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It's been five days since we lost Dolly Parton and the tributes and love for her has been overwhelming.  At Walmart I bought pink balloons for a tribute at South Main Sounds and everyone I mentioned her to had the same thoughtful response.  Musicians of all genres posted on social media and the admiration was universal. I never met Dolly but always respected what she stood for, and the list, while simple, is quite expansive.  CBS This Morning aired a beautiful tribute highlighting her life and career.

To me, Dolly represented the woman who never let anything stop her.  She was a performer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist and role model to all of us.  She was at once larger than life yet down to earth.  She believed in God, Family and Country yet never preached about it.  She wrote somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 songs and had some of the biggest hits of all time.  She came from dirt-poor roots to build an empire in East Tennessee and beyond. She brought us together in life and she doubled down on that in passing.

My hope is that we don't forget the love we've shared, the songs we've sung and the tears we've shed in Dolly's honor.  May her life and persona be a beacon of light as we navigate a sometimes challenging existence.  Let's not forget that there is always a dream to chase, a road to travel, a smile to share.  What would Dolly Do?  She'd just “get ‘er done”, no matter what it took or what obstacles we’re faced with.  Shine on Country Girl, we will always love you.

Can't believe it's been over three months since my last blog attempt.  It's been very busy and I've been scatter-brained working on a quasi-festival that commenced last weekend.   For the first time around it was fine.  South Main garnered quite a bit of press including multiple newspaper articles, TV segments and a concerted marketing effort from Downtown Memphis Commission and others.  Thank you for you support!

Coming up for air can be fleeting but it's time to prepare for Shannon McNally who plays here tomorrow night (June 20) at 7PM.  for more info on this amazing American Artist go to shannonmcnally.com.  You can purchase tickets by going to “shows” on this site.  There we are, getting sidetracked in the name of promotion, but that is truly my passion.  Whether it's for one of the 32 shows we have booked at various places in June or with our Music Menu promoting others, that's the sweet spot for me.  Almost daily I feel the need to reinvent myself when the future lies in what we've already done and continue to do.  

It won't hurt to slow it down a little bit and South Main Sounds often feels like an unnecessary expense. That is until you have a spirited discussion with visitors about The Arcade(Breakfast), Blues City Cafe(Ribs), The Peabody Ducks, STAX and even the Cattle Drive and Hotel Drover in Ft. Worth.  It's not much past 11AM and I've already shed tears talking to the Aunt of a St. Jude Patient who's prognosis doesn't appear to be good.  I found an extra Pocket Jesus that I donated to the cause and have hopes that the Young Lady in question pulls thru.  Though unnamed to me, she was described as a “spicy one” which had the two young kids in tow repeating that description over and over on their way out.

I've not decided on what the future holds but for now, we'll stay the course and do what we do best…promote things, consistently without being obnoxious.  If it ever becomes too much, I won't take offense to someone pointing that out.  I may not change anything, but at least I'll know.  That's it for now, I've gotta go get an enchirito at Taco Bell and Beer for our show tomorrow.

3 Chords and The Truth,

-MP

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Kacey Musgraves, considering myself my friend Ashlee Jean and I to be OG fans in fact.  In September of 2014 I had just quit my job at the cable station in Jackson, TN and I had big plans.  The First of which was to reconnect with my family in Vermont for the Grand Pointe North Festival September 13-14.  This would prove to be an amazing trip, the festival was hosted by Grace Potter and I met her Dad Sparky, who had a connection with my Nephew Chris in Stowe.  But back to our regularly scheduled story.

Somehow I won a meet-n greet from Lightening 100 in Nashville to meet Kacey in Chicago at the Riviera Theatre September 27th.  I boarded a train at Central Station in Memphis and took the trip up to meet my friend Ashlee who was coming from Quad Cities.  Of course, we had a wonderful time and Kacey was an absolute Doll.  We got our pictures taken, a signed poster and honestly, the memory of a lifetime.  Ashlee and I still talk about doing that all over again soon.  Of course, Kacey has become bigger, the venues more expansive and after three more studio albums, her music is as enjoyable, unpredictable and at times bewildering as ever.  

Earlier this week I saw the teaser for “Dry Spell” and had no idea what to expect.  After I read in the comments on social media that some big-name artists had called the number, I figured it wasn’t a scam and Kacey was up to something new.  I’m not going to spoil it for you but the response harkened back to a time when you called a dedicated number in your city to get the correct time.  In Memphis it was apparently, Jam-Jam-1 and in Flint, where I grew up with it was 313-234-1212, but that’s not the point.  Kacey had used an old-school, retro concept to promote her new song, and I was fascinated.  Today, I watched the video for “Dry Spell” and although the message seems overt and to the point(I’ll let you judge for yourself), it left me thinking that their was more to it than that.  

Well, it’s time to get my socks out of the dryer and get some real work done.  I’ll leave you with the photo so you can call the number, watch the video and see what you think. We’ll continue this blog until we figure it all out. Carry on my friends, the dime-store Cowgirl is at it again!