Karen Staley has spent decades on the inside of Nashville’s music business — as a songwriter, performer and background singer — and this week she joins Circling the Drain to tell the stories behind the songs.

Karen takes Johnny Bozeman, Jay Harper and Jim McCarthy back to her early days entering a talent contest at the legendary Wheeling Jamboree, her move to Nashville and the unlikely series of events that eventually put her on the road with Reba McEntire.

She also tells the story behind Tracy Byrd’s “The Keeper of the Stars,” its journey to becoming a number-one hit and ACM Song of the Year, and the unforgettable night George Strait told her he wished she had pitched the song to him.

Karen’s response — at least internally?

“Who do you think we wrote it for?”

We also get into her years around Faith Hill, the realities of being a songwriter versus an artist, how dramatically the economics of songwriting have changed, and why Karen is actually encouraged by some of the young writers and artists making country music today.

It’s funny, candid and packed with stories from an era of Nashville that produced some of country music’s most enduring songs.

Karen Staley on Circling the Drain.

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

Circling The Drain is sponsored by:
www.crabtreebenefits.com
www.muletownbikes.com

Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co

Devon O’Day has been part of Nashville radio, music and entertainment for more than four decades — and she has the stories to prove it.

Devon joins Johnny Bozeman, Jay Harper and Jim McCarthy for a hilarious trip through the glory days of Nashville radio, including her years working with the legendary Gerry House and The House Foundation, what made that show work, and what it was like doing truly live morning radio before there was even a dump button.

She also tells the unlikely story of how “Tennessee Whiskey” songwriter Linda Hargrove helped launch her songwriting career, talks about moving to New York with her sister Faith Ford, and shares how a lifelong love of animals became a major part of her life.

Then the conversation gets more personal.

Devon talks about getting fired, betting on herself and launching Devin’s Farm, as well as sobriety, faith, family and what more than 40 years in Nashville have taught her about starting over.

Plus: Buc-ee’s, old Nashville, Cletus T. Judd, T. Graham Brown, Vin Diesel, bad accents and plenty of radio stories that probably couldn’t happen today.

It’s Nashville storytelling the way we remember it — funny, unpredictable and just a little dangerous.

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

Circling The Drain is sponsored by:
www.crabtreebenefits.com
www.muletownbikes.com

Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co

Circling the Drain is sponsored by:
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