’ve been pruned. In fact most of the trees down North River way looked a bit like a Charlie Brown tree. 

The scenery was getting whiter and I spotted an eight point buck not far away…just as Dad went to eat some of the raisins, at least what he thought were raisins. Yep. Once he got his mouth back we spotted what was to be one of the three wild trees required to make one domestic Christmas tree. 

The trick was to take three trees home, cut them into thirds and use the best sections. Each tree was carefully selected by the master himself for high end, mid or bottom. The thirds were attached with dowels. The concept defies any known grafting techniques.

The snow was really coming down as we slid our three donors to the van. It was a Kodak moment ingrained in my mind forever. Even more impressive was Dad’s knot acumen. He could sinch down a load that would make a Peterbilt log truck proud.

Dad was busy tying off the trees, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. It was dusk. A snowy dark December dusk. I watched until I drifted off into a song. A song about a hot snow angel that shows up if you wish hard enough. 

When I woke up I was 66-years-old, thrice divorced and living in a van…

The tree, as I’ve come to find out, once decorated, looked awesome like they always do. The experience is among some of my fondest childhood Christmas stories. 

Special thanks to the co-writer, flautist and vocalist on Snow Angel. She is Victoria Lye and I wish you, Victoria, and your loved ones a Merry Christmas in your home in Munich, Germany.

And a shout out to all the people that make this show possible, my friends: All my incredibly talented guests, my stunt double Graham, Annie, Freya, Pat, Rusty, Rosalie, Carol, Kitty, Mary, Saho, Deano, Eric, The Guy From Another Neighborhood Nobody Knows About and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.

That’s about it for Christmas Street today. And, thanks for coming along.

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

It’s a time when I compare my music to the classics like the number one selling single of all time, White Christmas. If that doesn’t humble your inner Irving Berlin I don’t know what will. Or, Little Drummer Boy by Tacoma born Bing Crosby. Coincidentally, I was reflecting back on chestnuts roasting on an open fire. The Christmas Song co-written and originally sung by Mel Torme.

Then, down the internet it came with a clatter. I clicked on my mouse to see what was the matter. An email from a promotion manager with a new song. Written and performed by the son of the Velvet Fog himself Mel Torme, Steve March-Torme has a new holiday song for you.

Steve is the son of legendary singer-songwriter Mel Torme and the stepson of well-known actor/comedian Hal March. He is a talented entertainer in his own right.  Since the late 1970s, he has been a successful singer, entertainer, recording artist, TV & radio host and has toured extensively worldwide to an ever-growing fan base.

Steve has written a brand new, original Christmas song entitled I Remember Christmastime.  It’s a beautiful, nostalgic, sentimental salute to fond remembrances of the Christmas season.

• How to effectively infuse emotion into mastered techniques. 

• A unique approach to memorizing a new piece– then overcoming stage fright.

• Life lessons to rekindle lost inspiration. 

• Three necessary ingredients for honing natural aural acumen and play by ear.

• The beginners course into a commercial music career. 


You’ve practiced the classics and improved your skill. Now elevate your playing to transcend melody and tell a story that reaches the hearts of your listeners—not just their ears. 

In this light-hearted and humorous guide for any piano student, pianist Emile Pandolfi shares his holistic philosophy that harmonizes method and mindset to help you communicate through every chord and resonate more passionately with your listeners— for an encore-worthy performance each time you play. 

The book: Play It Like You Mean It is available wherever books are sold.

This meant, to you inlanders, that when it rained 40 days and 40 nights (which isn’t at all that Biblical in Aberdeen), there’s gonna be a    flood.  Flood the color of mud.  And we had street fountains.  During high tide the holes in the manhole cover plates had jets of water shooting up about a foot through the holes.  You just don’t get that everywhere. The lower city was built on pilings, apparently before floods were invented. 

The weather never affected football. At age four I was a manly man like the cowboys on TV. Not  the Dallas Cowboys, the Hollywood cowboys. Now back to the game, not quite in progress yet.

Sometimes I got to play with the big boys.  The Big Guys were 6 to 8-years-old!  Sometimes they would let me play in their game “Attack Khrushchev” (the Post Hitler Cold War version of good guys and bad guys) with them.  My buddy and one of the  big guys was Dan.  Dan’s dad was head coach for the Aberdeen High School Football Team.  I always liked both of them.  I had no idea what adventures were in store with the dad, the head coach of Aberdeen High School football team when it came my time to play at that level.

The “Attack Khrushchev” Cold War Game (the home version) involved the good guys (us) and bad guys (this Khrushchev dude, whoever he was).  You had to be able to ride a bike to play…or run really fast for a long, long time to keep up with the big boys on their Pee Wee Herman bikes.  I didn’t own a bike yet, so I ran with the guys as fast as I could.

One day the big guys decided to play a game called football.  I had heard of it.  It required an odd shaped ball you couldn’t bounce because it didn’t come back the same direction.  My parents had given me a toy slide projector shaped like Mickey Mouse’s silhouette.  The show?  Touchdown for Mickey.  I was so excited about it.  Mickey, as you may have guessed, scores a last second touchdown! 

But back to the gridiron, it's time to choose the teams.  The Big Guys lined up side by side and two of the biggest guys stepped forward as captains.  There was some argument with a third big guy about what was fair about who got to be a captain. That’s probably still in negotiations.

The two captains chose their players.  As usual in life, the biggest guys were selected first, the best friends chosen second. And me?  Last.  This underdog thing turned out to be a blessing later in life.  It turns out I was usually the last kid picked for a team later in sports...unless there was a stopwatch or a tape measure to determine the winner.  I would have to learn to overcome my size deficiency and the inherent politics in sports, and in life.  

This meant never being late for practice, never dogging a drill, and always trying my best to be out in front of other players in order to get any attention from a coach. This is life. I was lucky to have this demonstrated early on.

The players were dressed in worn out jeans, Red Ball Jets, white T-Shirts and Dad’s flannel work shirt. This later became the grunge look. It was a classic late fifties group of boys. The original Goonies. We had nicknames and never knew each other's real names sometimes. There was a pale skinny guy we called Wormy. We had Booger...]]>When I was 2-years-old the Hilliard family, in accordance with my life plan as dictated by me as soon as I was potty trained, moved west from Bellevue, Washington, to a small timber town twenty minutes from the coast.  While in Bellevue we lived in a neighborhood that is a chip shot from Microsoft campuses today. Maybe we should have stayed there but we migrated west to a small town called Aberdeen, Washington. Aberdeen, Washington, is at sea level.

This meant, to you inlanders, that when it rained 40 days and 40 nights (which isn’t at all that Biblical in Aberdeen), there’s gonna be a    flood.  Flood the color of mud.  And we had street fountains.  During high tide the holes in the manhole cover plates had jets of water shooting up about a foot through the holes.  You just don’t get that everywhere. The lower city was built on pilings, apparently before floods were invented. 

The weather never affected football. At age four I was a manly man like the cowboys on TV. Not  the Dallas Cowboys, the Hollywood cowboys. Now back to the game, not quite in progress yet.

Sometimes I got to play with the big boys.  The Big Guys were 6 to 8-years-old!  Sometimes they would let me play in their game “Attack Khrushchev” (the Post Hitler Cold War version of good guys and bad guys) with them.  My buddy and one of the  big guys was Dan.  Dan’s dad was head coach for the Aberdeen High School Football Team.  I always liked both of them.  I had no idea what adventures were in store with the dad, the head coach of Aberdeen High School football team when it came my time to play at that level.

The “Attack Khrushchev” Cold War Game (the home version) involved the good guys (us) and bad guys (this Khrushchev dude, whoever he was).  You had to be able to ride a bike to play…or run really fast for a long, long time to keep up with the big boys on their Pee Wee Herman bikes.  I didn’t own a bike yet, so I ran with the guys as fast as I could.

One day the big guys decided to play a game called football.  I had heard of it.  It required an odd shaped ball you couldn’t bounce because it didn’t come back the same direction.  My parents had given me a toy slide projector shaped like Mickey Mouse’s silhouette.  The show?  Touchdown for Mickey.  I was so excited about it.  Mickey, as you may have guessed, scores a last second touchdown! 

But back to the gridiron, it's time to choose the teams.  The Big Guys lined up side by side and two of the biggest guys stepped forward as captains.  There was some argument with a third big guy about what was fair about who got to be a captain. That’s probably still in negotiations.

The two captains chose their players.  As usual in life, the biggest guys were selected first, the best friends chosen second. And me?  Last.  This underdog thing turned out to be a blessing later in life.  It turns out I was usually the last kid picked for a team later in sports...unless there was a stopwatch or a tape measure to determine the winner.  I would have to learn to overcome my size deficiency and the inherent politics in sports, and in life.  

This meant never being late for practice, never dogging a drill, and always trying my best to be out in front of other players in order to get any attention from a coach. This is life. I was lucky to have this demonstrated early on.

The players were dressed in worn out jeans, Red Ball Jets, white T-Shirts and Dad’s flannel work shirt. This later became the grunge look. It was a classic late fifties group of boys. The original Goonies. We had nicknames and never knew each other's real names sometimes. There was a pale skinny guy we called Wormy. We had Booger Munch (self explanatory), Smells Like Rotten Oranges, future NBA star String Bean Levine and the one guy that always seems to show up in different forms but the same attitude, Obnoxious Asshole That Wants Someone to Punch His Lights Out. Then there’s Kid From Another Neighborhood No One Anywhere Knows About. This guy has come and gone throughout my life. He’s the one that licks the salt off the crackers and puts them back in the box. I still don’t know anything about him but I suspect he’ll be running for office soon.

During the Mud Bowl, I remember the ball being fumbled, kicked, ran, thrown, dropped.  I remember getting muddier and wetter as the Aberdeen rain came down in sheets.  This was fun.  You couldn’t run, cut or even tackle without falling on your ass.  We were all laughing and diving in the mud.  I’m sure the laundry robomaids remember the laundry as a muddy omen of things to come for those of us that went on to play on school teams.

It started getting dark but there was time for one more kickoff.  That was a good thing.  If the guys didn’t decide to bunch it and go home to a warm shelter I would have stayed out there and died of hypothermia because I was a dumb little boy.  

We huddled up (that was so cool, a group hug, make a secret plan!) and the big play was up for deliberation.  I didn’t care.  I was cold, muddy, bruised and confused.

So here was THE BIG PLAY:  Get the ball to Hilliard. Sounded completely rational at the time.  I was ready to step up and play with the big guys. The play was to somehow get me the ball.

There’s the kickoff! Wormy gets it, fakes to Booger Munch and tosses to Smells Like Rotten Oranges. He smartly hands off to future basketball great String Bean Levine who tosses to Obnoxious Hood That Wants Someone to Punch His Lights Out. He in turn tosses to Kid From Another Neighborhood No One Anywhere Knows About and he hands me the ball.

I drop it in the mud.  Pick it up, tuck it like a loaf of bread and head on down the field against a wall of mud people.  I cut in and out, I’m awesome, I’m breaking loose, I score and all the big guys clap and we go home to our mothers who perform a Tide laundry detergent science project.

It took years until I realized they had let me score that touchdown because I was the little guy trying to tackle, block, take the hits and keep up with the “big guys” that day in the Aberdeen rain.

 The Turkey Day Games:

Remember the Head Football Coach whose son was part of the backlot game I played with the neighborhood guys? Coach Eklund and his son Dan? Stay tuned. 

So what’s the big deal about the Aberdeen-Hoquiam Thanksgiving Football Classic? 

The Wright brothers’ Kitty Hawk took flight for the first time in 1903. This crosstown rivalry began in 1906 and was the oldest high school event of its kind in Washington State. It would attract up to 11,000 fans which meant most of the county was there except for the martyrs that had to stay home and listen to it on the radio while staying warm with delicious cooking aromas.

While I was growing up in Aberdeen, I used to look forward to Thanksgiving partially because of that game. It was a special time for family and friends, all unified around the intense, yet friendly, rivalry of the T-Day game.

To this day, nothing compares with those old Turkey Day games and the events surrounding them.

First off as a youngster growing up, you couldn't help but get swept up in the game because everyone around you was pumped for it. I wanted to play in that game. I wanted to even the score with the evil Grizzlies from across the street.

Of course there was always a touch of vandalism with the rivalry, doing things that kids do such as burning an "A" in Hoquiam's field or just flat out jacking around with the kids from across the dividing line, Myrtle Street.

Hoquiam would, of course, retaliate, with its own Turkey Day terrorism.

All the festivities leading to the game were an adventure for a 16-year-old guy.  Dinner at the Elks club, parade with the team on a flatbed trailer, burning Johnny Hoquiam, pep rallies, news stories, mums for the Moms, just an incredible buzz on the harbor. Prior to the games, parents would meet for the traditional "Tom and Jerry" parties at local Elks clubs.

It's been said a million times but it's true: it didn't matter how the season went; it would still be considered a success of sorts if you won the T-Day game.

When I was finally old enough to play in the games, it was worth the wait.

This story is about the last Aberdeen-Hoquiam Turkey Day Classic. The final longest high school crosstown war ended with the vote to schedule the season to allow both teams to be available for playoffs that part of the season. The game and week leading up to it was an absolutely magical time that I am still, to this day, sorry to lose.

Was it worth sacrificing the best community event of the year in Grays Harbor County for the state playoffs? Are those scattered successes worth the demise of the reliable, lifelong memories created annually during the Thanksgiving Day experience?

Now, more than 48 years later, I think not. But the teams were eligible for post season.

As you move on in life, you realize the precious times are most often the ones spent with friends and family, and when you can do it with the backdrop of a great football rivalry, the trade for the playoffs seems like a step down.

Anyway, it's been more than 48 years since the last T-Day game and it's not likely to change, although I believe it could be brought back with a whole lot of enthusiasm.

Sophomore year was a year of junior varsity and playing defense against our varsity squad, a very good one.  Most people don’t see the sweat and injury you endure just to get to Friday night game time.  I was playing both junior varsity and varsity.  There are 2 weeks of double workouts in September, temperature even in Aberdeen is about 89 degrees.  I would spend all summer lifting weights, working and eating like an oinker.  Start of the season, 150 pounds.  End of doubles, 145. I made that up. I weighed less.

The program always listed me at 155 but to this day I’ve never weighed that much.

I never noticed any differences regarding small, tall, welterweight, Large Marge,  jumbo jet, skinny, chublobski, it just don’t matter. Its about “W”s. We’re trying to win. No style points for genetics.

I worked out in Summers and gave the game 100%.  I never believed in 110% because you could explode; only 100%.  I had some great successes that year but the best was due to my geometry teacher, Head Football Coach Al Eklund, the same high school head coach since I was 4-years-old playing with the big guys in the tidal flats.  He had a very wry and witty sense of humor and always intrigued me.  He didn’t really coach, he just raised a question that led to us players solving it.  You had to answer it yourself.  

After my sophomore year junior varsity season was over Coach Eklund asked me to stay on the roster to work out and scrimmage with varsity. Normally the underclassmen were done two weeks prior to the Thanksgiving game. My work ethic was paying off.  He liked my hustle, not my scrawny sophomore frame.

This was an all-star line-up of top notch high school football players.  They won the division that year.  I was walking with cool, cool swagger my friend as 1 of 6 sophomores in post junior varsity season with the backfield likes of Aberdeen legends Mike Beck, Rich McCartney, Mark McCauly.  And yes my old buddy, the head coach’s son Dan Eklund, started at quarterback for the last part of the season.

About a week from the Thanksgiving Day Aberdeen/Hoquiam Football Classic, Coach Eklund asked me to stay after his geometry class.  I did.  I approached his desk expecting a thanks for working out with the team after my season was over.  I was mistaken.

Coach thanked me and went even further.  He said he would have suited me up for the Thanksgiving game but there weren’t enough jerseys to go around.  I was cool with that. I was proud just to stay on with the practice squad. The next day changed everything.

Again, Coach Eklund asked me to stay after class (I wonder if the other students thought I was getting hassled by him).  This time I walked to his desk and he said, “We didn’t have enough jerseys but I dug around and found this one.”

He reached under his desk and pulled out an old jersey almost made from dinosaur skin with the number 3 sewn on it.  The rest of the team had the new break-away light weight material. But my jersey, heavy material, with the number 3 sewn on. I couldn’t believe it.  Maybe I was going to play in a dream come true T-Day game and as an underclassman.  So what if I was the last guy chosen for the team.  Story of my life.  Let’s play football!

All the festivities leading to the game were an adventure for a 16-year-old guy.  Dinner at the Elks club, parade with the team on hay trailer, burning Johnny Hoquiam, pep rallies, news stories, mums for the Moms, just an incredible buzz on the harbor. 

The morning of the game we suited up in Aberdeen and took a bus to Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.  It was rainy as usual and we started our warm-ups.  There were over 10,000 fans in the stands estimated.  That was pretty much everyone in the Grays Harbor area.  The 10,000 that got to watch the Hoquiam Grizzlies give us the finger as they took the field.  Those were the Grizzlies that would talk some trash and try scratch your eyes out in pile after you were tackled.  They didn’t show much class.

We won that year.

The game was sold out and exciting beyond anything I had done. Coach Eklund’s son and my buddy from the vacant lot game when I was four, Dan, was not the original starting QB that season, threw a touchdown pass. We won and won bragging rights for another year.  I played for about 5 seconds and earned my letter in football as a sophomore.  Almost unheard of for a guy my size.  Thank you Coach Eklund wherever you are.

Next year we lost.  Team with an attitude.  We actually had our players in fights on the game bus.  I got some play time and it was fun, but we just got beat that day.

Senior year Thanksgiving Football:  Preparation H

Again, I worked out all Summer.  Dad paid for me to go to a football camp in Oregon.  It was a season of defense and special teams for me.  I was the carrier pigeon for plays on offense but didn’t get many touches. 

Side bar:  Our starting quarterback Rob Hallam told me that we both lived in Bellevue as babies and my grandmother babysat us together.  Odds? 

My season of defense as a cornerback was a good one.  We were never scored against on our home field and the only losses, two, were close.  We did have a tie game.  The tie was in the game the only pass was completed on me.  It was thrown by a quarterback that went on to start for the Minnesota Vikings.  

The day of my senior year Thanksgiving Classic we had the Elks Club breakfast, and Coach Eklund referred to the practices to compete against Hoquiam as “preparation H.”  We went home and thought about the game. My last football game ever. 

Again, rainy and muddy, just like the first time I played backyard football with the big guys.  Today I was nursing a sprained ankle but was ready to play in what was to be my last game ever.  I loved football and really there is nothing like it when you can play.  It's mayhem with pads.  The faster you can run, the bigger the collision. I wouldn’t have missed that game for anything.  

From the opening kickoff we were virtually flawless.  The air was crisp and the crowd was loud.  They even set up extra uncovered bleachers.

During the games, I always stood next to the coaches because of my role of bringing in plays on offense.  I’m not sure to this day that more than two or three people on any given offensive lineup really knew all of the assignments from offense.  

I don’t remember the score at halftime.  It was a lot to zero..

The rest of the afternoon was surreal.  Late in the fourth quarter we were ahead 42-0 and had the ball.  We were running the ball to burn up the clock. Coach Eklund was concerned about running up the score--considered unsportsmanlike. In a couple plays we got down to the 4 yard line and the marching band started chanting my name, “Hilliard, Hilliard, Hilliard.”  

