- [Announcer] A new episode of "Main Street Unplugged" is heading your way.

Tune in Thursday, January 14th, at 7:00 PM for a Texas country legend.

When "Main Street Unplugged" brings you Jody Nix.

Jody's played and recorded with likes of Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel, played for President George H. W. Bush and so much more.

Who's ready to get unplugged?

Underwritten by Arts Council of Midland, sponsored by Permian Repair and Advanced Stimulation Technologies.

(birds chirping) (upbeat country music) You're watching "Main Street Unplugged" presented by basin PBS, sponsored by the Arts Council of Midland.

Special thanks to our corporate underwriters, Permian Repair and Advanced Stimulation Technologies.

- Hello.

Good evening, everyone.

I'm Krista Escamilla, and it is a pleasure to be spending tonight with you.

I have the great honor to host this evening's live music event.

Tonight, we are coming to you live from the basin PBS at Anwar Family Studio right here in downtown Midland.

And I'm so thrilled to be opening our show "Main Street Unplugged."

First one of the year.

I know, can you feel the excitement?

We are so excited tonight.

Now we have a very special guest to help us kick off our new season of "Main Street Unplugged."

West Texas' very own, Mr. Jody Nix.

I know I heard you scream at home.

It is our mission to continue bringing you fabulous music right into your living rooms.

And tonight's show will not disappoint.

Of course, with the pandemic, we do not have a live studio audience, but we look forward to one day filling our studio with you, all of you at home, our beloved audience.

We can't wait to share our space here again.

So we'll see a real soon.

So feel free though, to clap really loud and hoot and holler, get up and two-step throughout the evening.

Now we at basin PBS understand the importance of great quality programming and bringing you live music that your whole family can enjoy together.

Tonight's programming would not be possible without the generous support of our viewers like you.

So thank you.

If you are not a member of basin PBS, but you would like to become one, you can, for as little as $5 a month.

All you have to do is go to our website, basinpbs.org, and you sign up.

It's really that easy.

Now we would also like to thank the Arts Council of Midland for sponsoring tonight's show and our community corporate sponsors, Permian Repair and Advanced Stimulation Technologies, AST.

I would also like to thank the board of basin PBS for their guidance and support that has helped build this wonderful station, your community station.

All right, so let's let the fiddling begin with a career that spans 60 years and 11 albums of his own.

Mr. Nix's homegrown roots have kept his love for traditional country music alive and swinging.

Now playing drums at the tender age of eight in his father, Hoyle Nix's band, playing the fiddle at the age of 11, and if that's not enough of a resume, starting singing at the age of 16, and then by the age of 21 recording on Bob Wills, 1973, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys for the last time as a guest artist.

And Mr. Nix has won numerous awards, such as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, where he was given a Western Heritage Wrangler Award for an outstanding contribution to Western music through the album, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys for the last time.

And it was presented to him by none other than Gene Autry.

Oh, and by the way, he also performed at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jody Nix.

Round of applause, big round of applause.

Yay!

- Good evening, Krista.

Thank you.

- Good evening, Jody.

Thank you so much for honoring our stage tonight and being here.

- I am honored to be here.

- So I have to ask you a question real quick.

What is one of your favorite songs that kind of gets the crowd going?

Cause we do have a crowd there's just virtual here.

- Yes, we do.

- Yes, they're at home.

- My favorite country song, which we'll be doing it later is "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down."

- Ooh.

- Old 1958 song by Charlie Walker.

- I love it.

Well, with that, I can't wait to hear it.

And I know you can't wait too.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give him a big round of applause.

Mr. Jody Nix.

Take it away, Jody.

- Thank you, Krista.

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Good evening, West Texas.

Midland-Odessa, all over West Texas.

We're glad to be here.

We did a thing with these ladies back in October for a promo deal for the Settles Hotel over in Big Spring.

And they said, we need to get you on the "Unplugged" concert series.

And I said, "Well, just tell me the date we'll work on it."

And here we are tonight.

And I'm more than honored to be here.

And as she gave you a little intro about me, I'm going to play a little music, sing a few songs and play the fiddle and tell some stories and kind of want to hit on where I started.

I was born into a musical family.

My dad was the legendary Hoyle Nix of Hoyle Nix's West Texas Cowboys.

He wrote the infamous song about a little dance in Fort Worth.

You might've heard it called "Big Ball's in Cowtown."

And our family has been, I've always felt that our family has been blessed by the good Lord with the talent and all of us were able to use it.

And I have made music my life's work and I'm so blessed to get to do the things that I'm still doing and that I've got to do.

And at the tender age of four, I got my first set of drums.

My grandmother bought me a set of drums for Christmas.

Drums was my first love.

If we had a set of drums here tonight, I'd be back there banging on them, guarantee ya.

But anyway, that's where I started.

And at the age of eight, the summer of 1960, my dad's drummer got sick.

His name was Kenneth Lane.

It was a July, hot July summer day.

I was just a normal little farm boy outside playing, the phone rang, my Aunt Ivy Jo come and got me and said, "The drummer's sick.

"They need you to go play in Brownfield tonight.

"Clean up a little bit.

"Put your white shirt on, "get your drum sticks or whatever you need.

"Let's go catch the bus."

So that's what I did.

And that's where I started at the tender age of eight years old at the American Legion Hall in Brownfield, Texas was my first full-time job playing drums.

And two weeks later, the drummer gave his two weeks notice.

So I became the full-time drummer for my dad Hoyle Nix and His West Texas Cowboys.

And the position that I held for 25 years.

And I was going into the third grade that September, 3rd grader playing five nights a week, going to school five days a week.

Some say, "What was that hard?"

You bet it was hard.

Do I regret it?

No.

Did I miss some things?

Yes I did.

But looking back, I wouldn't take for it because like I said, the things I've got to do, people I've met, places we played, and the records we've got to be a part of and just all the things like that.

But I did that all through grade school, from the third grade up through junior high, high school, two years of college, I was also in the high school band at Coahoma High School where I went to school there at East of Big Spring.

And when I was about 20 years old, there were some other artists that got interested in me.

One was Faron Young, Ernest Tubb, Johnny Bush and Tony Douglas was interested in me going on the road with them.

And what a blessing and honor it was that they thought that I was perhaps good enough to go on the road with them and to be in their bands.

But I just kind of was not comfortable about doing it at that point in my life.

Sure, I kind of wanted to, but I needed to kind of stay home and I was going to college and helping my dad, you know, playing for him.

And I don't regret that, but let's backtrack a little bit.

When I was 11 years old, Christmas day, 1963, I got my first full-sized fiddle.

This is not it, it's home under the bed.

But anyway, my brother Larry taught me to play "Faded Love" on Christmas day.

That's the first fiddle tune I ever learned.

And week later, I guess I played it good enough because my dad asked me to come up and play with him on New Year's Eve.

That's the first time I played the fiddle in public was New Year's Eve 1963, and I want to start off and play the old Bob Wills classic for you.

The first one I ever learned, little bit of "Faded Love."

("Faded Love" by Bob Wills) And that's it.

(audience cheers) I was 11 years old, the first time I played that in public.

Been a long time ago, I just turned 25 last week.

Well, you going to tell one, tell a good one.

Anyway.

Music has been my whole life.

That is the life's work that I did choose.

And kind of going on from 11 on up.

And as I said, I played drums and fiddled with my dad, mainly drums.

And in 1973, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, we got word that they were going to, Mr. Wills was going to record one more time with his, you know, he'd had a stroke in 1969, was paralyzed on one side and couldn't play anymore.

And United Artists Records contacted him and wanted him to put together the Texas Playboys and do one more album.

And my dad and I were very, very honored to be a part of that along with Merle Haggard and the world famous Texas Playboys.

And I was the ripe old age of 21.

I had no idea that I was going to get to do that, but by request by the master himself, the king of Western swing.

He picked the songs.

He picked the musicians.

And one song in particular, I'm going to sing it for you here in a little while was one called "When You Leave Amarillo "(Turn Out The Lights)."

I did that one.

I did "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You."

And one, "I Can't Go On This Way."

But to be in that atmosphere with that kind of recording and those royal musicians, I was just all eyes in all ears at that time.

And we had been around Bob Wills for years and years.

He and my dad were just like that.

They were very close, played many battle dances together, back in the 50s, all the way up through the 60s till Mr. Wills had the stroke and could not play anymore.

But it was a blessing and an honor to be a part of that.

And in 1975, Krista, already kind of mentioned that to you.

The album was nominated for a Western Heritage Wrangler Award by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

And we were invited to go to that.

There was movie stars, movie directors, playwrights, musicians, singers, songwriters, and all kinds of industry people in the Western music genre and country music.

And we got to be a part of that, along with the Texas Playboys, me and my dad got to go.

