Remembering Songwriter Brett James (Hour 2)

Transcript

Remembering Songwriter Brett James (Hour 2)

The Todd Allbaugh Show · Fri Sep 19, 2025

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

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From the Civic Media World Headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, it's the Todd Alba Show.

And now, pursuing truth wherever it may lead,

Here's your host, Todd Albaugh.

Todd Allbaugh

Across Wisconsin on the Civic Media Radio Network and streaming worldwide on the Civic Media app.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Ta-da!

Along with Mr. Aaron Zommers on the board, our producer and engineer.

It is six minutes past the hour of three o'clock.

Welcome, everybody, to hour number two of the big broadcast here on a Friday, TGIF.

It is the 18th of September of Friday, 2025.

It is a great day to be Wisconsinite from the World Headquarters, Downtown Madison, intersection of state.

And fair child timers.

Let's take a look at the old Sam Davison street cam as my mother is fond of saying Into everyone's life a little rain must fall It's

looking over there.

Todd Allbaugh

We have a little sprinkle here.

The the payment is is wet is moist

Downtown Madison there some cars going by the night market was last night.

I heard it was a success I was able to attend this this last night one more left in October We'll let you know when that is and you can come down on Thursday and say hello to us, but people in town here some Terps some Terrapins from from Maryland are in town because the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Maryland Terrapins tomorrow in football I camp Randall

Really important early season game Badgers kickoff the Big 10, but boy they got walloped by Alabama last weekend down in Alabama And so this is gonna be important game for Bucky early 1-2 at 11 o'clock kickoff You can hear the pregame show starting at 9 o'clock and La Manana that is in the morning

for all you non-Spanish speakers out there.

You can hear it on WRCE in Richland Center, WLAK in Amory, WFHR in Wisconsin Rapids and WRPN in Ripon.

Also via the Civic Media app on any of those stations as well.

I can stream those Badger flow.

I listened to a Badger game last year out in Denver.

So you can do it.

Check it out.

Wisconsin Badgers pre-game at nine kickoff just after 11 o'clock at the camp.

as they say, Camp Randall.

I'm predicting this is one of the four wins that I took this year was Maryland.

So I'm saying, Bucky will win tomorrow.

Here's hoping.

Todd Allbaugh

Yes, here's hoping.

Many thanks to Bill McCoshen for being here today in studio, the president and founder of the Janesville Jets.

Great organization.

Many thanks to Trigme for calling in today as well.

And just a great example, Zombers of.

There's good in all of our communities if we take time to look at it look for it and then lift it up

I also really appreciated the the little touch you guys did have on politics before we talked about hockey He said that you know We really should listen to each other and if you just take the time to truly listen You might find that your assumptions about what other people believe are wrong hundred percent

Todd Allbaugh

I appreciate you bringing that back up as well, because it's just good for all of us, myself included, to follow that advice.

And all of us could do a little more listening, a little more talking, although I get paid to talk for a couple of hours.

Or a little less talking.

Oh, what did I

say?

You

Todd Allbaugh

said more about it.

What's wrong with me today?

Today

and yesterday, yeah.

Todd Allbaugh

And yesterday as well, is this bad?

I don't know.

I'm not medicated.

Maybe that's a problem.

Maybe I'm not medicated.

I think I'm just, as my grandma all ball would have said, I'm a little done in.

I just feel a little done in.

It's been a heavy 10 days.

It sure has.

I am ready for the weekend.

Let me tell you, I am absolutely ready for the weekend.

Although I got my rain gear.

So we'll see where.

And by the way, Zahmer is doing Yeoman's work and looking up at the American Player's Theater website.

A

Midsummer Night's Dream.

Thank you.

Todd Allbaugh

I guess I was going to my phone to look.

He said, I texted it to you and I looked and he had and then, you know, the 20 minutes since I couldn't say it.

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I said, I've seen this show.

It's a great play.

William Shakespeare.

So cannot wait.

For some reason, I thought you were going to say William Shatner.

I don't know why

Todd Allbaugh

that is the way the last couple of days have gone that would have been appropriate Wouldn't that be great has seen a William Shatner do a midsummer night stream?

It would be very entertaining, but I think even more entertaining would be watching the Shakespeare fans in the audience just cringing and shriveling up because of this delivery Yeah, but they'd be like you've messed up the

Todd Allbaugh

meter All right a little business to do for you

We're right in the middle of our text to win contest today our free ticket Friday our last one of the season All's baseball season long every Friday We've been giving you a chance on our show and all the rest of the network talk shows across the the Civic Media radio network to win four tickets club level tickets to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game today is no exception except that it is the last

day of the contest for this season.

And ironically, our word for our show is last, L-A-S-T.

So download the Civic Media app if you don't have it.

Either way, open it up.

First 10 stations are the ones that we're on.

Choose the one closest to you or just hit AUK at the top or MDX.

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And at the four o'clock hour, the computer will randomly take one of the correct entries and that individual will be on their way to Milwaukee next Friday.

September 26th at 7 10 in the evening to see the Brewers take on the Cincinnati Reds.

I agree with Bill McCosh and I think the the Brewers get to 100 wins might be that night.

We'll see but the almost certainly hopefully we'll see we'll have clinched the NL Central but it could happen.

It could happen on Friday night.

We'll see how this road trip goes.

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So text the word last L A S T. Don't forget.

You could hear the crew as they get back underway tonight on the road down in St.

Louis.

Once again, playing the Cardinals.

Broadcast starts at 640 tonight first pitch just after seven o'clock From bush stadium or whatever they call it down there in st.

Louis.

It should be that called the stadium that crushes dreams That's what it should be called Brewers at say at st.

Louis tonight magic number to win the central is down to the four games and Reminder be with us on Monday.

We have

Our old friend, Sean Hannish, co-producer of Just, have been outside the story of the Brewers, along with his production partner on the film.

You say the whole name.

Paul Giaconi, Barry.

Thank you.

As Amherst says it better than I do.

Paul Giaconi, Barrett will be here as well.

And they have a brand new film.

I basically have agreed to a non-disclosure form.

I know what it is.

Sean showed me the trailer last night, and it's very exciting.

And they're announcing a new Wisconsin-based sports film coming up on Monday, and they're stopping by our show first to tell you all about it.

On Monday, you're not gonna wanna miss it.

It's gonna be another great Wisconsin sports film coming to a theater near you in October, so be here for that as well.

All right right now it coming up at 15 past the hour of three o'clock time once again for what's worse.

Let's go Time once again for what's worse nothing give away no prize money involved But it is your chance to have your voice heard across all ten news talk support stations on the civic media radio network Timely timely indeed

The aforementioned Mike Lucas likes to say.

Get.

Milwaukee Brewers playing down at St.

Louis.

A lot of people are going to be listening on the Brewer Radio Network.

You can catch it like the game tonight in Richland Center in Oshkosh and Hayward.

And tune them in on the Brewers Radio Network.

It has to be over the air in those cities tonight and all weekend long.

You got the Badger game on several of our stations tomorrow.

And then on Sunday, you can listen to the Packers versus the Browns at noon on several of our stations.

Now, what goes better with all those sporting events than a little grilling?

Gotta get the grill going.

So today's category, what's worse?

Gas grill or charcoal grill?

Gas grill or charcoal grill?

eight five five seven five two four eight four two eight five five seven five two four eight four two what's worse gas grill or charcoal grill?

It's a very interesting picture on the uh on the graphic this time because the gas grill the lighting is just all off and it makes the meat on it look terrible and the charcoal grill is in a store completely unused.

So I think it says maybe the person who put this together is trying to say that people who talk big about charcoal grill don't actually use their grills.

I don't think I'm reading it too

Todd Allbaugh

much.

I think you're way too much into it, I don't know.

But yeah, for those watching the stream, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Twix, X. Yeah, the gas grill looks like a steak or burger, and then some grilled vegetables.

That is one of my favorite ways to have vegetables, by the way.

is to grill them.

Very good.

Yeah, really, really good.

Yeah.