Finally, after all the years of defying injury and being a dwarf, telling all the naysayers I was going to even play football, there I was finishing my final game with six points. Or so I thought.

The play was relayed from the sideline.  It was a dive for the left halfback, not me. I was okay with that. We just needed to score, wrap up the game and go home.

But when the quarterback called the play he switched me from right to left halfback.  Strange?  I was getting the ball because of the switch.  We didn’t normally do this so I was intrigued.

The play was called.  It was a simple straight ahead dive play, with Hilliard moving from right to left halfback.  The crowd was screaming but took on an eerie silence as I concentrated on what was to happen.  The guy playing opposite me on defense was about 130 pounds bigger than me.  He, I was later told, was an all-state lineman that year. 

Then we lined up, the quarterback called off the snap, I ran toward the line and took the handoff.  When I ran into the line I was hit by a tackler.  I spun, back peddled and dove.  

We didn’t really need it that made it 49-0, the final score for 1973.

As the crowd cheered I ran off the field.  I got about half way to the sideline and the rest of the team was running out on the field.  I felt someone grab me.  I stopped and looked.  It was starting quarterback Hallam.  He smiled and said, “I had the coaches change the play before it was sent in.  I had you switched to left halfback!”  We laughed our butts off.

It was the last time I carried a football and the last football game I played.

It turned out to be the final touchdown of the longest high school football tradition in Washington state history. To all you Hoquiam alums from that year, who knows. If we played the next day they may have beaten us...but I doubt it.

Be sure to click in on Thanksgiving: Bruce’s High School Football Adventure this Thanksgiving. It’s a fun look at my childhood, football and the glory days of the Aberdeen/Hoquiam Thanksgiving Football Classic.

Don’t miss it. It’s made more headlines than a corduroy pillow. Find a time to break away from the craziness and give it a listen. Some nostalgic music and speaking of music, here’s one I wrote…

When I was little I saw Darby O’Gill and the Little People, a Disney film. It had a death coach that comes out of the dark mist, picks up passengers and flies off to Florida, or somewhere. The EQ is courtesy of brother Gary. It’s the telephone sound and makes the next song CA pop! The Midnight Arrow is coming for someone.

I hope you enjoy the music.

Couldn’t they get anybody good? And Jimmy Page just prior to forming Led Zeppelin.

Well we’re talking about a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame band that was formed by today’s guest, the drummer of the Yardbirds and author, Jim McCarty.

The Yardbirds were part of a mid-60s playlist that, I don’t know about you, but it takes me back to the YMCA camp AM clock radio that woke us up with Satisfaction, California Girls, Baby Love and one rowdy band from England that stuck out cool, the Yardbirds.

I recorded a very laid back conversation with Jim one rainy Monday morning.

Without ever hearing this song (I’ll play it for you eventually, after I fulfill my lifetime goal of explaining my lyrics)...without even so much as a quick listen on your device to this lovely ditty I threw together, here are a few clips from the four minute song I just mixed this morning.

But first: I’ve always found it interesting on this show to ask songwriters what they do. How they write. I myself don’t know. Sometimes a song seems to hanging in the air like low hanging fruit there for the picking. That was the case with this song I’m calling “Hello”...because that’s the way it spontaneously spewed forth from my mind.

The lyrics were literally off the top of my head, written at the speed of thought. 

Hello Hello...can you see me one more time?

You’ve been living in my arms

You’ve been living here forever 

Hello Hello...can’t you see it in my eyes

Again

Shoulda been the only one 

I’d never gone so far away

Hello Hello

Can’t you see it in my eyes

So feel it in your heart 

Feeling it forever

The lyrics and much of the song was played as if I knew it already. So, I used the original words I sang when I did the scat/scratch track. 

God knows rewrites have saved many a piece of crap. But for now, here’s more from the insta-song department.

I believe in a day without tomorrows

Yes and I believe you’ve never done me wrong

Woa, I believe in a world where you’re a wild one

Yes and I believe you’re never coming home

“I believe in a day without tomorrows” is something that needs to be explained. Our  subject was saying, “hey, let’s live for the present” like there’s no tomorrow. And he sarcastically says “I believe you’ve never done me wrong”, which they both know is a lie.

Then he says “I believe in a world where the wild one” and that she’s never coming out of whatever world she morphed into…”never coming home.”

Singer, songwriter and performing artist Ian Jones is releasing a new EP on October 22nd. Being a Pacific Northwest kinda guy, Ian calls his latest work, Evergreens. That’s fitting for fifty-one-year-old Ian Jones who you’ll hear in this interview is young and ever green, like his music.

His EP dropped October 22nd...check it out on your favorite streaming platform.

His EP drops October 22nd and in honor of that occasion, Ian and band will be playing at the Tractor in Ballard WA on October 20th...show starts at 8:30.

You can pick up a physical copy of the EP and meet Ian at the show or check it out on your favorite streaming platform.

You wouldn’t know it but Carmine is the drummer on Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.” 

And after authoring books, mentoring upcoming drummers, touring, recording and staying healthy at age 74, Carmine’s latest release “Energy Overload” is out of the oven. Carmine Appice and Fernando Perdomo (on  guitar and keyboards) collaborate to become the Appice Perdomo Project...and here’s what they sound like.

Then rehearse well, play live, rinse, repeat...record.

So far, it’s been 95% my voice on my songs. It’s always great when an enthusiastic singer grabs the song and runs...and sometimes when the moment is right just flat kills it.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, my songs are potentially great. I’m a good writer, arranger, team player and I’d rather hear someone else sing my songs sometimes. 

People normally hear something and say it sounds like the Beatles, Pink Floyd or someone they associate the sound with. For me it’s Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.

I always tell people I want to sound like Whitney Houston. Hell, and look like her too. I’d never leave myself alone. But if I was Whitney Houston, and had her magic, this is what I’d sing to myself.

What an ending. And to the song too. Melissa Etheridge could really do justice to my melodies. She has a way of knocking some of the sugar off what normally would sound like a saccharin overdose. 

I would dial the numbers

Just to listen to your breath

And I would stand inside my hell

And hold the hand of death

Pat Benatar. So bad she stole her husband’s last name.

Ann Wilson. She’s great on and off stage.

Maybe there's a young and ambitious Stevie Nicks clone waiting in the wings.

And Linda Ronstadt. My latest crush impossible. She sings this, “Somewhere Out There” with James Ingram. It’s a song from the soundtrack from a 1986 Disney film called An American Tail.

Joan Baez can make any song sound great. Written as a lullaby for his eldest son Jesse, born in 1966, Dylan's song relates a father's hopes that his child will remain strong and happy...Forever Young       

I can hear an angelic female voice telling this story about a little girl's pretend world of little ponies.

She told me one time that if it wasn’t for Paul Revere and Raiders’ TV mojo getting her on TV she wouldn’t have been famous. Merrilee Rush with Angel Of The Morning.

Don and the Goodtimes were an American garage rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 1964.[1] Fronted by Don Gallucci, former keyboardist of the Kingsmen, here’s a fun ditty called I Could Be So Good To You.

The coolest outfits in rock’n’roll, Seattle’s Paul Revere and the Raiders.

These guys used to play local dances, Fragile Lime.

From Fragile Lime to the Lemon Pipers. They’ll both do in a squeeze.

The pioneers of grunge/punk, the Sonics.

The song voted the number one rock’n’roll party song every New Year’s Eve party list, recorded in Portland OR in the same studio used by Paul Revere and the Raiders a few years later to record Louie Louie. All rise.

Jimi Hendrix. That’s all I got.

I loved opening for this band shortly after the American release of Dream Boat Annie. This could be the only single by Heart that went to number one. Both super talented musicians, lead vocalist Ann Wilson didn’t sing lead on this one! Her younger sister Nancy with These Dreams...with lyrics by Elton John’s wordsmith, Bernie Taupin.

Returning to the very studio where they recorded their seminal album, Odessey and Oracle in 1967, they will perform their timeless hits "Time of the Season," "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" along with beloved deep cuts and B-sides...plus the debut of songs from their forthcoming new album. This “World Tour in One Night” live streaming event is the ONLY live performance The Zombies will be doing in 2021.

The 75-minute performance featuring the band’s current lineup – including founding members Rod Argent (keys/vocals) and Colin Blunstone (lead vocals) - will be streamed live on September 18 at noon PT, 1:00 pm MDT, 2:00 pm CDT and 3:00 PM EDT.

After a 15-minute break, a VIP Q&A broadcast from Abbey Road Studios, hosted by well-known rock journalist David Fricke, will be held with Rod and Colin, which will feature questions from guest celebrities.

**VIP ticket packages are available for purchase, which include the post-concert celebrity Q&A Session and a limited-edition (unsigned) poster**

Here’s a link to purchase tickets and merch:   http://veeps.events/TheZombies

We’ve hosted some of the friendliest and compelling guests of all levels of notoriety. Surprising to me at first was that the episodes about artists closer to western Washington, especially shows where my lifelong friends from my hometown Aberdeen WA are featured, get the most attention. But the episodes that get the most hits are the ones about me. Me the singer/songwriter podcast dude that performs, teaches and sells paint.

This episode is super special to me because it features a song apiece from Dean Backholm, Dick and Sandy Murchy and one from me. Our styles differ but would fit well as a concert somewhere that has trees and sea gulls.

The songs I selected are very Aberdeen, Grays Harbor. Dean-o sings his song Lady of the Sea, followed by Murchy Brothers’ awesome vocals On the Water and do-re-me singing about driving to the beach.

I like to write. I’ve written for business, pleasure, grocery lists, short stories, incredibly informative texts, speeches, advertisements, and my favorite thing to write since I can remember, songs.

Some of my songs are completely made up and some are based on experience. This next song is both. When I was in my early twenties I still had my high school sweetheart. My band was playing smokey taverns and I didn’t have a plan other than to buy lottery tickets...which I never did.

My girl had her eye on bigger and better stallion so shortly after her return from a trip to California she announced to me that she had met a guy at Disneyland. A ride operator at the “Happiest Place on Earth” was waiting there to marry her. 

So here’s the setup. And my apologies to those that have heard my stories. His name was Mickey. My logical but unfiltered response was “Mickey from Disneyland? Is his last name Mouse?”

That ended my comedy career.

You won’t hear Mickey mentioned in this song. Only a goofy dude telling her to make her dreams come true, move away, I’ll be okay...but please don’t go and leave me here in raintown. She did.

That was me and my brother’s harmony acting out a hit from 1960 by Mark Dinning. I wrote this next song about a young woman, too young, in England. The perfect “if I only had a time machine” romance. Someone I’ll most likely never meet but her casual friendship and Facebook selfies inspired this one. Thank you Sam.

Roses and Strawberry Rain is based on a conversation between me and my friend Annie, a mother of two and as a child she played with her My Little Ponies toys and that being endearing enough right there, I took the image of a little girl making up grandiose adventures for her horse Strawberry Rain that runs for the roses.

I spoke with a friend today that told me to play a bunch of my songs. Here they are. Something old, something new, something borrowed...

My hand surgery went well--it’s been about three weeks--and I won’t be playing guitar worth a damn for a while but the time off doing the prescribed exercises and pretending I’m right-handed has inspired me to do things set aside for showing off my penguin flipper dexterity: mix and release a new single called California. We’ll get to that as soon as we talk and listen to the music of guest Chris James of the Burrito Brothers.

California is a song I wrote a couple of years ago on Whidbey Island. I’ll save the details for a future show but for now, here's a teaser. I had the help of Saho Yamashita on backing vocals and rhythm guitar and some really tasty pedal steel guitar licks from Dakota Holden.

I hope you enjoy my song California.

Having only begun his venture into music eight years ago, Barista's 'learn as he goes' mentality has been pivotal to the release of his two albums. His debut release, 'Daydream', premiered in 2014 and was quickly followed up by '57' in 2016. His third album, ‘Open Sesame’ is the continuation of these two earlier projects and is set for release on April 16, 2021. The tunes Han creates are heavily influenced by his own experiences, while also echoing musical inspiration from the likes of Toto, Journey, Supertramp, The Alan Parsons Project, and an array of Turkish folk tradition including Sufism. 

Above all, he is dedicated to bringing vibe back to music -- it’s raw, liberating, authentic. In his words, Barista makes the music that he misses hearing. Fully focused on his creations, he possesses no drive for commercial success, allowing him to be fully free to create the type of music he loves.

​

Always ambitious in their quest to create unique compositions that stand out from other string-heavy chamber-pop, their latest release California is a beautiful art-song reminiscent of Damien Rice or Joanna Newsom.

​

The song begins in warm orchestral depths, with Williams delivering the song’s hook, “Do you remember?” in delicate yet sanguine tones, setting us up for the tug-of-war between fond recollection, consolation, and sorrow that permeates the compact 2:30 song, floating upon multi-instrumentalist and producer Katie Mosehauer’s elegant violin melodies and choral soundscapes suggestive of contemporary soundtrack composers Yann Tiersen and Jocelyn Pook. 

​

The 100+ string-sections and near-operatic highs of previous releases are replaced with an airy, Enya-esque choir that haunts the piano-driven bridge, and boldly carries the song forward in its latter half, bringing a soft new dimension to the traditional repertoire.

​

The video, conceived and directed by Mosehauer, finds Glass Heart String Choir unraveling the complexities of memories and dreams, where the borders of the real world and the mythical one of our recollections are intertwined, slipping between remembrance and history. Filmed with specialty lenses that accentuate light and refract and reflect the edges of our visual field, the video serves as a metaphor for myth, hallucination, mirage; a cognate of the heart imagined, speculated, remembered, both in stunning detail and hazy, alluring beauty.

Welcome to the Better Each Day free non-profit production podcast. I’m your host free non-profit production podcast Bruce Hilliard with three of my songs I hope you’ll enjoy. 

If you play more than a few seconds of a copyrighted song, through some coding system and artificial intelligence, or AI for the acronym lovers, it gets eliminated from whatever platform, be it social media or a podcast. If it happens too often the compliance cops ban your account. It's intended to keep people from using artists’ work without paying them. 

So one way around this is to write your own stuff. Then the question is: How many times does it take for me to play my own stuff, my songs, before it’s too many for my audience?

One answer is: Until listeners past, present or future walk out and close the door. So far they’ve been 100% loyal.

Today I’m talking about three of my songs. Even If I Wanted To, Doesn’t Anybody Fall In Love No More and Whenever I Hear the Rain.

It took a 6:01 song to take this cruise on the subject of tenacity...to say what's needed to be said about never giving up in my song Even If I Wanted To. The never-give-up approach to life. But sometimes when your dreams and goals aren’t of value in your life anymore, and your time would be better spent on something else, it's a feeling of relief and liberation to quit something. It’s okay sometimes...and actually smart. Then move forward with a better plan of action.

But as for the times when you could never give up?

I have a genetic disorder with my hands that requires periodic surgeries. My hand is immobilized as I speak. The bandage comes off in three days. It won’t keep me from playing guitar in the future if I don’t allow it to happen. Don’t suffer. I couldn’t quit even if I wanted to. And people won’t let me. I’m finding out my truest of sisters and brothers have stepped up in ways they don’t realize...and it adds fuel to the fire that keeps us all together moving forward. And thank you guys!

I think we all have friends and relatives that we could not quit on. I’m reaching an age where some of those friends and relatives are never seen again. They perform the greatest of all magic tricks and die. The ultimate vanishing trick.

There are millions of theories as to where they went but they always leave you with eternal respect and for sure a sense of loss.

We’re left with a memory and somehow the “I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to” commitment, or better yet “emotion” for them. It just lives on. So enough introduction. Here are three from me starting with six minutes of a heartfelt Even If I Wanted To. A song about not letting go no matter what.

Even if I wanted to, even if the sun refused to shine

I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is cruel, when I hide

You’re a candle in the night in a window shining

On a cold October night

Just a lonely heart on a open road in a car with an old guitar 

A song came on the radio and I didn’t get too far before I said

Every day of my life, every breath that I breathe 

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I’ll thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn't give up even if I wanted to

Even when you’re miles away from me, even in my solitude alone with myself

I couldn’t hang it up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is upside down and the voice in my head 

Says it’s time to go, cash it in, give it...]]>How much of a copyrighted recording can I play without an internet algorithm detection system banning yours and my free non-profit production?

Welcome to the Better Each Day free non-profit production podcast. I’m your host free non-profit production podcast Bruce Hilliard with three of my songs I hope you’ll enjoy. 

If you play more than a few seconds of a copyrighted song, through some coding system and artificial intelligence, or AI for the acronym lovers, it gets eliminated from whatever platform, be it social media or a podcast. If it happens too often the compliance cops ban your account. It's intended to keep people from using artists’ work without paying them. 

So one way around this is to write your own stuff. Then the question is: How many times does it take for me to play my own stuff, my songs, before it’s too many for my audience?

One answer is: Until listeners past, present or future walk out and close the door. So far they’ve been 100% loyal.

Today I’m talking about three of my songs. Even If I Wanted To, Doesn’t Anybody Fall In Love No More and Whenever I Hear the Rain.

It took a 6:01 song to take this cruise on the subject of tenacity...to say what's needed to be said about never giving up in my song Even If I Wanted To. The never-give-up approach to life. But sometimes when your dreams and goals aren’t of value in your life anymore, and your time would be better spent on something else, it's a feeling of relief and liberation to quit something. It’s okay sometimes...and actually smart. Then move forward with a better plan of action.

But as for the times when you could never give up?

I have a genetic disorder with my hands that requires periodic surgeries. My hand is immobilized as I speak. The bandage comes off in three days. It won’t keep me from playing guitar in the future if I don’t allow it to happen. Don’t suffer. I couldn’t quit even if I wanted to. And people won’t let me. I’m finding out my truest of sisters and brothers have stepped up in ways they don’t realize...and it adds fuel to the fire that keeps us all together moving forward. And thank you guys!

I think we all have friends and relatives that we could not quit on. I’m reaching an age where some of those friends and relatives are never seen again. They perform the greatest of all magic tricks and die. The ultimate vanishing trick.

There are millions of theories as to where they went but they always leave you with eternal respect and for sure a sense of loss.

We’re left with a memory and somehow the “I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to” commitment, or better yet “emotion” for them. It just lives on. So enough introduction. Here are three from me starting with six minutes of a heartfelt Even If I Wanted To. A song about not letting go no matter what.

Even if I wanted to, even if the sun refused to shine

I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is cruel, when I hide

You’re a candle in the night in a window shining

On a cold October night

Just a lonely heart on a open road in a car with an old guitar 

A song came on the radio and I didn’t get too far before I said

Every day of my life, every breath that I breathe 

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I’ll thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn't give up even if I wanted to

Even when you’re miles away from me, even in my solitude alone with myself

I couldn’t hang it up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is upside down and the voice in my head 

Says it’s time to go, cash it in, give it up

Ain’t no way we can save this ship has sailed away 

But no matter what it takes me

Every day of my life, every breath that I breathe

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even in my wildest dreams, even when it feels so real

And I can’t wake up to tell you what's on my mind, the way that I feel

Ooo the way it will be, no matter how we disagree

We defied the odds when there ain’t no rules

Even a fool can see

Every day of my life, no matter what I do

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I’ll thank my lucky stars

And I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

The summer ended with a cry

If I ever live without you

Now you know I would die

Even if I wanted to, I love you

No matter what I do

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every day of my life, no matter what I do 

Well I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to...

