ANNOUNCER: This program is brought to you in part by the City of Danville's Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

And by Santa Cruz Guitars and Santa Cruz Guitar Strings.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.

Hello, and welcome to The Life of a Musician, recorded live in the beautiful city of Danville, Virginia.

Tonight's episode is recorded from The Bee Hotel.

Let's step inside and listen.

-Hello, and welcome to The Life of a Musician .

I'm your host, Brandon Lee Adams, and we are once again coming to you from The Bee Hotel in Danville, Virginia.

And this is Part Two with the amazing talent, Mr. Jerry Salley.

-Thank you, Brandon.

It's good to be here with you.

-Yeah.

It's good to have you here, man.

It just seems like just a few minutes ago we had you.

-[laughs] That's right.

-We've been having a ball down here with Jerry and Erin.

And coming all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, just to sit with little ole us and just caught up, have good conversations, and-- -Having some great food too.

-Good food.

-Yeah.

Good food.

Good times.

-Good food, good times, and I hope to keep the ball rolling on that.

-Yes, sir.

-So, you know, we talked on our last episode kind of about your songwriting career, and some of your thoughts and your process and things of that nature, and some of that fine singing that you do.

-Oh, thank you.

-But there's other aspects of being a musician, or being an artist.

And one of the things that we want to do on this show is show everybody there are a million layers to what it is to be a musician.

And you're one of those rare breeds who have managed to take your songwriting and turn it into this wonderful career.

But now you're taking on this next level, which is label owner.

So, I just want to open the floor.

Man, tell us about it.

-Well, as my career went on as a songwriter, I started doing more and more shows.

When I was a young songwriter, I always thought I was going to be this big country star, you know, and I did pursue the country music scene for a while as an artist, and it never really worked out for me.

And I think that was a God thing because my children were young at the time, and I really enjoyed being home, you know, when they were little.

But as they got older and started growing up and getting, you know, going on to college and everything, I started performing more and more, and to the point where I started having a little bit of an artist's career in bluegrass music.

And so, now I perform and travel more than I ever had.

But during that period, I started producing records.

I had several artists who did not have a label home that I produced, and they kept saying to me, you know, "Man, I wish you'd start your own record label, wish you'd start your own record label."

And so finally, a few years ago, about four or five years ago, now I had this idea for a record label.

And I actually partnered with Daywind Records out of Hendersonville, Tennessee.

And I had become friends with Ed Leonard and his mother, Dottie, who owns the label.

They had every-- their history is gospel music.

They've been around for over 30 years, one of the largest distributors of gospel music in the world, and they have one of the largest Southern Gospel record labels as far as quartet type music and that sort of thing that I grew up with.

They weren't in bluegrass at all, but that's what I wanted to do is start a bluegrass record label.

And so, knowing the assets that they had and the structure that they already had in place, and knowing that a lot of our consumers, bluegrass consumer fan base is very similar to Southern Gospel, I decided to go and approach them and say, "Hey, would you all-- Have you ever thought about starting a bluegrass record label?"

And they had thought about it, but just, you know, had never really pursued it.

And so, I kind of told them my business plan of what I was thinking.

And it took us about six months to get everything together and get a brand together, a logo, and a name, and everything.

And it's just been a-- it's been a blessing.

The whole journey has been incredible.

I think a lot of folks might have thought, you know, we might not be very successful, but we've been very blessed.

-When you sit there and you think about, okay, I want to start a record label and you talked about, you know, being a producer, which is another thing.

You know, we need another episode just-- where you talk about what it is to be a producer.

But-- so that you're saying that that's your inspiration.

This is why you wanted to start a label is you wanted a home for artists that you felt deserved or should have.

-Oh, correct, correct.

That and the fact that I wanted to start a record label that was run from a creative's perspective.

In other words, being a songwriter first, everything... to me, it starts with a song.

That's what our saying is in Nashville, you know, everything starts with a song, and it does.

And so, as elementary as this sounds, I always felt like "field of dreams" kind of concept.

You know, if you build it, they will come.

And if you build your company, you build your label, and you sign artists that are song-based, that you can be successful.

And so, I approach everything from a creative standpoint.

I'm the A&R and Creative Director of Billy Blue Records.

I help pick songs.

I help, you know, the song search process.

And that's one of my favorite parts of the job.

Again, if you cut great records with great songs, then you're going to be successful.

-Well, you know, and when you're talking about that, that song search process, you know, you're talking about searching songs out for your artists.

What is something that kind of goes to your mind, or are there are there any little flags that'll pop up when you're listening to something and saying, okay, this.

-Yeah.

Occasionally, there are.

And I don't always know what that is until I hear it.

You know what I mean?

I get a lot of folks from all over the country that want to pitch songs all the time to our artists.

And I really do pretty much listen to everything that I'm sent just to-- because I don't want to miss anything, whether it's someone I know or don't know.

It has to be something that if the song hits me emotionally, or makes me feel something, then I will pass it on to whoever I have on the label that's looking for songs at the time, you know, that I think it might fit the best.

-Okay.

So-- -Kind of, I guess, what you-- we call it casting the songs, you know.

Who we cast it to, who do we pitch it to, which artist does it most fit the best.

-So, yeah, and you're doing that, and you've got this pick for your artists.

And, you know, kind of, what's that process like?

Do you pitch it to the artist and the artist says, "Okay, cool."

And then kind of, take us through that.

What happens during that?

-Sometimes they say yes.

Sometimes they say no.

So, you know, a lot of, you know-- There's times that I feel really strongly about a song.

And they'll pass on it, you know.

And that's up to my artist.

I mean, they know-- I only sign people that I trust, and they're the ones that have to go out and perform these songs, you know, and that sort of thing.

So, I always leave the bottom decision up to them.

There are times that I do need to just say, "Hey, man, I really wish you would listen to this again," or, you know, that sort of thing.

But I send the songs to them, I give them my opinion, and then I kind of let them make their decisions from there.

-So, you're almost pre-producing everything?

-Sort of.

There are times when they feel strongly about a song that I'm not necessarily as crazy about.

Again, I defer to them and let them, you know, and a lot of time-- I'm not always right.

I'm telling you right now.

That's one of the greatest lessons I've learned.

I mean, ask my wife.

[laughs] -And ask mine.

You know, that's kind of a rare thing.

I've had friends who've had deals on some pretty big labels, Sony and things like that.

And you're kind of, you know, when you're getting started out especially, you get, you know, maybe a developmental deal.

They basically tell you what you're going to do.

-They sure do.

Yeah, that's right.

And I'd say that probably happens more in the country genre than it does in the bluegrass world that I live in.

I would never force one of our artists to do something they didn't want to do.

-Well, when you come to that now, you've got an artist on your label, do you-- will you pull, like, even triple duty and say, "Okay, you're on my label and I've pitched you these songs."

Do you go ahead and produce?

-Occasionally, I produce.

Right now, we have eight or nine artists on Billy Blue, and I produce two of them.

I produce Kristy Cox, and I produce the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, brand-new exciting band.

You know, when you got somebody like Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Joe is a great song man, and he knows how to produce his records.

He doesn't need me.

-Right.

-And so, it depends on where, you know, where the artists are and, you know, what their experience is and that sort of thing.

For the most part, I don't sign an artist just so I can produce them.

I don't sign them because I can produce them.

I have to-- I wear so many different hats.

It's like searching for songs.

I never take my songwriter hat off as far as listening, and finding songs that move me and that I think would be great for my artist, but I have to take my songwriter hat off as far as whether I wrote it or not.

I can't just pitch my songs to, you know, my artists.

That would be wrong, I got to find the best songs.

Even when I produce, I take my songwriter hat off and I find the best songs for my artist, regardless of who the songwriter is.

And you have to do that, to be honest, and give your artist the best shot at being successful.

-Yeah.

It's strength in diversity.

-Yeah, yeah.

And same thing with producer hat, you know.

There's a couple artists I'd love to produce on our label, but they're making such great records on their own.

Why would I want to screw that up?

-Right.

Will you kind of take us a little bit through, you know, and this is for the folks back home who have these kinds of questions.

You know, there's-- this is a rare opportunity to kind of get a behind-the-scenes with somebody who's-- you've really had a lot of success.

So, you know, in your mind, what is the difference between songwriter, producer, label owner?

-As far as the differences between the three, there are-- as a songwriter, of course, you're the person who comes up with the, you know, with the actual song.

The producer has to take songs, no matter who wrote them, and put them and arrange them in a way that fits that particular artist and their, you know, their style or the way they would perform.

So, the producer's a little bit more of like a-- I'd say like an orchestra director.

You know, he directs the musicians on where to play, what to play, to make the record, you know, the record making process.

Then on the record label side, as far as the label head goes, I'm not just responsible for making sure the record sounds great and that we got the right songs, but I'm responsible for marketing.

Now they're streaming these days.

You know, I've learned a lot from this job on how to-- how the streaming's working, and all the different new challenges that you have in the music business as far as trying to sell music and market music.

So, I become more of a businessman at that point, on the label side of things.

And you can be a great businessman and not even be a songwriter, or be a great businessman, a great label person, and not be a record producer, you know, not know how to write a chart or how to play a guitar or whatever.

So, there are definitely distinctions in all three.

You know, it's necessary, I said earlier, it all starts with a song, and it does start with a song.

At the same time, it doesn't end with a song.

-Right.

-If you don't have the relationship with radio and the folks in your genre that plays your music, if you don't have the relationship with the distributors that distribute the music and sell the music, those are all really important things that all are part of that record label aspect of things.

-You know, and that's extremely-- well, it's just really interesting.

And I think it's, you know-- thank you very much for taking the time to answer that.

This is probably-- hopefully, will help some folks back home, you know, who are going through this process.

What would you tell those folks?

-It's a matter of the way you project your personality and yourself and your music.

You always want to be kind and you want to do it in a way that's not aggravating.

-Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

-You know what I mean?

I know folks that-- when people pitch songs, for instance, I'd say just send me your two or three best songs that you think are your-- be honest with yourself, send me either absolute greatest songs for that particular artist that you want to send.

Don't send me ten songs.

Because if you do, I probably won't listen to any of them because I don't have time to listen to all ten of them.

Same way with you.

If you've got a group or a band and you're looking for a record label, you search out the labels that you think would best represent your music.

And then, you approach them in a good, kind, decent way to try to get their attention without, you know, being obnoxious about it.

And I think that's just kind of a human nature kind of thing.

-I'll tell you, it's-- I want to get back to this because I just-- I'm such a fan of your songwriting and your singing.

I do want to get back to-- so maybe you can give us an example of, you know, a song that you have done that you said, "Hey, this is for this artist," you know.

-Okay.

-Tell us a little bit about the tune if you-- -Well, I wrote a song a few years ago, and when I-- the minute I finished it, I knew I wanted to pitch it to Doyle Lawson.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, one of the greatest bluegrass bands ever in our genre, and this was actually before-- I'll tell you this real quick before I sing the song.

When I went to the Leonards' about the idea of starting a record label, Ed Leonard asked me, he said, "If you could sign, you know, one or two acts, or if you could sign one artist, who would you sign to the label?"

And I said, "Well, I'd sign Doyle Lawson if I could.

That would be my first choice.

And then, Joe Mullins & The Radio Rambles."

Within the first year of starting the record label, we were able to get both of those guys on our label, which was incredible.

But-- And I thought about Doyle when I wrote this song, and he recorded this before he became a Billy Blue artist.

And, you know, for years and years, he just retired recently, he would do anywhere from 180 to 200 dates a year for a long time.

He was like that energizer bunny, you know.

And he just kept going and going and going.

So, when we finished this song because of what it was about, I thought, man, he would be the best guy to sing this song.

Sent it to him.

Luckily, he loved it.

He recorded it, and we had a number one record with it.

-Wow.

-And it's one called Life to My Days .

And I think this is how everybody should live their life.

[instrumental guitar music] ♪ I wish we all could live At least until we're 90 ♪ ♪ Without any aches, Or pains, or a cloudy mind ♪ ♪ And I wish Everyone could taste ♪ ♪ The kind of love They dream of finding ♪ ♪ And get to see their ship ♪ ♪ Come sailin' in At least one time ♪ ♪ I've been around enough To know ♪ ♪ That ain't the way It always goes ♪ ♪ So if I'm One of those travelers ♪ ♪ Whose journey gets cut short ♪ ♪ And leave the ones I leave behind ♪ ♪ Wishin' I had more time ♪ ♪ All I can say is I can't add More days to my life ♪ ♪ So I'll add more life To my days ♪ ♪ So today, when I get home from work ♪ ♪ I ain't jumpin' On that mower ♪ ♪ I'm gonna grab my boy And his Zebco ♪ ♪ That old yard can wait ♪ ♪ And later on tonight I'll kiss his mama ♪ ♪ And I'll show her that She still gives me butterflies ♪ ♪ Like she did On our first date ♪ ♪ For these moments Won't last long ♪ ♪ We blink, And then they're gone ♪ ♪ So if I'm one of Those travelers ♪ ♪ Whose journey gets cut short ♪ ♪ And leave the ones I leave behind ♪ ♪ Wishin' I had more time ♪ ♪ All I can say is I can't add More days to my life ♪ ♪ So I'll add more life To my days ♪ ♪ Gonna take that trip To Sanibel ♪ ♪ Spend a week or two This summer ♪ ♪ Keep the TV off And wrestle with the kids ♪ ♪ Call my mama up just to hear Her voice and say I love her ♪ ♪ Some day I'll never get That chance again ♪ ♪ So if I'm one Of those travelers ♪ ♪ Whose journey gets cut short ♪ ♪ And leave the ones I leave behind ♪ ♪ Wishin' I had more time ♪ ♪ All I can say is I can't Add more days to my life ♪ ♪ So I'll add more life To my days ♪ ♪ No I can't add more days To my life ♪ ♪ So I'll add more life To my days ♪ -Beautiful.

-Thank you.

-Beautiful.

I love that hook.

-Thank you.

-Love that.

"Add more life to my days."

You see, that's why we need to do yet another episode, if you want to come back on season two.

-I'll come back anytime to talk with you, Brandon.

-I'll tell you what, that was fantastic.

And, you know, one of the things I wanted to focus on in this episode is really just the whole-- the story of, you know, song to label.

You do a song like that, and you get it to Doyle or whoever, whatever artist it this.

And I just can't get over it.

That was really good, man.

-Thanks.

-I really like that.

That's a great one.

So, you've got that.

You've got this wonderful, amazing song.

The artist says, "Heck, yeah.

Let's do it."

So, take us through the process of kind of the farm to table approach of it is, okay, song, artist, now what?

Out the door?

-Right.

Well, first of all, Doyle took that and made it his own.

You know, the way I just played it for you is the way I wrote it.

He recorded it a little bit differently to fit his style of music.

You know, that's one of the great things about Doyle Lawson is he's a song-man.

And he can take it and make it fit to how he does his music.

Once that's completed, they turn the, you know, turn the record into the label, and it's the label's job at that point to schedule release dates.

We pick the first single from the album, get it out the door before-- usually before the album's released.

So, that radio is already out there playing something before in anticipation to build the, you know, the anticipation of the album that's getting ready to come out.

And then, we also, again, the streaming side of things, that's so important these days.

We release different songs to the streaming people only, the streaming services.

They're called DSPs, digital service providers.

So, sometimes they'll get their own little slice of a preview of an album before radio does and vice versa, radio will get a song before streaming does, and that sort of thing.

At that point, it's really up to the label to start trying to get the record out there to the audience, and get people to notice it and hear it so that they'll want to go buy it hopefully.

-Yeah.

-That's the bottom line.

-Yes, sir.

-Selling those records.

-Yeah.

At least listen to it enough to give us that royalty off of it on Spotify, which ain't that big.

-I just was doing some research on that, Brandon.

It takes about 1,500 streams to equal the sale of one CD.

-BRANDON: Mm-mm.

-And so, until we get the-- that's a whole another episode too is the payment.

BRANDON: That's a lot.

-Yes.

Well, that's the episode that it's really-- Things have changed a lot in the music business since I started.

-BRANDON: Yeah.

-And that's one of the biggest challenges is getting in the bluegrass world, in the Southern Gospel world, our consumers don't stream as much as a lot of the other genres of music.

So-- and because that's what we're eventually going to be doing probably all of, we have to get folks interested enough to go try to find that music on the different streaming services.

-Yeah.

I hear you.

Thanks a ton, Jerry, for taking us through those steps.

Now, I know that, you know, we're kind of coming at you with a lot of stuff, you know, from left and right and out of the blue.

-JERRY: That's okay.

-Yeah.

Well, you're handling it like a pro.

You know, that's why you make the big bucks.

-Is that right?

-Is there anything else?

You know, is there any other kind of thing that you feel like motivates you or motivated you towards, you know, this-- now I'm a label owner, kind of thought.

-Well, when I-- Again, when the whole idea came into my head, I started thinking about when I first moved to Nashville, and how people like Chet Atkins ran RCA for years.

I always felt like the most successful labels were the ones that were run by an artist or a creative, a producer, a songwriter, you know, and when I first came to town, that's the kind of people that ran the record labels.

As time went on and things have changed, you know, more and more, I hate to call them bean counters, but that's kind of what we call them, bean counters come along, and they're more business than they are creative.

And you got to have both.

It's important.

But when you have a person who can be a creative, and knows that side of the business, and can also have a good business approach to the way they do things, I think that's where you're going to have the most success.

And having said that, too, you know, I am personally on my own little Very Jerry Records label.

And even though we have Billy Blue Records now, I have purposely kept myself off of Billy Blue and just stayed on my own thing because that's another thing.

I don't want any kind of conflict of interest or even an appearance of conflict of interest.

Because if I put myself on Billy Blue, then all of a sudden, I'm getting, you know, I only have a certain amount of resources at my fingertips.

You know, we only have so many people that work there.

We only have certain amount of budgets.

And so, I don't want to do anything that would make my artists on Billy Blue Records think that I'm taking away from their resources, you know, when they make a record.

So, I've deliberately kept Very Jerry and Billy Blue separated.

-Well, you know, that's an honorable thing.

You don't run into that a ton, you know.

Well, I wouldn't say honorable, you don't run into a lot of, I guess, let's keep it like this, let's keep it in this lane, and let's look out for the artist first.

I think that's the big thing that has changed.

JERRY: Yeah.

-It's become more about the bottom line than it's become about the product, than it's become about the artists themselves.

-Sure.

And I think that's not-- that's in every business, not just the music business, I guess.

But anyway, I guess the bottom line on Billy Blue Records is, we wanted to start a label that would give our artists the resources and time that they need to be successful.

-That's the dream.

And you are making it come true, man.

And I think that's-- With all the time you've been on the show, I think you've basically kind of taken us to the whole genesis of what an artist can be, and what an artist has been.

And I want to thank you so very, very much.

-Well, thank you, Brandon.

I appreciate you, man.

Appreciate you taking the time and having an interest in this side of the business.

-Well, I think a lot of people have the interest.

It's just we don't get a resource like you, you know, to tap into.

So, thank you very much for that.

It's truly, truly appreciated.

-My honor.

-And we're going to send you out on this one.

But, you know, again, thanks again.

Please come back.

-I'd love to.

Thank you so much.

-Well, thank you folks very much for tuning in this first season of The Life of a Musician , and we look forward to seeing you in season two.

Be well, and God bless.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you for being a part of our show.

We look forward to seeing you on the next episode of The Life of a Musician.

[instrumental guitar music] JERRY: ♪ I wish we all could Live at least until we're 90 ♪ ♪ Without any aches, or pains, Or a cloudy mind ♪ ♪ And I wish Everyone could taste ♪ ♪ The kind of love They dream of finding ♪ ♪ And get to see their ship Come sailin' in ♪ ANNOUNCER: This program is brought to you in part by the City of Danville's Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

And by Santa Cruz Guitars and Santa Cruz Guitar Strings.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.

JERRY: ♪ So if I'm one of Those travelers ♪ ♪ Whose journey gets cut short ♪ ♪ And leave the ones I leave... ♪