Then the charcoal grill is brand new on the, on the floor of your favorite box store, I guess, I don't know.

What's worse, gas grill or charcoal grill, eight, five, five, seven, five, two, four, eight, four, two, eight, five, five, seven, five, two, four, eight, four, two.

Our very own, but a shout out to the engineers, by the way, that keep us on the air.

Never get enough credit for that.

We appreciate them.

All right, one of our great cast one of our great caspers and we have several caspers on the

one of our great

Todd Allbaugh

one of our great engineers Casper says taste the meat and not the heat

Yeah, you know and I I'm gonna say I trust his opinion on this to bring this back to a to a PG rating I trust his opinion on this because he is he smokes meat

And it is very good.

I've had some.

He's very good at it.

Todd Allbaugh

I've never heard that before.

Taste the meat and not the

heat.

So I take it he's saying that charcoal is worse because it adds a different flavor to it.

That's my guess.

Tell me if you're wrong.

I guess, although,

Todd Allbaugh

although, like, if you, it's not the, so much the, you can, you could use like a hickory wood.

And like, so you have on one side of the grilling device, you're kind of burning or smoking hickory.

either wood chips or whatever.

And then you want that apple wood hickory to be part of the taste of the meat.

So, yeah, we could get some clarification from Casper here.

Right.

And he says it's a Hank Hill reference, which is what I thought.

Oh, really?

And we talked

Todd Allbaugh

about King of the Hill in this program before.

He brought charcoal into our house.

I didn't know what it was.

Luann asked me to hold it for her.

I thought it was drugs.

There's soot under my boy's nails.

You don't get that from a clean burning fuel.

Todd Allbaugh

Well, tons of hours had it at the ready.

Cam in Appleton says knocking over my gas grill in a storm doesn't leave a mess to clean up.

Might have to go with gas, though I prefer using a fork and the kitchen power outlet to get that quick trip meat

flavor.

Don't do that.

Todd Allbaugh

Don't do that.

All right, what's worse gas grill or charcoal grill?

We'll take more of your calls at 855-752-4842, 855-752-4842, or you can text us on the Civic Media app, what's worse, gas grill or charcoal grill, and you could also text the word last.

Simply that, just L-A-S-T last.

The computer will randomly choose what are you people that put in last in the computer text line, and you're going to AMFAM Field for a Brewer's game next weekend.

Come on back, more on our What's Worst?

Zombiers, I will tell you hours after this.

Sick video, pretty awkward.

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.

Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get

Todd Allbaugh

started.

show of the Civic Media radio network 22 now past the hour of three o'clock in a TGIF edition Friday September 19th 2025 Zomers Aaron Zommer is our producer engineer on the board to dialing the little king of the hill theme music

indeed

Todd Allbaugh

nicely done there Zomers the what's worse category today gas grill or charcoal grill

Gas grill or charcoal grill and as we learned who was it was a crack that was on talking about King of the Hill Yeah, Brian Van Hooker.

I think thank you.

Yeah, it's Van Hooker Brian Van Hooker was on talking about some King of the Hill stuff and and Hank was all in on on propane He sells propane and propane accessories.

Yes.

He was all in and was you know just Abhorred by the fact that someone would put charcoal out there on a gas grill.

What's worse?

Gas grill or charcoal grill 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 on the text line Matt one of our great UPS drivers in Richland Center Says while Hank Hill of Strickland propane says taste the meat not the heat his own son Bobby says propane lacks the rich smoky flavor of charcoal gas is worse

It is a point of contention.

It

Todd Allbaugh

is a point of contention.

Let's go to the phone lines.

Jim in Brookfield, listening on our great station, W. A. U. K. in Milwaukee.

Jim, gas grill or charcoal grill?

What's worse?

I would, after many, many years of charcoal grilling, we finally got a gas grill this summer on sale up at Ace Hardward in hardware and beautiful Brookfield.

I would have to say that the charcoal grill is much more convenient.

And it's just easy to start up, get out there, get that grill up to the appropriate temperature with the dials.

You can adjust it.

Yes, it does not have that charcoal taste to it, but you think about it, Todd, it's probably more healthy for you than to have that carcinogenic of the charcoal.

So

I'm saying that the gas grill is better and the charcoal is worse.

And this is from somebody who for decades used the charcoal grill.

The lake finally fell off my big weather kettle, so I went to gas.

Todd Allbaugh

Yeah, I think to your point, Jim, there's a great point to all of them.

They do have that.

There's a word for it.

It's like not like charcoal from a mine, but it's like wood that's been clean wood that's been made into charcoal.

I don't know the term.

So that's supposed to be healthier, but you make a great point, Jim.

When you drive by a fire going on, you wouldn't want to put your food over those chemicals.

And yet, and yet we put it over during the grilling season.

So yeah, I get, I get the flavor point, but for everything else you said, Jim, I appreciate that.

Jim, have a great weekend down there in Brookfield.

All right.

Thank you very much for listening and have a great.

Great weekend.

855-752-4842.

855-752-4842.

Fred, out in beautiful Cottage Grove, which is there a couple of weeks ago.

Fred, gas grill or charcoal grill, what's worse?

Charcoal grill is worse.

Well, any particular

reason?

Todd Allbaugh

Yeah, gibber

tailgate, charcoal.

Yeah,

yeah.

And then sit around forever letting the cool down and everything.

But you can jump in that thing, but.

Gas grill you start up Right away.

You got your heat you're cooking right and you turn it off By the time you finish your beer, it's cool.

You can put it back in the vehicle and where you go

Appreciate

Todd Allbaugh

it.

Thank you for having a great weekend.

Very practical.

Todd Allbaugh

Yes, 855-752-4842.

Let's go out to beautiful Spring Green, where I'm going tonight to American Players Theater.

Mike listening on WRCE in Richland Center.

Mike, first of all, weather forecast.

How is the weather out in Spring Green right now?

Right now, it is warmish and kind of humid.

I'm driving out in the country and it's gorgeous out.

I think it's

Todd Allbaugh

beautiful.

I hope the weather holds.

We're going to APT tonight.

Gas grill or charcoal grill?

Mike, what's worse?

Well,

I think gas are more convenient.

But I don't know if that makes them better because I've been on a Sunday afternoon driving around town when everybody's got their charcoal grills going.

Todd Allbaugh

It

makes your mouth water just smelling that the charcoal smell of all these grills getting started up, you know It's a little more work.

Yeah, and I can't put it on my deck because there's you know danger I guess of

But out on my driveway, I can't burn anything or hurt myself.

So I think charcoal is better.

Todd Allbaugh

I appreciate it, Mike.

Thanks for a great weekend, Spring Green.

Take care of yourself.

Off the text line quickly, Gordy Kopke, one of our great sponsors of Civic Media.

Kopke's greenhouse down there in the town of Dunne outside of Oregon.

Get down there.

Get your fall mums like I did.

They're great, great products.

Gordy says at my advanced age.

Come on, he's not that old.

I no longer can wait for the coals to get hot.

It's gas for me.

All right, we know where Gordy stands.

Thanks, Gordy.

Appreciate your sponsorship there, Copkins Greenhouse.

Our old friend John, former mayor of Sun Prairie, by the way.

Listening on WMDX says, gas is so fast, so I use both.

Oh, all right.

Well, very good.

He also says he uses a, what else?

Chimneys.

Now my buddy Kurt uses.

Now, Kurt, I've got video.

He uses a chimney.

and a freaking flamethrower.

Really?

Todd Allbaugh

He has a flamethrower hooked up to a thing of propane, and that's the way he lights his charcoal.

I'm not kidding.

I'll

show it.

I bet

Todd Allbaugh

it's fun.

It's very entertaining, but he doesn't mess around, Kurt Kohler.

Quickly, 855-752-4842, Ollie in the Northwoods, Ollie Gasgriller charcoal, what's worse?

Well, first thing I've got to say is I hope your friend doesn't, who uses the flamethrower doesn't let his insurance company know that.

That's a great point.

He's getting a lot of trouble with those scouts.

And but I'll take a charcoal grill any day.