2021, what a year it’s been for many of us. And as for me, no exception. Since Valentine’s Day I’ve worked for three different major league paint shops, played 17 solo gigs, released three singles, published 20 podcast interviews, gave about 75 guitar lessons, worked out 100 times, replaced my tube television and washed my truck. It’s white again. 

But the real big deal of 2021 is my hand surgery. I’ve been dealt a pretty good genetic hand. Healthy and happy. I’m just south of 5’6”...Not too big, not too small...I’m fun size.

But I have a tendon disorder called Dupuytren’s contracture that sucks the dexterity out of both hands. It wants my hands to clench into fists. This time the my finger we for some reason call “pinky” even though it’s the same color as my other fingers.

It’s the pinky on my left hand. And I’m left handed. Jerry Seinfeld’s first joke goes something like this...of course Jerry tells it like the legendary stand up he is.

 "So, I am left handed. Left-handed people do not like that the word left is so often associated with negative things. Left feet. Left-handed compliment. 'What are we having for dinner? Leftovers.' You go to a party, there is nobody there. 'Where did everybody go?' 'They left!'"

Aside from the new TV and washing my truck, the other items I listed, the live gigs, the day gig changes and lots of recording, were all examples of me concentrating on what I may not be able to do someday due to my hands turning into penguin flippers.

But  I still write songs. Here’s one I wrote for my friends’ mom, Kerri. Kerri is the kindest, sweetest person you’ll ever meet. She has Alzheimer’s, she’s my age and makes my hand condition take on a whole different complexion. 

So I’ll shut up and play her song. Kerri met her life-long friend and husband as a child and told everyone “someday we’ll be married.” Here’s Kerri’s song, Kerri.

This next song is instruments only, except for the back vocals done by my 15-year-old friend and guitar student, Saho Yamashita. She recorded an acoustic rhythm guitar track and sings the “oo’s and aah’s” on this instrumental (which will have a lead vocal soon) called California.

Saho is the very best in what every teacher wants. Someone that is eager to learn. I suggested writing a song we could record together and within a couple days she sent me a recording of this song. 

We recorded it and Saho put it out there on Spotify and the other platforms. It’s a song about the good ol’ days as a carefree child, the present and the unknown future...which I know for Saho will be awesome. 

But for now, here’s Back In Time.

One more for the road, I’m Going Home.

Thanks so much for listening to my stuff. My music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all the digital platforms. I’m looking forward to more live performances and meeting more people in person.

Until then, honor your future, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. This is Bruce Hilliard...over and out!

Welcome to the Better Each Day podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hilliard with a very special guest.

Sometimes there’s an interview where I could go on talking to the guest for hours. This is one of them. The dinner bell rang and Doogie had to run. His album, As Yet Untitled, the topics, everything else.

Please welcome Doogie White.

Thanks so much for listening to my stuff. My music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all the digital platforms. I’m looking forward to more live performances and meeting more people in person.

Until then, honor your future, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. This is Bruce Hilliard...over and out!

Welcome to the Better Each Day podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hilliard with a very special guest.

Sometimes there’s an interview where I could go on talking to the guest for hours. This is one of them. The dinner bell rang and Doogie had to run. His album, As Yet Untitled, the topics, everything else.

Doogie started his career in his native Scotland in 1984 by fronting the Scottish hard rock band La Paz, paying his dues, and making a couple of records that instantly showcased his big, powerful voice.

After auditioning for the lead vocalist slot in Iron Maiden and touring Japan in 1991 with Praying Mantis, White recorded a demo tape that eventually ended up in the hands of Ritchie Blackmore, who, in 1994, hired White to be Rainbow’s lead singer.

White remained in Rainbow until 1997 with the band releasing 1995’s Stranger in Us All album that featured Doogie as lead vocalist.  A live CD/DVD, entitled Black Masquerade, recorded in 1995, was released in 2013.

White went on to join Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force in 2001 and recorded two albums (Attack!! and Unleash the Fury) before leaving the band in 2008 and joining UK metal band Tank, with whom he recorded two albums.

Doogie joined up with another legendary guitarist, Michael Schenker, in 2011 and recorded two albums under the moniker Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock.

He is currently the lead vocalist in longtime UK hard rock band, Alcatrazz, when he took over from the band’s founding singer, Graham Bonnet, in 2020. Alcatrazz released its first single, Turn of the Wheel, with Doogie on vocals, in June 2021.

He’s performed and recorded with loads of other big names over the years, but rather than me listing them all here, let’s set up a call with Doogie and you can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Please welcome Doogie White.

What they don't know about Aberdeen is that with its conjoined twin Hoquiam, at one time was a small thriving community. It has a history of being tough and making comebacks. It's part of a mostly scenic drive on the way to the coast....or the ocean as tourists refer to it. We always call it the beach. Coming into Aberdeen you cross a small bridge over the muddy Wishkah River, see the Star Wars store on the immediate left, some old vacant buildings and rundown shells of what used to be locally owned businesses.

Every town, every city has its Ghost Town sections. Aberdeen’s just happens to be on the main drag through town on the way to the main attraction, the beach. 

When I look at Aberdeen from that short drive through town, my perception is different than most people I suspect. What I see is a corridor with tons of history. From a writer’s standpoint, there are pages of mysteries to write about. 

Not long ago I was driving down a similar main avenue in the greater Seattle area. Aurora Avenue. Cigarettes and litter, a bouncy hooker or two, and a home for homeless people walking in slow motion. A sense of sadness and entrepreneurship at the same time.

I couldn't help but notice the strings of pawn shops. Pawn shops full of former gifts, treasures and cool things that during a time in someone’s life were devalued from precious presents to mere commodities that could be pawned, hocked or sold never to be returned to their once proud owners.

The items advertised on the signs and reader boards outside the pawn shops are usually for guns, jewelry and guitars. Guns and guitars are somewhat lacking emotional value, except maybe the guitars. I don't know if you can fall in love with a gun. 

But to me the jewelry in particular is of interest. Jewelry has a story usually involving love and commitment. So as I was driving, I thought of these lyrics-- the story about a man who lost his wife to the angels and after years of being alone, he’d run out of hope and money. He takes her wedding ring off his finger where he kept it safe for all these years and as a last-ditch cry for help he sells it for enough money to pay for a lady of the night, a warm woman just to hold him and tell him everything's going to be alright.

The final lyric of the song is: “I sold my baby’s ring for a lady of the night, she whispered in my ear ‘it’s gonna be alright’...somewhere there’s a soul with a broken heart, down on Pawn Shop Boulevard.”  

Medallion, ginger, alabaster, pearl and ivory white

Xanadu and limousine leather and melody 

Kaleidoscope Heart is a song I wrote this spring. The lyrics I just recited were stolen from a paint color fan, they’re the colorful names of paint colors. I’ve always wondered who names them. And you’re wondering why I rattle off a list of them in this song. Here’s the story.

Kaleidoscopes are about color.

My friend and wardrobe advisor Freya selected my colorful clothes and her sister and also best bud ever, Annie took my promo shots. One of the photos was an experiment with some wackadoodle filter that Annie had that made an image of several Bruces, a pattern like a mosaic, in the shape of a...]]>Everybody has a love-hate relationship with their hometown. When I was growing up in the 50s, 60s and 70s in Aberdeen Washington the economy was strong. There were fish to catch in trees to harvest. I was a kid learning to play football and rock and roll, working in a Veterinary hospital with dogs and cats, painting houses and noisy mills and writing songs. I moved around for forty years after that and somehow landed 25 miles north of my birthplace Seattle. When I tell people where I'm from, I always say Aberdeen and they almost always look away and say “oh” as if to say “oh, I'm so sorry.”

What they don't know about Aberdeen is that with its conjoined twin Hoquiam, at one time was a small thriving community. It has a history of being tough and making comebacks. It's part of a mostly scenic drive on the way to the coast....or the ocean as tourists refer to it. We always call it the beach. Coming into Aberdeen you cross a small bridge over the muddy Wishkah River, see the Star Wars store on the immediate left, some old vacant buildings and rundown shells of what used to be locally owned businesses.

Every town, every city has its Ghost Town sections. Aberdeen’s just happens to be on the main drag through town on the way to the main attraction, the beach. 

When I look at Aberdeen from that short drive through town, my perception is different than most people I suspect. What I see is a corridor with tons of history. From a writer’s standpoint, there are pages of mysteries to write about. 

Not long ago I was driving down a similar main avenue in the greater Seattle area. Aurora Avenue. Cigarettes and litter, a bouncy hooker or two, and a home for homeless people walking in slow motion. A sense of sadness and entrepreneurship at the same time.

I couldn't help but notice the strings of pawn shops. Pawn shops full of former gifts, treasures and cool things that during a time in someone’s life were devalued from precious presents to mere commodities that could be pawned, hocked or sold never to be returned to their once proud owners.

The items advertised on the signs and reader boards outside the pawn shops are usually for guns, jewelry and guitars. Guns and guitars are somewhat lacking emotional value, except maybe the guitars. I don't know if you can fall in love with a gun. 

But to me the jewelry in particular is of interest. Jewelry has a story usually involving love and commitment. So as I was driving, I thought of these lyrics-- the story about a man who lost his wife to the angels and after years of being alone, he’d run out of hope and money. He takes her wedding ring off his finger where he kept it safe for all these years and as a last-ditch cry for help he sells it for enough money to pay for a lady of the night, a warm woman just to hold him and tell him everything's going to be alright.

The final lyric of the song is: “I sold my baby’s ring for a lady of the night, she whispered in my ear ‘it’s gonna be alright’...somewhere there’s a soul with a broken heart, down on Pawn Shop Boulevard.”  

Medallion, ginger, alabaster, pearl and ivory white

Xanadu and limousine leather and melody 

Kaleidoscope Heart is a song I wrote this spring. The lyrics I just recited were stolen from a paint color fan, they’re the colorful names of paint colors. I’ve always wondered who names them. And you’re wondering why I rattle off a list of them in this song. Here’s the story.

Kaleidoscopes are about color.

My friend and wardrobe advisor Freya selected my colorful clothes and her sister and also best bud ever, Annie took my promo shots. One of the photos was an experiment with some wackadoodle filter that Annie had that made an image of several Bruces, a pattern like a mosaic, in the shape of a heart.

The following day after Annie photoshopped the shoot into a shippable product, I saw the kaleidoscope heart photo and thought it would work well for the song title of the tune you’re about to hear. Its a song about the day, the images you see in my promos and on my Spotify page...Kaleidoscope Heart. 

A shout out to my coolest brother ever Gary who just turned 167 years of age. And happy Father’s Day dads.

Some 20 years ago, maybe more, Gary and I recorded this song as a spoof but people keep asking if that’s really me on the lead vocal. It is but sometimes I say it was a stunt double with an overactive vibrato.

Here it is, from a 1960 Mark Dinning song you could hear on the radio while you girls were self inflicting AquaNet poisoning and the guys were combing their D.A.s...Teen Angel.

Thanks so much for listening to my stuff. My music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all the digital platforms. I’m looking forward to more live performances and meeting more people in person.

Until then, honor your future, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. This is Bruce Hilliard...over and out!

I did a short stint as a classic rock DJ at a small Ocean Shores radio station. It was some of the best times ever. For me, it was a break from actually writing, performing and producing the music to just announcing and playing songs from other recording artists. 

KOSW is owned by the city of Ocean Shores. Its programming features virtually every musical genre including "oldies", classic rock, big bands, jazz, country, classical, opera, talk and on Saturday mornings at 7:00 a.m. its the Better Each Day segment. 

Its DJs play music as well as disseminate Public Service Announcements, donor promotional spots and do live remote broadcasts for community events. Sometimes even on the beach where they get their cars stuck in the sand.

The DJs at KOSW have always been super kind to me so here’s a shout out to Papa “B”, Dr. Creep and Tommy T. I hope to get by your way soon.

I’m Going Home is the title to a song I wrote about everyone always having the brain-width to imagine traveling to a place and time when you could forget everything, grab a friend and cruise. My place in the sun, wind and rain in this song was the drive to the beach, the Ocean...and all on a 12-String guitar.

Someone stopped me at the gym and said “Hey Bruce, why don’t you play One Man Band by Old Dominion. Well Allison, this one’s for you.

I have guitar students and a somewhat idealistic place in my heart, my world, for music as a community. A common bond that transcends all. Singing always welcomes in the large sporting events with the national anthem, Smells Like Teen Spirit (calm down, I’m having some fun here). But guitar has a little different jam than any other instrument. There’s a huge chain of stores called Guitar Center. That should speak for itself. There isn’t an Accordion Universe or Clarinet Castle...although very cool instruments.

Students ask about songwriting and how to get their heads around composition. I believe in song rewriting. Sometimes the song comes out of the box with little assembly required. Sometimes it comes as a kit with too many of some parts and missing some key elements. Sometimes it doesn’t come in a box at all. I tell the young writers “Hey, go for it. There ain’t no rule book when it comes to creativity.”

I wrote a song when I was 14 called Find A Way. The recording you’re about to hear is a collage of sounds. The main lyric is teenage Bruce saying “I think I’d rather live one hundred years ago.” Or finding a song of my own.

I added the toy music box ballerina piano part last night. The song starts and ends with it. The dream-like cream filled center of the Twinkie is a choir of my voice finding a way.

Here is, from the 1969 Bruce Hilliard scrapbook, Find A Way.

Thanks so much for listening to my stuff. My music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all the digital platforms. I’m looking forward to more live performances and meeting more people in person.

Until then, honor your future, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. This is Bruce Hilliard...over and out!

This will be a short listen featuring three of my songs. Sam, 34th and Vine and the intro/outro song for this show...and it’s namesake written in 1980 Better Each Day.

First up, Sam. Sam was the name of the young woman that used to book interviews for the show. She was fun to work with, oh so cute and oh so in England. I used her name and the rest is made up. I wrote the happy little ditty to sound like a comedy sitcom theme song. The guy is writing a letter to Sam based on her Facebook photos of friends and fun.

He writes the letter knowing all along he’ll never send it because he doesn’t know her address.

Oh Sam. I hope you’re listening. Next up, and this one is really a stretch, a song about a guy telling his ex’s that after all this time he’s moved on from the split ups and has finally “arrived”...he’s found his Super Bowl Halftime Show fame in a dive on 34th and Vine.

There’s a 34th and Vine everywhere. All you have to do is look for it. The next song was the epitome of the song that writes itself. And in about one minute, the time it took to write it down with a pencil while waiting for a call back.

I don’t know where the lyrics came from. The horse, the new horizon, riding high in the sky tonight. It must have been good scotch.

Thanks so much for listening to my stuff. My music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all the digital platforms. I’m looking forward to more live performances and meeting more people in person.

Until then, honor your future, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. This is Bruce Hilliard...over and out!

Here's a minute of his song Dear Friend from his new album Survive available on his website jonblackstone.com and any streaming platform. Please listen. I think you’ll like what you hear. Here is Jon Blackstone.

And who in the world of music is Rusty Smith?

A schoolgirl crush

Really didn’t think it would amount to much, they said

So many years gone by 

Worn out jeans and tennis shoes

Grass is green, sky is blue 

Small town girl, small town boy

Meeting for the very first time

And I think I kind of like you

And I think I kind of love you

And I think someday you’ll marry me 

And raise a family

Just one more look from those eyes

I might have fallen in love with you

Just one more kiss one less lonely night

I might have fallen in love you     

And I think I kind of like you

And I think I kind of love you

And I think someday you’ll marry me 

And raise a family

Just one more look from those eyes

I might have fallen in love with you

Just one more kiss one less lonely night

I might have fallen in love with  you

Kerri, carry on

Love is golden  

Today’s guest is a Seattle singer/songwriter, performer and filmmaker Jon Blackstone. His must listen to new album “Survive” is available on all digital service providers and his website https://jonblackstone.com/home. 

JON BLACKSTONE is a singer, songwriter, performer, producer and film maker from Seattle, WA. He has worked in the music industry for over 25 years in both Seattle and Nashville. He began playing professionally at the age of 16 (so young he had to have a permit allowing him to perform in establishments serving alcohol).

In the 1990s Jon moved to Nashville. While there he wrote songs with some of Nashville's most talented writers including Troy Seals, who has written songs recorded by The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles and countless others. He also began producing recording sessions for various Nashville artists. In 1992 Jon formed a new band, "Jon Blackstone & The Rest of Us'" and began performing around Nashville; including shows at the world famous BLUEBIRD CAFE. In 1998 he released his first album "Not Dressed For The Occasion" featuring the single "The Great I AM". The album features Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson (drums) from the legendary Elton John Band. After finishing the album he returned to his hometown of Seattle to continue writing, recording, performing and producing albums for Seattle artists. He released his second album "Smoke, Mirrors & Dirty Glass" in 2002. Since his last album Jon has written hundreds of songs; from which his favorites will appear on his third solo album titled "SURVIVE" to be released April 23rd 2021. 

Jon is currently putting a new band together with plans to perform live in the U.S. and abroad. Jon is also a filmmaker. In 1995 he released a short film titled "PIMPY". Jon co-wrote, directed and starred in the film. It won awards in several film festivals around the US, including major festivals in Chicago and Florida.  

"Fans of music like Tom Petty, The Beatles, Elton John and Pink Floyd will rejoice, as the fine art of truly crafted songs is boldly proven to indeed not be dead!!! 

The new single from Jon Blackstone, titled "DEAR FRIEND" (available NOW at all digital music outlets), harkens back to an age when "cookie cutter" "template driven" and "corporate pop" were words never spoken, and where artistry and soul could thrive in the fabric of music. This album is not to be missed!" 

New single and video for “Number 4” out on April 16th!

Nomad showed an early interest in music, starting with the violin at the age of three before moving to the piano at age eight. He later studied percussion, notably the tombak. At age twelve he found his calling as a singer and began studying classical voice and singing in professional choirs. He picked up guitar and bass finally in college. 

Nomad is also a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts where he sang the title character of Orpheus in their production of Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach. In addition to his background in classical music, Persian music and contemporary rock are a few more of his influences—with all three shining through within his Persian percussion, hypnotic and unique melodies, as well as stripped-down guitar backings. Nomad's self-titled album further expands on these influences, while still leaving much room for experimentation.

Last week’s episode featured a few of my songs and got such a warm response I decided to talk to the music director here at Better Each Day Music and suggest we play a few more.

Two of today’s selections are actually throw-aways--songs I didn’t publish until today. The third song is Even If I Wanted To. I thought it was to long but I listened to it last night and it aged well. It’s about sticking to commitments in relationships. Something that hopefully is making a comeback.

The second song, Endless Rain, was written in 1993 and originally recorded early 1994. It was my Nostradamus prediction of the unfortunate but not accidental death of the iconic Kurt Cobain from my hometown Aberdeen WA...where it rains over twice the amount the US average. Metaphorical dark weather that seems inescapable sometimes.

