April 1, 2026

Hi Gang:

And Hello Springtime!!

After the winter we had here in middle Tennessee, these blue skies, warmer temperatures, and bright yellow sunshine sure are a welcome sight. The workers have almost gotten our office put back together following the ice storm and the tree falling through our roof, so hopefully it’ll be smooth sailing around Whisperville for awhile. I’m ready for some calm winds and still waters, believe me.

I wrapped up the month of March with a couple of special events…a Songwriters’ Series show with Bobby Tomberlin and Lance Miller at the Franklin Theater south of Nashville, and a sold out Saturday night Grand Ole Opry tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens at the Opry House. The audiences at both shows were large and enthusiastic. Thanks to all of you…many who traveled long distances…who came to be with us.

I received some exciting news during that time when I was told that a song I co-wrote with Jon Randall and Carrie Underwood called “A Beautiful Life” is going to be the title song of Dailey & Vincent’s new album coming June 12th . And that’s not all…it’s going to also be the title of their 2026 tour kicking off April 10th in Reidsville, North Carolina!!

We wrote this song when things were just beginning to explode for Carrie. It sat on the shelf for, get this, SEVENTEEN years until one day Jon’s publisher ran across it and sent it to Dailey & Vincent’s producers, offering further proof that it’s never wise to give up on a song’s potential. This seems to be a trend with Bill Anderson/Jon Randall co-writes. Remember we wrote “Whiskey Lullaby” in 2000, and it didn’t win Song Of The Year until 2005. Maybe we need to revisit our old catalog a bit more often!

The Vincent family is being especially good to me right now, because not only is Darrin a big part of “A Beautiful Life,” but because Darrin’s sister, Rhonda Vincent, is planning to cut another song I had a hand in writing. It’s a ballad called, “Even If I Tried,” and I’ve heard her sing it on a rough demo. Like virtually everything else Rhonda sinks her vocal cords into, it’s really good. No timetable for a session or a release, but they’re both on the way.

Funnyman, Uncle Kracker, has also added his take to our song, “Wherever She Is.” He may change the title to “Stay There,” but that matters not to me. I love it when great artists put their own personal touch onto something I’ve had a hand in helping to create!

April is going to be an interesting month for me. I’ll be recording an audio counterpart for our first two children’s books on the 15th (more on that subject soon), and appearing on the Opry April 11th and April 25th. I hope to go stare at the ocean for a few days this month as well.

Stay warm and well wherever you are, and we’ll see you back here again in May. Thanks for everything!