Mac McAnally

For his new album, Once in a Lifetime, Mac McAnally is indeed doing something he’s never done before. To reflect the intimacy of his concerts, he arranged most of the material around guitar and percussion – yet he acknowledges that several of its tracks outgrew that simple set-up. And while many of the songs are new, he chose to include a few originals dating back to the early 2000s that seemed like a good fit.     So, with 12 songs pulled from different decades and musical directions, what ultimately ties all these tracks together? Simply put, it is McAnally’s ability to see the silver lining, a perspective he’s carried on his journey from being a shy, small-town kid from Mississippi, to working as a teenage studio musician in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to becoming one of Nashville’s most respected (and self-effacing) singer-songwriters. Once in a Lifetime captures every aspect of his musical vision.     “I generally write whatever comes to me,” he says. “I’m not somebody who sits down and says, ‘I need to write a hit song,’ or this or that kind of song. I just follow whatever floats through my head.”     While writing “Alive and in Between,” McAnally drew upon childhood memories of Belmont, Mississippi, where his father was a school administrator and his mother played piano in the Baptist church. The song emerged from an art project, where novels were given to songwriters and visual artists, who would then create a piece based on their response to the book. In McAnally’s case, Harrison Scott Key’s memoir, The World’s Largest Man, sparked vivid snapshots from his own youth. McAnally translated those images into verses, then added a cool guitar riff he’s been using for years while tuning or changing strings.     “The author came from the same part of the country as me and it woke up a bunch of stuff about my childhood – what it was like hanging with my dad, going to the drugstore, talking about football, politics, and religion,” he says. “That opened up that part of my brain that I haven’t been down into for a while.”     One of the most uplifting songs on Once in a Lifetime is “Almost All Good,” where he’s aware of challenging times but doesn’t let them cloud his vision. Propelled by Eric Darken’s percussion, McAnally accompanies himself on guitar – with the lively rhythms adding a joyful spirit to the track. And this is not mere strumming, as McAnally has won a record-setting 10 trophies as Musician of the Year from the Country Music Association.     “All the way back to the beginning, my songwriting has been built around my guitar-playing because I’m not a very confident singer,” he says. “I was always trying to make a guitar part sound like a whole arrangement. There’s usually a bass part as a counterpoint in the main guitar part – but I’m not a fancy guitar player. I don’t take a lot of solos. Part of what’s allowed me to work so long in the business is that of all the bands I was in, I’ve never really wanted a solo. I would sit and play rhythm forever.”     McAnally notes that he typically sees three kinds of people at his shows: Those who have followed his career since his 1977 debut album; those who recognize him as the guitarist in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band; and those who remember his notable credits in country music. The latter category is particularly impressive, with songs cut by Alabama (“Old Flame”), Kenny Chesney (“Back Where I Come From”), Sawyer Brown (“All These Years”), Shenandoah (“Two Dozen Roses”) and many others.     Undoubtedly, Once in a Lifetime will satisfy all of those fans. “First Sign of Trouble” and “That’s Why They Call It Falling” are as quirky and quick-witted as the ‘70s output that made fans of Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman, and John Prine (all of whom became friends and mentors). “Just Like It Matters” has that lonesome, real-life storytelling of classic country, while “Just Right” keeps the island vibe alive. In fact, it was written and recorded in Key West while Buffett was making his record; the Coral Reefer Band joined in the session, too.     “I’m interested in all kinds of music,” he says. “There’s obviously some Buffett influence on a few of the things and I’ve been playing country music and gospel music all my life, so there’s that influence, too.”     As for the title track, its cheerful message and buoyant melody wouldn’t be out of place on today’s country radio. McAnally and Nashville singer-songwriter Drake White composed it shortly after bumping into each other at a local breakfast spot. They casually chatted about getting together to write. Asked if he was enjoying himself these days, McAnally replied, “Yeah, every day. Every day is once in a lifetime.” White immediately replied, “We need to get together to write THAT!” White lends his vocal to the inspiring track, too.     Turning conversations into song is one of McAnally’s greatest gifts, one that led to his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. Two of the songs from Once in a Lifetime come from that era. He co-wrote “Good Guys Win” for the 2006 film, Hoot, and felt like its optimistic tone needed to be heard in this divided time. In addition, the bluegrass-flavored “Brand New Broken Heart” comes from a 2007 demo session of a tune he recorded with his fellow studio musicians, but never got around to pitching.     However, a couple of tracks come from an even earlier time. Co-written and recorded by Jimmy Buffett in 1989, “Changing Channels” is one of the album’s most poetic moments – and a cut that McAnally’s fans have been requesting for decades. Meanwhile, he covers “Norwegian Wood” with just percussion, vocals and octave mandolin, in a sincere homage to the Beatles. “It’s just me celebrating how great they are,” he says.     The thoughtful lyrics of “The Better Part of Living” – and Once in a Lifetime as a whole – can perhaps be traced back to a phrase McAnally remembers from his childhood, when his mother would tell him to “make some use of yourself” on his way out the door. McAnally still adheres to that philosophy today. Asked about the experience of listening to these assorted songs that have now become an album, he modestly replies, “I see a guy trying to be a good representation of a human being. I hope there’s something in what I do that in some way can make someone else’s life a little bit better, too. That’s really what I’m shooting for.”

Bellamy Brothers

THE BELLAMY BROTHERS: THE LOVE STILL FLOWS… Howard and David continue to prove that the trail they’ve ridden to fame has been as unique as their music itself—music that celebrates 50 years of success in 2025. The road that started on the pop music charts in the ‘70’s, took a winding turn into country music in the ‘80’s, paving the way for duos to come, such as Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich and previously—The Judds. But before the road forked into country, the musical odyssey of brothers Bellamy started creatively smoldering in their home state of Florida, before exploding nationally amidst the ’70’s pop music culture of L.A. The brothers first official gig was in 1968, playing a free show with their father at the Rattlesnake Roundup in San Antonio, Florida. They honed their early skills playing Black clubs throughout the south, and singing backup for artists such as Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd and Little Anthony & The Imperials. Within a few months, the brothers moved north, immersing themselves and their rock/country sound in the Atlanta market, where the Allman Brothers were the emerging kings of the music world. With the dawning of the Age of Aquarius on the horizon, and America embroiled in a smoke haze of drugs, civil unrest and an unpopular war, the Bellamy's music picked-up the hard driving edge that bespoke the times. Songwriting had become David Bellamy’s drug of choice during the long road gigs he and Howard were regularly pulling bodies and equipment to and from. It was his songwriting that was posed to soon provide the duo a national breakout. The break came in the form of the hit, “Spiders & Snakes,” written by David and recorded by Jim Stafford. The song became a smash, eventually selling more than three million units worldwide. It became the catapult that rocketed the brothers onto the L.A. music scene. Young and impressionable, Howard and David fell into the musical circle of the greats of the day: Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Van Morrison, as well as West Coast based country rockers like Poco and the Byrds. It was a creative shoe that fit. Now known by their music and the company they were keeping, the Bellamys officially lifted off the launch pad in 1976 when their single, “Let Your Love Flow,” became an instant smash in both the U.S. and Europe. It stayed on the international charts long enough to build a huge international fan base for the hip young brothers that endures to this day. In Germany alone it perched at No. 1 for more than two months. The love was indeed flowing as the Bellamys jammed for audiences on their sold-out concerts and shared stages with the likes of Loggins & Messina, the Doobie Brothers and the Beach Boys with their patented blend of rock/country music. True to their musical roots, their style and their songwriting was moving steadily more towards their raising. By the late ‘70’s the Bellamys were emerging on the country charts with another bona fide smash. “If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” originally scrawled on a dinner napkin by David, rocketed them to the top of the country charts the way “Let Your Love Flow,” had done in the pop market just a few years earlier. It proved to be the first of a string of fourteen No. 1 singles in the U.S. alone. Success followed success: “Dancing Cowboys,” “Sugar Daddy,” “You Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie,” “Lovers Live Longer,” “Do You Love As Good As You Look,” “Redneck Girl,” “For All The Wrong Reasons,” “I Love Her Mind,” “I Need More Of You,” “Old Hippie,” “Too Much Is Not Enough,” “Kids Of The Baby Boom,” “Reggae Cowboy” and “Crazy From The Heart,” all have lined the corridors of the Bellamy’s musical history and their walls with platinum and gold. Along the way, Howard and David created a patent on the newly cool “duo” category in country music. In the era of the 2000’s, the Bellamy Brothers hold the record in both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association Awards (CMA) for the most duo nominations. Numerous GRAMMY nods have also been directed toward the brothers. Internationally, the story has been the same—though the titles may be different. The Bellamys have released more than two-dozen hit songs outside the U.S. that were never released here. With a sharp eye on the songwriting skills that have been the bedrock of their success, Howard and David concur that their career is unique in their international finesse for matching their songs to the market. “For the international releases, you have to have a strong melody,” notes David, a 2024 inductee to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF). “The lyric is very important, but internationally the melody is something fans can lock into, even if they can’t understand the lyrics.” Howard and David continue to perform and film TV specials in Europe and around the world. The Bellamy Brothers celebrated their 40th anniversary with the release of a two-CD collection, 40 years, an ambitious project containing 20 of their biggest hits and 20 brand-new songs. As a follow-up, 40 Years: The Vinyl Album was released in 2022. Their most recent project, Double Dog Dare, debuted on Nov. 1, 2024. Double Dog Dare includes their “sublimely country (MusicRow)” collaboration, "Forever Ain't Long Enough" with Gene Watson and “I’d Lie to You For Your Love” featuring the late K.T. Oslin, dubbed by Country Universe as "one of the best records released this year," along with "Normal Ain’t Coming Back" featuring The Isaacs. These days when the subject turns to touring, the Bellamys are showing a new generation of country music how it’s done. Country superstar Blake Shelton helped introduce a new era of fans to the hits of the Bellamy Brothers during his Friends And Heroes Tour, where they continued to captivate arena audiences around the country. “We’re old road dogs,” grins Howard when asked about the motivation behind the brothers 200 plus concert dates each year. Adds David, “Our live draw is bigger than it was in the ‘80’s. I think the same people that grew up with us and with our music in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s obviously have raised a whole new generation of Bellamy fans who started toddling to our music. Now they’re turning up at our concerts as college kids, who are really turned on and tuned in to us and our music. It’s a great feeling.” On the infrequent off days from the road, Howard and David head the bus back to their 150-acre family ranch in Darby, Florida just north of Tampa. The Bellamy Brothers’ hit reality series, “Honky Tonk Ranch,” chronicles their “unusual lives, blending music stardom, vigorous road tours and cattle ranching (Tampa Bay Times)." The show, which was originally broadcast on The Cowboy Channel (a subsidy of RFD-TV), currently airs on Circle Country. The Bellamy Brothers also remain busy with their Trulieve medical marijuana brand Old Hippie Stash, which includes the strains Reggae Cowboy, Big Love, Afterglow, Rattler, Blue Rodeo and Bird Dog. The duo backed the Smart & Safe Florida campaign to implement safe and commonsense cannabis regulation in their home state of Florida. In 2019, the Bellamys released their first book Let Your Love Flow – the Life and Times of The Bellamy Brothers. The book is about two Florida cowboys who journeyed from country poverty to worldwide musical stardom because they had the talent and because it never occurred to them, they couldn’t make it.

Judy Collins

50 years ago, singer-songwriter Stephen Still met singer-songwriter JudyCollins, known for her piercing ocean blue eyes. Their tumultuous loveaffair would later be immortalized by Stills with his composition “Suite:Judy Blue Eyes,” performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash on their landmarkdebut. Both artists would go gone to shape modern music with visionaryapproaches, but Stills and Collins’ short fiery union remains atransformative era for the two artists.This summer, the two icons of folk will celebrate the golden anniversary oftheir formative time together. Their joint summer tour marks the first time everStills and Collins have been onstage together. For this once in a lifetimeexperience, the two music legends will pull from their rich catalogs, debutsongs from their upcoming album, due out Summer of 2017, and share warmand intimate stories from their journeys and the1960s folk and Laurel Canyonscenes they helped build.Stills and Collins met in 1967 and dated for two years. Stills wrote and demoedhis legendary love song to Collins right after he left Buffalo Springfield, beforehe joined CSN. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a five-section romantic epicbrimming with heartfelt sincerity. The song has been ranked #418 in RollingStone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time Poll.Stills is known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash,and his solo work. In addition to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” Still is best knownfor the hits “ For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Love The OneYou’re With” from his solo debut, Stephen Stills. He’s a multi-instrumentalist,composer, and ranked #28 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “The 100 GreatestGuitarists Of All Time.” He also has the added distinction of being the firstartist to be inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame twice in one night (forhis work with CSN and Buffalo Springfield).Collins is known for her eclectic palette as a solo artist, melding folk, rock,classical, and jazz into a singular aesthetic. She’s earned five Grammynominations including one in 2017 and one Grammy win. Outside of music,Collins has published two memoirs, one novel, and, in 1975, was nominated foran Academy Award for the documentary Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman.Collins is also a lifelong activist.

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Ozark Mountain Daredevils

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are best described as a ragtag collection of hippies, bohemians, and musicians of no fixed ambition. They are indefinable in terms of music genres, producing sounds of country-rock and electric bluegrass all on the same record; writing lyrics both whimsical and poetic, singing harmonies that would send shivers up your spine. This is what music at its best should be, something that makes you smile every time you listen.