And I did receive that Wrangler Award and I was 23 years old at the time and walk up on that stage and Mr. Gene Autry himself handed me that trophy, that award, and it sits on my kitchen table today and there it will always be.

I'll never move it.

It'll always be where I can see it.

And that again was one of the second highest honors I've ever had.

And after that, we just kind of went along in the music business, I kept working with my dad and playing all over west Texas.

And then in about 1978, I decided I wanted to do a little recording on my own.

And I did.

I recorded a single called "Two Empty Glasses" and I used the band of the great Johnny Bush And The Bandoleros out of San Antonio.

And that was my first recording on my own.

That was '78.

And in '79, we went back and finished the album and it come out in 1980.

That was my first album on my own.

And I like to say it'd done well for us.

I've never been a national recording artist.

I'm a Texas boy.

I'm known in Texas and that's just fine with me.

That's where I want to be and where I want to stay.

But we were very blessed and proud of the first album.

And like I say, I just kept working with my dad.

And then in 1985, here's the sad part, we lost him unexpectedly in August 21st, 1985.

And I thought, well, what now?

Do I let it go or do I keep going?

I knew what I wanted to do.

And I'd known what I wanted to do for years and years and I had hoped that I had the ability and the business sense about me to do it.

So it was the time.

It was a sad time, but I chose to keep going.

And 35 years later, I'm still playing and people are still calling me and the band, sometime as far as a year and a half, two years out.

And from that day on in 1985, I was a drummer.

I thought, "I'm not a band leader.

Not yet."

I didn't have any equipment.

You know, I just had my set of drums.

I didn't have a sound system, vehicles.

You know, I had my personal vehicles, but we started and people responded.

And soon after that, the phones started ringing and we just kept going and things started building.

And I thought, "Well, the career has taken off."

And first and foremost, I give God the glory for all of it, without him, I could not do anything.

And the spring of 1986, I played my first Bob Wills Day in Turkey, Texas by myself, which is an annual celebration in Turkey, honoring Bob Wills and Texas Playboys.

And that job right there, and the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford, Texas were the two that really launched my personal, professional career on my own.

And that's really what got me started.

And it's just kind of built from there on.

We have played as high as 200 dates a year, all over Texas.

We played fairs, we played rodeos, we played weddings.

We played festivals.

We played all kinds of things.

And maybe a little bit too early in the program to tell this, but this year 2020, I completed 60 years of professional music, being a professional musician.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

And I'm very blessed to say that.

And I hope I've got a few more left.

I'm not ready to hang it up yet.

And as we all know, with the situation going on with the pandemic, things were a lot different last year, but we were very fortunate that we did to get to work quite a bit.

And we played quite a bit.

Of course, we had to be careful and I hope we will all, you know, stay that way and do what we need to do, but I want to keep playing and for a while, I guarantee you.

And also this past year in April, well, October, cause they moved it, was my 45th year in a row to play the Bob Wills Day celebration in Turkey, Texas.

10 with my dad and 35 on my own.

And the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford.

I can say, I honestly have played 35 years in a row for them.

And that's the biggest amateur rodeo in the world.

They're in Stamford.

We're blessed to be a part of that.

And people come to dance over there.

I guarantee you.

And that's two of the highlights that I kind of wanted to really harp on and mention tonight.

And I hope you don't think I'm bragging, I'm not.

They just asked me to tell a story and I'm doing my best to tell it and kind of keep it in the timeline here.

But as we got going, things got a little bigger things, got a little more further out, you know, on the road and what have you.

And in 1988, I got a phone call.

It was back when, before cell phones and we still had answering machines and person one thing to another.

And I come in and checked my voicemails that day.

And this young man said, "Jody, this is Chino Chapa from Washington, DC.

"I need you to call me."

So I did.

I said, "All right, Mr. Chapa, what are you wantin' to do?"

He said, "Congressman Charles Stenholm from Stamford," which he saw us play at the Stamford Rodeo, "wants you and the Texas Cowboys to come to Washington, DC, "to play for the Black Tie and Boots Ball "for the Presidential Inauguration."

And I just, I thought, "Oh, my me."

But what another blessing and a shot in the arm and friends that still looks good on the resume, today, even 31 years later.

But anyway, we got to do that in 1989.

And we rode on the Texas float, we played at the Washington Hilton Ballroom, us and Steve Wariner.

There were 6,000 Texans in there that night, all dressed in Cowboy tuxes and boots, and the ladies in their fine Western dresses and formals.

And it was just wonderful.

And that was quite an honor again for me to get to do that.

But right now, before we kind of go any further, I'm going to play you another Bob Wills tune that's one of my favorites.

And I hope we're keeping you entertained out there.

I hope you're enjoying the show so far.

I'm having a good time.

Here's a little bit of "Maiden's Prayer."

("Maiden's Prayer" by Bob Wills) That will get them on the dance floor folks, I guarantee you.

Any way, I'm gonna kind of change instruments here and go off camera, which I'm not supposed to, pick up my guitar and sing a few songs for you and tell a few more stories.

So stay with me about two seconds here.

I have been known as a Texas dance band.

That's what I am.

We have stayed with the traditional country music, the Western Swing, the Bob Wills style, the Ray Price style, Johnny Bush, Mel Tillis, Faron Young.

I'm known as a traditional country dance man with a hard-driving beat.

I'm heck on the rhythm section.

I love that hard-driving drums and upright bass.

And here's the kind of songs that we liked to play at our dances.

And Krista asked me what my favorite was.

And I told her, and I'm going to sing it for you right now.

An old Charlie Walker song.

One called "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down."

♪ You were mine for just a while ♪ ♪ Now you're puttin' on the style ♪ ♪ And you've never once looked back ♪ ♪ At your home across the track ♪ ♪ You're the gossip of the town ♪ ♪ But my heart can still be found ♪ ♪ Where you tossed it on the ground ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ When you're blue and all alone ♪ ♪ When their glamor starts to bore you ♪ ♪ Come on back where you belong ♪ ♪ And you may be their pride and joy ♪ ♪ But they'll find another toy ♪ ♪ When they take away your crown ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ They have changed your attitude ♪ ♪ Made you haughty and so rude ♪ ♪ Your new friends can take the blame ♪ ♪ Underneath you're still the same ♪ ♪ When you've learned these things are true ♪ ♪ I'll be waiting here for you ♪ ♪ As you tumble to the ground ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ When you're blue and all alone ♪ ♪ When their glamor starts to bore you ♪ ♪ Come on back where you belong ♪ ♪ And you may be their pride and joy ♪ ♪ But they'll find another toy ♪ ♪ When they take away your crown ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ ♪ When they take away your crown ♪ ♪ Pick me up on your way down ♪ That's country music right there folks where I come from.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

Thank you so much.

As I mentioned, the Bob Wills tune that I got to record with him in 1973.

One called "When You Leave Amarillo (Turn Out the Lights)."

I'm going to try that for you.

I'm used to my little, I say little, my hot four piece band being right behind me.

And I make five.

There's five of us and I miss them tonight, but I'm having a good time.

I guarantee you that.

Here's one called "When You Leave Amarillo (Turn Out the Lights)."

♪ You say that you're leaving ♪ ♪ And I can't say it takes me by surprise ♪ ♪ But hearing you say it, girl ♪ ♪ Just knocks the tears out of my eyes ♪ ♪ I don't know what to do ♪ ♪ But I'll try to do it right ♪ ♪ When you leave Amarillo ♪ ♪ Turn out the lights ♪ ♪ When you walk out to stay ♪ ♪ For me it's over anyway ♪ ♪ When you leave Amarillo ♪ ♪ Turn out the lights ♪ ♪ I'm sure gonna miss you ♪ ♪ When you're gone, nothing will be the same ♪ ♪ My life will be empty ♪ ♪ As these sad, old, lonesome windswept plains ♪ ♪ Give him your tomorrows ♪ ♪ Oh, but girl, give me tonight ♪ ♪ When you leave Amarillo ♪ ♪ Turn out the lights ♪ ♪ When you walk out to stay ♪ ♪ For me it's over anyway ♪ ♪ When you leave Amarillo ♪ ♪ Turn out the lights ♪ ♪ When you leave Amarillo ♪ ♪ Turn out the lights ♪ (audience cheers) Thank you.

All right.

- Fantastic, Jody.

- Thank you, Krista.

- Thank you so much for picking us all up, 'cause I think we've all been a little down this year and last year.

And so you are picking up our spirits.

This has been so much fun and we can't wait to hear more songs from you.

But first we have a little reminder.

Basin PBS has some exciting news that we would like to share with our community, just in case you haven't heard.

Downtown Midland has another fantastic location to check out our very own mural on our building right behind me.