Um, I missed being able to call in yesterday about chicken or steak and, uh, steaks, the way to go for me and charcoal grill.

There you go.

Nothing like

Todd Allbaugh

it.

All right, great, Ollie.

Thanks for joining me this week and have a great time up in the Northwoods.

Always appreciate it, Ollie.

Thank you so very much.

We'll read a couple more.

Zommerz and I will tell you what's worse is after we have a little farm news update from Midwest Farm Report and Pam Yankee and talking about the life and career of Brett James.

You know some of his songs, but might not know him.

He passed away to plane crash overnight and some other news of the day.

Don't go anywhere.

It's the Toddle Ball Shell across with

Wisconsin for a Friday on the Civic Media radio network.

Welcome back to the Tel Aviv show on the Civic Media radio network.

Thirty five now past the hour of three o'clock on Friday, September 19th, twenty twenty five Xamarin's on the border.

Kenny Chesney for you.

Love that song.

We went out last night.

Some people probably going to go out tonight before the Badger game.

or maybe before the brew crew down there in St.

Louis or maybe before the Packers.

We're going to tell you the story behind the song here just a little while.

Remembering Brett James, who helped co-write that song with Kenny Chesney, who passed away tragically yesterday at the age of 57 in a plane crash.

We're going to talk about that.

But first, want to clean up and finish up what's worse for you.

If you go out tonight or tomorrow, might do some grilling as well.

Category today.

What's worse grilling a gas grill or charcoal grill?

Gas grill or charcoal grill 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 1 phone call left to get to Ted in Appleton listening up there on the ISS nosh gosh Ted gas grill or charcoal grill.

What's worse?

Neither one really neither one is worse.

They

each have Their good point

You know, like, like a lot of callers said, gas is fast and easy.

Todd Allbaugh

Right.

Easy to get rid of.

But charcoal tastes better.

Todd Allbaugh

Yeah.

I mean, I think

for, you know, the smoke and

Todd Allbaugh

right.

Yeah.

So people, you know, you know, I'm on my way to get some tongue, cow tongue.

So I'm going to do that.

Todd Allbaugh

I'm glad you clarified that.

I'm glad you clarified that.

Little early in the afternoon to be going for a little tongue-ten up there.

Do you saute the tongue before you grill it?

Yeah.

All

Todd Allbaugh

right.

Yeah.

Over

night.

At least a couple hours.

All

Todd Allbaugh

right.

Thanks, Ted.

I appreciate it.

Have a good weekend up there in Appleton.

Ted's going out tonight.

I'll tell you that much right now.

What's worse, charcoal grill or gas grill?

Let's finish up a couple of these textures here.

Uh, let's see.

Oh, uh, let's see.

Matt Milton says, I'll say charcoal is worse, but only because of the cleanup and smell, but love the effect on the food taste wise.

Gas is better.

I think I'm cutting down on the red meat and it does a good job.

All right.

Thanks, Matt.

I appreciate that.

Also, Brett in Brown Deer on AUK in Milwaukee says, gas grills are worse, charcoal tastes better to me.

And I thought you were going to say William Shatner too.

He's a listener to the show.

All right.

I think we have most of the people there, Zommerz, gas grill or charcoal grill.

What's worse?

I think I'm going to have to say charcoal is worse just because gas is so easy.

And I don't know.

I think.

I will experiment with different seasonings on burgers and things like that to make them taste different.

Charcoal is great every once in a while.

You know, we have a charcoal grill up north at the family cabin.

But for ease of use around the house, I like being able to just be like, you know what?

We got some corn.

We got some beef.

Let's grill out and then just start doing it.

Todd Allbaugh

Yeah.

For those reasons, the one's the other call.

I'm not, I'm not 100% anti charcoal.

It has a place either.

Yeah.

But I think if I have to choose which I clearly do I always said charcoal's worst for the reasons it the cleanup and the It's a process, right?

It's not like you say it's a lot easier to just turn on the old propane and I'll be on the side of Hank Hill today.

How about that?

