The photo above is of me and my Uncle Stanley in 2012.

Not sure of as many things as I thought I was not too long ago.

I don’t know if that is experience or doubt or regret talking.  Maybe it is a combination.

The last time I saw Uncle Stanley Chambers in July of 2017, he was in the nursing home room where he died this past week.  During our visit we went back and forth the best we could.  He couldn’t hear very well.  He couldn’t see all that well.  But I do plainly remember a conversation we had that caught me quite off guard to tell you the truth.  But I can tell you I have not forgotten it.

He looked my way and asked, “Danny, what do you think about Donald Trump?”

I kind of thought I was walking into a bit of a trap.  A frustrated Republican, I thought I knew where this was going.  I was wrong.  Nonetheless, I had to answer my Uncle.

“Uncle Stanley, I have to tell you I am not much of a fan.”

There was a pause.  Then Uncle Stanley spoke.  “I don’t care much for him either, anyone who talks about a woman the way he does don’t deserve anyone’s respect.”

At that moment I was somewhere between relief and sadness.  Glad that we were not going to have to tap dance around our belief systems and sad that we had to be considering having to have this conversation about a, (gulp), leader.

Uncle Stanley was a commercial painter in Forest, Mississippi.  I have no doubt he did good work.  He was 89 when he died.  His wife, my Aunt Reat, was there when he passed.

My mother is originally from Forest, Mississippi.  She had sixteen brothers and sisters.

I have said it before.  Living in Indiana so far away from my kinfolk has been a bit frustrating at times.  I’d say there might have been a time when one of them looked to the North and thought I had it made to be up the road.  I truly don’t know.

I do know that I have never had a cross word with any of them.  The precious time we have spent together over the years has been sheer bliss and a source of great thanksgiving.

This is one of my favorite photographs.  My dear wife, Carrie, and my Uncle Stanley hit it off when they met.  I am so glad they did.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

A couple weeks ago I was at Jeff Carpenter’s Al Fresco’s Place Recording Studio in Louisville, Kentucky.  Jeff and I are working on some new recordings.  It has been a work in progress that began with recording sessions in June of 2016.

For me, recording music is a case of I go when I get the call to do it.  After all, I don’t have a great deal of time to do it.  I have never spent much time chasing down a song.  I am fortunate enough to know that the songs usually come to me.

Why I saw some writing on the wall this time around I am not sure?  I do know I have some things planned for later in the Spring performing wise.  Maybe that helped this along.  I just don’t know. But I do know the time is right.

What else do I know?  I am very blessed to have a friend like Jefferson Carpenter to help me realize my musical prowess, whatever there is of it.  The best part of all of this is that Jefferson and I are good friends.  We have a rapport that is priceless.  He pushes and I pull.  On occasion we push and pull in the same direction and POW we have it!  These are great times.

So it is 2019.  The first time I walked into Jefferson’s studio was in 1999 and I was scared to death.  I made one demo.  It was not very good.  But, it was not real bad either.

Eventually, experience and material came together.  We have produced some great sounds since.

Jeff looking over the console. Jeff takes care of business.

It amazes me how a few words on a piece of paper and the chords scribbled over them can turn into a full blown song full of a wall of sound.

This is my favorite spot.  A place to plug in a guitar and sing along.

Re-singing a tune that was already finished.

On March 10, this will be a crowded place with a full band in the house.

Listening to a playback of something is always “interesting” and on occasion it can be a source of great satisfaction.

My dear wife, Carrie, with Jeff and my old friend Jerry Brown.  Jerry loves music.  He is a visual artist and I am giving him a great deal of latitude in creating the cover art for my new CD that will be finished in April.  It will be CD #3 for me.  Charming.

Jerry behind the drums.

Thankfully, the mics were not on!

Looking forward to making some great music again.  The March 10 recording session is going to be one for the record books.  I can feel it.  Good times, indeed.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

There is nothing like the smell of freshly popped corn in an Indiana high school gymnasium with folks filled inside wanting to watch high school basketball.

