(audience cheers and applauds) We started the "Jamey Johnson Musical Artist" series, and we're all here tonight to find out what in the hell that means.

(audience laughs) The idea is to create an atmosphere where we help the youngsters from today find their way to tomorrow.

(audience cheers and applauds) Y'all have to forgive me, I haven't done a show in so long.

-I forgot how (chuckles).

-(audience chuckles) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) ♪ I was just a normal guy ♪ ♪ Life was just a nine to five ♪ ♪ With bills and pressure piled-up to the sky ♪ ♪ She never asked ♪ ♪ She knew I'd been ♪ ♪ Hangin' with my wilder friends ♪ ♪ Lookin' for some other way to fly ♪ ♪ Three days straight was no big feat ♪ ♪ To get by on no food or sleep ♪ ♪ And crazy was becoming my new normal ♪ ♪ I'd pass out on the bedroom floor ♪ ♪ Sleep right through the calm before the storm ♪ ♪ My life was just an old routine ♪ ♪ Every day the same damn thing ♪ ♪ I couldn't even tell I was alive ♪ ♪ The high cost of livin' ♪ ♪ Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high ♪ ♪ That southern Baptist parking lot ♪ ♪ Was where I'd go to smoke my pot ♪ ♪ And sit there in my pickup truck and pray ♪ ♪ And starin' at that giant cross ♪ ♪ Just reminded me that I was lost ♪ ♪ It just never seemed to point the way ♪ ♪ As soon as Jesus turned his back ♪ ♪ I'd found my way across the track ♪ ♪ Lookin' just to score another deal ♪ ♪ With my back against that damn eight ball ♪ ♪ I didn't have to think or talk or feel ♪ ♪ My life was just an old routine ♪ ♪ Every day the same damn thing ♪ ♪ Hell I can't even tell I was alive ♪ ♪ And I tell you the high cost of livin' ♪ ♪ Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high ♪ (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) ♪ My whole life went through my head ♪ ♪ Layin' in that motel bed ♪ ♪ Watchin' as the cops kicked in the door ♪ ♪ I had a job and a piece of land ♪ ♪ My sweet wife was my best friend ♪ ♪ But I traded that for cocaine and a whore ♪ ♪ With my new found sobriety ♪ ♪ I've got the time to sit and think ♪ ♪ Of all the things I had and threw away ♪ ♪ This prison is much colder ♪ ♪ Than that one that I was locked-up in just yesterday ♪ ♪ My life is just an old routine ♪ ♪ Every day the same damn thing ♪ ♪ Hell I can't even tell I was alive ♪ ♪ I tell you ♪ ♪ The high cost of livin' ♪ ♪ Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high ♪ ♪ The high cost of livin' ♪ ♪ Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

This next fellow, well, we go back a good ways, probably about 25 years or so up in Nashville.

He's a hell of a songwriter, hell of a friend, and I just found out today he runs eight businesses.

-Yeah, I don't, nah.

-(audience laughs) And he's written some fantastic songs, and I'm sure y'all are gonna know some of these before the night's over with.

Would y'all give a big hand for my buddy from Cross City Florida, Rob Hatch.

(audience cheers and applauds) Now, is Big Al's one of your businesses?

You know what, I've tried to buy Big Al's, and he wouldn't have any part of it.

He said I'd just eat all the profits.

(audience laughs) Rob is in my opinion, a world class chef.

He can make a steak cry on your plate, man.

(audience laughs) (gentle guitar music) So I don't know if you've ever been to a songwriter show before.

You've got two legends out here tonight, so yeah.

(audience laughs) (audience cheers and applauds) Give 'em a round of applause, come on (chuckles).

So basically, we make it up for a living, (audience laughs) mainly 'cause we're not that capable of doing other things.

A lot of times, we sit around in a room with two or three other people with guitars or pianos and we try to think of something to write about.

When we come up with something decent, we go and do what's called a demo or a demonstration song.

We go in the studio and we record it just like you would a record.

And that's played for an artist or for a record label.

And they flip out and, "Oh my goodness, we gotta hurry up and cut that song before somebody else does."

Well, that didn't happen with this song.

(audience laughs) This song sat around for seven years until Mr.

Justin Moore showed up and saved my poor broke country backside.

This is my first number one song, a song called "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away".

If you know it, please sing along.

(gentle guitar music) ♪ Well every day I drive to work ♪ ♪ Across Flint River bridge ♪ ♪ 100 yards from the spot where me and grandpa fished ♪ ♪ There's a piece of his old fruit stand ♪ ♪ On the side of Sawmill Road ♪ ♪ He'd be there peelin' peaches ♪ ♪ If it was 20 years ago ♪ ♪ Oh what I wouldn't give ♪ ♪ To ride around in that old truck with him ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far away ♪ ♪ I'd pack up the kids and go for the day ♪ ♪ Introduce them to their grandpa ♪ ♪ And watch 'em laugh at the way he talks ♪ ♪ Find my long lost cousin John ♪ ♪ The one we left back in Vietnam ♪ ♪ Show him a picture of his daughter now ♪ ♪ She's a doctor and he'd be proud ♪ ♪ Tell him we'd be back in a couple of days ♪ ♪ In the rear view mirror ♪ ♪ We'd all watch 'em wave ♪ ♪ And losing them wouldn't be so hard to take ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far away ♪ ♪ Well I'd hug all three of those girls ♪ ♪ We lost from the class of '89 ♪ ♪ And I'd find my bird dog Bo ♪ ♪ And take him huntin' one more time ♪ ♪ I'd ask Hank why he took 'em pills back in '53 ♪ ♪ And ask Janis to sing the second verse ♪ ♪ Of Me and Bobby McGee ♪ ♪ Sit on a cloud and visit for a while ♪ ♪ It'd do me good just to see them smile ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far away ♪ ♪ I'd pack up the kids ♪ ♪ And go for the day ♪ ♪ Introduce them to their grandpa ♪ ♪ And watch 'em laugh at the way he talks ♪ ♪ Find my long lost cousin John ♪ ♪ The one we left back in Vietnam ♪ ♪ Show him a picture of his daughter now ♪ ♪ She's a doctor and he'd be proud ♪ ♪ Then tell him we'd be back in a couple of days ♪ ♪ In the rear view mirror ♪ ♪ We'd all watch 'em wave ♪ ♪ And losing them wouldn't be so hard to take ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far ♪ ♪ If heaven wasn't so far away ♪ ♪ So far away ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you Mr.

Justin Moore.

So I had Randy Houser was supposed to come and join us and he said to tell y'all, sorry he couldn't make it with the snowstorm and everything up in Nashville and the kid duty.

-Making all them kids.

-(audience laughs) So we were able to get a Randy, just not that one.

This Randy is listed solidly on my hero list and he has been since I was about five years old.

(audience cheers and applauds) And he's one of the songwriters I patterned my songwriting after I still hear his voice in my head when I hear them Alabama songs.

He's the guy we're raising all this money for this center that's gonna be named after him.

And if y'all would please give a big old Jacksonville warm welcome for legend, Randy Owen.

(audience cheers and applauds) -Jamey.

-Yeah.

-Thank you, sir.

-Thank you.

Glad you were here to bail us out tonight.

-(Jamey and Randy laugh) -(audience laughs) (audience cheers and applauds) It was short notice.

I don't know if I got this in the right place or not.

(gentle music) Jamey and I were talking backstage, and he actually wanted me to mention this song.

And I'll tell you a little bit about the story.

I was in the back room of the manager's office there in Nashville, and I kept on going.

(gentle guitar music) (gentle music) I kept on doing that.

I finally went in the studio with Harold and the guys, and cut the song.

And me and Teddy and Greg Fowler had written a song called "Fallin' Again".

And I cut that song, and ended up being the BMI Song of the Year, which is the only one we ever cut that ended up being the Song of the Year.

And what was funny is Teddy said, "How many songs you cut?"

And I said, "I cut three so far."

And he said, "Well, you cut that ballad, I hope."

And I said, "Yeah, I did."

I said, "But I cut 'Fallin' Again'."

And he said, "Why did you cut that song?"

I said, "Because I thought it was a hit."

And I said, "You helped me write it."

And he said, "Yeah, but I still don't understand why you wrote it, and why you recorded it."

But anyway, recorded this song and I thought it'd be so cool to have a really sexy female voice come in and kind of summarize the whole thing at the end.

So early one morning, K.T Oslin comes prancing through the studio.

And I said, "How you doing K.T?

How you feeling?"

She said, "I'm not feeling anything."

(audience laughs) -She wasn't.

-(audience laughs) (gentle music) So if Megan will help me, Megan Mullins Owen, I'm gonna have her do the part here.

(audience cheers and applauds) My hands are cold and then I can't play anyway, so I'm gonna try.

(gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ Run your fingers through my hair ♪ ♪ And softly kiss my lips ♪ ♪ Hold me close in your embrace ♪ ♪ And love me face to face ♪ ♪ Face to face ♪ -♪ Heart to heart ♪ -♪ Heart to heart ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ -♪ Tingling tangle feelings ♪ -♪ Tingling tangle feelings ♪ ♪ Lovers face to face ♪ ♪ I'll caress your body ♪ ♪ And hold you close to me ♪ ♪ I'll slide my hands around your waist ♪ ♪ And love you face to face ♪ ♪ Face to face ♪ -♪ Heart to heart ♪ -♪ Heart to heart ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ -♪ Lips on lips ♪ -♪ Lips on lips ♪ -♪ Arm and arm ♪ -♪ Arm and arm ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ -♪ Body to body ♪ ♪ Tingling tangle feelings ♪ ♪ Lovers face to face ♪ ♪ Softly say you love me ♪ ♪ As you make love to me ♪ -♪ No one else ♪ -♪ No one else ♪ -♪ Can take your place ♪ -♪ Can take your place ♪ -♪ We happen face to face ♪ -♪ We happen face to face ♪ (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

I gotta tell you, I wish that they had recorded K.T in the outtakes.

(audience laughs) She could cuss better than anybody I ever heard in my life.

Besides being one of the greatest original songwriters that I ever was acquainted with, sorely missed, the late K.T Oslin.

She was an amazing writer, and amazing person, and I loved her vocals.

And so glad it was her to do that little part on the end of the song.

And as Teddy predicted, it was the number one song.

So, thank y'all.

(audience applauds) Well, I have forgotten most of the stories about songs that I've written, -but (laughs)... -(audience laughs) [Rob] I remember a few.

(audience laughs) I'm at the point where I don't really have to close my eyes to hear the crickets anymore.

(audience laughs) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) This song, I wrote with Wally.

I met Wally here back in 1993 at a frat party.

(audience laughs) One of us was the anchor man on the beer relay, (audience laughs) and he was damn good (chuckles).

♪ Well I left Montgomery on north 65 ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) ♪ I was restless and ready to give Nashville a try ♪ ♪ I rolled into town with a sound of my own ♪ ♪ Somewhere between Jennings and Jones ♪ ♪ Well the day job I landed felt just like a jail ♪ ♪ I couldn't seem to break out ♪ ♪ With that hammer and nails ♪ ♪ And I spent all my nights ♪ ♪ In some old honky tonks ♪ ♪ Somewhere between Jennings and Jones ♪ ♪ Hanging out at the bars ♪ ♪ With the drunks and the stars ♪ ♪ And a few good ol' boys just like me ♪ ♪ We started burnin' our candles ♪ ♪ Both hands in the middle ♪ ♪ A bunch of roaring out laws at high speed ♪ ♪ But they said that the end of that road I was on ♪ ♪ Was somewhere between Jennings and Jones ♪ ♪ Well some record executives found me one night ♪ ♪ I was drunk off my ass ♪ ♪ They said it sounded just right ♪ ♪ They put my name on some albums ♪ ♪ And then they shelved all my songs ♪ ♪ They said I was somewhere between Jennings and Jones ♪ ♪ And hanging out at the bars with the drunks and the stars ♪ ♪ And a few thousand folks just like me ♪ ♪ Burnin' our candles both hands in the middle ♪ ♪ A bunch a roaring out laws at high speed ♪ ♪ But they said that the end ♪ ♪ Of that road I was on ♪ ♪ Was somewhere between Jennings and Jones ♪ ♪ Now when he calls me up yonder ♪ ♪ You can carve on my stone ♪ ♪ I'm right there between Jennings and Jones ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

Come on, man.

Well, the union test is over.

(laughs) You want me to do one?

-Yes, sir.

-(all laugh) I was sitting out by my pool one afternoon and the phone came through, and I answered the phone and said, "Hello."

The voice on the end, it said, "Who's speaking?"

I said, "Randy Owen."

They said, "This is Conway Twitty."

(audience gasps) -Oh my God.

-(audience laughs) "Randy, this is Randy, right?"

-"Yes sir, yes."

-(audience laughs) "Randy, what about that song you wrote called, 'Lady Down on Love'?"

"Yeah, yeah, I wrote that song, Mr.

Twitty."

"I'd like to record that song."

-I said, "Oh no.

-(audience laughs) That's gonna be Alabama's next single."

He said, "I was afraid of that."

(gentle music) I think it's outta tune.

I played outta tune all my life, watching this change, especially on the second string.

(gentle music) Hold it, hold it, I forgot one of the (indistinct).

We were gonna tell stories, right?

Yeah, wrote this song in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

And I went out to visit with people 'cause we were told we had to go out and visit with the patrons, ask about requests.

So there was like 12 or 14 ladies sitting at this one table.

And I said, "What brings you ladies out tonight?"

And this lady said, "We're celebrating her divorce."

And pointed at the girl at the end of the table.

I said, "Well, you don't seem very happy."

And she said, "I'm not, I'd really rather be at home tonight with my husband and be in love.

This is the first time I've been out since I was 18 years old."

So that was my first line for the song.

So I'm all excited, I go back to my room that night.

I didn't know that Teddy had got our two wives drunk (audience laughs) while the show was going on.

So go back in the motel room, there's my wife in the middle of the bed, squalling her eyes out, "I love you.

(audience laughs) I love you so much."

(audience laughs) And I still wrote the song.

(audience laughs) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ It's her first night on the town ♪ ♪ Since she was just 18 ♪ ♪ A lady down on love and out of hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ The ties that once bound her now are broke away ♪ ♪ And she's like a baby ♪ ♪ Learning how to play ♪ ♪ She never thought that love could ever end so soon ♪ ♪ Her mind drifts back in time to that mid-summer moon ♪ ♪ When he asked her to marry and she gladly said okay ♪ ♪ And a woman came to be from the girl of yesterday ♪ -♪ Now she's a lady ♪ -♪ Now she's a lady ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ -♪ She needs somebody ♪ -♪ She needs somebody ♪ -♪ To gently pick her up ♪ -♪ To gently pick her up ♪ ♪ Oh she she's got her freedom ♪ ♪ But she'd rather be bound ♪ ♪ To a man who would love her ♪ ♪ And never let her down ♪ ♪ Well I know the lady's down on her love ♪ ♪ 'Cause I used to hold her and have that special touch ♪ ♪ But work took me away from home late at nights ♪ ♪ And I wasn't there ♪ ♪ When she turned out the lights ♪ ♪ Then both of us got lonely ♪ ♪ And I gave into lust ♪ ♪ And she just couldn't live ♪ ♪ With a man she couldn't trust ♪ -♪ Now she's a lady ♪ -♪ She's a lady ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ -♪ She needs somebody ♪ -♪ She needs somebody ♪ -♪ To gently pick her up ♪ -♪ To gently pick her up ♪ ♪ She's got her freedom ♪ ♪ But she'd rather be bound ♪ ♪ To man who would love her ♪ ♪ And never let her down ♪ -♪ Now she's a lady ♪ -♪ She's a lady ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ -♪ Down on love ♪ (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

I was gonna tell, there's a little bit more goes to that song.

It was fixed to be a number one, and they said, "There's one guy in New Orleans that's not gonna play it, so it's gonna not be a number one single.

Randy, you gotta go to New Orleans."

So I go to New Orleans, did not realize that the guy that was in charge of the program director, music director was a preacher.

(audience laughs) And it was Sunday morning.

You can't make this stuff up.

(audience laughs) So I go to the studio, and this guy is preaching, and what he's preaching on is the IRS.

He's being audited by the IRS.

But anyway, I went, he added it.

It went on to be a number one single.

Now, I'm not gonna talk anymore stuff, -so fun stuff.

-(Jamey chuckles) I ain't never had to go to somebody's church while they were preaching to get 'em to play my song.

(audience laughs) -We do it all (laughs).

-No kidding.

That is a new level.

(audience laughs) (gentle music) That reminds me of a song.

Oh, if I can remember it.

I wrote this with George Strait.

(audience cheers) We were at a charity thing we were doing out in Bernie, Texas.

And at the time, he had just sent a song to radio, and for the first time in his career, they just weren't gonna play it at all.

-And... -Been there.

(Jamey and audience laughs) Well, me too, that was the start of my career, -(audience laughs) -and the finish.

And I told him, I said, "Oh hell George, they kicked me outta country a long time ago.

You're gonna be all right (laughs)."

And so he said, he laughed.

He said, "Hell, you gotta write that or I gotta write that, or we can write it together."

And I said, "Well."

It wasn't a week later, he had done sent me the whole first verse of this song.

And if I can remember it, it goes a little something like this.

(gentle music) ♪ I just got the news today ♪ ♪ The record I sent 'em ♪ ♪ They threw it away ♪ ♪ It don't fit the format ♪ ♪ It don't make the list ♪ ♪ They said I'm too old ♪ ♪ I won't even be missed ♪ ♪ Well it happened to Jones ♪ ♪ And even The Hag ♪ ♪ Waylon and Willie ♪ ♪ And the great Johnny Cash ♪ ♪ They kicked 'em right out without even a word ♪ ♪ But that ain't the end of the story I heard ♪ ♪ 'Cause Cash stomped out the footlights ♪ ♪ And Haggard for long had a ball ♪ ♪ And Willie and Waylon ♪ ♪ And Kris toured the nation ♪ ♪ And Jones never showed up at all ♪ ♪ And they lived what they wrote ♪ ♪ And they wrote what they sang ♪ ♪ So getting kicked outta country ♪ ♪ Didn't hurt a thing ♪ ♪ Getting kicked outta country ♪ ♪ Didn't hurt a thing ♪ ♪ Well I just wrote a new song today ♪ ♪ I pulled out my old guitar ♪ ♪ And I started to play ♪ ♪ Pressing my fingers into the strings ♪ ♪ I felt all the feelings ♪ ♪ That a good country song brings ♪ ♪ And I did some Jones ♪ ♪ And one for The Hag ♪ ♪ Waylon and Willie ♪ ♪ And the great Johnny Cash ♪ ♪ They all got kicked outta country back then ♪ ♪ But then one day country came calling again ♪ ♪ And Cash stomped out the footlights ♪ ♪ And Haggard for long had a ball ♪ ♪ And Willie and Waylon ♪ ♪ And Kris toured the nation ♪ ♪ And Jones showed up after all ♪ ♪ And they lived what they wrote ♪ ♪ And they wrote what they sang ♪ ♪ So getting kicked outta country ♪ ♪ Didn't hurt a thing ♪ ♪ Getting kicked outta country ♪ ♪ Didn't hurt a thing ♪ ♪ Well it don't really matter ♪ ♪ We ain't gonna change ♪ ♪ So getting kicked outta country ♪ ♪ Won't hurt a thing ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you, George.

Back to Rob Hatch.

You got anything else I don't remember?

I gotta do something I can't remember, that's the catch.

So I'm at my house one day.

It's a Friday.

A buddy of mine, Mr.

Randy Houser calls, he goes, "Hey man, I go in the studio on Monday and I don't think I got all the songs for the record.

Wanna try to write one?"

"Yes sir, I do."

He's over maybe a half hour.

I stepped out to have a smoke.

He follows me out and goes, "Hey man, what does this verse sound like?"

And he sings the whole first verse of the song.

I was like, "Sounds like money."

It's rarely ever the case y'all.

In this case, we got lucky, and we were right.

To have any success in Nashville feels like an absolute miracle.

I mean, a long shot.

To get to have hit songs with your best friends, that's as good as it gets.

To get to have number ones together, that ain't bad either.

Randy put this song out a few months later.

It was the number one song for us.

Let's see if we can remember this one.

It's a song called "Goodnight Kiss."

(mellow guitar music) (mellow guitar music continues) (mellow guitar music continues) (mellow guitar music continues) ♪ Girl I finally got you up ♪ ♪ In the seat of my old truck ♪ ♪ Lemme tell you what we're gonna do ♪ ♪ We could hit the county line ♪ ♪ Yeah we do that all the time ♪ ♪ Tell you what ♪ ♪ If you don't mind ♪ ♪ We could start with something new ♪ ♪ Instead of waiting like we usually do ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ My lips your lips ♪ ♪ Baby let's just keep gettin' there ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a long goodbye ♪ ♪ Get wrapped up tight ♪ ♪ Let's spend all night right here ♪ ♪ Then start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ I bet you told all your friends ♪ ♪ We'd be meetin' up with them ♪ ♪ Well I can call 'em all again ♪ ♪ And tell 'em we ain't coming ♪ ♪ Let me find a little spot ♪ ♪ Let me throw this thing in park ♪ ♪ Light that little spark ♪ ♪ That gets you going like you do ♪ ♪ Just tell me that you want to ♪ ♪ Start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ My lips your lips ♪ ♪ Baby let's just keep gettin' there ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a long goodbye ♪ ♪ Get wrapped up tight ♪ ♪ Let's spend all night right here ♪ ♪ And start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ Yeah I don't wanna wait ♪ ♪ Yeah I don't wanna wait ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ My lips your lips ♪ Here we go, last time.

♪ Let's start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ My lips your lips ♪ ♪ Baby let's just keep gettin' there ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a long goodbye ♪ ♪ Get wrapped up tight ♪ ♪ Let's spend all night right here ♪ ♪ And start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ Let's start it with a goodnight kiss ♪ (mellow music continues) Come on, y'all give 'em applause.

-(audience cheers and applauds) -Thank you guys.

Thank you Mr.

Randy Houser.

That's a good song.

Thank you buddy.

Rob and I, we go back to early drinking days in Nashville together.

So it still impresses me to see anything good come out of you.

(audience laughs) Sorry.

That was a close one, y'all.

(audience laughs) Sorry you gotta sit through all this tonight.

That's probably the last time you're ever gonna answer my phone call.

(audience laughs) I love your phone call.

I got a call from Frances Preston who's the lady that ran BMI in the early '80s.

And she said that Conway Twitty had called her and said that he was enjoying a song that Randy Owen had written.

And she said, "Well, we are too."

And she said, "Randy, do you need some money?"

I said, "Yeah, I could use some money.

What do you mean?"

I didn't know that you could make money writing songs.

And she said, "Well, I could advance you quite a bit of money right now."

And I said, well that'd be great.

And she said, "What would you do with it if I advanced you money?"

And I said, "I always dreamed of building my wife a house."

She said, "What kind of house?"

I said, "A big, big house."

She said, "Well, I could advance you enough to build your wife a big house."

And this song had a lot to do with that.

I started writing this song at Jack State, and basically finished it up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Took it in one afternoon, played it for Jeff and Teddy, and they liked it.

So we were going to Nashville a couple years later.

Things were happening.

Go in the studio.

Our studio, we didn't realize that you could close the studio off.

It was like 50 people in the studio, smoking, drinking, -all kind of stuff.

-(audience laughs) I do mean all kind of stuff.

And I'm standing at the console, this lady walks up and she said, "My name is Melba Montgomery, and I'm from Alabama.

I grew up in Alabama.

And this song that you're playing right now is a hit."

And so then her brother walked up, his name was Peanut Montgomery.

(audience applauds) You can applaud.

-(audience applauds) -(Jamey chuckles) He wrote like 35 singles for George Jones.

So didn't have a clue what I was talking to or anything.

And so he said, this is Peanut, "Hey boys, George Jones is in the car."

We was like, "George Jones?"

We had no idea that George was dating Melba Montgomery.

And he was pissed because she was there with a bunch of longhaired guys listening to their music, -and he wouldn't come in.

-(audience laughs) But she told me, this is a song, this will be your song that you'll be proud of.

So I'm gonna try it.

(gentle music) (audience cheers and applauds) ♪ Whisper to me softly ♪ ♪ Breathe words upon my skin ♪ ♪ No one's near and listening ♪ ♪ So please don't say goodbye ♪ ♪ Just hold me close and love me ♪ ♪ Press your lips to mine ♪ ♪ Mm-mm-mm feels so right ♪ ♪ Feels so right ♪ ♪ Lying here beside you ♪ ♪ I hear the echoes of your sighs ♪ ♪ Promise me you'll stay with me ♪ ♪ And keep me warm tonight ♪ ♪ Just hold me close and love me ♪ ♪ Give my heart a smile ♪ ♪ Mm-mm-mm feels so right ♪ ♪ Feels so right ♪ (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ Your body feels so gentle ♪ ♪ And my passion rises high ♪ ♪ You're loving me so easy ♪ ♪ Your wish is my command ♪ ♪ So hold me close and love me ♪ ♪ Tell me it won't end ♪ ♪ Mm-mm-mm feels so right ♪ ♪ Feels so right ♪ Now, bring it down, now, guys.

So I was telling you about the conversation I had with Conway Twitty.

He said, "Oh, oh yeah, I like that other song that you wrote called 'Feel So Good'."

(audience laughs) I said, "It's 'Feels So Right'."

He said, "Oh well, it's gotta be good if it feels right."

(audience laughs) I like that song a lot, wish I could have recorded it.

So tonight, one of my all time favorites of all time, Conway Twitty, I'm gonna do my best Conway Twitty on "Feel So Right", okay?

Get ready.

♪ Ah you feel so right baby ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) (gentle music continues) (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

I never did get to meet Conway Twitty, but I would've loved that.

He was a song genius.

Yeah.

Kinda like George Strait about picking hits.

Oh man, can pick 'em all day.

If anybody was still writing them, Rob Hatch is so, he's working on one as we speak.

So my very first label was BNA records under RCA.

And they made short work outta me.

(audience laughs) Oh, and to be fair, I earned it.

(audience laughs) Oh, I had been dropped from BNA and I had made my way to Myrtle Beach ironically, where we had a show that night when I got the phone call from Erv Woolsey letting me know that George Strait had just cut my song, and I didn't even know what song he was talking about.

I'd already done a double back flip just standing there on the phone.

And this was 2006.

This would've been the summer of '06.

And I said, "What song was it?"

He said, "Just give it away".

(audience cheers and applauds) (mellow guitar music) (mellow guitar music continues) (mellow guitar music continues) ♪ I was watching her storming through the house one day ♪ ♪ I could tell she was leaving ♪ ♪ So I told her to grab me a six pack while she was out ♪ (audience laughs) ♪ That's when she turned around and pointed at that wall ♪ ♪ She said hey ♪ ♪ That picture from our honeymoon ♪ ♪ That night in Frisco Bay ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ And that big four-poster king-size bed ♪ ♪ Where all our love was made ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ There ain't nothin' in this house worth fightin' over ♪ ♪ Oh and we're both tired of fightin' anyway ♪ ♪ So just give it away ♪ ♪ So anyway I tried to move on ♪ ♪ But it seemed like every woman I held ♪ ♪ Just kept on reminding me about that day ♪ ♪ When that front door swung wide open ♪ ♪ She flung her diamond ring ♪ ♪ Said give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ And I said now honey ♪ ♪ Don't you even want your half of everything ♪ ♪ She said give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ Just give it away ♪ ♪ There ain't nothin' in this house worth fightin' over ♪ ♪ Oh and we're both tired of fightin' anyway ♪ ♪ So just give it away ♪ (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) ♪ So after several wrong chords in a row ♪ ♪ And one half-assed lead guitar part ♪ ♪ I'm right back here where she left me ♪ ♪ Along with all this other stuff ♪ ♪ She just don't care about anymore ♪ (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) ♪ Now I've got a furnished house ♪ ♪ A diamond ring ♪ ♪ And a lonely broken heart ♪ ♪ Full of love ♪ ♪ And I can't even give it away ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you so much.

Thank y'all so much for letting me come out here with one of my best friends in the world, and one of my heroes.

I appreciate y'all.

(audience cheers and applauds) I've written a a lot of songs in my what is it, geez, 27 years now of being in Nashville.

Most of them are crappy.

(audience laughs) This is the only one I can recall that the artist called in the room.

I'm writing a song with Mr.

Lee Bryce, Mr.

Dallas Davidson.

We wrote the first verse and then the chorus to this song.

And Lee said, "That's the one boys."

He said, "That's the song that I'm going to put out.

That's the title track of the album.

That's the song that I'm going to dance with my wife at our wedding."

He put this song out a few months later.

It won ACM Song of the Year, and CMA Song of the Year, and bought a lot of diapers at my house.

(audience laughs) If you know the song, please sing along.

A song called, "I don't dance".

(gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ Well I'll never settle down ♪ ♪ That's what I always thought ♪ ♪ I'm not that kind of man ♪ ♪ Just ask anyone ♪ ♪ I don't dance ♪ ♪ But here I am ♪ ♪ Spinning you round and round in circles ♪ ♪ It ain't my style ♪ ♪ But I don't care ♪ ♪ I'd do anything with you anywhere ♪ ♪ Guess you got me in the palm of your hand ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't dance ♪ (gentle music continues) ♪ Well love's never come my way ♪ ♪ I've never been this far ♪ ♪ But you took these two left feet ♪ ♪ And waltzed away with my heart ♪ ♪ And I don't dance ♪ ♪ But here I am ♪ ♪ Spinning you round and round in circles ♪ ♪ It ain't my style ♪ ♪ But I don't care ♪ ♪ I'd do anything with you anywhere ♪ ♪ Guess you got me in the palm of your hand ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't dance oh ♪ ♪ I don't dance ♪ ♪ Well I don't dance ♪ ♪ But here I am ♪ ♪ Spinning you round and around in circles ♪ Last time, you ready?

♪ It ain't my style ♪ ♪ But I don't care ♪ ♪ I'd do anything with you anywhere ♪ ♪ Yes you got me in the palm of your hand ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't dance ♪ ♪ Yeah I don't dance ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you Mr.

Lee Bryce.

Thank you guys.

Y'all are amazing.

I wrote a song from visiting the patients at St.

Jude Children's Research Hospital.

And I was going through visiting the kids, and I saw a sign over one of the windows and it had a picture of a bunch of clouds, and it had a sign that said big heaven.

And so I got to thinking about if that's a big heaven, it's gonna have to be a really big God to take care of that big heaven.

So people, every time I go somewhere, they say, "Why don't you write a song about plumbers, write a song about painters, write a song about nurses."

So I got to thinking about that and I don't know how, it's crazy I guess.

I got to think about, I might write a song just about it covers everybody.

(gentle music) I dunno if I can remember the words, it's getting so late.

(audience laughs) (chuckles) But I likely fell outta my chair when they called me from Muscle Shoals and told me that the great Percy Sledge had heard a song that I had written and he's gonna record it.

So he wanted me to come to Sheffield.

So I went on to Sheffield and wouldn't you know, I ran into Peanut Montgomery, -the guy that... -(audience laughs) Sure did.

(gentle music) But anyway, Percy was standing there next to the microphone and he wanted me to sing, do the first line with him.

And he said, touches my heart.

He said, "Randy, you know the only difference," 'cause he wanted to tell me about the song, "The only difference between you and me is I'm a little Black boy that picked cotton, and you're a little White boy that picked cotton.

That's the only differences in us."

So just a couple months later, he left me a message that he was not doing very well and he passed along.

But I'm gonna try to do that song if I can remember.

♪ Well my buddies asked me ♪ ♪ If I would write them a song ♪ ♪ That says how we're different ♪ ♪ But how good we all get along ♪ ♪ Well Bob he's a Baptist ♪ ♪ And his wife she's Cherokee ♪ ♪ And Larry he's Lutheran ♪ ♪ And his grand daddy is Cree ♪ ♪ Well Paul he's Pentecostal ♪ ♪ And his pastor prays for the Sea ♪ ♪ And Rusty's dad is a Rabbi ♪ ♪ But we go huntin' go fish ♪ ♪ Well Carl he's a Catholic boy ♪ ♪ And his daddy fought in the war ♪ ♪ And Joe's mom is from Lebanon ♪ ♪ But he knows he believes in the Law ♪ ♪ He believes in ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ -♪ 'Cause that's where ♪ -♪ Where ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ -♪ To be goin' ♪ -♪ Goin' ♪ ♪ Well daddy played his guitar ♪ ♪ In churches all over the south ♪ ♪ And momma played piano ♪ ♪ Sometimes she'd sing and shout ♪ ♪ Sisters sang altogether ♪ -♪ And brought the harmony out ♪ -♪ And brought the harmony out ♪ -♪ Sing about ♪ -♪ Sing about ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ One big heaven ♪ -♪ One big heaven ♪ ♪ One big heaven ♪ -♪ 'Cause that's where ♪ -♪ Where ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ ♪ We all want ♪ -♪ To be goin' ♪ -♪ Goin' ♪ ♪ Well me I'm a believer ♪ -♪ And I do believe ♪ -♪ I believe ♪ ♪ All God's children ♪ ♪ As far as I can see ♪ -♪ Just one big God ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ ♪ One big heaven ♪ -♪ 'Cause that's where ♪ -♪ Where ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ -♪ We all want ♪ ♪ We all want ♪ -♪ To be goin' ♪ -♪ Goin' ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ One big God ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ -♪ And one big heaven ♪ ♪ Heaven heaven ♪ ♪ Just save a little space ♪ ♪ Jesus won't you save ♪ ♪ Just save a little space ♪ ♪ Jesus won't you save a little space ♪ ♪ Just save a little space ♪ ♪ Just save it ♪ ♪ Just save a little space for me ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

That is beautiful.

[Audience Member 1] Take me home!

(gentle guitar music) (audience cheering) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) I wrote this one with a couple of buddies of mine, one that I used to sing demos for, Lee Thomas Miller.

Yeah.

And the other one, James Otto.

And James, his co-writers had canceled on him one morning.

So he called me up, and well, I told him, I said, "Well, come over here, me and Lee are sitting down just about to write this song."

And we pretty much got it hemmed up, know exactly what we wanna say.

And so we put the coffee on, James come over and sat down to write with us, and he's the one that put these chords together, and he's the reason this song sounds the way that it does.

(gentle music) ♪ Well I said grandpa what's this picture here ♪ ♪ It's all black and white ♪ ♪ And it ain't real clear ♪ ♪ Is that you there ♪ ♪ He said yeah I was 11 ♪ ♪ And times were tough back in '35 ♪ ♪ That's me and uncle Joe ♪ ♪ Just tryna survive a cotton farm ♪ ♪ In a great depression ♪ ♪ If it looks like we were scared to death ♪ ♪ Like a couple of kids just tryna save each other ♪ ♪ You should've seen it in color ♪ ♪ Well this one here's taken overseas ♪ ♪ In the middle of hell in 1943 ♪ ♪ In the winter time ♪ ♪ You can almost see my breath ♪ ♪ That was my tail gunner ol' Johnny Magee ♪ ♪ He was a high school teacher from New Orleans ♪ ♪ And he had my back right through the day we left ♪ ♪ If it looks like we were scared to death ♪ ♪ Like a couple of kids just tryna save each other ♪ ♪ You should've seen it in color ♪ ♪ A picture's worth a thousand words ♪ ♪ But you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered ♪ ♪ You should've seen it in color ♪ (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ This one is my favorite one ♪ ♪ This is me and meemaw in the summer sun ♪ ♪ All dressed up the day we said our vows ♪ ♪ You can't tell it here but it was hot that June ♪ ♪ That rose was red and her eyes were blue ♪ ♪ And just look at that smile ♪ ♪ I was so proud ♪ ♪ That's the story of my life ♪ ♪ Right there in black and white ♪ ♪ And if it looks like we were scared to death ♪ ♪ Like a couple of kids just tryna save each other ♪ ♪ You should've seen it in color ♪ ♪ A picture's worth a thousand words ♪ ♪ But you can't see ♪ ♪ What those shades of gray keep covered ♪ ♪ You should've seen it in color ♪ (gentle music continues) (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Have we got time for one more song?

[Audience Member 2] "Home Sweet Alabama", "Home Sweet Alabama", "Home Sweet Alabama".

If we've got time for one more, I know what I want it to be.

It's your show.

(audience laughs) [Jamey] Yeah, but it's your song.

(audience laughs) [Audience Member 2] Here we go, woo (clapping)!

One Sunday afternoon, me and Mr.

Teddy Gentry was at Benton's Trailer Park.

If you ever go see Coastal Carolina play football, that trailer park was smack dab in the middle of that football field.

(audience laughs) We had no idea, I didn't, Teddy may have that what we were doing that afternoon would change our lives forever.

And I just started going.

(mellow music) (audience cheers and applauds) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) ♪ Drinkin' was forbidden ♪ ♪ In my Christian country home ♪ ♪ I learned to play the flattop ♪ ♪ On them good ol' Gospel songs ♪ ♪ Then I heard about the barrooms ♪ ♪ Just across the Georgia line ♪ ♪ Where a boy could make a livin' ♪ ♪ Playin' guitar late at night ♪ ♪ Had to learn about the ladies ♪ ♪ And I was too young to understand ♪ ♪ Why the young girls fall in love ♪ ♪ With the boys in the band ♪ ♪ When the boys turn to music ♪ ♪ The girls just turn away ♪ ♪ To some other guitar picker ♪ ♪ In some other late night place ♪ ♪ Well I held on to my music ♪ ♪ I let the ladies walk away ♪ ♪ Took my songs and dreams to Nashville ♪ ♪ Then moved on to L.A.

♪ ♪ And up to New York City ♪ ♪ All across the USA ♪ ♪ But I lost so much of me ♪ ♪ There's enough of me to say ♪ -♪ That my home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ Are you Southern born and Southern bred?

(audience cheers and applauds) Honey feel good!

(mellow music continues) ♪ What keeps me goin' ♪ ♪ I don't really know ♪ ♪ Can't be the money ♪ ♪ Lord knows I'm always broke ♪ ♪ Could it be the satisfaction ♪ ♪ Of bein' understood ♪ ♪ When people really love you ♪ ♪ And let you know when it's good ♪ ♪ Oh I'll speak my Southern English ♪ ♪ Just as natural as I please ♪ ♪ I'm in the heart of Dixie ♪ ♪ Dixie's in the heart of me ♪ ♪ And someday when I make it ♪ ♪ When luck finds a way ♪ ♪ Somewhere high on Lookout Mountain ♪ ♪ Y'all I'll smile with pride ♪ ♪ And say that ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ ♪ Southern born and Southern bred ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) -♪ And my home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ No matter where ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ I lay my head ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ My home's in Alabama ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ And Southern bred ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ -♪ Southern born ♪ ♪ And Southern bred ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you so much.

(audience cheers and applauds) (mellow music continues) (audience cheers and applauds) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ I was just a normal guy ♪ ♪ Life was just a nine to five ♪ ♪ With bills and pressure piled up to the sky ♪ ♪ She never asked ♪ ♪ She knew I'd been hangin' ♪ ♪ With my wilder friends ♪ ♪ Lookin' for some other way to fly ♪ ♪ And three days straight was no big feat ♪ ♪ Could get by with no food or sleep ♪ ♪ And crazy was becomin' my new norm ♪ ♪ Well I'd pass out on the bedroom floor ♪ ♪ And sleep through the calm before the storm ♪ ♪ My life was just an old routine ♪ ♪ Every day the same damn thing ♪ ♪ I couldn't even tell I was alive ♪