The first song, Gypsy Woman, was written about a year and a half ago when I heard the news my childhood best friend passed away. I got the phone call from my junior high sweetheart and several thoughts flashed through my head.

Memories of not only my friend but of her and where all the time goes. Gypsy Woman. There’s nothing “gypsy” about her. Only the moment seemed surreal. So here we go, Gypsy Woman, Endless Rain and Even If I Wanted To.

Gypsy Woman

Got a call I didn’t want to hear

Said a brother disappeared

Silence echoed in my ears

We hadn’t talked in many years

Somehow it added to the tears

Somehow it made me realize

Gypsy woman,  coming by surprise

Took me by the heart, shimmer in her eyes

Gypsy woman, sweeter than wine

Oh, cast your spell ‘til the end of time

The sweetest flower when it blooms

The kindest voice, the saddest news

The sweetest kiss, the kiss goodbye

The finest times I ever knew

Were all the times I spent with you

I sit alone and wonder why

The hourglass goes ticking by 

Dark shadows in the afternoon

The riddle no one can explain

The end is closer than you think

Time flies by in teary blink

Again, I sit and wonder why

Gypsy woman,  coming by surprise

Took me by the heart, shimmer in her eyes

Gypsy woman, sweeter than wine

Oh, cast your spell ‘til the end of time

Endless Rain

The tide is changing, comes and goes

So what's the meaning no one knows 

The moon’s suspended from a string

The world is spinning round and round

I found myself in the lost and found

In a nightgown borrowed from the King

September came and with it endless rain 

I heard a distant train whistle echo in the night 

Writers write and fighters fight 

And mothers sigh and sanctify a lullaby 

For the sleepy eye of a hurricane

And so I hanged myself from gallows borrowed

Drowned myself in pain 

And I'll never live to see tomorrow 

Standing in this town of endless rain 

Standing in this town of endless rain 

Standing in this town of endless rain

I got laid off then I got hired 

I got a job then I got fired 

They said they loved me like a son 

People come and people go 

And where they coming from I don't know

Me I'm off to the rodeo

November came and still the endless rain

Is falling from the sky to the river to the sea

The tide is changing rearranging things 

I hope the sands of time will forgive me of this crime

It's so...]]>I’ve played 16 gigs this year and it’s only May first. Not bad for a pandammit year 2021.

Last week’s episode featured a few of my songs and got such a warm response I decided to talk to the music director here at Better Each Day Music and suggest we play a few more.

Two of today’s selections are actually throw-aways--songs I didn’t publish until today. The third song is Even If I Wanted To. I thought it was to long but I listened to it last night and it aged well. It’s about sticking to commitments in relationships. Something that hopefully is making a comeback.

The second song, Endless Rain, was written in 1993 and originally recorded early 1994. It was my Nostradamus prediction of the unfortunate but not accidental death of the iconic Kurt Cobain from my hometown Aberdeen WA...where it rains over twice the amount the US average. Metaphorical dark weather that seems inescapable sometimes.

The first song, Gypsy Woman, was written about a year and a half ago when I heard the news my childhood best friend passed away. I got the phone call from my junior high sweetheart and several thoughts flashed through my head.

Memories of not only my friend but of her and where all the time goes. Gypsy Woman. There’s nothing “gypsy” about her. Only the moment seemed surreal. So here we go, Gypsy Woman, Endless Rain and Even If I Wanted To.

Gypsy Woman

Got a call I didn’t want to hear

Said a brother disappeared

Silence echoed in my ears

We hadn’t talked in many years

Somehow it added to the tears

Somehow it made me realize

Gypsy woman,  coming by surprise

Took me by the heart, shimmer in her eyes

Gypsy woman, sweeter than wine

Oh, cast your spell ‘til the end of time

The sweetest flower when it blooms

The kindest voice, the saddest news

The sweetest kiss, the kiss goodbye

The finest times I ever knew

Were all the times I spent with you

I sit alone and wonder why

The hourglass goes ticking by 

Dark shadows in the afternoon

The riddle no one can explain

The end is closer than you think

Time flies by in teary blink

Again, I sit and wonder why

Gypsy woman,  coming by surprise

Took me by the heart, shimmer in her eyes

Gypsy woman, sweeter than wine

Oh, cast your spell ‘til the end of time

Endless Rain

The tide is changing, comes and goes

So what's the meaning no one knows 

The moon’s suspended from a string

The world is spinning round and round

I found myself in the lost and found

In a nightgown borrowed from the King

September came and with it endless rain 

I heard a distant train whistle echo in the night 

Writers write and fighters fight 

And mothers sigh and sanctify a lullaby 

For the sleepy eye of a hurricane

And so I hanged myself from gallows borrowed

Drowned myself in pain 

And I'll never live to see tomorrow 

Standing in this town of endless rain 

Standing in this town of endless rain 

Standing in this town of endless rain

I got laid off then I got hired 

I got a job then I got fired 

They said they loved me like a son 

People come and people go 

And where they coming from I don't know

Me I'm off to the rodeo

November came and still the endless rain

Is falling from the sky to the river to the sea

The tide is changing rearranging things 

I hope the sands of time will forgive me of this crime

It's so insane 

And so I hanged myself from gallows borrowed

Drowned myself in pain 

Hell I'll never live to see tomorrow 

Standing in this town of endless rain 

 Standing in this town of endless rain 

Standing in this town of endless rain

Even If I Wanted To

Even if I wanted to, even if the sun refused to shine

I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is cruel, when I hide

You’re a candle in the night in a window shining

On a cold October night

Just a lonely heart on a open road in a car with an old guitar 

A song came on the radio and I didn’t get too far before I said

Every day of my life, every breath that I breathe 

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I’ll thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn't give up even if I wanted to

Even when you’re miles away from me, even in my solitude alone with myself

I couldn’t hang it up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even when the world is upside down and the voice in my head 

Says it’s time to go, cash it in, give it up

Ain’t no way we can save this ship has sailed away 

But no matter what it takes me

Every day of my life, every breath that I breathe

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Even in my wildest dream, even when it feels so real

And I can’t wake up to tell you what's on my mind, the way that I feel

Ooo the way it will be, no matter how we disagree

We defied the odds when there ain’t no rules

Even a fool can see

Every day of my life, no matter what I do

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I’ll thank my lucky stars

And I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

The summer ended with a cry

If I ever live without you

Now you know I would die

Even if I wanted to, I love you

No matter what I do

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every day of my life, no matter what I do 

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to

Every single day of the year, I thank my lucky stars

I won’t give up, no I couldn’t give up even if I wanted to...

Today marks the one year anniversary of my EP release Pawn Shop Boulevard. I had more than one, okay several, millions of people tell me they haven’t heard the songs. Why? Because they don’t know how to get on Spotify or even this internationally obscure podcast for that matter.

So, here we go. Some Bruce Hilliard originals, all vocals and instruments are me, and recorded in a dark place on Pawn Shop Boulevard.

Pawn Shop Boulevard

Hold On

Kaleidoscope Heart

I’m Going Home

Momma Won’t Let You Go

Roses and Strawberry Rain

Like A Rolling Stone

American Bluesman Kenny Neal signed Patti to his own label and produced, arranged and performed on this eclectic gem. The album will debut in May 2021 

Patti Park’s original album, “Cheat’n Man,” continues to have radio play all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. Patti has gotten outstanding reviews from famous Blues Music Magazines such as “Blues Blast Magazine,” several live interviews from Belgium’s own Purple Haze Radio Show to Rambling Night Blues in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Patti has performed in many major festivals including the Blues 'n March Festival, Ellicottville Blues Festival, Niagara Thunder, Kalamazoo Music Festival, Blues in the Valley, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Curtains Up, Crystal Beach Concert Series in Canada, the M&T Bank Concert Series, Taste of Buffalo, Buffalo Canal Fest, the Niagara University Concert Series, Northeast Jazz Festival and National Women in the Blues Showcase

Patti has performed at famous venues as the Funky Biscuit, Ground Zero, Time Out Pub, as well as BB Kings and Rum Boogie. 

Patti Park’s original album, “Cheat’n Man,” continues to have radio play all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. Patti has gotten outstanding reviews from famous Blues Music Magazines such as “Blues Blast Magazine,” several live interviews from Belgium’s own Purple Haze Radio Show to Rambling Night Blues in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Patti has performed in many major festivals including the Blues 'n March Festival, Ellicottville Blues Festival, Niagara Thunder, Kalamazoo Music Festival, Blues in the Valley, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Curtains Up, Crystal Beach Concert Series in Canada, the M&T Bank Concert Series, Taste of Buffalo, Buffalo Canal Fest, the Niagara University Concert Series, Northeast Jazz Festival and National Women in the Blues Showcase

Patti has performed at famous venues as the Funky Biscuit, Ground Zero, Time Out Pub, as well as BB Kings and Rum Boogie. 

______________________________________________________

It was April 13th. I was scheduled for the long awaited and somewhat tedious to set up COVID-19 vaccination.

“The CDC put a hold on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.”

What I heard through her mask and the plexiglass was “roll up your sleeve and hold your Johnson.”

No procedure it too weird after 2020.

Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I let my guard down and let people into my life and my heart. I'm so thankful I’m a songwriter because I can vent my sometimes over the top affection by writing sappy lyrics...and somehow that seems okay. Being too transparent without the guise of a third party doing your dirty work and saying for you “hey, you’re just great” is dangerous.

There’s a confusing unwritten manifesto that states that emojis and greeting cards are safe but to express yourself a little too much on the personal level, depending on the audience, is risking “order in the court cause here come da judge.”

I must have reached some sort of emotional security as part of the aging process because I don’t care anymore. I just write songs. When this particular song reached it’s point of emotional no return I used my favorite new phrase, it’s not original, that works well when you run out of words, like when you just kinda trail off, it’s “That’s all I got.” I use it a few times in song. That’s all I got.

So, here’s the backstory on one of my latest songs and it’s all true. I quit growing in the 8th grade and I still sport the same clothes I wore then even though they’re resembling cobwebs. Okay, that’s not true, I made that up.

My friends, sisters Freya and Annie (aka Nitro and Glycerin) saw me playing at a new venue here in Mukilteo called Tapped. 

Freya, in her Florence Nightingale mode of feeling nothing but deep sorrow for my wardrobe dysfunction, talked to little sister Annie and they put together a Care package rescue idea in their sorrow for me. It was an instant plan: Get Bruce new clothes NOW, take new promo shots ASAP.

Okay, I used my ragamuffin to my advantage but it worked.

My latest promos were shot in a racquetball court and basically sucked.

Of course, this was all communicated via text. Why? So we could attach images of Napoleon Dynamite and Steve Urkel as our fashion references. We don’t do anything very seriously. The brain was designed to function best on a no hassle, fun vibe. Plus, Freya has very good taste.

First off, a shopping spree with Freya. She grabbed me by the wrist and with masked faces we stormed the mall like it was weird Black Friday. We had Annie on text for selection approvals. So she was a virtual shopper. 

There weren’t dressing rooms so trying on pants in the aisle while going commando was a no. (I was actually wearing my 8th grade cobweb undies.) We selected a hundred shirts, some boots and pants and done.

Next up the photo session at Annie Wolcott Photography. Annie had her studio set up and ready for various lighting, poses, and change of attire and fun. Later I’m sure she must have deleted many shots of me laughing. It was funner than any photo shoot I remember.

Plus, we started off with a homemade scone and awesome coffee. It was fun and for me, a guy who doesn’t like posing for photos. It was relatively painless.

The promo photos are currently in use. Some with back lighting, some with me stuck to the wall with Velcro and the one shot she laughed at. The one with a cool filter I looked at and said “It looks like a kaleidoscope, a kaleidoscope heart.” 

During the shoot, I don’t think she caught my comment.

That was a title of a song that needed to be written. Kaleidoscope Heart. The rest of the song was written based on what was happening at the time. My friends Freya and Annie, the clothes and photographs and a list of color names I remembered from working at the Home Depot paint department.

They have pretty cool poetic...]]>It’s the Better Each Day Podcast Radio Show and once again it’s me, Bruce Hilliard, bringing you Kaleidoscope Heart.

Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I let my guard down and let people into my life and my heart. I'm so thankful I’m a songwriter because I can vent my sometimes over the top affection by writing sappy lyrics...and somehow that seems okay. Being too transparent without the guise of a third party doing your dirty work and saying for you “hey, you’re just great” is dangerous.

There’s a confusing unwritten manifesto that states that emojis and greeting cards are safe but to express yourself a little too much on the personal level, depending on the audience, is risking “order in the court cause here come da judge.”

I must have reached some sort of emotional security as part of the aging process because I don’t care anymore. I just write songs. When this particular song reached it’s point of emotional no return I used my favorite new phrase, it’s not original, that works well when you run out of words, like when you just kinda trail off, it’s “That’s all I got.” I use it a few times in song. That’s all I got.

So, here’s the backstory on one of my latest songs and it’s all true. I quit growing in the 8th grade and I still sport the same clothes I wore then even though they’re resembling cobwebs. Okay, that’s not true, I made that up.

My friends, sisters Freya and Annie (aka Nitro and Glycerin) saw me playing at a new venue here in Mukilteo called Tapped. 

Freya, in her Florence Nightingale mode of feeling nothing but deep sorrow for my wardrobe dysfunction, talked to little sister Annie and they put together a Care package rescue idea in their sorrow for me. It was an instant plan: Get Bruce new clothes NOW, take new promo shots ASAP.

Okay, I used my ragamuffin to my advantage but it worked.

My latest promos were shot in a racquetball court and basically sucked.

Of course, this was all communicated via text. Why? So we could attach images of Napoleon Dynamite and Steve Urkel as our fashion references. We don’t do anything very seriously. The brain was designed to function best on a no hassle, fun vibe. Plus, Freya has very good taste.

First off, a shopping spree with Freya. She grabbed me by the wrist and with masked faces we stormed the mall like it was weird Black Friday. We had Annie on text for selection approvals. So she was a virtual shopper. 

There weren’t dressing rooms so trying on pants in the aisle while going commando was a no. (I was actually wearing my 8th grade cobweb undies.) We selected a hundred shirts, some boots and pants and done.

Next up the photo session at Annie Wolcott Photography. Annie had her studio set up and ready for various lighting, poses, and change of attire and fun. Later I’m sure she must have deleted many shots of me laughing. It was funner than any photo shoot I remember.

Plus, we started off with a homemade scone and awesome coffee. It was fun and for me, a guy who doesn’t like posing for photos. It was relatively painless.

The promo photos are currently in use. Some with back lighting, some with me stuck to the wall with Velcro and the one shot she laughed at. The one with a cool filter I looked at and said “It looks like a kaleidoscope, a kaleidoscope heart.” 

During the shoot, I don’t think she caught my comment.

That was a title of a song that needed to be written. Kaleidoscope Heart. The rest of the song was written based on what was happening at the time. My friends Freya and Annie, the clothes and photographs and a list of color names I remembered from working at the Home Depot paint department.

They have pretty cool poetic names.

Medallion, ginger, alabaster, pearl and ivory white. Two verses of Behr paint. I had to cut some of the lyrics. I wrote too many paint verses. It was too easy.

The phrase “That’s all I got” is one of those personal jokes I think I stole from Annie, like I said, when a sentence trails off.

Xanadu and limousine leather and melody, and…

That's all I got. 

🚗

Kaleidoscope Heart

It’s all I got, a kaleidoscope heart

Annie, a child across the water 

Freya, a flower child's daughter

Emerald City, juniper and crimson jam

Purple, fuchsia, marigold and enneagrams

Mysteries of spectrum keys that’s who I am

A kaleidoscope heart

Just sayin’ on and on and on and on it goes

The clothes, the photographs, our friendship grows

Whenever I hear the rain

It always steals my thunder

Whenever I hear her name

I never know what to do

Medallion, ginger, alabaster, pearl and ivory white

Xanadu and limousine leather and melody 

Comfort words and hearts and rainbows in my feed

That’s all I need, that’s all I got, it’s all I want, 

A kaleidoscope heart

-------------------------------------------------------

The band members include drummer Baptiste Brondy and, in a nod to New Orleans tradition, rather than using a conventional electric or acoustic bass, our guest Pascal chose to anchor the music with a sousaphone, calling on Rafgee (excuse my French), a Paris Conservatory trained trumpeter who is well versed in playing tuba in Caribbean dance bands.

Let’s welcome, from the band Delgres, Pascal Danae.

The music in 4:00 AM, the new recording by the Paris-based power roots trio Delgres, sounds gritty and full of energy. It's a brand of Creole blues built on strands of African and French Caribbean culture, Mississippi blues storytelling, and New Orleans grooves. The lyrics, sung mostly in Creole, address issues such as poverty, slavery, and the struggles of the immigrant searching for a better life. It's a powerful combination that conjures the spirit of the blues to speak up, but also celebrate and heal.

Delgres’ new album is coming out April 9th titled 4:00 AM.

Mark has the best stories and this one is about Janis Joplin and her chocolate affair with Mick Jagger.

Country artist Matt Westin was on the show in October of 2019 and had this to say.

And about a month prior to Matt’s interview, Ashley Pucket graced us from a pre-COVID Steelers/Seahawks game and later from her home. Here’s country recording artist Ashley Pucket.

Except for a song you’re about to hear, Never, Emerson’s final keyboard work was part of 3 with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and today’s guest, Robert Berry...who has also worked with Ambrosia, Alliance and The Greg Kihn Band.

He is known in the music industry as a producer, recording engineer, songwriter, vocalist, player of keyboards, guitars, bass, drums...basically one stop shopping. Please welcome Robert Berry and a few tracks from his new solo release “Third Impression.”

Robert is a multi-talented producer/songwriter/vocalist/instrumentalist.  When it comes to creating music, he does it all and does it very well.

Robert has just released on Frontiers Records, his new album of new music entitled Third Impression, under the name 3.2.

Third Impression features the last track (entitled Never) that Berry and his friend and mentor Keith Emerson worked on together before Emerson’s tragic passing.

It's been a year since the COVID hammer came down. People. Let’s remain Fauchi-ing until it’s cool to take off our masks and dance like children of the night.

I should take a moment and apologize for the late airing of this episode. I, under the close adherence of the State of Washington’s current COVID ordinances and guidelines, performed live twice. So sorry to thousands of listeners. It’s now two days late and I’m just now publishing.

So back to the gig. It was a limited size masked audience where required, but it was almost like a religious event. A scene from a lost Back To The Future sequel where instead of Marty McFly McFlying off on some wild ass overdriven amp guitar shred, Bruce Hilliard in this flick plays for an audience that hasn’t heard live music. Or at least forgot what it was like to watch a living flesh sing and not on TV.

Sounds of a one man guitar vocal set with occasional ad libs and P’s popping in the mic. There were long distance hugs and even some tears. A scenario you’d never think possible. And it’s gonna get better, I just know it.

Today’s guest is the very talented, yet humble and happy Robbie LaBlanc. His latest release Double Trouble drops April 16th and if you like the 70s and 80s vibe, Escape Music does too and they came to guest Robbie LaBlanc and asked if he would be the lead vocalist on their new project. Robbie said yes, they recorded the album, it’s great, and here’s Robbie LaBlanc to tell us about it.

About the Artist

Robbie (and his brother Brian) have been singing and playing instruments since age 3. Robbie’s first influences (besides his dad always singing and playing the guitar) were Trini Lopez and the Beatles. Shortly after, the influences were bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Grand Funk Railroad.

Robbie’s first break in the music business came when he met Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals in CT. Felix produced the album “FURY” with a slew of great musicians in a CT studio.

After the album disappeared from the charts, Robbie signed with a management company that had Michael Bolton ties and the duo recorded at least four albums worth of material at Michael’s CT studio. It still failed to generate a record deal. When that deal ended about three years later Robbie dropped a DAT tape in Arif Mardin’s mailbox in CT. Arif called the next day and a deal with Atlantic Records was on the table. One hurdle to go, a showcase with the new Atlantic regime. Again, it proved disappointing, no deal.

At the suggestion of a friend, a CD was sent to Frontiers Records and the two “Blanc Faces” records were done in 2005 and 2009.

Robbie then signed on to sing with the “Find Me” project which has received some great reviews on all three releases.

Robbie also sings lead vocals in a band called East Temple Avenue which will have it’s first release in 2020 as well. ETA is comprised of members from various bands like “Work of Art” and “Cruzh” along with Darren Philips (founder) and Phil Lindstrand.

In 2019 Robbie hooked up with Escape Music to do a “70’s and 80’s vibe” record and Robbie loved the idea. The result is that a solo record will be coming in 2021, written and produced by Steve Overland and Tommy Denander. The songs are fresh and vibrant, just what we need in these troubling times and with Robbie’s powerhouse vocals leading the way then we are all in for a real treat.

We talked about what's going on as a musician and podcast host and the ongoing need for a "real job" to pay the bills. Then it was three original songs: Hold On, I'm Going Home, Pawn Shop Boulevard and finally Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone. Here are the lyrics so you folks at home can sing along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s about sharing an unforgettable moment and remembering the magic forever.

Hold On

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Oh, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

He was a pauper, sired by a pauper’s son

Mother was a gypsy fortune teller on the run

But he had a dream, he could feel it in his dreams

Combing his hair he thought he could be the next James Dean

And on the other side of he stands alone

Listen to the ringing on a distant telephone

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

She was a princess, and a daughter of New Orleans

Never knew her papa, mamma was an African queen

She was dusky, oh...and they called her Desiree

Driving down the highway looking for a place to stay

And on the other side of she stands alone

Listen to the ringing on a distant telephone

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

I’m Going Home

Out on the highway running away 

Well, off on a rock’n’roll holiday

Now, the window’s down I got a song in my head

And I’m running with the wind for a better day

Yeah, running with the wind for a better way

And now I'm looking for my freedom 

On a two buck radio

And I'm driving on down this ocean road 

And I'm going home, yeah I'm going home

Out on the highway driving all day (into the cool of the night)

Now I’ve got a feeling like falling in love (you in the dashboard light)

Under the stars a billion miles away

Now we’re running with the wind got no piper to pay

Yeah, we’re running with the wind to a better day

So if you ask me where I’m going

And you’re thinking ‘bout hitching a ride

Climb aboard my friend, you’ll never be alone

And I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

I’m going home

And do you feel like a million dollars

Do you feel like taking a chance

It’s not on a map, only a poet would know

That I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la, I’m going home

Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la, I’m going home

Ooo...I’m going home

Pawn Shop Boulevard is a song Bruce wrote and recorded in February 2020. It's about a broken man that's lost his wife and is desperate for a friend. He pawns his departed wife's wedding ring and spends his last penny on a lady of the night if only to "whisper in his ear, it's gonna be alright."

Pawn Shop Boulevard

Looking through the bars on Pawn Shop Boulevard

Used guns, and jewelry and old...]]>Episode 175 and I finally got around to it. An interview with myself. I showed up in time twice and the chat went well. Some of the questions were curve balls and maybe too personal. That's the risk you take.

We talked about what's going on as a musician and podcast host and the ongoing need for a "real job" to pay the bills. Then it was three original songs: Hold On, I'm Going Home, Pawn Shop Boulevard and finally Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone. Here are the lyrics so you folks at home can sing along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s about sharing an unforgettable moment and remembering the magic forever.

Hold On

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Oh, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

He was a pauper, sired by a pauper’s son

Mother was a gypsy fortune teller on the run

But he had a dream, he could feel it in his dreams

Combing his hair he thought he could be the next James Dean

And on the other side of he stands alone

Listen to the ringing on a distant telephone

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

She was a princess, and a daughter of New Orleans

Never knew her papa, mamma was an African queen

She was dusky, oh...and they called her Desiree

Driving down the highway looking for a place to stay

And on the other side of she stands alone

Listen to the ringing on a distant telephone

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

Hold on, hold on to the night

Darkness in a room of candle light

Hold on, hold on to the night

Ah, casts a shadow cross the shimmering fire in her eyes

I’m Going Home

Out on the highway running away 

Well, off on a rock’n’roll holiday

Now, the window’s down I got a song in my head

And I’m running with the wind for a better day

Yeah, running with the wind for a better way

And now I'm looking for my freedom 

On a two buck radio

And I'm driving on down this ocean road 

And I'm going home, yeah I'm going home

Out on the highway driving all day (into the cool of the night)

Now I’ve got a feeling like falling in love (you in the dashboard light)

Under the stars a billion miles away

Now we’re running with the wind got no piper to pay

Yeah, we’re running with the wind to a better day

So if you ask me where I’m going

And you’re thinking ‘bout hitching a ride

Climb aboard my friend, you’ll never be alone

And I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

I’m going home

And do you feel like a million dollars

Do you feel like taking a chance

It’s not on a map, only a poet would know

That I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la, I’m going home

Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la, I’m going home

Ooo...I’m going home

Pawn Shop Boulevard is a song Bruce wrote and recorded in February 2020. It's about a broken man that's lost his wife and is desperate for a friend. He pawns his departed wife's wedding ring and spends his last penny on a lady of the night if only to "whisper in his ear, it's gonna be alright."

Pawn Shop Boulevard

Looking through the bars on Pawn Shop Boulevard

Used guns, and jewelry and old guitars

I don’t need no bling, just the memories

Of that wedding ring I wore on my hand

And now I know what I really want

And now I know what I really need

After all these years I kinda like to know

Where do I go, where do I go?

Where do you go, when you need somebody

Where do you go, when you need someone to hold

When you’re looking for a lover and the doors are barred

Down on Pawn Shop Boulevard

I know now what I really want

I know now what I really need    

After all these years I kinda like to know

Where do I go, where do I go?

Where do you go, when you need somebody

Where do you go, when you need someone to hold

I sold my baby’s ring for a lady of the night

She whispered in my ear it’s gonna be alright

Somewhere there’s a soul with a broken heart 

Down on Pawn Shop Boulevard

Like a Rolling Stone ~ Bob Dylan

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

People call say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall'

You thought they were all kidding you

You used to laugh about

Everybody that was hanging out

Now you don't talk so loud

 Now you don't seem so proud

About having to be scrounging your next meal

How does it feel, how does it feel?

To be without a home

Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely

But you know you only used to get juiced in it

Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street

And now you're gonna have to get used to it

You say you never compromise

With the mystery tramp, but now you realize

He's not selling any alibis

As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes

And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel, how does it feel?

To be on your own, with no direction home

A complete unknown, like a rolling stone  

Ah you never turned around to see the frowns

On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you

You never understood that it ain't no good

You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat

Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat

Ain't it hard when you discovered that

He really wasn't where it's at

After he took from you everything he could steal

How does it feel, how does it feel?

To have on your own, with no direction home

Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone 

Ahh princess on a steeple and all the pretty people

They're all drinking, thinking that they've got it made

Exchanging all precious gifts

But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe

You used to be so amused

At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used

Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse

When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose

You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel, ah how does it feel?

To be on your own, with no direction home

Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Hello again and welcome to the Better Each Day podcast with me, your 138 pounds of wild flesh host Bruce Hilliard. I’m excited to introduce today’s guest musician Mark Mangold from an awesome rock band Touch.

Touch is an American band from New York City formed in 1978 with Mark Mangold (keyboards and vocals), Glenn Kithcart (drums), Craig Brooks (guitars and vocals) and Doug Howard (bass and vocals). 

All previously had been in the last version of the band American Tears (releasing three albums on Columbia Records).

Touch's first album was released on Atco in the U.S. and Ariola in Europe and their first singles, "Don't You Know What Love Is” and "When The Spirit Moves You" charted on the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't You Know What Love Is" was played heavily on AOR stations in the USA at the end of the 1970s and early '80's, and also did well in the Melody Maker chart in Great Britain.

Touch was the first band to play at the inaugural Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington in 1980. A live version of "Don't You Know What Love Is" appeared on 

the compilation LP Monsters of Rock, documenting performances at the festival.

Known for their memorable and diverse songs, stellar musicianship, lush vocal harmonies and dynamic stage performance, Touch is invariably on the list of TOP AOR Bands and their album is considered by many to be among the best AOR Melodic Rock albums of all time.

The band have now reformed to create the new album "Tomorrow Never Comes", which is being hailed as their best work to date.

I mentioned Aberdeen because that’s where both of the guys you’re about to hear on this show hail from. The singer/songwriters I speak of are Dean Backholm and myself. Dean and I have worked together in the past but it’s been a while. To the tune of, oh I’m sure...decades.

About twenty years ago Dean recorded a solo album called A Question For You and it’s been a go to “feel good to hear Dean-o’s voice” record for me for all those years.

He doesn’t know it yet but we’re about to collaborate on a song or two in the near future. But for now, here’s a six song playlist I glued together featuring three of Dean’s songs and three of mine, every other track, starting with this love ballad by my lifelong friend, Dean Backholm. Here’s Montreal.

Montreal--Backholm

Roses and Strawberry Rain--Hilliard

Mother and Child--Backholm

Endless Rain--Hilliard

Lady Of The Sea--Backholm

Even If I Wanted To--Hilliard

From the moment Kevin Henderson, Olav Luksengård Mjelva and Anders Hall of The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc played together in 2009 they felt a particular chemistry in the sound they created.

Today’s guest is Kevin Henderson and although he doesn’t mention the virtuosity that goes into something like this, he humbly talks about the sound they’ve created and their February 19th CD release named after a harsh frost in the Shetland Islands, Bonfrost.

Some seven hundred gigs later, playing across Scandinavia, mainland Europe, the U.S. and the UK, that chemistry continues to draw the trio together.

Passion is a word that comes up often in conversation with Henderson, Mjelva and Hall. It’s a word that lies behind the trio’s determination to find exactly the right tunes to play and exactly the right way to play a certain phrase (Henderson has been known to find forty different examples of them playing the  same motif stored on his mobile phone from rehearsals). Passion for the music they make is also what makes them endure forty-two-hour flights that should only have taken two–to–three hours to get to a concert rather than let the promoter and audience down.

Hundreds of tunes have been tried and laid aside in The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc’s quest for the music which on two albums, their self-titled debut from 2011 and Deliverance, from 2016, has charmed listeners in the same way that their live performances beguile and satisfy.

In the beginning they were intrigued. For Henderson, who grew up in the fiddle-rich tradition of the Shetland Islands, there was a mystery in hearing his Scandinavian colleagues harmonize with one another. Although Fiddlers’ Bid, the Shetland group he has played with since his teens and continues to work with, create a harmonious, four-fiddle sound, the Swedish tradition of having one fiddle play a melody and another shadowing it with a harmony line, was something new to him.

The jamming sessions that led to the threesome coalescing into a group showed them that they could not only create a unique sound, they also had a richness, helped by their use of standard fiddles, octave fiddle, viola and Hardanger fiddle, that has led to them being likened to a string quartet rather than just a trio.   

Folk music promoters and festivals internationally have picked up on the Bloc’s uniqueness. They have played at major events including Tønder Festival in Denmark, Scotland’s mammoth Celtic Connections winter music festival, Cape Breton’s prestigious Celtic Colours, and the annual A Celtic Christmas Sojourn in Boston. 

Recognition, including a Norwegian Folk Award and a place in Songlines magazine’s Top of the World selection for their first album, has come their way and as fellow musicians including Dutch jazz violinist Tim Kliphuis invite them to participate in events such as his Rotterdam Fiddle Weekend, the trio have opened their ears to future possibilities in the jazz and classical spheres.

As dedicated tradition bearers, they have also created their own annual fiddle camp, which has taken place in Norway (2018) and Sweden (2019) and is due to visit Shetland next, while seeking out the tunes that will emerge on their much-anticipated third album in 2020.

"On the evidence to hand, pure fiddle doesn't get much better than The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc." Folkworld

In a world without a Freddie Mercury, there came Adam Lambert. For Journey without Steve Perry, there was Arnel Pineda. And like those other one-of-kind vocalists, the absence of Boston’s phenomenal singer Brad Delp left a role that no one else can replace...but there was Tommy DeCarlo and our guest David Victor.

David is here to talk about that dream come true and how he spends his time making other less fortunate people and their families’ dreams come true or at least more comfortable with live music performances and these days, virtual visits. Harmony & Healing is the name of David’s organization.

And you can help out too with donations. Just go to harmonyandhealing.org and visit the site and see if you can help out just a little. It’s a great cause and here’s a great man that’s spearheading Harmony & Healing, David Victor.

The Harmony & Healing mission is to bring live music to the bedsides and community spaces of patients and their loved ones in hospitals, clinics, cancer support groups, Ronald McDonald Houses and other healthcare facilities.

Harmony & Healing performances lift spirits and take patient’s and family’s minds off their challenges with music. Music lowers stress levels, brings about positive associations, speeds healing and brings happiness to patient’s lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Harmony & Healing programs are tailored to each facility and patient. Interactions may include bedside performances, solo acoustic, duos and even full bands in larger common areas. 

It’s rare that I write with anyone else these days. But with a woman, one that lives in Germany and hails from Russia and we met because we released music at the same time early in the COVID  lockdown...well that’s once in a lifetime opportunity.

The song Snow Angel was the result of a title that came to me because of a text conversation I had with a friend where I mentioned it was a cold night, one fit for a snow angel.

With that on the top of my mind, I received an email from Victoria and she wanted to collaborate on a song. Me being the adventurous kinda guy I am said “hell yeah.” I’ll write a verse and a chorus and send it to you via the internet, you make suggestions and send it back.

We went back and forth from Mukilteo Washington to Munich Germany for about four or five brief messages with attached recording tracks. Not unlike piecing together a puzzle, this is what we came up with.

Here’s Victoria and yours truly in the first conversation we’ve had since the conception of the song Snow Angel.

Snow Angel 

Woke up before dawn to see the snow coming down

Seen so much Hell this old apartment should’ve burned down long ago

I’m just a child looking out the window 

Living out memories as I grow old

You know I’d settle for a snow angel                

The kind that makes you smile and melts your heart away 

Just let me hang on to the old time movies 

Just give me a reason for living one more day 

You’ll always find me when it’s cold and dark outside           

And when you’d like to be alone just let me go

Your soul is still so agile and so young

Don’t be afraid to miss all getting old

When the sun comes I’ll melt away

Will it make you sad?

I don’t want you to be sad

Or will you be happy?

You know I’d settle for a snow angel                

The kind that makes you smile and melts your heart away 

Just let me hang on to the old time movies 

Give me a reason for living one more day

Going into the interview I requested him to send another song in addition to his new single “Thin Disguise.” He sent me “Cliche”, another song that’s on his soon to be released EP, available wherever you get your steaming music.

The pre interview consisted of Davy sending me a music file via my phone and one by email that got stuck in the pipeline and arrived right as we started...and the song is on my phone.

Johnnie David Williamson lll is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is known by the stage name, Davy Williamson. Prior to his current project he was the lead singer of the North Carolina modern rock musical band, Third Class Passenger.

Born in Plant City, Florida and raised in his hometown, Wilmington, North Carolina, Davy Williamson began his musical career in 1996 when he joined the Indy Rock band, Emilio 5. He left the group later that year. In 1998, he co-founded a Modern rock band, Third Class Passenger, in North Carolina. In 2003, the band recorded their debut unsigned album, Dislabelled, with recording and mixing engineer Steve Hardy.

In 2004, he left Third Class Passenger and joined a Punk rock band, Ma-shot-pa but left in 2006.

He has since performed as a solo act under the stage name, Davy Williamson. Most recently, he has been living and performing in the Virgin Islands, playing mostly as a solo act. He also plays as a duo act with artists like John Hodges (Smoking Okra) and Andy Easton (The Tin Roof) in Atlanta, Georgia. This has spanned a five-year period.

Recently Davy has been seen sharing the stage with the likes of better known artist such as Toryn Green of (Fuel), and Paul Phillips of (Puddle of Mudd).

As for now Davy has been working on a brand new EP. The EP in the making is set to be released in early November. His Debut Single “Thin Disguise” is out now on all streaming services.

But in Better Each Day true fashion, everyday in every way, things will get better and better.

I’m optimistic. To kick off this new year, New Year’s Day conveniently falls on January 1st...and we’re off to a good start. 

People ask me “Bruce, what did you do for Christmas this year?” I had, for a single guy with no kids, the best Christmas ever. And I’ll tell ya why. I recorded a quick vocal track for a song I’ll play in a few minutes. A song that features my friend and guitar student Saho Yamashita on guitar. Happy Christmas, War is Over coming up so stay tuned.

But first off, here’s a word and a song from country recording artist Ashley Pucket, with one of the most streamed episodes in Better Each Day history. Here’s Ashley.

My Christmas. I spent most of the day writing and recording but Christmas Eve...Christmas Eve was the most special since I believed in Santa Claus when I was a little kid. In fact...maybe I believe in Santa now more than ever.

She brought me dinner...thank you Dori. And then best ever and me, me, Brooster the Rooster, a guy that until now would have said texting is highly impersonal, an hour of texting late into Christmas Eve...with photo attachments and comments more fun than a monkey in a bouncy house. Thank you Santa Annie.

This next song of mine was written and recorded just last Fall. I tend to write metaphorically so this song is really about doing your best, being a whisperer that listens more than you talk. 

It was inspired by a dear new friend. It needs a video but….it’s about a little girl pretending her toy little pony wins the roses at the Kentucky Derby. She grows up, has children of her own and she tells the story of her pony named Strawberry Rain. I made it up, it’s sticky sweet...Roses and Strawberry Rain.

Roses and Strawberry Rain...forever.

One more song before our featured guitarist Saho, here’s my song about jumping in the car and going home, wherever you want home to be. How about Ocean Shores?

Saho, I hope you’re listening. Here’s to a new year. I hope you have fun!

And so, in 2016 when I was considering doing a podcast and how unqualified I was to do a talk show based podcast, this very podcast, I bounced it off my buddy Sandy. We concurred without a doubt the podcast idea was really stupid and that I should do it. And that’s how we’ve done everything through the years.

Well, 167 episodes later, with thousands of listeners, I’m finally getting my lifetime best freakin’ frackin’ friend forever, the guy that said to do this podcast, Sandy, on the show. Now finally here he is, 59 years after I met him as a fireball kid from kindergarten in a little one story elementary school on Cherry Street in Aberdeen Washington.

In the following conversation my guest and I are talking about a song the Murchy Brothers, Dick and Sandy with guitarist Maitland Ward, recently recorded called I Believe in Father Christmas, a song written by Greg Lake, originally performed by his trio Emerson, Lake and Palmer. My guest, his voice, the song and the message of enduring friendship, I feel is perfect for Christmas 2020.

Life was meant for good friends and great adventures. Merry Christmas.

I Believe in Father Christmas

They said there'll be snow at Christmas

They said there'll be peace on earth

But instead it just kept on raining

A veil of tears for the virgin birth

I remember one Christmas morning

A winter's light and a distant choir

And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell

And their eyes full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas

They sold me a silent night

And they told me a fairy story

'Till I believed in the Israelite

And I believed in father Christmas

And I looked to the sky with excited eyes

'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn

And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas

I wish you a brave new year

All anguish, pain and sadness

Mukilteo is 25 miles north of Seattle, about a half hour drive via I-5. Mukilteo is one of those four syllable words that I was cautioned about using when I was studying journalism.

“Don’t make sentences too long and avoid using too many four syllable words Bruce.”

They have a measurement system called, among other things, the Gunning Fog Index.

To calculate the Gunning Fog Index, you need to take a passage of text at least 100 words and count the number of exact words and syllables and divide the total number of words in the sample by the total number of sentences which gives you the Average Sentence Length (ASL).

And the very definition of the Fog Index I read for you, for the definition of the Fog Index, in itself, is a run-on sentence. Also, don’t use too many acronyms like ASL, FYI.

You should also avoid changing topics with no segue.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa...and for our friends in India, have a cool Bada Din...and every year, on December 23, fans of the show Seinfeld celebrate Festivus by gathering around an aluminum pole and participating in the “Airing of Grievances.” 

In a year like 2020, it’s so easy to imagine folks having quite a few grievances to air. While Festivus rose to popularity in 1997, it was a tradition for many folks over 30 years.

Festivus for the rest of us. Here’s Jingle Bells from a great band that was on the show just last year, it's The Flat River Band.

Holiday 2020, aka, Nightmare on Elf Street. But what memories from years gone by. TV shows come to mind. This background music was used when Clark Griswold got locked in the attic wearing a mink stole, a woman’s hat and gloves to stay warm.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, various Grinches and the ever favorite Dickens’ Christmas Carol, 135 of them starring everyone from George C. Scott to Mr. Magoo. And to prevent the spread of COVID, take the Christmas Story’s advice, remember to drink your Ovaltine...or you’ll shoot your eye out.

I was lucky enough to coerce John Oates to be on the show in August. He was the great guest I anticipated and here he is again...just in time for Christmas.

“Christmas In My Life,” which showcases Cheadle’s more pop-infused sound with its upbeat tempo and catchy, sing-a-along chorus, was originally written by Cheadle in 2017 and reworked this year with the help of her father and Philadelphia music icon James Cheadle (Cheadle has worked with everyone from Jerry Ross for Jerry Butler, Harold Melvin, The Blue Notes and The O'Jaysto DJ Jazzy Jeff, Don Cornell, The Four Aces, Grover Washington Jr. and The Soul Survivors) during Covid. An accompanying lyric video is available now at https://youtu.be/U0SJwv-j2wE.

They have worked with musical legends including producer Pat Collier (Walking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves), Woody Woodmansey and Pete Thomas, drummers for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, and Elvis Costello, respectively. Their new album This Wicked Pantomime is available on Spotify and all popular streaming platforms.

It’s not quite time to start celebrating a new year but kudos to us for weathering 2020 as well as we did. Every day in every way I’m becoming better and better. That was the quote from a French psychologist and pharmacist who introduced a popular method of psychotherapy and self-improvement based on optimistic autosuggestion.

Every day in every way I’m getting better and better. That was the inspiration behind the song “Better Each Day” I wrote in 1980, 40 years ago.

When I needed a name for the podcast, I dipped into my bag of cryogenically stored ideas and out popped Better Each Day. And here we are several thousand downloads later on episode 163.

If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. I’m not sure where I heard that so I Googled Buddy Rich quotes. What he said was “If you think you stink, you probably do.”

Or “I need new underwear, my old ones are running on fumes.” I’m not sure where that one came from.

As a special thank you to the Better Each Day listeners, I’m sitting here at the mic on Thanksgiving Day because this year there’s nothing else I’d rather do than to reflect on a year that was all about rolling with the punches.

And talking about rolling, here’s the worst segue of the year, I’d like to play you my rendition of “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan. It’s four verses of attitude and color, directed at a person that once had it all and:

Now you don't talk so loud 

Now you don't seem so proud

About having to be scrounging your next meal…

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

I’m watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York. They actually did it. No crowded sidewalks but the floats, pipers with masks and tons of spirit live on.

In traditional fashion, let’s spread a happy note through art and music. I wrote and recorded a song last month called Roses and Strawberry Rain.

Roses refer to the run for the roses Kentucky Derby. Strawberry Rain is a ginger pony that, in the mind of a little girl, grows up to win. The girl fancies herself as horse whisperer and later, as the soon-to-be-made video will portray, has children of her own...and tells the tale of Roses and Strawberry Rain. Forever.

Roses and Strawberry Rain 

Born in the light of a lantern

The rain whipped through the stable

Her momma taught her how to walk 

When she was barely able

Lightning stuck and thunder came

And sweet Kentucky rain 

Roses and ponies and photos lost in time

Run for the roses was destined in her mind

Roses and Strawberry Rain forever

Strawberry Rain was a dark horse

With a whisperer who knew just what to do

And in their final victory

May turned to June

The rains came and washed away, and roses grew

And roses and Strawberry Rain

All of our thoughts are the same

Roses and Strawberry Rain forever

Listen to the children now

When the wild winds blow

Whisper in a good vibration

In a way that everybody knows

And roses and Strawberry Rain

All of our thoughts are the same

Roses and Strawberry Rain forever

Roses and ponies and photos lost in time

Run for the roses still echoed in her mind

Roses and Strawberry Rain remain forever

Thanks for the listen. happy holidays and most of all: Be excellent to each other, party on dudes!

In 2018, "Ten Penny Gypsy," their self-titled debut album, was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the Arkansas Country Music Awards. The group garnered additional Arkansas CMA nominations for "Americana Artist of the Year" and "Vocal Group of the Year" in both 2018 and 2019.

Ten Penny Gypsy is looking to build on that success in 2020 with the release of their second full-length album, "Fugitive Heart," a collection of original songs once again produced by renowned multi-instrumentalist Anthony Crawford. In addition, the album prominently features the talents of 2020 Arkansas CMA nominee Buddy Case (Guitarist of the Year).

Recorded over several sessions in 2019 at Crawford's studio in Loxley, AL, "Fugitive Heart" is an eclectic, upbeat album combining Americana and Country/Blues sounds, that thematically explores the uncertainties of separation

Listeners will find the songs immediately relatable, considering the isolation created by the current global health crisis and national political climate.

Now, Hollis Jordan is back with “Runaway,” a dance single and video collaboration produced by Hollis and features upcoming female artist, Zaire Danae. Written by Hollis Jordan, along with Zaire Danae and Chris Delshawn Manns, the video was directed by Tommie Green.

SUPERGROOVE features Watts’ signature guitar work and his great band – including bass, drums, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, saxophones and occasional guest harmonica. For vocalists, the album features special guests Joe Louis Walker and Eliza Neals, plus explosive soul singer Roy Young, Danny Shoshan and Gadi Altman.Half of the songs are Watts originals, while the others dig into classics by Freddie King and longtime influence Peter Green, plus compositions by Walker, Coastin’ Hank, and others.

Short Bio

Gathering Time is an internationally touring folk-rock harmony AAA/Americana trio in the spirit of the '60s and beyond, playing original, classic 20th-century, and trad tunes. Like a co-ed CSN, GT is known for astute songwriting, spirited and accomplished musicianship -- and a stellar vocal blend.

Stuart Markus, Hillary Foxsong and Gerry McKeveny evince deep roots in ‘60s folk-rock, with a healthy dash of traditional folk in the mix. Their stage chemistry makes clear that they take the music (if not themselves) very seriously, yet their infectious energy wins over even fans who never considered themselves folkies.

Gathering Time swept the international folk radio chart Folk DJ-List in March 2016, as their original CD Keepsake took the #1 album and #1 song slots which, with five other songs in the top 25, landed them as the #1 artist as well. This followed on the heels of When One Door Closes (#3 album, January 2014) and Red Apples and Gold (#5 album, September 2012).

Since then they've followed up with three top-5 singles: "Tanglewood Tree" (Dave Carter), #3 in March 2017, and a joint 2-song release with Mara Levine, "By My Silence" (Bukstel/Annis) and "Too Far to Turn Back Now" (Markus), #1 and #4 in September 2017.

To date, Gathering Time has had a record five juried showcases at NERFA (Tricentrics in 2009 and ’10, a Formal in 2011, a mini-NERFA showcase in 2013 and a Quad in 2015); they were one of the three Emerging Artists at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2012 voted “Most Wanted” to return in 2013.

Whether a tribute show of ‘60s classics or a concert of (mostly) originals, a night with Gathering Time will make evident why they were voted one of “Long Island’s Best” by the Long Island Press.

Set your clocks back, wear your mask, drink your Ovaltine and wash your junk.

This year is fraught with fright. Los Angeles won both the NBA Championship and the World Series but the LA fans weren’t allowed to attend the games. Only cut outs and a select few.

Dressing up in costumes was once a way to hide from ghosts. The tradition originated as a way for the Celtic and other European people to hide from the spirits who returned at this time of year. People wore masks when they left their homes after dark so the ghosts would think they were fellow spirits. This year there’s a world of masked people everywhere. The ghosts are thinking they’re at Comic-Con.

Halloween falls on a blue moon. Okay, a blue moon in the Northern Hemisphere but that’s okay for the sake of my point since Halloween is celebrated only in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The first full moon of this month fell on October first. It was the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon, or full moon nearest the September equinox. This month will have a second full moon, which – by popular decree – shall be called a Blue Moon. It’ll come on October 31 which is the night of Halloween.

There won’t be another blue moon on Halloween for another 19 years. The next time the blue moon will be on Halloween will be in the year 2039.

Even scarier is the presidential election. In a few days there will be votes followed by accusations of fraud and blame. Blame never results in progress but that’s what fuels our candidates narratives.

One Halloween in about 1959...When I was four my mom took an old sheet, cut out some eye holes and dressed me up as a ghost. She dropped me off with some strangers in the basement of our church and left me with a thousand other kids dressed as hobos and witches.

We played a game that involved closing our eyes and being spun around by one of the grown up 13-year-old girls. When I opened my eyes I couldn’t see anything but white sheet.

I started to wander. I found a wall to use as a guide and after a minute or two of feeling my way around I heard a door close and there I was in darkness. 

The next day they found me in the coat closet.

That was an excerpt from Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds from an October 30th 1938 radio show, the original fake news. It caused mass hysteria and inspired journalists to this very...]]>The script: It’s Halloween 2020, a year to remember indeed. Welcome to the Better Each Day podcast. Trick or treat, from six feet, throw the candy to the street. I’m Bruce Hilliard and I approve this message.

Set your clocks back, wear your mask, drink your Ovaltine and wash your junk.

This year is fraught with fright. Los Angeles won both the NBA Championship and the World Series but the LA fans weren’t allowed to attend the games. Only cut outs and a select few.

Dressing up in costumes was once a way to hide from ghosts. The tradition originated as a way for the Celtic and other European people to hide from the spirits who returned at this time of year. People wore masks when they left their homes after dark so the ghosts would think they were fellow spirits. This year there’s a world of masked people everywhere. The ghosts are thinking they’re at Comic-Con.

Halloween falls on a blue moon. Okay, a blue moon in the Northern Hemisphere but that’s okay for the sake of my point since Halloween is celebrated only in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The first full moon of this month fell on October first. It was the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon, or full moon nearest the September equinox. This month will have a second full moon, which – by popular decree – shall be called a Blue Moon. It’ll come on October 31 which is the night of Halloween.

There won’t be another blue moon on Halloween for another 19 years. The next time the blue moon will be on Halloween will be in the year 2039.

Even scarier is the presidential election. In a few days there will be votes followed by accusations of fraud and blame. Blame never results in progress but that’s what fuels our candidates narratives.

One Halloween in about 1959...When I was four my mom took an old sheet, cut out some eye holes and dressed me up as a ghost. She dropped me off with some strangers in the basement of our church and left me with a thousand other kids dressed as hobos and witches.

We played a game that involved closing our eyes and being spun around by one of the grown up 13-year-old girls. When I opened my eyes I couldn’t see anything but white sheet.

I started to wander. I found a wall to use as a guide and after a minute or two of feeling my way around I heard a door close and there I was in darkness. 

The next day they found me in the coat closet.

That was an excerpt from Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds from an October 30th 1938 radio show, the original fake news. It caused mass hysteria and inspired journalists to this very day. 

By request, a song I recently wrote about Saturday nights...a girl that wants to go where the other kids are going...the local Saturday night dance shootout. She puts on best jeans, checks herself out in the mirror...all systems go except...Your Momma Won’t Let You Go.

Well, trick or treaters are a knockin’. I’m going to the door to look at their innocent little masked faces, remind them to remain six feet away from everything, wash their hands, wear a seatbelt, eat your broccoli, don’t run with scissors, take your Flintstone vitamins, look both ways before crossing the street, if a freak on the street grabs you scream like Hell, don’t bet on slow horses and above all, have a happy Halloween 2020. They only come once in a blue moon.

Matters of the Heart features a 12 string acoustic waltzing with the rhythm section while Shayne’s heartfelt vocals describe the decisions made by the heart and also those made by the head. The impulsive and the well thought out. The questions we ask about what is or what isn’t “right", making a choice fraught with risk. Knowing all well the probability of failure, but still going ahead anyway. The junction between letting go or holding on tight and seeing where love leads.

Cook originally thought the track was a throwaway demo, but album producer Simon Moro heard it and suggested they see how it developed. His ideas and finesse as a producer/engineer, including utilising contacts at the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra for strings on the song, helped ensure the song made the cut for his debut, and indeed become the album’s first single.

Played in full in this episode, Matters of the Heart features a 12 string acoustic rhythm section while Shayne’s heartfelt vocals describe the decisions made by the heart and also those made by the head. The impulsive and the well thought out. The questions we ask about what is or what isn’t “right", making a choice fraught with risk. Knowing all well the probability of failure, but still going ahead anyway. The junction between letting go or holding on tight and seeing where love leads.

Cook originally thought the track was a throwaway demo, but album producer Simon Moro heard it and suggested they see how it developed. His ideas and finesse as a producer/engineer, including utilising contacts at the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra for strings on the song, helped ensure the song made the cut for his debut, and indeed become the album’s first single.

It shows how sometimes the throwaways are the best.

Check out the tour page for tour dates!

In Victoria's words...

I’m a soul singer, songwriter and pianist in Munich (Germany), originally coming from Novosibirsk (Russia).

People say that I sound like Katie Melua or Lisa Ekdahl and describe my music as intimate, soothing and romantic. Artist that influenced and inspired me the most are Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston.

With my music I want to emphasise the beauty of this world, to show people how beautiful they are inside with all their feelings and to inspire them to pay more attention to their soul. I’d like them to feel like they’re in a fairy tale where all their deep desires come true.

Looking back on my life, that’s me. But it’s always an adventure. Along the way we meet all kinds of people, some stay, some don’t. No matter, the relationships are far beyond gold.

It’s mid September 2020, there’s still a pandemic, the sky is a strange hue of pink from forest fires and there’s a college football game on TV. We’re slowly figuring out how to educate our kids without the standard classroom. It would be cool to see adults do this too. Self educate, then vote. In that order.

The music man in me wants to play songs for you. So without further ado, to fit the mood of the day, a band that morphed from the Byrds into the Flying Burrito Brothers to the Notorious Burrito Brothers and their song Acrostic.

And for this next song, a short introduction. This was composed by a lifelong friend and musical colleague dating back to the 60s. Brother Dick Murchy wrote and played the keyboards on this tune. Yours truly did the vocals and my actual DNA brother Gary engineered the recording.

I’d love to have Dick on the show to explain the inspiration behind the lyric but for now, here’s his song entitled simply Star.

Here’s an incomplete song I’m still working on...a song about October. “A song came on the radio and I didn’t get too far before I said” Even If I Wanted To.

Thank you so much for listening. Please be patient and respect your fellow masters of the COVID mask.

Take care of yourself, take care of others and above all, make it a better day.

I can’t play my music live anywhere. But the world of hardware is beckoning me. So the only logical thing to do was work the paint department at Home Depot because it’s not only a great place to walk your dog but a great place to pick up chicks. Everyone knows that.

But Home Depot babes are mostly do-it-yourselfers. But I do get to sport a manly apron. The swag of success.

Home Depot. They’ve been around for over 50 years and the homies at the depot are all over the dating scene. (I’m making this up.) You know when you wait in line to order your paint? Color, interior or exterior, how shiny would you like it? Those are all subliminal pick up lines. But there’s more to this.

There’s new computer software at the depot, and vastly improved as new software always is, that requires the customer who is already parked in slow moving order-your-paint line they don’t like, a lineup of COVID mask painters in 6 foot gaps of social distancing, not just to order paint but now with the new and improved order window software, they’re required to give their email address and phone number to the stranger dude in the orange apron behind the counter.

Just when we need more annoyance in our lives.

The customers are stuck in a line of face covered neurotic snails. So, if that isn’t matchmaking, I don’t know what is. We match the paint and take your phone number. Plus, you’re now part of an email list that can make you a Home Depot homey for life.

Hello, Bruce in the paint department here. We’ll get to your paint later. But for now. What are you doing tonight? 

Enough of that--on to the happy go lucky world of music. I released an EP in May and continue to write and record to appease my curiosity and win friends and influence people. Here’s a short listen to a new song I’m working on that is mainly strings, percussion and drums. It’s called Even If I Wanted To.

That’s the idea. The next song I'm going to play is also new to most people. It’s a song for all of us that are publically preoccupied with our phones for God knows whatever reason. I wrote the lyrics before the pandemic and I mention wearing masks. “Masks” as in hiding our identities. It was intended as a metaphor originally but now in September of 2020, has taken on literal meaning.

Here is 12-string guitar and clavichord, some tambourine and a voice: Doesn’t Anybody Fall In Love No More.

Thank you so much for listening. Be patient and respect your fellow earthlings. Carry a litter bag in your car at all times and if it gets full, throw it out the window.

Hey there hi there ho there. Bruce Hilliard here with news on my fourth week at my new job at Home Depot. I’m 65 this month, my hair is crap, my butt fell off and my face looks like a catcher's mitt.

I can’t play my music live anywhere. But the world of hardware is beckoning me. So the only logical thing to do was work the paint department at Home Depot because it’s not only a great place to walk your dog but a great place to pick up chicks. Everyone knows that.

But Home Depot babes are mostly do-it-yourselfers. But I do get to sport a manly apron. The swag of success.

Home Depot. They’ve been around for over 50 years and the homies at the depot are all over the dating scene. (I’m making this up.) You know when you wait in line to order your paint? Color, interior or exterior, how shiny would you like it? Those are all subliminal pick up lines. But there’s more to this.

There’s new computer software at the depot, and vastly improved as new software always is, that requires the customer who is already parked in slow moving order-your-paint line they don’t like, a lineup of COVID mask painters in 6 foot gaps of social distancing, not just to order paint but now with the new and improved order window software, they’re required to give their email address and phone number to the stranger dude in the orange apron behind the counter.

Just when we need more annoyance in our lives.

The customers are stuck in a line of face covered neurotic snails. So, if that isn’t matchmaking, I don’t know what is. We match the paint and take your phone number. Plus, you’re now part of an email list that can make you a Home Depot homey for life.

Hello, Bruce in the paint department here. We’ll get to your paint later. But for now. What are you doing tonight? 

Enough of that--on to the happy go lucky world of music. I released an EP in May and continue to write and record to appease my curiosity and win friends and influence people. Here’s a short listen to a new song I’m working on that is mainly strings, percussion and drums. It’s called Even If I Wanted To.

That’s the idea. The next song I'm going to play is also new to most people. It’s a song for all of us that are publically preoccupied with our phones for God knows whatever reason. I wrote the lyrics before the pandemic and I mention wearing masks. “Masks” as in hiding our identities. It was intended as a metaphor originally but now in September of 2020, has taken on literal meaning.

Here is 12-string guitar and clavichord, some tambourine and a voice: Doesn’t Anybody Fall In Love No More.

Thank you so much for listening. Be patient and respect your fellow earthlings. Carry a litter bag in your car at all times and if it gets full, throw it out the window.

Take care of yourself, take care of others and above all, make it a good day.

Hi, I’m Teen Angel, Bruce Hilliard here and this is a throwback episode taking you back to the fifties and into the sixties. Here’s what happened in 1955.

*Rock and Roll gets its name. Disneyland and McDonald’s open.

*Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were born. Albert Einstein died.

*Tetracycline and polio vaccine invented.

*Rosa Parks was arrested for riding on a bus. 

All of that in 1955. And onto the the rest of that decade: 

*Elvis appeared on Ed Sullivan with his first hit Heartbreak Hotel.

*USSR launches Sputnik. Frisbees and Hula Hoops.

*Newly formed NASA launches the first American satellite.

*First TransAtlantic jetliner service takes flight. Microchip invented.

*Alaska and Hawaii become states. Barbie dolls.

There was no JFK in the White House yet and Ringo had not yet joined John, Paul and George.

I was born in 1955 and by the time I was in high school American Graffiti, Happy Days and Sha Na Na were on the list of retros bringing back the colorful years of jukeboxes and saddle shoes.

One of my first garage bands was one of those nostalgia 50s groups. It was my high school years and we were Denny and the Chadwicks. We played the songs that were being played on the radio while we were in diapers up through kindergarten.

This is another one of those lost recordings from decades ago that just recently resurfaced via the recording engineer and backing vocalist, brother Gary Hilliard. I hope you enjoy this. The song: A 1960 hit by Mark Dinning called Teen Angel.

Thank you so much for listening and remembering a time equally fraught with perils. Somehow we made it though. And for you that weren’t around for it? Enjoy 2020. This will be a year, and the start of a decade for the books.

Take care of yourself, take care of others and make it a good day.

Soaking up the sounds of the 60s, John was influenced by the nascent folk scene, bluegrass, delta blues, and ragtime guitar styles, while also immersing himself in R&B legends such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. One of his biggest mentors was his guitar teacher Jerry Ricks, who had spent time on the road with Mississippi John Hurt and Son House, and introduced John to the music of Doc Watson and Reverend Gary Davis, passing down their signature finger and flatpicking styles.

John Oates met Daryl Hall while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. The two began collaborating and playing music together, marking the beginning of their historic partnership. Since their formation in the early 70s, Daryl Hall & John Oates have gone on to record 21 albums, which have sold over 80 million units, making them the most successful duo in rock history. They have scored 10 number one records, over 20 Top 40 hits, and have toured the world for decades. Their involvement in the original “Live Aid” concert and the groundbreaking “We Are The World” charity recording have further established them as legendary artists, who have personally and through their music, stood the test of time.

In addition to their numerous American Music, MTV awards, and multiple Grammy nominations, in 2005 they were inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame and in May of 2008 were presented the prestigious BMI Icon Award for their outstanding career achievement in songwriting. In April 2014, Hall & Oates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Since embarking on a long awaited solo career in 1999, John has recorded six solo albums: Phunk Shui, 100 Miles of Life, Mississippi Mile, a live album called The Bluesville Sessions, and Good Road To Follow, (which featured collaborations with Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Vince Gill, Nathan Chapman, Jim Lauderdale, and Jerry Douglas).

In January 2015 John released Another Good Road (Warner/Elektra), a DVD docu-concert that premiered on Palladia Music Channel. Recorded live in a Nashville studio in one session, the video featured some of Music City’s finest musicians and singers as well as rare, seldom seen footage of John’s family ranch in Colorado; a glimpse into his world behind the music.

John is a diverse musician and songwriter active in Nashville community and beyond. Founded in 2010, he was the creator and executive producer for the “7908 the Aspen Songwriters Festival” at the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. In 2013, John teamed up with Jim James (My Morning Jacket) to curate the Bonnaroo Super Jam with special guests Britney Howard, Billy Idol, R. Kelly, Larry Graham and the Preservation Hall Jazz band.

In April 2017 John released his memoir “Change of Seasons“ co-written with Chris Epting and published by St. Martin’s Press. The acclaimed title was an Amazon best seller and has been received with both outstanding critical and fan reviews. After completing an extensive book promotion tour in the spring of 2017, Oates resumed work on an important music project that represents the next exciting phase in his burgeoning solo roots music career. The paperback version with added content will be released May of 2018.

John’s most recent record album: Arkansas was released in February 2018 on Thirty Tigers/PS Records. Originally inspired by...]]>John Oates is one half of the best-selling duo of all time, Hall & Oates, as well as an accomplished solo artist. Singing from the time he could talk and playing the guitar since the age of five, John Oates was destined to be a musician. Born in New York City, his family moved to a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA in the early 1950s, a move that would change the course of his life.

Soaking up the sounds of the 60s, John was influenced by the nascent folk scene, bluegrass, delta blues, and ragtime guitar styles, while also immersing himself in R&B legends such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. One of his biggest mentors was his guitar teacher Jerry Ricks, who had spent time on the road with Mississippi John Hurt and Son House, and introduced John to the music of Doc Watson and Reverend Gary Davis, passing down their signature finger and flatpicking styles.

John Oates met Daryl Hall while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. The two began collaborating and playing music together, marking the beginning of their historic partnership. Since their formation in the early 70s, Daryl Hall & John Oates have gone on to record 21 albums, which have sold over 80 million units, making them the most successful duo in rock history. They have scored 10 number one records, over 20 Top 40 hits, and have toured the world for decades. Their involvement in the original “Live Aid” concert and the groundbreaking “We Are The World” charity recording have further established them as legendary artists, who have personally and through their music, stood the test of time.

In addition to their numerous American Music, MTV awards, and multiple Grammy nominations, in 2005 they were inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame and in May of 2008 were presented the prestigious BMI Icon Award for their outstanding career achievement in songwriting. In April 2014, Hall & Oates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Since embarking on a long awaited solo career in 1999, John has recorded six solo albums: Phunk Shui, 100 Miles of Life, Mississippi Mile, a live album called The Bluesville Sessions, and Good Road To Follow, (which featured collaborations with Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Vince Gill, Nathan Chapman, Jim Lauderdale, and Jerry Douglas).

In January 2015 John released Another Good Road (Warner/Elektra), a DVD docu-concert that premiered on Palladia Music Channel. Recorded live in a Nashville studio in one session, the video featured some of Music City’s finest musicians and singers as well as rare, seldom seen footage of John’s family ranch in Colorado; a glimpse into his world behind the music.

John is a diverse musician and songwriter active in Nashville community and beyond. Founded in 2010, he was the creator and executive producer for the “7908 the Aspen Songwriters Festival” at the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. In 2013, John teamed up with Jim James (My Morning Jacket) to curate the Bonnaroo Super Jam with special guests Britney Howard, Billy Idol, R. Kelly, Larry Graham and the Preservation Hall Jazz band.

In April 2017 John released his memoir “Change of Seasons“ co-written with Chris Epting and published by St. Martin’s Press. The acclaimed title was an Amazon best seller and has been received with both outstanding critical and fan reviews. After completing an extensive book promotion tour in the spring of 2017, Oates resumed work on an important music project that represents the next exciting phase in his burgeoning solo roots music career. The paperback version with added content will be released May of 2018.

John’s most recent record album: Arkansas was released in February 2018 on Thirty Tigers/PS Records. Originally inspired by the music and legacy of the legendary Mississippi John Hurt, the project expanded to encompass other artists and styles that represent the dawn of American popular music from the early 1920s and 30s. Assembling an band of all star Nashville musicians, Oates shines a light on music from America’s past long before the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Fresh interpretations include the Emmett Miller classic “Anytime” from 1924 as well as the Jimmie Rodgers tune, “Miss the Mississippi and You,” from 1932. Reimagined traditional Delta, country blues and ragtime selections salute legendary artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Blake.

The title track “Arkansas” and “Dig Back Deep” both John Oates original compositions, blend seamlessly with the traditional roots material. Taken together, this record becomes a retrospective of American popular song from the early 1920s to 30s. When asked to describe the sound ,John says, “It’s like Dixieland, dipped in bluegrass, and salted with Delta blues.” This album has opened a path for Oates to rediscover his earliest influences.

JOHN OATES & THE GOOD ROAD BAND “ LIVE IN NASHVILLE “

John went on the road with the “ Good Road Band “ the very same musicians that played on the album and developed a critically acclaimed show which he captured during a live performance at the legendary Station Inn in Nashville in June of 2020. The recording, to be released in September 2020 displays the amazing talent of these world class players and captures the energy of not only the music of “Arkansas” but introduces new original songs as well. “ This is the culmination of two years of touring and you can hear the players interacting and working together in a way that is astounding. “

Over the years John has also been involved in motorsports as an amateur and professional racing driver and continues his passion for all things automotive with his involvement with many high end events such as Porsche’s 70th. Anniversary at PEC Atlanta, being a judge at the prestigious Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance and as well as Werkes Reunion in Monterey California. His personal award winning car collection has garnered international publicity and he has been a sought after guest on numerous TV and Internet shows.

John continues to tour around the world with Daryl Hall, performs at high end corporate events as both a musician and public speaker. He is also continuing work on film and video projects as well as writing and producing new artists. John and his wife Aimee reside in Nashville, Tennessee and Aspen Colorado.

I just love it when we can all get together and play Pandemic: The Home Game. It can be a riot.

I don’t know about you guys but I grew up playing board games. Twister, Operation, Mouse Trap. 

Monopoly where you crush your opponents by charging them rent, jacking up their utility bills and gouge them for riding your obsolete train. And, you can bribe your way out of jail.

Are you still with me kids?

The Game of Life 2020. I like this one a lot. You can use any of nine different colored pegs, or combinations, to represent your gender. Twenty-six dollars. Available from Hasbro.

The new Clue, called Getta Clue. We call it news and we play it everyday. Mr. Mustard in the office with the Tweet.

Candy Land comes with dental floss; Scrabble, the dirty word version; and Pictionary Porn.

But here on the Better Each Day podcast we insist on keeping things clean. Way back in the sixties my brother Gary got a board game called Mystic Skull for Christmas. We were kids. We decided it was way too lame to play so it sat on the shelf for years until one day I was drinking my dad’s scotch (a few years had gone by) and used the instructions to write these song lyrics. 

It was the first time I’ve ever read instructions, for anything, so I was amazed at the scope of terminology they used to make some game designer’s LSD trip into a children’s game. Things like witch doctor, hex, shrunken head and great beyond.

This is another one of those lost recordings from decades ago that just recently resurfaced via the recording engineer and backing vocalist, brother Gary Hilliard. I hope you enjoy this. The song: Voodoo Dolly.

Thank you so much for listening and don’t be sticking pins in your neighbor’s dolly. Take care of yourself, take care of others and make it a good day.

Atrophy is cousins with quarantine. I made a concerted effort to workout for the four months the gym was closed. But it’s just not the same. During the lockdown I was able to run and use my dumbbells. Abs, pushups...all good. But I couldn’t find anything to chin myself on. The local playground had caution tape all over the jungle gym so I avoided getting arrested for illegal chinning. You tune into the 5:00 news to hear: The COVID pandemic was created by Stephen King, the statue of Rocky Balboa gets knocked out and a Mukilteo man was found dangling from local grade school monkey bars despite yellow tape warnings.

Consequently, where I used to be able to do fifteen pull-ups, today I did three and a half.

It has been a productive time for writing, recording and listening to everyone else doing the same. In addition to the five song EP and the “Like a Rolling Stone” cover I released in the past month and a half, I added two more songs. Both have been played on prior episodes but they have since been remixed and shined up to sound like the big guns.

First on the turntable is a song I wrote during month two of quarantine. Since we were instructed to stay home, wear a mask and don’t attend public gatherings unless it's in the Machiavellian interest of a politician needing votes no matter the cost of life, I wrote this tune about getting in your car with a full tank of gas, and taking a drive. “Looking for my freedom on a two buck radio.” With plenty of 12-string jangle, here’s “I’m going home.”

Havilah began her music career at the age of 6 when she began composing songs on an old piano given to her family by some friends. Heavily influenced early on by James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Rolling Stones, The Police and a wide range of other styles, Havilah's songs immediately took on an identity of their own. Havilah's soulful and passionate vocal style would lead her to Interlochen Arts Academy and then on to Manhattan School of Music where she would train formally in both jazz and classical technique. Songwriting remained her true love and she soon left New York City for Seattle where she fronted pop-rock band Wish before picking up the guitar and moving on to a solo career of touring and recording. Havilah's first three albums were recorded in the Pacific Northwest where she fell into a tight knit community of artists and musicians. After a years of touring regionally and nationally for over a decade, Havilah moved to Europe in 2006 where she was warmly welcomed in Ireland, the UK and Mediterranean. She departed Barcelona wistfully in 2007 to relocate to the Live Music Capital of the World Austin, TX where she now lives. She has earned herself a steady audience and a respected name in a town where the caliber of musicianship is nothing less than stellar. "A High Wave" is a compilation of original songs inspired by a life of walking the road less traveled and expressing the deepest of thought and emotion through music.

Born on December 25, 1949 in San Francisco, at age 14, he took up the guitar. Just two years later, he was a known quantity on the Bay Area music scene, playing blues with an occasional foray into psychedelic rock. For a while, he roomed with Mike Bloomfield, who introduced him to Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead. Walker even made a brief pilgrimage to Chicago to check out the blues scene there.

Blues Comin' On features some of the best players in the business is worthy of serious attention.

Jaime says the most important thing we can learn is that being kind doesn’t have to be about making grand gestures, or spending a lot of money or setting up your own charity--that’s not what changes the world. Doing something, no matter how small, to help another human being is what makes big changes.

In her book Kindness: The Little Thing that Matters Most she shares 52 ideas, one for every week of the year, for sharing more kindness, because, she says, kindness is essential for our collective well-being. To me? Practicing being good at anything requires repetition, like strengthening a muscle or in this case, a mindset. And kindness actually breeds kindness.

52 Lives aims to change someone's life every week of the year. It is based on the simple premise that people are good, and lots of good people working together can achieve amazing things. We believe that kindness has the power to change people's lives, strengthen communities and ultimately change the world.

People from all over the world can nominate someone in need of kindness. Every week we choose someone to help, share their story, request what they need and help to change their life.

One of the things that makes 52 Lives unique is that 100% of what people give goes to the person we are helping each week. Not a penny goes to 52 Lives.

52 Lives is supported by almost 100,000 kind strangers and a range of high profile individuals who help us to change lives every single week. We have received an Award from the UK Prime Minister, and our work is currently being promoted by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

I will take a second to plug my music on Spotify though. It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, or any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

And music is what we do. I have a new song to share with you today. So, before we get started, let me take a moment to introduce you to the main guitars I use. First there’s the Ibanez bass. Followed by the Gibson S-1, and the Tacoma acoustic 6-string. There’s a Les Paul hanging on the wall with an Ovation Pacemaker acoustic electric 12-string. They’re having a time out because they were caught looting. But the guitar you hear in most of my songs is the one made famous by the Beatles, the Byrds’ Roger McGuinn and maybe Tom Petty. It sounds like the intro to the Byrds version of Mr. Tambourine Man. Mr. Tambourine Man. I know him as Mr. T., Mr. Coffee’s neighbor.

In a previous episode I played what I had down for this song. Here’s the latest version I just now mixed. The song is about a road trip with your sweetie on a hot summer day and driving into the night. The driver, whoever he is, is assuring you that we’re going home. Actually, he doesn’t know where the hell he’s going but he knows it’s going to be an adventure. One of those spur of the moment road trips you take when you’re young and immortal.

Never before heard by human ears, a herd of Bruce’s singing and playing, and with this show it’s officially copyrighted, here’s I’m Going Home. (Lyrics below.)

And one off my recently released EP, a song about my hometown Aberdeen, it’s called Endless Rain.

One more and I’m off to the Saturday night dance at the Harborena in Hoquiam WA. All dressed up and nowhere to go because your Momma Won’t Let You Go girl!

Thanks for listening. This is 137 pounds of wild meat Bruce Hilliard, until next time, be safe and happy. Good times are ahead and it gets better each day.

I'm Going Home

Out on the highway running away 

Living the day I don’t care what they say 

The window’s down got a song in my head

And I’m running with the wind for a better day

And I’m running with the wind for a better way

Now I'm looking for my freedom 

On a two buck...]]>We published a show everyday for about two months and took a few days off while we watched the inevitable happen. You all have been sacked by the media if not actually in the demonstrations. This is not a politically charged show. I have my personal beliefs regarding politics and religion. There is much room for improvement to advance beyond the dark ages.

I will take a second to plug my music on Spotify though. It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, or any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

And music is what we do. I have a new song to share with you today. So, before we get started, let me take a moment to introduce you to the main guitars I use. First there’s the Ibanez bass. Followed by the Gibson S-1, and the Tacoma acoustic 6-string. There’s a Les Paul hanging on the wall with an Ovation Pacemaker acoustic electric 12-string. They’re having a time out because they were caught looting. But the guitar you hear in most of my songs is the one made famous by the Beatles, the Byrds’ Roger McGuinn and maybe Tom Petty. It sounds like the intro to the Byrds version of Mr. Tambourine Man. Mr. Tambourine Man. I know him as Mr. T., Mr. Coffee’s neighbor.

In a previous episode I played what I had down for this song. Here’s the latest version I just now mixed. The song is about a road trip with your sweetie on a hot summer day and driving into the night. The driver, whoever he is, is assuring you that we’re going home. Actually, he doesn’t know where the hell he’s going but he knows it’s going to be an adventure. One of those spur of the moment road trips you take when you’re young and immortal.

Never before heard by human ears, a herd of Bruce’s singing and playing, and with this show it’s officially copyrighted, here’s I’m Going Home. (Lyrics below.)

And one off my recently released EP, a song about my hometown Aberdeen, it’s called Endless Rain.

One more and I’m off to the Saturday night dance at the Harborena in Hoquiam WA. All dressed up and nowhere to go because your Momma Won’t Let You Go girl!

