A First Radio Play, Valentine’s Laughs & Country Climb Magic with Thomas Heath

Today’s Friday show brings together cowboy laughs, Valentine’s fun, and a powerful first moment in country music.

We kick things off with Virgil from Eagar, who checks in after his on-air apology worked—and reveals why he’s definitely not a fan of Friday the 13th. He even gives the cowboys and cowgirls the day off for Valentine’s weekend.

Next, it’s a special Valentine’s Gift Edition of Boo or Cool with Show Low’s own Dave Ramsey, delivering plenty of laughs and strong opinions on romantic gift ideas.

Then comes the heart of the show—our Country Climb Star of the Week, Thomas Heath, another great artist introduced to us by Austin Burke and The Playlisted Podcast.

 Thomas shares his story as a high school English teacher turned country songwriter, and we play his song “Learn All On My Own” for the first time ever on country radio, capturing the emotion of that unforgettable moment.

We wrap up with a call from Emmy Award-winning producer Ryan, who shares stories from the Super Bowl with Intuit and his long-distance Valentine’s plans—while Chris reveals he’s getting his wife… meat.

It’s a fun, heartfelt mix of new country music, real-life laughs, and Valentine’s weekend energy—the perfect way to head into Friday.

If you enjoyed the show, follow Thomas Heath, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners discover the Morning Brew.

Transcript

Cowboy Virgil Checks In

SPEAKER_00 0:00

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. Good morning. It's the Morning Brew with Chris. Who's this?

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Hey, good morning, my friend.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Heck yeah, it's everyone's favorite cowboy from Eager Arizona. Virgil, I've been thinking about you, Virgil. You called in, uh, was it yesterday or the day before to apologize to a friend and dedicated a song? Uh, do you know if they heard it? Did they accept your apology?

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Yeah, they did.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Oh, good. Heck yeah. Look at that, look at the power of morning radio. Yeah, thanks to you. Awesome. Well, uh, today is Friday the 13th. What does uh a cowboy think of Friday the 13th?

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Oh, everybody's out work today.

Friday The 13th And Valentine Plans

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Oh, you don't uh you don't mess with Friday the 13th? Nope. And tomorrow off too. Oh, for Valentine's Day. Ooh. Think on the family, I don't. Right, right. So what are you gonna do for Valentine's Day? Ride my horse. Oh, a nice little uh romantic uh uh horse ride with your horse. What's your horse's name? His name is uh Houdini. Oh, does he disappear a lot? He disappears and shows up whenever he wants. It sounds like you on the radio. Like sometimes you'll call in a lot and then sometimes you'll disappear for weeks at a time. Well, what can I do you for this morning there, uh uh Virgil?

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Uh, one of these ladies wanna hear uh she's heartbroken, so what song does she want?

Boo Or Cool: Valentine’s Gifts

SPEAKER_00 1:41

Tim McGraw, where the green grass grows. Oh, heck yeah, that's a great one. Well, Virgil, have a safe Friday the 13th, and uh have a uh nice uh Valentine's Day with uh you and Houdini. Uh you too. All right, best friend, we love you. Talk to you later. Later. Bye. On the phone, we have our best friend, Dave Ramsey from Sholo, Arizona. And it is uh Valentine's Day tomorrow, Dave. And for Boo or Cool, I thought we would do some Valentine's Day gift. Boo or Cool. You ready? I'm ready. All right, how about a giant teddy bear bigger than the person?

SPEAKER_01 2:23

That's way cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Oh, really? Okay. Uh, how about a couple's paint and sip date kit?

SPEAKER_01 2:31

A couple's what?

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Paint and sip date kit. Like a little kit, so you guys could have a paint and sip date night at home. Not too sure about that one. I would say boo. Okay. How about matching crocs with matching charms? Cool. Oh, really? Crocs? Do you even own crocs? Do you know what Crocs are? Yeah. Okay. Alright, wow. I I would have bet money you would have said boo to that. How about gas station roses?

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Boo.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Really? What's wrong with gas station roses? Probably pets fresh on the pet fresh on the way to work. Oh, okay. Uh how about a vacuum cleaner as a gift?

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Oh, heck no, boo. Totally boo.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

How about a single chicken nugget in a ring box?

SPEAKER_01 3:28

As long as the ring is stuffed in the nugget, that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Okay, alright. Uh, how about a cardboard cutout of yourself for when you're not home?

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

There we go. And how about heart-shaped meatloaf?

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Oh, boo.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

No, you don't like meatloaf? I like meatloaf.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Yeah, but then what's with But it's too much work to go through all that trouble and watch it shrink down to practically nothing.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

You don't have to make it. What about uh heart-shaped pizza? Oh. Okay, all right. There we go. Dave, thank you so much. That was Boo or Cool Valentine's Day Edition. Love you, best friend. Hope you have a great weekend.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

You too. Enjoy the Friday of the 13th. To me, it's a boo day.

Introducing Thomas Heath

SPEAKER_00 4:17

No, I know. It is a boo day. We love you, best friend. Have a good day. You too, buddy. Bye. Chris Bennett's Country Con, Star of the Week. This week, our star of the week is an A-lister from the playlist podcast with Austin Burke, who proves you don't need flashy production to make a powerful country song, just honesty, heart and a guitar. By day, he's a high school English teacher, and by night, he's delivering classic country storytelling in his new song, Learn All on My Own. Please welcome Thomas He.

SPEAKER_04 4:56

Woo! Thank you much, Chris. How are you doing today?

Rapid-Fire Icebreakers

SPEAKER_00 5:00

I'm doing awesome, best friend. Thanks so much for joining us. And before we find out about your country climb, we're gonna have a little fun with some rapid fire icebreaker questions. Are you ready? Breaking on. I've been giving tests all day, so. Um, first song you play when nobody's listening.

SPEAKER_04 5:23

Uh, first song I play, I'd I'd say to warm up, it would be an empty glass by Gary Stewart. One word your students would describe you as. Cringe. They yeah, they they thought about getting a little button for every time I say a bad dad joke, they just hit it, but uh, who would be your dream artist you could open for tomorrow?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Um, I would say either George Strait or Alan Jackson. Oh, heck yeah. And last question, it'll be the hardest question I'll ask all day. If you had one country song to request for the rest of your life at parties, events, you name it, what country song are you requesting and why?

SPEAKER_04 6:11

Um, I would say Neon Moon uh because it's just it's got such a versatility to it. Um, you know, some people dance to it at weddings, even though they don't realize it's one of the saddest songs that that's out there. But you know, it's like uh, hey, am I about to hold a beer in my hand and dance to this? Absolutely, or am I about to dance with somebody to this? Absolutely. Or am I gonna sit in the corner and think about the one that got away? Absolutely. So it's just got versatility.

From Classroom To Stage

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Uh, we had a little fun, Thomas, and now it's time to find out about your country climb, your country journey. How did music find you growing up?

SPEAKER_04 6:46

Um, my dad always played guitar around, and he we would uh uh whenever we had parties or get togethers and stuff like that, um we'd sit around the campfire and they they'd play, and then I was like, Well, you know, maybe I need to pick this up. And it was probably about in the seventh grade that um I was a new kid at the school, but then a newer new kid came and he played guitar and new stuff about military stuff and all that, and I was like, okay, so I can pick one of these and be really good at it, and then uh I think I'm gonna dive into the guitar and see how my dad does that. So that happened. Um and then fast forward many years later, I started taking guitar seriously about four years ago, whenever uh one of my buddies was playing an event in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and I was like, Man, if he can do it, and if he can ride and do this stuff, then maybe I can too. So that's that's really how that kind of got kicked off. And there's a deeper story into it, but I that's what people are just gonna find out about.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

So uh you've just been doing music really just for four years.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

Yep, uh March 12th of 2022 is whenever I had my first show out of playing or anything. I had done open mic nights uh before that, but I just kind of kept it located so that way I could build myself up and be like, alright, let's go do a two or three hour set and figure out what that looks like and figure out how to build it. And when did you start writing uh your own song? Uh I would say I really started writing in 2023. So for about three years.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

And so you're a teacher, a high school teacher. Did the teaching come first, or did the music or did they grow together?

SPEAKER_04 8:22

Uh the teaching definitely came first, but the music wasn't too far after it. After I went to that event uh during the summer, I'd gotten out of a uh pretty serious relationship, and uh one of the things is that in that relationship I kept on choosing her over myself. Um there was a time where my birthday was rolling around and I was like, hey, I'd really like this amplifier for my electric guitar, and she was like, You don't even play your electric guitar anymore. And uh the reason I hadn't is because I sold the amps and the distortion pedals and stuff that made it electric effective, so I kind of picked up the acoustic that way. So after we were broken up with, I was like, you know what? I think I need to pursue myself and figure out what I want, and music was part of that, so that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

What's uh what's it like going from the classroom all day to the stage?