All right more fun and games on Monday with what's worse also Don't forget we're smack dab in the last half hour of our final final

Text to win Brewer Contest giveaway trivia extravaganza No, it's called free ticket Friday our Brewer ticket free ticket Friday your chance to win four tickets to the Milwaukee Brewers game on Friday September 26th against the Reds at 7 10 in the evening go to the civic media app Open it up the first ten stations were on Open one of them.

It'll say

text in the lower right hand corner and text the word last.

L-A-S-T.

Last is the word this hour.

L-A-S-T.

Last.

Text it right now at the four o'clock hour, the computer will randomly draw from the correct entries.

and somebody will be on their way to the brew crew contest.

All right, quickly, one more entry.

What's worse, Whistler out in Richland Center on RCE.

Whistler, you gotta make it fast, my friend.

What's worse, charcoal or gas?

Well, I'll tell you what, Todd, I got a brand new gas stove inside.

It's got a grill on it, but I prefer the charcoal.

Todd Allbaugh

All right, that's fair enough.

I'll give you that.

Oh, enjoy.

Where do you grill them this weekend, Whistler?

I might be up.

No, you're going to spring green.

I know.

Todd Allbaugh

I know.

That's

a great play.

It is great.

You'll enjoy that.

Todd Allbaugh

All right.

Thanks.

You've been there before?

Todd Allbaugh

Oh, yeah.

I love APT.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

American Players Theater.

It is a great,

great.

I helped start them out in spring green.

Todd Allbaugh

Did

you really?

At the Robert and Guard Theater.

Todd Allbaugh

Yeah.

Wow.

I did not know that.

See?

We learned more and more about our great callers.

Well, thank you.

It's a great legacy for Southwest Wisconsin and spring green for sure.

Yeah.

What what I really like is okay.

You said they're doing they have a deaf actor for this performance

Todd Allbaugh

correct

and One of my best friends he works.

Well, I just retired from ASDS federal government He's deaf.

Oh really?

Okay, and he spends a lot of time here to do hunting and fishing and things like that But yeah

Todd Allbaugh

Enjoy it.

Thank you.

Will Whistler.

Thank you very much.

Well, I appreciate it.

Yeah, as Whistler said, we talked about earlier.

There is a deaf actor at the APT Company American Players Theater this summer.

We've seen him before.

And so my sister teaches American Sign Language in Eau Claire High Schools.

He's going to be here.

And so they have the deaf actor doing American Sign Language and the body language and the emotion.

And then he also has a companion speaking actor.

Who gives the lines in you'll speak it vocally, but the lines are also there for Americans So you have people there that that only speak American sign language?

Because they're deaf and so it's great for them But it adds another layer You know I went in with a stigma of course thinking this is gonna be distracting or weird or no actually it's really cool because I don't go too far down this road, but

I think of all the languages out there, American Sign Language may be the most emotional because you have to use your body, your hands, and your face to speak.

It is an extremely expression-based language because a lot of the phrases are not necessarily literal translations of a normal English sentence.

Correct.

Todd Allbaugh

And so you get that emotion with the American Sign Language part, but then for those of us that...

although I've tried to learn, my sisters tried to teach me, I just can't, I don't practice it enough so I don't retain it.

There's also the speaking actor as well, and so you hear that as well.

So anyway, if you've never been to it, a few more, there's a closing down here for the season, probably in October, so check it out, American Players Theater.

one of the crown jewels of Wisconsin in Southwest Wisconsin.

43 minutes now past the hour of three o'clock.

Again, the text to win word for those free Brewer tickets.

Text the word last, L-A-S-T right now to the Civic Media app.

We're gonna draw, the computer will draw a correct text at the top of the hour and somebody's going to a Brewer's game next Friday night.

Talked about it a little bit before.

But Brett James and this comes to us from news channel 5 in Nashville I went because this is Brett James lives down there and They actually have the most accurate reporting Brett James.

I won't go into it But he his wife as many people do happen to get divorced four or five years ago and he remarried like three years ago

And so a lot of the national news channels, they must have just been going to Wikipedia.

And so they were reporting that he was married to his now ex-wife, as it turns out.

So this is the most accurate story I've found thus far.

Headline, Brett James, Nashville Hall of Famer, killed in a plane crash with his wife and stepdaughter.

Authorities say Brett James' wife, Melody Carroll, and her daughter

Merrill Maxwell Wilson were the other passengers in the plane.

No one on board survived.

The music community is mourning the loss of Brett James, a celebrated songwriter and Nashville songwriters Hall of Fame inductee who died in a small plane airplane crash.

He was only 57 years old.

The National Songwriters Hall of Fame announced James's death confirming he was killed in the aircraft accident.

Details about the crash remain limited as authorities continue their investigation.

James was renowned, as our friend Phil Niece said at the top of the show, for penning some of country music's biggest hits, including Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take the Wheel and Kenny Chesney's When the Sun Goes Down.

His songwriting prowess earned him recognition as one of Nashville's most talented songwriters.

Regular listeners of this show know I'm a huge Kenny Chesney fan, and when I'm not listening to Civic Media, I'm also listening to Sirius XM Radio, and Kenny Chesney has a channel on Sirius XM called No Shoes Radio, and I listen, and it's one of the reasons I love No Shoes Radio on Sirius XM.

Because it's not just the music obviously they play a lot of Kenny Chesney, but they play rock they play You know lots of other genres not just country music all the time And they have this thing where they where they'll go and they have segments where it's just Kenny talking with his friends and other people and they give you like these stories and One of the people that's on there a lot is Brett James Talking to Kenny and other people in Kenny's orbit

And I couldn't find the one that plays on, on No Shoes Radio, but I found this, it's on YouTube, and it was a songwriters event a few years back, not too long ago, I don't think, where they had songwriters on the stage, I think it was in Nashville, four or five people, and they told you the story behind the song.

So, I don't know, seven, eight, nine, do we have time?

I don't know.

Not really.

All right, I mean we have like a minute and a half I

Todd Allbaugh

went I went too long.

No, let's let's because I want people to hear this in right in in its entirety and So we're gonna we gotta do a little business, but when we come back I want you to hear this in its entirety because I Think it cuts beyond the genres of music.

Yes, it's one of the reasons I like country music

But it's one of the things that I just like about music and anybody who's a regular listener of the show knows I love things that are well written.

Well written.

It doesn't matter whether it's a movie script or a TV show script or a book or a column or a song.

Writing to me is such a gift.

I enjoy doing it and trying to practice it.

Once in a while I come up with something like that's not too bad But oftentimes I get frustrated that I don't write well enough creatively And I guess what I when you hear the stories that go into songs It just makes it so much more impactful at least to me So we're gonna come back and let Brett James say in his own words How he came to write this song we went out last night and it's just I hold I really hope you

Hope you really enjoy it.

James' death, according to this story at newschannel5.com in Nashville, represents a significant loss for the songwriting community where he was respected for his ability to craft memorable melodies and meaningful lyrics that touched millions of listeners.

The Nashville Songwriters Association International has issued a statement that said, we mourn the tragic loss of a music row giant.

Brett James has been a consistent powerhouse songwriter, publisher, and producer for over 30 years.

Brett James was 57.

Come on back.

Hear him in his own words.

Remember, the legacy is talent that will live on forever.

Don't go anywhere.

Kathryn Lake

It's the title of the show on the Civic Media Channel.

Todd Allbaugh

Welcome back to the title of our show on the Civic Media Network, even before the hour of four o'clock at the top of the hour.

ABC is CBS News, check out Weather, great sports reporter Mike Clemens.

With the sports report, another edition of the Maggie Dawn Show, followed by Pete Schwabba.

Want to end the show again, and by the way, Peter Ray Pine, who was scheduled for the show, has been bumped for Matt Damon.

We apologize for that.

And Matt Damon, in turn, has been bumped for remembering Brett James.

Todd Allbaugh

No, that's okay.

It's an old Jimmy Kibble joke.

Uh, scheduling conflicts.

So, so Rapide will be here on another day, but this is important.

I want to talk about this anyway.

And we'll have some custom letter in the next week as well, talking about Jimmy Kimmel.

Brett James passed away tragically, uh, uh, in a small plane crash.

He was the pilot, his wife and stepdaughter were also on that plane and perished alongside of him and wrote so many great songs.

Kenny Chesney and he's been on.

Chesney's Series XM channel, No Shoes Radio talking before about the story behind the song.

And so this is him in a songwriters convention basically talking about how he came to write the song of We Went Out Last Night.

Here is Brett James in his own words.

Well, we like to say every song has a story in Nashville and this particular song started in my kitchen a bunch of years ago.

It was Christmas Eve and I was standing in my kitchen about four-thirty in the afternoon.

And my cell phone rang.

And the only reason I picked up is because it said blocked.

And in our business, if it says blocked, you have to pick it up because it's probably somebody, you know, famous.

Or the IRS.

Or the IRS.

Because one just says double blocked.

So 430 in the afternoon Christmas Eve I pick up my cell phone and a buddy mine on the other line He talks a little like this.

He says Hey, man Hey, man, what do you do in the day after tomorrow?

Now once again It was 430 in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and I had four children under the age of 12 at the time So of course I said well nothing man

What you got in mind?

What he had in mind was more fun than what I had planned.

He said, why don't we go down to the islands and write some song?

Good news about those four children is they know what pays for Santa at our house.

So 48 hours later, I found myself stepping off a jet in the islands.

And those of you who are not from Nashville, you should know this about Nashville.

We have gray winters.

And December, it starts getting dark at like 420.

And you never see the sun.

So it was nice to step off of Jetney Islands.

And I don't know about you guys, but anybody in the middle of winter, when you step off of Jetney Islands and you smell that salt there and feel that warm breeze, anybody want to go just a little bit crazy?

Anyone?

Well, this particular buddy and I are sort of known for that.

And this night was no different.

So I'll fast forward to the next morning, which I guess was December 26.

And I woke up way before he did.

And I went outside and got some coffee and sat on his back deck.

And I was looking at one of the prettiest views I'd ever seen in my life.

And it must have waited two or three hours.

And finally, the sliding glass door to his bedroom opened.

And Candy Chesney kind of pokes his head out.

And he says, Brett.

We went out last night.

And I said, yeah, we did.

And being the semi-professional songwriter that I am.

I said, maybe that's the songwriter right today.

And I started strumming this little groove and I went.

And Kenny

went.

And

we started talking and laughing about the night before.

A couple hours later, we had this song.

Y'all sing it with me if you know it.

We went out last night.

Like we swore that we wouldn't do We drank too much beer last night A lot more than we wanted to There were girls from Argentina And I can't stop being Alabama and Panama All mixed together in the heaven above Oh, we went out last night And one thing started leading to another

Brett James in his own words.

Todd Allbaugh

You can play a little bit in the background, Summer.

That's how songs are written,

guys.

Todd Allbaugh

Just living life.

Kenny Chesney coming out.

We went out last night.

This song, Out Last Night, was the number one hit for Kenny Chesney.

And Brett James, one of the most talented songwriters in Nashville, dead at the age of 57 after his plane crashed.

He was piloting along with his wife and stepped out of our thoughts and prayers, go to them.

Live life, guys.

Live life this week, this weekend.

Grab it and squeeze every drop you can out of it because

We don't know how long this gonna last.

Be present with your friends and your family.

Be thankful and have gratitude for all the things we have.

I know I am.

Great show today Bill McCosh and thank you very much for being here Phil me.

Thanks for being here and Triggy Olsen Zommer's always doing a great job on the board as well We'll be back big show on Monday big news of a new movie from the makers of just a bit outside the story the 82 Milwaukee Brewers have that announcement and what's worse We're gonna leave you with another Brett James Kenny Chesney song meant a lot to me my personal life when I really needed this the most the song another number one called knowing you

by Brett James and Kenny Chesney.

Keep on fighting for whatever you

believe in.

And knowing you, you're probably way over me But God, we were so alive I was a kid on a carnival ride Holding my breath till the moment When you were gonna leave me too soon

Kathryn Lake

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