Recently I visited three gyms and enjoyed the time.  The results of the games I could have done without.  All three of the games ended with the team I was rooting for being defeated.  Still, it was time well spent.

At the New Albany Sectional last week the North Harrison Lady Cats gave their all against a BNL team that is very talented.  I will say it again and I will say it with conviction, the Indiana High School Athletic Association got it wrong by penalizing a public country school for making two trips to the State Finals without winning the championship.  The IHSAA, in its infinite wisdom, has a success factor rule that is asinine.  Wasn’t class basketball enough?  Now this?  No team south of Columbus is going to matter much to Indianapolis.  It is a fact we deal with down here.

Lilly Hatton and Savanna Rhodes ended their high school basketball careers and they will be both remembered and missed.

Thanks for the memories.

On Friday night, Brother Tim Petty and I sat on the top row of the Ron Ferguson Gymnasium at Marengo’s Crawford County High School.  As usual it was a close one.  When these two teams meet on the hardwood, you can throw out the record books.  It will be a tussle.

It was.  Alas, the Cougars were bested.  It was still a good game.  Props go to the announcers Friday night!  Steve Hanger did a great job as the PA man and young sprite from Crawford did a fantastic job with introducing Crawford County’s starting lineups.

This is a great rival game that is enjoyed each year.

Yesterday, my dear wife, Carrie, and I ventured over to Springs Valley High School to watch the first ever Regional game featuring the Lady Eagles from Lanesville High School.  They took on a powerful Vincennes Rivet team.  The Lady Eagles played hard.  I was most impressed by #23 Gracie Adams.  She is a fine young ball player and is just a sophomore.

When I was a younger fella, I played on a North Harrison junior high summer league team.  I made a shot.  I was fouled.  I made my free throw.  I didn’t have many basketball highlights.

The Lanesville team is coached by my friend and colleague, Angie Hinton.  Angie graduated from North Harrison a few years before I did.  She was a great track and field star and a good basketball player.  She has excelled tremendously as a coach.  She led New Albany to a State Championship twenty years ago and she was on the coaching staff at North when they made two consecutive trips to the finals in 2016 and 2017.

Angie took on the Lanesville coaching gig at the behest of an old friend.  It worked out.  Lanesville had the first winning season in over a decade and won its first girls sectional ever.  They had some good coaching.

The guy on the bench there knows a thing or two about basketball also.

Lastly, a Happy 23rd Anniversary to my dear wife, Carrie.

And me, I never get tired of looking at this picture of us in an empty Rose Bowl. I am a blessed man for sure.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

I need the Rams to win today and the total points scored equal 64 points.  That is what my guess was the contest on Rock Radio 96.3 WJAA the best radio station in America.

I doubt I will win.  I don’t deserve to.

I enjoy football more than the next man.  However, about Tuesday or Wednesday of this past week, I saw a news program on a television in our home whose sound we muted.  On the screen I saw Jared Goff, the LA Rams quarterback.

Oh my, I thought, the Super Bowl is this Sunday.

About ten weeks into the season I was hoping the match-up would be the Rams and the Chiefs.  ANYONE else…just don’t put the Patriots there again.

The Pats are there.  Therefore, my give-a-crap meter is running low.  I am afraid that experience will win out.  But I also remind myself that Tom Brady was a bit of a tater tot when he won his first one. I am sure the St. Louis Rams were favored that day against the Pats   New England won on a last second field goal 20-17.

The last time the Rams, albeit they were the St. Louis Rams, won the Super Bowl, they were playing the game in Atlanta. That was Super Bowl 34 when the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans.

The Los Angeles Rams have never won a Super Bowl.  The last time they played in one it was played in my favorite stadium

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Rams in Super Bowl 14 in 1980 in the Rose Bowl.  When my dear wife, Carrie, were pass a football to each other on the field of the Rose Bowl, I pointed out to her that she just caught a pass at about the same spot that Terry Bradshaw hit John Stallworth with an over the should bomb.  That was it.  She was done.  Our game of catch in the Rose Bowl was over.

Go Rams!  And 64 points wouldn’t be too bad either.

Enjoy the game (if you can).

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson