Country Music Success Stories: Recent Episodes
Candy O'Terry & Jacy Dawn Valeras
In this Nashville-Based podcast, radio legend & master interviewer Candy O’Terry goes straight to the pros to hear their stories.
Persistence is the key to success. Not giving up. – Steve Dean We were having so much fun talking to hit songwriter Steve Dean, we had to divide it into 2 parts. Over the past few years, we’ve learned that when you are interviewing an artist in their own home, you get to know them on a deeper level and that was certainly the case with Steve Dean. Steve raised his children in the house where we recorded this interview and when you walk in the door, it feels that way. Steve and his wife have created a cozy home, where love lives. He’s a family man who is grateful that he gets to write songs every day. Steve is a Grammy nominee who has written 6 #1 songs and country artists consider themselves lucky to sing his songs. In this interview, you’ll hear the stories behind some of his biggest hits including Does Your Memory Ever Sleep At Night for Steve Wariner, Reba’s Walk On, The Oakridge Boys, It Takes A Little Rain and Rodney Atkin’s smash Watching You. Steve also talks about his deep commitment to America’s veterans through a non-profit called FreedomsingsUSA.org. where service men and women take their stories, poems, and memories to create songs that heal with help from hit songwriters like Steve. His writing room may be lined with plaques that signify his success, but in this interview, we learn that Steve values the kind of success that can’t be measured in dollars and cents. It comes straight from the heart.
The competition for songwriters in Nashville is off the charts crazy and there are a lot of great writers coming to town every single day. – Steve Dean Welcome to part 1 of the country music success story of hit songwriter Steve Dean. This Grammy nominee has written 6 #1 songs including Watching You by Rodney Atkins…the most played song on country radio in 2007. Recorded in Steve’s writing room at his home just outside of Nashville which is filled with guitars, Beatles memorabilia, and BMI awards this episode is full of wisdom for songwriters just getting started. Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, by musical parents, Steve lived in a home where music was always playing. His mother taught him how to play the piano when he was about 5 years old and Steve’s dad gave him his first guitar at 9. Teachers in school noticed how well Steve wrote stories and encouraged him to be an author. After earning a degree in advertising at the University of Arkansas, he got his start selling creative to major advertisers until one day, a colleague said: “why don’t you go to Nashville and find artists who will sing the songs you’re writing?” On February 7, 1980, Steve packed up his Toyota and made his way to Nashville where he started writing hit songs that have earned him a Grammy nomination, countless industry awards, and six #1 hits including Watching You by Rodney Atkins which would go on to become the most played record on country radio in 2007. Through it all, Steve has mentored countless young songwriters including Jacy. If you’re thinking of packing up your car and heading to Nashville, listen to this episode first. The great Steve Dean has a lot to tell you!
It’s not us that makes music. Music makes us. My love for music is what inspires me and that is the secret to my success. It’s the song. – Lorrie Morgan This episode may be one of the most personal interviews we’ve ever recorded. Born Loretta Lynn Morgan, Lorrie is the daughter of the legendary George Morgan and his beloved wife, Anna. Recorded at Lorrie’s home in a quiet little town outside of Nashville, she welcomed us into her favorite room which overlooks a backyard that was created by her husband Randy and includes a pool, BBQ, birdhouses perched in trees, and a koi pond. You’ll hear Lorrie’s dog Puddin Marie Antoinette bark, and you’ll also hear her cry as she sits in her favorite chair recalling the ups and downs of her incredible career. Mentored by the great Jeannie Seeley, Lorrie shares what it was like to make her debut at only 13 on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. She reflects on life at home with a superstar father, the stories behind her biggest hits, and what she wishes she knew when she first got started. Recorded on the day after her late husband Keith Whitley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by Garth Brooks, this interview is a rare look into country music royalty and the heart of a hugely talented woman who was born to sing.
The first time I sang was at Pilgrim Holiness Church. I was 3 years old and there were only 20 people in the pews. I got a lot of pats on the head but the most memorable thing was I heard this voice inside of me say: “this is what you do.” – Sylvia Recorded in Nashville at the home studio of producer John Mock, this interview with Sylvia is full of stories. Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, she grew up in a place called Tall Timbers Trailer Park, just 30 feet from the railroad tracks. Sylvia recalls spending lots of time perched high in a tree, inspired by Patsy Cline, dreaming about becoming a singer someday. She was only 19 when she left for Nashville on the day after Christmas and would spend that first week walking up and down Music Rowe, looking for a job. Sylvia got her start as a receptionist learning all about the music business, but it wouldn’t be long before executives discovered she could really sing. Signed to RCA records, she came on strong with 3 top ten songs including her multi-format hit “Nobody” which climbed to number 1 on the country chart, #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and top 5 at AC radio. “Nobody” became her signature song and was the most played record of 1982, winning Sylvia the Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year award and a Grammy Nomination for “Best Female Vocalist.” In this interview, you’ll hear about her next chapter which includes a rewarding career as a life coach and a new album long in the making called Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey. Says Sylvia says: “I truly love to sing. It doesn’t matter if anybody is listening. I just love to sing and that has never changed. I’m carving my own way in life with music and I hope people love it. “ www.sylviamusic.com. Amen, sister. We do love it.
Our goal has always been to take you with us as we go inside the homes and onto the back porches of country music icons as we discover what makes these talented people tick! -Candy O’Terry & Jacy Dawn Valeras Welcome to a recap of some of Candy and Jacy’s favorite 2022 interviews. Chockfull of behind-the-scenes stories that didn’t make the final cut, this episode includes Jacy’s terrifying flight from Nashville to Palm Springs, California to visit Candy, what it was like to be served espresso in a room full of guitars at Anthony Resta’s 1920’s hunting lodge/studio in Laurel Canyon and the thrill of interviewing industry heavyweights TK Kimbrell, Mike Borchetta, Julian Raymond and Kim Campbell LIVE from the Rhinestone Stage at the Glen Campbell Museum. Plus, there’s the trip to the craftsman-style home of songwriter/producer and former American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi, the green room meeting during CMA week with actress and singer Rita Wilson (which ended in tears), and the revealing 2-part interview with multi-Grammy winner Pam Tillis who Jacy met in an elevator ten years ago. Download this fun episode for your next car ride. You’re welcome!
In the early days especially, I really did have a fire. I was very self-motivated. I wanted it so bad and I pushed that internal override button and just got on with it. – Pam Tillis Welcome to part two of our exclusive interview with multi-Grammy winner Pam Tillis. Recorded at the Glen Campbell Museum, this part of our conversation includes the stories behind some of Pam’s greatest hits including Mi Vida Loca, Maybe It Was Memphis, Shake the Sugar Tree, and Don’t Tell Me What To Do. Pam also reveals the vocal performance she is most proud of, and how it felt to stand beside her father on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry to sing their duet, Waiting On The Wind. What makes this episode so special is Pam’s willingness to be “unvarnished” as she shares the details of an iconic career of her own, and as the daughter of the legendary Mel Tillis.
You can’t record a good song. You have to record a great song. I don’t want a song, I want an event. I knew that’s what it would take to get me off the ground. – Pam Tillis This week, we’re sitting down with Pam Tillis who is not only the daughter of country music … Continue reading Pam Tillis – Grammy & CMA Award-Winning Artist (PART ONE) →
If something fills your soul like music fills mine when I’m singing on stage, the feeling that I feel driving back home is I don’t wanna go back home, I wanna go to the next town and that’s how I’ve always been. -Julie Roberts Welcome to the story you probably never knew about platinum-selling singer/songwriter … Continue reading Julie Roberts – Platinum Selling Singer & Songwriter →
I believe that when you have a dream and a calling is put on your life, no matter what you have to endure to pursue it, God will give you the strength to do it. – Brennley Brown We’re back at the Glen Campbell Museum for CMA Fan Fest to interview emerging artists from the … Continue reading Brennley Brown: Emerging Artist & Team Gwen Stefani on The Voice →
Welcome to a very special episode of our podcast, taped on the Rhinestone Stage at the Glen Campbell Museum…the jewel of Broadway. There is so much talent in Nashville and we wanted to introduce you to some uber-talented emerging artists who are this close to making it big. First up, our interview with Darin and Brooke … Continue reading Emerging Artists: Darin & Brooke Aldridge and Dustin Collins →
Music was always my first love. I had an aching, a longing to get on a stage as a very young age. – Rita Wilson Get ready for an up-close and very personal interview with Rita Wilson. Recorded in the green room at CMA Fest 2022 (while her husband Tom Hanks walked around Nashville in disguise) … Continue reading Rita Wilson: Award-Winning Actress, Singer, Songwriter and Producer →
Music was always my first love. I had an aching, a longing to get on a stage as a very young age. – Rita Wilson Get ready for an up-close and very personal interview with Rita Wilson. Recorded in the green room at CMA Fest 2022 (while her husband Tom Hanks walked around Nashville in disguise) … Continue reading Rita Wilson: Award-Winning Actress, Singer, Songwriter and Producer →
I really want to help artists who want to help themselves. If you give me 100%, I’m gonna give you 100%. If you’re only in at 20, that’s all I can meet you at. – Kara DioGuardi When you’ve got record sales of 160 million worldwide, the chances are pretty high that you know the … Continue reading Kara DioGuardi: Grammy Nominated Songwriter (Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Britney Spears) & former American Idol judge →
I really want to help artists who want to help themselves. If you give me 100%, I’m gonna give you 100%. If you’re only in at 20, that’s all I can meet you at. – Kara DioGuardi When you’ve got record sales of 160 million worldwide, the chances are pretty high that you know the … Continue reading Kara DioGuardi: Grammy Nominated Songwriter (Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Britney Spears) & former American Idol judge →
When I set my mind out to do something, I do it. – H. Jack Williams For this episode, we’re at Anthem Entertainment in Nashville with singer/songwriter H. Jack Williams. Anthem is one of the world’s leading independent music and entertainment content and services companies with publishing, production, the iconic Anthem Records, Film & Television, … Continue reading H. Jack Williams: Singer / Songwriter – Kevin Coster, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Greg Allman, Peter Gabriel. →
Dear God, please send me a southern, good looking Christian millionaire who I can be in love with and he can be in love with me…and there I was, having dinner with Glen Campbell. — Kim Campbell Welcome to part two of our interview series on the life and music of Glen Campbell, recorded before … Continue reading Glen Campbell Tribute: Part Two – An Exclusive Interview with Glen’s wife, Kim Campbell →
There was never a more wonderful human being on the planet than Glen Campbell. – Mike Borchetta Generations of artists count Glen Campbell as one of the greatest artists who ever lived. He was gifted with the kind of voice that connected to the lyric and the listener in a memorable way. Experts say that Glen … Continue reading Glen Campbell Tribute: Part One – TK Kimbrell, Mike Borchetta & Julian Raymond →
Manifesting your dreams and visualizing your success works. We’re proof of that. -Candy & Jacy This episode is a little bit different from the others. While together in Palm Springs, California for a west coast swing of interviews, we decided to sit down with cozy blankets and glasses of vodka and soda to talk about … Continue reading Candy & Jacy: Manifesting & Wish Boards →
Did I change somebody’s life, or change somebody’s day or help somebody to survive cancer because of this song that was a joy to write? That’s everything. – Lindy Robbins Our trip to Los Angeles was a blast. We had lunch in Beverly Hills, walked up and down Rodeo Drive like we were Julia Roberts … Continue reading Lindy Robbins – Multi-platinum selling & award-winning songwriter →
Being a producer is a lot like directing a film. You want to have a look at the bigger picture. You need to be able to zoom out and help the artist get a picture of where they’ve always wanted to go. -Anthony Resta We’re back from our west coast swing where we were searching … Continue reading Anthony Resta – Platinum Selling Producer, Composer & Musician →
Somebody from an 11 dollar house in Alabama has cut some of the biggest records in the world and if that can happen for me, it can happen for you. – Jim Vest We can hardly wait for you to hear this interview with Jim Vest: musician, producer, songwriter, and leader of the legendary … Continue reading Jim Vest – Award-winning Steel Guitarist, Producer & Author →
There are a lot of parallels between the French wine industry and the country music industry. The vintners will cut back the vines to make them suffer in order to produce the best grapes. There is a part of this town that wants you to suffer a little bit. You’ve got to pay your dues. … Continue reading Pam Lewis – Nashville Publicist & Preservationist →
I appreciate the moment. I learned many years ago that happiness is the appreciation of what is happening. – Jim Messina We were beside ourselves as we headed to the home of Jim Messina. There we were in Jacy’s silver Toyota Corolla, winding our way down country roads just outside of Nashville, singing Your … Continue reading Jim Messina of Loggins and Messina: up close & personal with an icon →
Be a good hang. Don’t bring dark energy into the room and be kind to people. Love the music so much, it loves you back. – Bobby Tomberlin We’re kicking off 2022 with a trip to Curb WORD on Nashville’s famous Music Row. This iconic songwriter’s think-tank is owned by music industry giant Mike Curb … Continue reading Bobby Tomberlin – Grammy, CMA, and ACM nominated songwriter: Blake Shelton, Diamond Rio, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton →
For this episode, Jacy and I got to thinking about our favorite answers to the questions we always ask during our interviews with country music icons. We decided to put together a “best of” episode that featured singers and songwriters answering the question: tell me about the first time you ever heard yourself on the … Continue reading Their First Time on the Radio: Sara Evans, John Schneider, Crystal Gayle, Jamie O’Neal & more →
“You and I” just stuck out to me as a title, so I just wrote it down on a piece of paper with some other titles because I was really just learning how to write songs. – Frank Myers From a career that began as a singer with a guitar on stages large and small … Continue reading Frank Myers : Grammy Award-Winning songwriter, Lonestar, Crystal Gayle, Vince Gill →
When I had the chicken pox, I went on stage. When I had a cracked rib, I went on stage. And that is the old Vaudeville saying “the show must go on.” – Jamie O’Neal Music Row is pretty magical. The streets that make up this iconic area of Nashville are lined with old … Continue reading Jamie O’Neal : Grammy Nominee, ACM & Billboard award-winning artist →
We love it so much. We love our fans, we love what we do, and it is exhausting, but I think it’s a calling on our lives where, we have to do this. This is part of our blood. It’s our calling. – Lily Isaacs In this interview, we settle into the living room … Continue reading Lily Isaacs of The Isaacs →
The appeal of music for me was playing the music. When you start playing, and that music is blowing by you, around you. It is the most amazing, glorious feeling. – Sonny LeMaire In this episode, we sit down with Sonny LeMaire, bass player, singer/songwriter for the iconic group Exile. Taped in Sonny’s cozy … Continue reading Sonny LeMaire of Exile →
I think I am known as a nice guy. It’s more important to be a great person than it is to be a hit songwriter. -Chris Lindsey In this episode, we’re heading back to Aimeeland, a famous recording studio just outside of Nashville for an interview with Grammy nominated hit songwriter, Chris Lindsey. In this … Continue reading Chris Lindsey →
Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves because the creation of Country Music Success Stories combines both of our talents and checks all of our boxes! -Candy O’Terry & Jacy Dawn Valeras We’ve been getting lots of messages from listeners (and please keep ‘em coming @countrymusicsuccessstories). They tell us that they love hearing about the country … Continue reading Candy & Jacy →
Find something you like doin’ so much, you’d do it for nothin’ and then learn to do it so well that they’ll pay you and then you’ve got it made. That’s how I feel about performing. – Bill Anderson If you want to get someone’s attention, just whisper! Whispering Bill Anderson has been getting people’s … Continue reading Whispering Bill Anderson →
I’ve always expected great things and I’ve asked people to do the same. It’s a mindset. If you expect bad things to happen, they will. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that. Therefore, if you expect great things to happen they will. -John Schneider Music Row is just a road in Nashville, but it … Continue reading John Schneider →
I grew up on a farm with the clothes line in the backyard and I knew that millions of Americans would relate to that. As much as I love New York and L.A, I am really a spokesperson for middle America and the girl next door. -Sara Evans Every trip to Nashville is filled with … Continue reading Sara Evans →
Your identity is not about how well you’re doing on the charts, that’s your job, you have to treat that as your career and keep it separate. Your identity has to be bigger than, “I’m a star” because that star can fade fast. -Collin Raye Words of wisdom from multi-platinum selling artist, Collin Raye. With … Continue reading Collin Raye →
When I saw my name on that first record, it just lit something up inside of me. -Aimee Mayo Meet Aimee Mayo, award-winning songwriter and survivor. In this interview, we drive down a country lane just outside of Nashville and find our way to AimeeLand, the studio where Aimee and her husband Chris write and … Continue reading Aimee Mayo →
Pay attention to trends, but never be a follower. Be a leader, not a follower. Push the envelop, but don’t let it break. I like to stay in front of the curve, but I never like to be too cool for the room. -Tony Brown Just when Jacy and I think we’ve experienced the best … Continue reading Tony Brown →
Fame is not a decision you make. It’s a lot more work, and it’s a lot of fairy dust. -John Berry Let’s turn back time to 1979 when singer/songwriter/guitarist John Berry had big dreams and the patience to see them through. A brilliant singer with a gift for storytelling and the ability to connect with … Continue reading John Berry & Robin Berry →
I’m like this anonymous Oz behind the curtain guy nobody ever knows. The face of the songs are the artists who record them. -Steve Dorff If you are a songwriter or a composer, this episode is for you! Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, Steve Dorff was born to do what he … Continue reading Steve Dorff →
I was only 15 when I climbed out my window and ran away to Memphis with 60 cents in mypocket. I look around at my life now and I realize that it all started with just 60 cents. -TG Sheppard Incredible as it seems, TG Sheppard was a runaway teen with a lifelong dream of … Continue reading TG Sheppard →
Relationships are everything and in Nashville they are made of gold. When Jacy introduced me to Naomi Judd and we interviewed her at their compound in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, her husband Larry Strickland was sitting on a couch in the recording studio, just listening quietly. But when he spoke, his rich, deep voice filled the … Continue reading Larry Strickland →
I didn’t come to Nashville having played bars for 10 years. I was a total green horn. So I learned a lot. It’s a blast, it’s like perpetual adolescence. -Karen Staley Welcome to the success story of a woman whose songs have been played on radio more than 12 million times (and counting) with downloads … Continue reading Karen Staley →
I first wrote poetry and got it published in the high school year book and it gave me a little bit of positive feedback that somebody must like what I do. The minute I got a guitar, I just started trying to put the two together and started writing songs instead of poetry. -Kent Blazy … Continue reading Kent Blazy →
There’s always growth, there’s always somewhere to go to in music, a place you have not reached. Every time I’ve stuck my neck out musically, I’ve been rewarded. -Lori McKenna In this episode, we sit down with two-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter Lori McKenna for a conversation about humble beginnings, persistence, and the importance of developing … Continue reading Lori McKenna →
I’m proud that I’m still here in this business. It’s what I’ve loved to do. Success is in your mind. It’s only in your mind. -Crystal Gayle This episode brings us to Music Row in Nashville and the offices of Gayle Enterprises for an interview with Crystal Gayle. Jacy has known the Grammy-winner since she … Continue reading Crystal Gayle →
There’s something very special about sitting on the back porch, overlooking the Cumberland River, listening to the cicadas and talking about country music! In this interview, we are at the home of Jeannie Seely, Grammy winner and 53- year member of the Grand Ole Opry. Make no mistake about it, this 80 year old trailblazer … Continue reading Jeannie Seely →
Barry Gibb called me and says “Hey, Kell, I”m gonna be singing Islands in the Stream at Kenny Rogers Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Are you available to sing that song with me? And you know what I said? Hold on a second and let me check my schedule!” -Kelly Lang The … Continue reading Kelly Lang →
I’ve been through an alphabet of tragedies and trials and I’m still here. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it at all. But I just kept going like the little engine that could. I said to myself: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. –Naomi Judd What does … Continue reading Naomi Judd →
What does it take to become a country music success story? In this Nashville-Based podcast, radio legend & master interviewer Candy O’Terry goes straight to the pros to hear their stories. From singers to producers, songwriters to record label executives, radio programmers and DJ’s to PR and marketing pros, every episode is a deep dive … Continue reading Country Music Success Stories -Trailer →