Like literally right there, I can almost throw something, right there.

We have been so blessed to have the help of the Arts Council in Midland and the Rea Charitable Trust.

And we are thrilled to showcase our new alley mural.

This mural adds color and life to our little corner of the world.

So please take a look.

(gentle piano music) - I've been painting with a brush for a long time.

Was pretty intimidated by a spray paint can.

My first drawing for this walls artwork when I was selected as a finalist to make a cool, like kind of abstract longhorn.

They got back to me and they're like, "Hey, we see some of your other work.

"We like your style and stuff, "but we see oil rigs and farmland with longhorns everywhere.

"We're looking for something that's just like "way out of the normal that people don't see "in Midland at all."

Started to try to think about like unity and togetherness and how, you know, Midlands one place, but we're in like a whole world and how we're essentially all human, kind of like the same makeup.

The doodle grid, really confused I think a lot of people, I draw these doodles of random stuff all over the wall.

And then I use the doodles to scale up my artwork as my reference points.

And when I first got here and did that, I had the cops come and they're like, "What are you doing?"

The way I see art, especially public art, will, I think inspire people to want to go outside and go on an art walk or go to the new park here and then see some of the other artwork coming into town.

And the more like beautiful and colorful and creative our world is the more happy and vibrant communities are.

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- Welcome back, everyone.

Wasn't that fantastic.

And I just want to say what a wonderful job that Josh Brown did putting that piece together.

And we hope that each and every one of you will come and check out the beautiful mural in our alley.

And then come say hi to us at basin PBS with a mask on, but come say hi to us.

Well, we are all having so much fun here at the Anwar Family Studio at basin PBS, and what an amazing evening of great music.

And we are so thrilled to have you joining us for "Main Street Unplugged" with the amazing Jody Nix.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to listen to some more music.

And Jody, I know you've got some more music up your sleeve.

Really quick, a fun, this or that.

Coffee or tea?

- Depends on what time of day.

- [Krista] Fiddle or drums?

- Both.

(both laughing) - Singing in west Texas or anywhere else in the world?

- Anywhere else.

Anywhere.

West Texas.

All over Texas.

- All over Texas.

Well, then take it away.

Let's hear you sing some more songs, Jody.

- They want some more music and I've got it.

♪ Oh, jealous me and careless you ♪ ♪ The odds were just too great ♪ ♪ And I couldn't take those lonely nights ♪ ♪ You made me sit and wait ♪ ♪ But I'd thought I'd seen the last of you ♪ ♪ When you walked out of sight ♪ ♪ Instead I see you in my dreams each night ♪ ♪ So the key's in the mailbox, come on in ♪ ♪ Well, I'm sitting here wishin' dear ♪ ♪ I had have your love again ♪ ♪ I'll never even ask you where you've been ♪ ♪ Oh, the keys in the mailbox, come on in ♪ ♪ Well, I said I'd rather live alone ♪ ♪ Than share your company ♪ ♪ And I said don't come around at all ♪ ♪ If you want more than me ♪ ♪ But sitting here alone I can't deny this flame that burns ♪ ♪ And I'll gladly take you back on any terms ♪ I missed one.

♪ So the keys in the mailbox, come on in ♪ It's all right.

♪ Well, I am sitting here wishing dear ♪ ♪ I had your love again ♪ ♪ And I'll never even ask you where you been ♪ ♪ Oh, the keys in the mailbox, come on in ♪ ♪ Oh, the keys in the mailbox, come on in ♪ All right.

(audience cheers) And every artist has probably written a lot of songs.

I haven't written that many, but I've written a few and I want to do one for you right now that I wrote.

On the bus going to Denver, Colorado about 10, 12 years ago, I guess maybe 20 years ago now.

We were going to the Cattleman's Convention up there and I just kind of, song kept swirling in my head.

And I thought, I need to write this.

And I just felt like the good Lord was sending me one.

And I hollered back at my brother and said, "Come drive a little bit.

I need to write this song."

So about 20 minutes later, I had it.

And you know, I was born and raised into Western Swing.

And this little song deals with that, it's called "Play Me Something I Can Swing To."

♪ There's a place that we call Texas ♪ ♪ Known as the Lone Star State ♪ ♪ The home of Western Swing where the fiddles ring ♪ ♪ The music is so great ♪ ♪ And that Bob Wills beat and dancing feet ♪ ♪ And twirl the night away ♪ ♪ And them old dance halls, you can hear it all ♪ ♪ That's why you'll hear me say ♪ ♪ Play me something I can swing to ♪ ♪ Like Bob and Hoyle and all the boys ♪ ♪ Like they used to do ♪ ♪ Play me something I can swing to ♪ ♪ Need the Texas moon above ♪ ♪ It's the music that I love ♪ ♪ There's nothing quite like Texas ♪ ♪ There's nothing to compare ♪ ♪ To a pedal steel, it's a real deal ♪ ♪ Puts music in the air ♪ ♪ So grab a pretty girl and let her twirl ♪ ♪ As you dance the night away ♪ ♪ To a faded love and the stars above ♪ ♪ You'll always hear me say ♪ ♪ Play me something I can swing to ♪ ♪ Like Bob and Hoyle and all the boys ♪ ♪ Like they used to do ♪ ♪ Play me something I can swing to ♪ ♪ Need the Texas moon above ♪ ♪ It's the music that I love ♪ ♪ Need the Texas moon above ♪ ♪ It's the music that I love ♪ There it is.

Thank you.

(audience cheers) Let me switch back to my old fiddle here.

We got some requests for some fiddle tunes, and we need to be doing them.

I hope all of you is having a good time out there tonight.

I am.

I know that.

Well, we kind of play a variation of kind of all kinds of country music as long as it's traditional.

But there's a old time waltz that's Cajun style that come out in 1951.

That is a standard when we play a dance and it's called "Jole Blon" and I want to do it for you right now.

("Jole Blon" by Amédé Breaux) A little Cajun style there.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And while we're playing the fiddle here, here's one we still get a lot of requests for.

People don't dance it quite like they used to.

But how about a little bit of one of the old Texas standards?

One call the "Cotton Eye Joe."

("Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex) Thank you.

(audience cheers) That's a good one right there.

And as we kind of have went on through the years, we've been fortunate to play all kinds of Western Swing festivals.

And like I said, fairs, rodeo dances numerous times, they keep asking us back and it's all always a blessing.

But like I said, some of the highlights is Turkey, Texas, the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford, the Western Swing Festival in Snyder, Wichita Falls.

We played in Branson, Missouri for the American Music Festival up there, excuse me, I haven't played or talked in a long time.

(laughs) But anyway, I'm getting warmed up here.

Anyway, about eight years ago we played in Branson.

That's a wonderful place at Silver Dollar City.

And we were honored in 2008 to be asked to come back to Washington, DC, to play for the Smithsonian Folk Life Music Festival, me and the boys.

And that was right on the mall of the state Capitol.

I remember I was walking to the stage one day right before we played our first show and I looked to my right and there was the Washington Monument and I looked to my left and there was the nation's Capitol.

And I thought, A country boy like me getting to do things like this.

And that just put, I mean, it just gave me, just pumped me up.

And when I hit the stage, I was ready.

And on that trip also, we were honored to get to play the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and what a beautiful venue, a beautiful place with a lot of history.

And we got to do that and we're honored to do it.

And we played in Las Vegas at the South Point Hotel and Casino during the National Finals Rodeo at the Convention for all the cowboys and cowgirls out there.

And that's been a wonderful time for us too.

How about a little more Bob Will's music here.

I guess this is his most favorite or most famous, I should say.

Little "San Antonio Rose."

("San Antonio Rose" by Bob Wills) Thank you.

(audience cheers) You bet you, you bet ya.

Well, we still got quite a bit of time.

I'm getting warmed up now.

I won't even want to quit when it's time to go home.

When I get started playing, I like to stay a long time.

Whether we're on the air or not, I can still play.

Yeah.

That's what they told me.

All right.

Let's get back to it.

A few more old country songs here.

I've always loved the great sound of Mel Tillis and The Statesiders, got to be around old Mel quite a bit into some of his later years.

And here's one of his best and one of my favorites, one called "The Arms of a Fool."

♪ So many times you've told me that you love me ♪ ♪ And just as many times I found that it's not true ♪ ♪ But when you've had your fun and you still need someone ♪ ♪ Come on home to the arms of a fool ♪ ♪ My foolish eyes still cry when my ears believe a lie ♪ ♪ And my foolish heart keeps sayin' I love you ♪ ♪ So with your new flamed eyes ♪ ♪ And you're still burning with desire ♪ ♪ Come on home to the arms of a fool ♪ ♪ Now even if I'm standing in for someone ♪ ♪ It's all right because I'm standing next to you ♪ ♪ And you'll find an open door ♪ ♪ And I'll take you back once more ♪ ♪ Come on home to the arms of a fool ♪ ♪ My foolish eyes still cry ♪ ♪ When my ears believe a lie ♪ ♪ And my foolish heart keeps saying I love you ♪ ♪ So with your new flamed eyes ♪ ♪ And you're still burning with desire ♪ ♪ Come on home to the arms of a fool ♪ ♪ Come on home to the arms of a fool ♪ There you are.

Thank you.

(audience cheers) And I want to try one right now.

I was working on it and kind of, when I was rehearsing and kind of figuring out what I was going to do and what I wasn't going to do.

Here's one we recorded back about, oh, I guess eight or nine years ago.

And it's quite a love song.

It tells a good story about the way things ought to be.

And if I can remember it, I'm going to do that for you.

♪ I didn't send ♪ It's called "One More Rose."

♪ I didn't send a rose again today ♪ ♪ I bet you won't expect one anyway ♪ ♪ Our love is understood ♪ ♪ And that's what makes it good ♪ ♪ And there's really nothing one more rose could say ♪ ♪ But one more rose won't show how much I love you ♪ ♪ One more rose won't show how much I do ♪ ♪ Just to let you know ♪ ♪ How much I love you so ♪ ♪ I brought a dozen roses home to you tonight ♪ ♪ You always meet me at the door each night ♪ ♪ We always kiss and hold each other tight ♪ ♪ Our love just grows and grows ♪ ♪ With no help from a rose ♪ ♪ And there's really nothing one more rose could right ♪ ♪ But one more rose won't show how much I love you ♪ ♪ One more rose won't show how much I do ♪ ♪ Just to let you know ♪ ♪ How much I love you so ♪ ♪ I brought a dozen roses home to you tonight ♪ ♪ I brought a dozen roses home to you tonight ♪ I like that one.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And another one of my all time heroes was the great Ray Price, the Cherokee cowboy.

They called him the master and I guarantee you, he could sing better than anybody and he could sing a Texas dance tune.

I guarantee you that.

And here's one of he is that I want to do right now.

Mel Tillis wrote this for him back several years ago.

One called "One More Time."

♪ I wonder what the power is that you hold over me ♪ ♪ I never get to love you long just your memory ♪ ♪ And I make a vow each time you leave ♪ ♪ That this will draw the line ♪ ♪ Then you come back ♪ ♪ And just like now I'm falling one more time ♪ ♪ One more time my lips may kiss you ♪ ♪ And one more time my arms will hold you ♪ ♪ But it won't be long until you're gone ♪ ♪ With a memory left behind ♪ ♪ And I just know that when you go ♪ ♪ I'll be lonely one more time ♪ ♪ Your nearness makes me weaken and I give into you ♪ ♪ And I'm doing all the things I said that I wouldn't do ♪ ♪ And I make a vow each time you leave ♪ ♪ That this will draw the line ♪ ♪ Then you come back and just like now ♪ ♪ I'm falling one more time ♪ ♪ One more time my lips may kiss you ♪ ♪ And one more time my arms will hold you ♪ ♪ But it won't be long until you're gone ♪ ♪ With a memory left behind ♪ ♪ And I just know that when you go ♪ ♪ I'll be lonely one more time ♪ ♪ And I just know that when you go ♪ ♪ I'll be lonely one more time ♪ Mr. Ray Price.

All right.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

Well, you know, ladies and gentlemen, we're going through some kind of a difficult times right now, as we all know, and we pray for our nation and we pray to God to guide us through and to hold him close to us and to keep America free.

And it wouldn't be complete tonight unless I did an old gospel song or two.

And I want to do this Hank Williams song for you.

I know a lot of you've heard it across the country.

It's an old one, but a good one.

It's called "I Saw the Light."

♪ I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin ♪ ♪ I wouldn't let my dear savior in ♪ ♪ Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ ♪ I saw the light, I saw the light ♪ ♪ No more darkness, no more night ♪ ♪ Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ ♪ I was a fool to wander and stray ♪ ♪ For straight is the gate and narrows the way ♪ ♪ Now I have traded the wrong for the right ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ ♪ I saw the light, I saw the light ♪ ♪ No more darkness, no more night ♪ ♪ Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ ♪ I saw the light, I saw the light ♪ ♪ No more darkness, no more night ♪ ♪ Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, I saw the light ♪ I love that.

(audience cheers) Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Well, my night wouldn't be complete here without mentioning my fine band.

I know that none of them is here with me.

I wish they were.

Maybe some time if we get asked back, we can come and bring the whole band.

That would be a lot of fun.

I guarantee you.

But anyway, I want to mention them, mention their names and what they play and how long they've been with me.

I'll start with my young fiddle man.

His name was Robert Weeks.

He lives in Graham, Texas.

He's been with me 22 years, over half his life.

He was barely 21 when he joined up with me.

He's one of the finest young fiddle players in the world.

We have traveled many, many miles together, all over Texas, the Southwest and not many roads in the great state of Texas that he and I hadn't been down.

And my steel guitar player has been with us about seven years now.

He comes from Round Rock, Texas.

And before he came with us, he was with Ray Price and The Cherokee Cowboys, and his name is Jim Loessberg.

And our drummer, one of the finest in the world.

I guarantee you.

He can lay that beat in there, solid and steady just like I like it.

He's been with me four and a half, let's see going on six years now, I guess.

And he's a proud grandfather of three new grandbabies and he's always, he's got a million dollar smile and I keep telling him, well, Terry, you got a $3 million smile now with them grandbabies.

But anyway, from Holly, Texas, my drummer boy is Mr. Terry Thompson.

And on the base, gentlemen from Stephenville, Texas.

He's been with us off and on about two years now.

But for the last 30 years he's been with Red Steagall and The Coleman County Cowboys, and his name is Jim Pack.

And that kind of rounds out my band and my boys.

I know it took a little more time there, but I had to acknowledge him.

And I hope you didn't mind that because we travel thousands of miles each year together.

And I hope we get to do that this year too.

And I hope all of you will come see us.

And I want to say howdy to the folks at the Midland Destination, Mr. and Ms. Salazar here, they run a fine, fine place.

We played there several times and looking forward to being back there in the early spring.

And I know they're watching tonight.

So I did say hello to you.

Like I say, I think the clock is winding down, but I can stay as long as they tell me, till they wave me out and we go off air.

But music has been good to me.

Music is good to me and I hope that I have carried my family name in a decent and respectable name.

I am proud to carry on a tradition.

I have not ever tried to walk on my daddy's coattails.

He told me before he passed away many years ago, he said, "Son, when I'm gone, you run it like you want to."

So that's what I've tried to do.

I kept a little of him in there and had to be my own man too.

So with that being said, I think the clock's winding down.

We got time for one more little short one?

Little short one.

All right.

How about here's another old fiddle tune.

One called "Golden Slippers."

("Golden Slippers" by James Bland) Thank you.

- No, thank you Mr. Jody.

Nix.

Outstanding.

- Can I thank the ladies before, or we got time for me to say four names.

- Sure, absolutely.

- Krista, Carma, Laura and Alison and all the sound crew you've been wonderful to work with.

I am blessed and honored to be here.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you for sharing your gifts and your talents.

We are the ones who are truly honored.

So thank you.

Yes.

One more time.

What was that song you sang, "One More Time?"

- Yeah.

- Can we do this one more time, please?

I wish the evening wasn't coming to an end, but it is, but we just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being here tonight.

It has been an incredible night hearing the life stories that you have told all of us.

Where can we find you on social media?

- I have a Facebook page.

I think they're streaming it right now.

And I also have a website, jodynixmusic.com, or you can call me and I'll tell you where we're going to play or where we're not going to play, but I hope we're playing again real soon.

- You really can call.

That's how I got him.

I just called.

Well, thank you so much, Jody.

And on behalf of everyone here at basin PBS and the Anwar Family Studio and the Elizabeth Reed Jaeger Family, we would also like to, of course, thank you, the wonderful staff as you just did, and our incredible basin PBS board.

Programs like this would not be possible without the support of our viewers like you at home.

If you would like to continue seeing great quality programming, I see you shaking your head yes at home, it's quality programming the whole family can enjoy it.

And I encourage you to become a member for as little as $5 a month.

All you have to do is log on to basinpbs.org.

I also like to thank the Arts Council of Midland for sponsoring tonight's performance.

And to our corporate sponsors, Permian Repair and Advanced Stimulation Technologies, AST.

That concludes tonight's performance.

Please.

Mr. Nix, will you play us out with another fantastic song?

- [Jody] All right.

A little more "Cotton Eye Joe."

- [Krista] Have a good evening, everyone.

("Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex)