Stories Behind the Songs

Latest Episodes:

Brian Davis: Memory I Don't Mess With (Special July 4 Edition) Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 20 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with hit songwriter Brian Davis for a special July 4 edition. BD is a huge supporter of the military, which made him the perfect guest for Independence Day.

Brian grew up in North Carolina around honky-tonks, tuning guitars for his father and grandfather just to be near the music. He got his first Nashville publishing deal from the iconic Harlan Howard and has written hits for Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and more, including "Memory I Don't Mess With," written with Lee Brice and Billy Montana.

Brian and Chris have both worked for years with CreatiVets, a nonprofit that helps wounded veterans heal through arts and music. Brian donates his time to sit with veterans, hear their stories and turn them into songs.

Songs discussed
Memory I Don't Mess With (Lee Brice)

Follow Brian Davis
Instagram @briandavislive | briandavislive.com

Watch and listen
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Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Tigirlily Gold: Shoot Tequila with Kendra & Krista! Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 19 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh of Tigirlily Gold. They went from honky-tonks on Broadway to the Grand Ole Opry stage, and their story is one everyone should hear.

Kendra and Krista formed their duo back home in North Dakota. They share how they got started, how they made the move to Nashville, and how they went from playing places like Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row on Broadway to being invited onto the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage. They also tell the story behind their single "Shoot Tequila."

A note on the audio: a mic cable issue causes a few brief dropouts in this episode. It was too good a conversation not to share.

Songs discussed
Shoot Tequila (Tigirlily Gold)

Follow Tigirlily Gold
Instagram @tigirlily | TikTok @tigirlilygold | tigirlily.com | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Blessing Offor: From going blind to having hits like BELIEVE Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 18 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with his brother, singer-songwriter Blessing Offor. Blessing was born blind in his left eye and later lost his sight completely in an accident with a Super Soaker, and that is where his obsession with piano and writing began.

He talks about how that accident changed his path, the song "Tin Roof," written with Natalie Hemby and released with Chris Tomlin & Friends, and his top 20 Billboard hit "Brighter Days."

Songs discussed
Brighter Days (Blessing Offor)
Tin Roof (Chris Tomlin)

Follow Blessing Offor
Instagram @blessingoffor | TikTok @blessingofformusic | blessingoffor.com | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

James McNair: Luke Combs #1 Lovin' On You Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 17 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with his buddy James McNair, writer of the Luke Combs #1 "Lovin' On You". The two met in St. Augustine, where Chris hosts the St. Augustine Songwriters Festival every year, and have been friends ever since.

James tells the story behind "Lovin' On You" along with other songs he has written.

He also talks about how he got to Nashville and landed a publishing deal after an email from Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, who was starting Tree Vibez Music, with a lot of help from BMI and Sony.

Songs discussed
Lovin' On You (Luke Combs)

Follow James McNair
Instagram @jamesmcnairmusic | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Jet Harvey: Rock and a Hard Place (Bailey Zimmerman) Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 16 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with songwriter Jet Harvey. "Rock and a Hard Place" is almost exactly what happened to Jet on a trip to Boston, which Bailey Zimmerman later changed to Austin.

Jet tells the story behind the Bailey Zimmerman hit: a fight with his girlfriend, now his wife, a glass of red wine, tears, and walking out the door.

He also talks about getting his start as a Christian artist, landing a label deal and watching his band break up at the signing table, then moving to Nashville to focus on songwriting. Introducing himself to Brett Warren of The Warren Brothers at the YMCA led to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

Songs discussed
Rock and a Hard Place (Bailey Zimmerman)

Follow Jet Harvey
Instagram @jetharvey_

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

AJ Kross: NEW ARTIST TO WATCH & voice of SEC Football 2023 May 30, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 15 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with his longtime friend, singer-songwriter AJ Kross. AJ is one of the best singer-songwriters Chris has ever known, a multi-instrumentalist with a voice that belongs on the radio.

AJ grew up traveling in a gospel band with his parents in Oregon, and artists like Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton inspired his move to Nashville. He talks about how many songs he wrote in his first two years in town and the stories behind "Hearts Don't Really Break" and "You," a wedding song of the year.

He also previews the new music he was working on in the studio. AJ was a Listening Room Unsigned Artist of the Month in 2022.

Songs discussed
Hearts Don't Really Break (AJ Kross)
You (AJ Kross)

Follow AJ Kross
ajkross.com | Instagram @ajkrossajkross | TikTok @ajkross | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Rob Williford: Songwriter/Guitar player for Luke Combs to his new project WILDCARD May 23, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 14 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with "Rowdy" Rob Williford, longtime guitarist and co-writer for Luke Combs. Rob played guitar for Luke from the very start, then stepped off the road to focus on songwriting and his own project.

Rob has written eight songs recorded by Luke Combs, including "One Number Away," "Doin' This" and "Nothing But You," plus songs recorded by Wheeler Walker Jr. and Kameron Marlowe. His honors include 2018 ASCAP Song of the Year for "One Number Away," the 2019 CMA Song of the Year for "Beautiful Crazy," a Grammy nomination for "Forever After All" and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song for "Doin' This."

He talks about life on the road with Luke and the stories behind those hits, plus his own project, "WILDCARD," co-produced with Kyle Cook of Matchbox 20 and recorded at the famous FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Songs discussed
One Number Away (Luke Combs)
Doin' This (Luke Combs)
Beautiful Crazy (Luke Combs)

Follow Rob Williford
Instagram @rowdyrob74 | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Victoria Shaw: Songwriter for Garth, Lady A, Ricky Martin & more! May 16, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 13 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with hit songwriter Victoria Shaw. From New York to LA to Nashville, Vic has written for Garth Brooks and opened for him in Central Park.

Victoria has written songs for Garth Brooks, Lady A, John Michael Montgomery, Ricky Martin, Doug Stone, Jim Brickman and more. She has won an ACM Award for Song of the Year, two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Original Song, four Emmy nominations, and several ASCAP and SESAC awards.

She talks about how she met Garth, the story behind "The River," which they wrote together, and how she ended up opening for him in Central Park. She also shares how she moved to Nashville and got into songwriting in the first place.

Songs discussed
The River (Garth Brooks)

Follow Victoria Shaw
Instagram @victoriashawmusic | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Jacob Rice: Whatever Floats Your Boat May 09, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 12 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with singer-songwriter Jacob Rice. Jacob moved to Nashville in 2020, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, and he has a story about a donkey ride you will not forget.

Influenced by Bruno Mars, Old Dominion, Train and Billy Currington, Jacob put out his first song, "Whatever Floats Your Boat," followed by "Forever I Do," written for his wife. He talks about both songs, and about the donkey ride of shame that left his wife at the top of a mountain.

Jacob was a Listening Room Unsigned Artist of the Month in July 2022. Around the time of this episode he played the Key West Songwriters Festival, released "Picture This," and had "Hurt People" and his five-song EP "Open Tabs at Empty Bars" on the way.

Songs discussed
Floats Your Boat (Jacob Rice)
Forever I Do (Jacob Rice)
Picture This (Jacob Rice)

Follow Jacob Rice
Instagram @jacobricemusic | TikTok @jacob_ricemusic | jacobricemusic.com | Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.

Kent Blazy: Songs for Garth Brooks, Chris Young & more! May 02, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 11 of Stories Behind the Songs, host Chris Blair sits down at The Listening Room in Nashville with hit songwriter Kent Blazy, a friend for about 17 years. Kent is as humble and kind as he is talented, with seven #1 hits and counting.

Kent wrote "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Ain't Going Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" for Garth Brooks and "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" for Chris Young, along with singles for Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and others.

He tells the stories behind those hits and how he met Garth in the first place.

Songs discussed
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Garth Brooks)
Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up) (Garth Brooks)
Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song) (Chris Young)

Follow Kent Blazy
Apple Music

Watch and listen
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | chrisblair.com/podcast | All links

Follow Stories Behind the Songs
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Chris Blair: Instagram | chrisblair.com

The Listening Room
listeningroomcafe.com | Instagram | TikTok
Sail with us on Boots on the Water, Feb. 7-11, 2027.