Thanks for listening. This is 137 pounds of wild meat Bruce Hilliard, until next time, be safe and happy. Good times are ahead and it gets better each day.

I'm Going Home

Out on the highway running away 

Living the day I don’t care what they say 

The window’s down got a song in my head

And I’m running with the wind for a better day

And I’m running with the wind for a better way

Now I'm looking for my freedom 

On a two buck radio

And I'm driving on down this Ocean Road 

And I'm going home, yeah I'm going home

Out on the highway driving all day (into the cool of the night)

Now I’ve got a feeling like falling in love (you in the dashboard light)

Under the stars a billion miles away

And now we’re running with the wind got no piper to pay

Yeah, we’re running with the wind to a better day

So if you ask me where I’m going

And you’re thinking about hitching a ride

Climb aboard my friend, you’ll never be alone

And I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

Do you feel like a million dollars

Do you feel like taking a chance

It’s not on a map, only a poet would know

That I’m going home, yeah I’m going home

Ah, I’m going home

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

It’s been a while since I did an episode that doesn’t feature a guest or a topic that’s not about me. But there comes a time when I’m left with little choice but to answer a few questions and I talk about myself.

Arrogant and self indulgent, maybe so. But anytime you talk about yourself you run the risk of sounding like “look at me I’m wonderful”--especially when it's a show thousands of people hear. 

If you want lockdown news, don’t come here. I’ll leave that up to someone else. But if you want to know how my EP is doing? It’s been everything I expected and more.

And, really it’s encouraged me to proceed with more music. I have several songs to follow up. Last week I published my first cover, Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. My dream is that Bob is out there quarantined in a beautiful home, rolling a doobie, all happy and listening to this song and thinking: Bruce Hilliard? He must be the guy I was thinking when I wrote “when ya got nothin’, ya got nothin’ to lose.”

I did the song, really as a spoof. I think Bob Dylan has a sense of humor he doesn’t let on to.

There's a super cool movie available on Netflix called Echo in the Canyon. This movie is appropriate on so many levels. The fact it’s hosted by Bob Dylan’s son Jakob adds to the mix. Echo in the Canyon. That would be Laurel Canyon, CA. It’s located in the Hollywood Hills region in Los Angeles. It was a hot spot for some of the best music to come out of the 60s, some of the best music ever.

It’s a look at how musical groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas & the Papas gave birth to the beginnings of the Laurel Canyon music scene and how their songs echoed across the world. The movie also has Tom Petty’s last interview. 

It inspired me to break out the 12-string Rickenbacker and throw this new original together. No words yet, just guitars and drums.

The song is incomplete but you get the idea. I’ll work on it and get back to you. But for now, if you get the chance, please go to Spotify and visit my site and bless my new EP Pawn Shop Boulevard.We all have a great big happy decade ahead of us. Let’s get er goin’. Hi, I’m Bruce Hilliard and this is comedians in cars getting coffee. In the immortal words of the Grateful Dead:

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

It’s been a while since I did an episode that doesn’t feature a guest or a topic that’s not about me. But there comes a time when I’m left with little choice but to answer a few questions and I talk about myself.

Arrogant and self indulgent, maybe so. But anytime you talk about yourself you run the risk of sounding like “look at me I’m wonderful”--especially when it's a show thousands of people hear. 

If you want lockdown news, don’t come here. I’ll leave that up to someone else. But if you want to know how my EP is doing? It’s been everything I expected and more.

And, really it’s encouraged me to proceed with more music. I have several songs to follow up. Last week I published my first cover, Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. My dream is that Bob is out there quarantined in a beautiful home, rolling a doobie, all happy and listening to this song and thinking: Bruce Hilliard? He must be the guy I was thinking when I wrote “when ya got nothin’, ya got nothin’ to lose.”

I did the song, really as a spoof. I think Bob Dylan has a sense of humor he doesn’t let on to.

There's a super cool movie available on Netflix called Echo in the Canyon. This movie is appropriate on so many levels. The fact it’s hosted by Bob Dylan’s son Jakob adds to the mix. Echo in the Canyon. That would be Laurel Canyon, CA. It’s located in the Hollywood Hills region in Los Angeles. It was a hot spot for some of the best music to come out of the 60s, some of the best music ever.

It’s a look at how musical groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas & the Papas gave birth to the beginnings of the Laurel Canyon music scene and how their songs echoed across the world. The movie also has Tom Petty’s last interview. 

It inspired me to break out the 12-string Rickenbacker and throw this new original together. No words yet, just guitars and drums.

The song is incomplete but you get the idea. I’ll work on it and get back to you. But for now, if you get the chance, please go to Spotify and visit my site and bless my new EP Pawn Shop Boulevard.

It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, or any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

I have a surprise guest coming up. Until next time, stay cool and let’s put this virus to rest, hop on a moped and go to the beach!

As a child I had no interest in singing at all. I even hated it. Besides I was very bad at it in a music school choir and wasn’t allowed to sing at concerts.

Later on I noticed this: when I sing, it’s a magical moment for me. I’m like in a wonderland. My body rejoices because it can produce these voice sounds. I feel like I’m in in the right place and that I do what I’m meant to do.

Inspiration

In 2000, when I was 15, there was a hit by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias – “Could I have this kiss forever”. My mom liked this song very much. So for her I bought a Whitney Houston CD with this song on it.

I listened to the CD a lot more often than my mom. Whitney’s distinctive voice, it’s flow and spectacular power fascinated me. The music was so enchanting, and I sang along!!! My favourites were “The greatest love of all”, “One moment in time” and “Saving all my love for you”. It was clear to me: I want to sing this kind of music.

At the age of 16 I sang in a choir at the university in Novosibirsk where I studied economics. I volunteered as an alto voice. At that time I didn’t believe that I could ever produce high notes as I do now.

After that I took classical singing lessons for several years, and they helped me a lot to develop a good singing technique. Still it’s the soul music that makes my heart sing and my body vibrate and where I feel myself in a right place.

In 2006, when I had a business internship in Toulouse, France, I got acquainted with the jazz and soul music – thanks to Carine, my singing teacher there. There was a CD library there, and I was its frequent visitor. I got to know music of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billy Holiday, Nat King Kole, Lisa Ekdahl, Diana Krall.

But the singer who delighted me most of all was Aretha Franklin. She is still the best role model for me and whose music I listen regularly. She has songs that I heard thousands of times and I still can’t get enough of them. I also sing some of them.

What I’m doing now

Until recently, I only sang cover songs. I performed at concerts, sang at jazz jam sessions and recorded songs. Some of my favourites are “Angel” and “Never let me go” by Aretha Franklin, “Imagine”, “You make me feel brand new”, “My way”, “Moon River”.

Although I like these songs very much, I always wanted to sing something of my own. But I didn’t dare to write. I didn’t even try because I was sure I wouldn’t be able to do it.

Two years ago, after the birth of my third child, I suddenly had a sequence of two chords in my head, then a melody. Thus, I already had two bars. And step by step I wrote three songs. “My Path” and “Child in me” are written in English, “Я как цветок (I’m like a flower)” – in Russian.

These three songs together with two covers are part of my EP (mini album) “Child in Me” that was released on streaming platforms on May 15th 2020. In all the recordings I also play the piano, the bass on a midi keyboard and the flute.

Besides the music I’m interested in personal development, psychology and child education (I have three children of eight, five and two years old). The knowledge in these areas helps me immensely in my development as a singer.

Through online courses I also learn how to run a business. I use these skills in my work as a musician and help my husband Hi, I’m Victoria Lye. This is how you pronounce my name: |laɪ|. Coming from Novosibirsk, Siberia, I live in Germany since the age of 18.

As a child I had no interest in singing at all. I even hated it. Besides I was very bad at it in a music school choir and wasn’t allowed to sing at concerts.

Later on I noticed this: when I sing, it’s a magical moment for me. I’m like in a wonderland. My body rejoices because it can produce these voice sounds. I feel like I’m in in the right place and that I do what I’m meant to do.

Inspiration

In 2000, when I was 15, there was a hit by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias – “Could I have this kiss forever”. My mom liked this song very much. So for her I bought a Whitney Houston CD with this song on it.

I listened to the CD a lot more often than my mom. Whitney’s distinctive voice, it’s flow and spectacular power fascinated me. The music was so enchanting, and I sang along!!! My favourites were “The greatest love of all”, “One moment in time” and “Saving all my love for you”. It was clear to me: I want to sing this kind of music.

At the age of 16 I sang in a choir at the university in Novosibirsk where I studied economics. I volunteered as an alto voice. At that time I didn’t believe that I could ever produce high notes as I do now.

After that I took classical singing lessons for several years, and they helped me a lot to develop a good singing technique. Still it’s the soul music that makes my heart sing and my body vibrate and where I feel myself in a right place.

In 2006, when I had a business internship in Toulouse, France, I got acquainted with the jazz and soul music – thanks to Carine, my singing teacher there. There was a CD library there, and I was its frequent visitor. I got to know music of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billy Holiday, Nat King Kole, Lisa Ekdahl, Diana Krall.

But the singer who delighted me most of all was Aretha Franklin. She is still the best role model for me and whose music I listen regularly. She has songs that I heard thousands of times and I still can’t get enough of them. I also sing some of them.

What I’m doing now

Until recently, I only sang cover songs. I performed at concerts, sang at jazz jam sessions and recorded songs. Some of my favourites are “Angel” and “Never let me go” by Aretha Franklin, “Imagine”, “You make me feel brand new”, “My way”, “Moon River”.

Although I like these songs very much, I always wanted to sing something of my own. But I didn’t dare to write. I didn’t even try because I was sure I wouldn’t be able to do it.

Two years ago, after the birth of my third child, I suddenly had a sequence of two chords in my head, then a melody. Thus, I already had two bars. And step by step I wrote three songs. “My Path” and “Child in me” are written in English, “Я как цветок (I’m like a flower)” – in Russian.

These three songs together with two covers are part of my EP (mini album) “Child in Me” that was released on streaming platforms on May 15th 2020. In all the recordings I also play the piano, the bass on a midi keyboard and the flute.

Besides the music I’m interested in personal development, psychology and child education (I have three children of eight, five and two years old). The knowledge in these areas helps me immensely in my development as a singer.

Through online courses I also learn how to run a business. I use these skills in my work as a musician and help my husband Christian Lye to build up his beekeeping business.

For the last eleven years I’ve been working in sales at the software company Adobe.

Thanks for reading this until the end. I’d be happy to stay in touch with you. The best way to do it is via Email. You’ll get my new music and live dates and will learn more about my work on the EP (mini album). And: you’ll have an opportunity to tell me more about you and give me your feedback.

Plus, you’ll get

• a 5-minutes audio “5 tips for improving your skill with little time“ where I share tools that helped me become a singer along with having another job and a family

and

• a video of me singing the song “Evergreen” from the film “A Star is Born” (1976). The video is not available anywhere else.

Thank you so much for your interest!

With love,

Victoria Lye

Michael’s first love, however, has always been country and western and Michael is a member of The Country Music Association, The Americana Music Association, The International Singer-Songwriter’s Association, The Inspirational Country Music Association and Nashville Songwriter’s Association International.

What To Do: Make a Video with Your Message

• Listen to "River Rock", and learn the lyrics to the chorus (HERE).
• Create a video of YOU:

1. Tell us who you are, and share why you're raising your voice (your message of equality, justice, or voting rights): "Hi, my name is___ and I'm singing for___"
2. Play this MP3 of the song (that begins just before the 2nd chorus) on a device other than the one you're using to record.
3. Sing (or lip synch or just speak the words) along with the choir from the 2nd chorus through to the end. Don’t worry about the audio quality, we'll just use the visual part of your recording to bring the song to life. Your energy, enthusiasm, and message (see above) is what we want to add to this project.

• Fill out this simple form and upload your video (HERE) by MAY 20th.
• Raise your voice with women+ around the world - unite, inspire change, and nourish one another!!

The River Rock Link

Spotify

Appice is also the brainchild behind the Guitar Zeus album series featuring a list of notable musicians you have to hear to believe.

Welcome to the Better Each Day Podcast Radio Show. I’m Bruce Hilliard and I’d like to take a second to remind you that today is the official release of my new EP Pawn Shop Boulevard. 

You’re hearing the song Hold On is the background. The additional four songs are available to add to your playlists on about 20 different streaming platforms. I always refer people to Spotify because that’s the biggie.

It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

Today’s guest is one of the most famous drummers of all time. He’s a teacher, a session player and known by probably more boomer recording artists than any other.He’s played with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Brian May of Queen, and was the drummer for Vanilla Fudge.

Please welcome the great Carmine Appice.

You’re hearing the song Hold On is the background. The additional four songs are available to add to your playlists on about 20 different streaming platforms. I always refer people to Spotify because that’s the biggie.

It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

Today’s guest is one of the most famous drummers of all time. He’s a teacher, a session player and known by probably more boomer recording artists than any other.

He’s played with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Brian May of Queen, and was the drummer for Vanilla Fudge.

Please welcome the great Carmine Appice.

Carmine Appice (born December 15, 1946) is an American drummer and percussionist most commonly associated with the rock genre of music. He has received classical music training, and was influenced early-on by the work of jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Welcome to the Better Each Day Podcast Radio Show. I’m Bruce Hilliard and I’d like to take a second to remind you that today is the official release of my new EP Pawn Shop Boulevard.

You’re hearing the song Hold On is the background. The additional four songs are available to add to your playlists on about 20 different streaming platforms. I always refer people to Spotify because that’s the biggie.

It's free and easy. By going to Spotify and playing the songs, saving them to a playlist, or sharing, any kind of traffic will let them know we're serious about quality music.

Today’s guest is one of the most famous drummers of all time. He’s a teacher, a session player and known by probably more boomer recording artists than any other.

He’s played with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Brian May of Queen, and was the drummer for Vanilla Fudge.

Please welcome the great Carmine Appice.

Carmine Appice (born December 15, 1946) is an American drummer and percussionist most commonly associated with the rock genre of music. He has received classical music training, and was influenced early-on by the work of jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder, which also featured John Sykes, of Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy fame, and Tony Franklin of The Firm. Appice was inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014.

He is credited with influencing later rock drummers including Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain, Aerosmith's Joey Kramer, Roger Taylor of Queen, Phil Collins of Genesis, Rush's Neil Peart, Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee, Slayer's Dave Lombardo, Richard Christy, Chris Grainger, David Kinkade, Ray Mehlbaum, Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Ian Paice of Deep Purple, Anvil's Robb Reiner and Eric Singer of Kiss.

His best-selling drum instruction book The Realistic Rock Drum Method was first published in 1972 and has since been revised and republished as The Ultimate Realistic Rock Drum Method. It covers the basic subjects of rock rhythms and polyrhythms, linear rudiments and groupings, shuffle rhythms, hi-hat and double bass drum exercises.

Bruce Hilliard’s Spotify Site

She was also a project consultant/liner note writer for Nirvana's box set "With The Lights Out." She has written for numerous magazines, including Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Goldmine, The Seattle Times, The Stranger, Option, and No Depression, and was a senior editor at Seattle music paper The Rocket.

She has also written liner notes for collections by Laurie Anderson, Judy Collins, Heart, Pat Benatar, Paula Cole and Mat Kearney, among others.

He was the drummer of the band that had a hit with You Keep Me Hangin’ On, and he wasn’t in the Supremes. We’ll be talking with him about working with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Vanilla Fudge coming up soon.

In case you haven’t figured it out, and you’re not up on your drummers, it’s the great Carmine Appice.

But in this episode I’ll throw in a plug in for my Friday May 15th Pawn Shop Boulevard EP release. I’ve played little Whitman samplers of some of the songs and the consensus is I sound like Bob Dylan. Like Bob when he started to go electric and pissed everyone off.

I admit I’ve been a little defiant through the years. No animals were harmed. So let’s talk Bob for a minute.

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist who has been a major figure in popular culture for more than 50 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied pop music conventions and appealed to the rising counterculture.

Commenting on the six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965), Rolling Stone wrote: "No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time."

Some say when the Bryds covered Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965, another Dylan song, that’s when acoustic folk met electric and gave birth to folk rock. The jury is out on that but that’s probably the best description of how it came about.

So here goes, a Bob Dylan song. I chose one of his iconic ones, Like a Rolling Stone. It was originally recorded in 1965 and featured a whole bunch of studio musicians including Al Kooper. Kooper, now 76, was actually a 21-year-old studio guitar player at the time. He later went on to organize Blood Sweat and Tears, played French horn on You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones and played sessions with everyone and their dog including Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and the list is more insanely long than we have time for. 

Oh and he was also manager and producer of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Here's what he had to say about the Like a Rolling Stone session. 

So, the B-3 organ lick he played, well I play it on a 12-string Rickenbacker.

This is a fun song to sing. I do my Dylan parody but I can’t hear the song any other way. 

I heard the song for years before I really listened to the lyrics. He’s talking to a debutante wannabe that’s gone from riches to...]]>Welcome to the Better Each Day Podcast Radio Show. I’m still Bruce Hilliard and I’m still waiting to be set free. Set me free, why don’t you babe. That’s a clue for the next guest. I’m meeting with him tomorrow but the episode won’t air for a few more days.

He was the drummer of the band that had a hit with You Keep Me Hangin’ On, and he wasn’t in the Supremes. We’ll be talking with him about working with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Vanilla Fudge coming up soon.

In case you haven’t figured it out, and you’re not up on your drummers, it’s the great Carmine Appice.

But in this episode I’ll throw in a plug in for my Friday May 15th Pawn Shop Boulevard EP release. I’ve played little Whitman samplers of some of the songs and the consensus is I sound like Bob Dylan. Like Bob when he started to go electric and pissed everyone off.

I admit I’ve been a little defiant through the years. No animals were harmed. So let’s talk Bob for a minute.

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist who has been a major figure in popular culture for more than 50 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied pop music conventions and appealed to the rising counterculture.

Commenting on the six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965), Rolling Stone wrote: "No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time."

Some say when the Bryds covered Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965, another Dylan song, that’s when acoustic folk met electric and gave birth to folk rock. The jury is out on that but that’s probably the best description of how it came about.

So here goes, a Bob Dylan song. I chose one of his iconic ones, Like a Rolling Stone. It was originally recorded in 1965 and featured a whole bunch of studio musicians including Al Kooper. Kooper, now 76, was actually a 21-year-old studio guitar player at the time. He later went on to organize Blood Sweat and Tears, played French horn on You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones and played sessions with everyone and their dog including Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and the list is more insanely long than we have time for. 

Oh and he was also manager and producer of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Here's what he had to say about the Like a Rolling Stone session. 

So, the B-3 organ lick he played, well I play it on a 12-string Rickenbacker.

This is a fun song to sing. I do my Dylan parody but I can’t hear the song any other way. 

I heard the song for years before I really listened to the lyrics. He’s talking to a debutante wannabe that’s gone from riches to rags. 

“You've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely

But you know you only used to get juiced in it

Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street

And now you're gonna have to get used to it”

She’s broke and she ain’t diggin’ it.

So, my apologies to Bob Dylan purests. I’m thinking about releasing it as a single and maybe Mr. Dylan will hear it and have a laugh.