Writing As Therapy

SPEAKER_04 9:15

So it kind of just depends on the day, depends on uh what the day was like at school. If it just dragged on, and um I'm like, okay, I can go home to freshen up, get a fresh start, maybe I can get the headache off uh of whatever happened, or maybe I'm just riding through the energy that we had that day, maybe we had a paper hour or something like that going on. Um but I always try to make sure that regardless of whether I'm walking into a classroom or a state, that I'm putting my best self out there. Um if I can only give 60% that day, I'm gonna give a hundred percent of that sixty percent. Um and that's that's just kind of an inside idea.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Uh students know that their teacher is a rising country star.

SPEAKER_04 10:00

I don't know if they would say that, but they definitely know um that I go out and play music and they're actually doing a thing here where it's a singogram for Valentine's Day. Uh I had to do one the other day where um they five dollars they uh they buy me to play a song for somebody that I care about in another room. So instead of like a candy gram, it's a song. Um I sang for a couple that used to work here and they were here yesterday. Uh can't take my eyes off you because somebody bought it for them, and so we just assembled in the hall real quick, and I was like, hey, don't go anywhere, I gotta play this for you, and I have a guitar in my classroom and a key just in case I can get inspired or uh want to work on some songs that I'm already working on and want to make a quick work take or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

So is there uh any lesson that teaching has taught you that helped your uh songwriting or in life?

Premiere: Learn All On My Own

SPEAKER_04 10:54

Um I would definitely say that people want to be heard and they want to also hear themselves. That's helped me out a lot as a writer. It's like, okay, this is what I've experienced, and that's maybe this specific feeling that I'm feeling specific to me, maybe other people have experienced too. So I need to find a way to reach that gap to where I can put my heart into what's being talked about here, but also reach into other people's hearts as well, and maybe like, hey, I I can put myself right in the driver's seat too.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

And we've been having fun, found out about your uh country journey, and now we're gonna play one of your songs for the first time ever on country radio. This song is Learn All on My Own. How did this song uh come to be?

Reaction And Next Releases

SPEAKER_04 11:46

Uh so for full disclosure, I was in a pretty serious relationship and we had split off after some things had happened. Um, and I was just like, you know, I I really, I really feel like this can impact my writing. You know, it's just I don't want to suffer through this. And music for me has always kind of been very therapeutic, helped me like whenever I'm analyzing the writing, I'm also analyzing my life. Um, and I do that with other songs too. I'm like, I wonder what these people were going through whenever they wrote this. Uh, even if there was you know three or four or eight writers on there. Um, and it could have been they just but anyway, um and I just turned the lights down low and I kind of had me a uh a glass of whiskey off to the side, which I don't drink very often, but I was like, this feels for it. And I just poured my heart out into the moment and I was like, you know, I was with this person and I learned how to do all these things while with this person, but what are the things I'm gonna have to learn how to do now without them? And I was like, well, these are the things that I'm gonna learn all on my own. Um, you know, and I'm also gonna have to deal with the feelings of the aftermath of that too. So I'm gonna have to learn, you know, um, how long is that gonna go on? Um, is it ever gonna be gone? Which I didn't put that line in there, but now I kind of wish I did. Uh but but yeah, that that that's just where it came from. And I remember I think I wrote it on a Tuesday, and then, or no, I wrote it on a Monday. And there was a fella who put me on a round in Nashville on a Tuesday, and I played that song, and like somebody was like, that's instant country, classic country right there. Like they're like, you you don't know if you've written gold or not. And I was like, you're right, I don't, and I still don't, you know. Um, I I I realize I got some talents, and that's not because I'm saying that, that's because what that's what people told me. And you know, if people say it enough, and then it's gotta be true, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

So well, let's uh introduce this song to our Q country audience for the first time. Uh, I love this song. I think you guys are gonna love it too. Do you want to introduce uh this song for the first time on country radio there, uh, Thomas?

SPEAKER_04 13:56

You know what? Why not? Um, I hope you guys can enjoy it. If you like sad country music, if you ain't got a drink going already beside you, if you're driving, then don't have that drink. But but if you're sitting down and maybe going through the middle of something, then uh hopefully we can go through it together. This is Learn All On My Own.

Super Bowl Stories With Ryan

Long-Distance Valentine Dilemmas

Closing Thanks And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_03 14:47

I can wake up in the morning after a long night. I can sing a sad song, but that won't make you right. I'm learning to listen what I have these are the lessons I know Being in love with you is something nasty on the Oh I tried for getting you, but there's nothing for getting over you along the pain every How much longer will this go on? That's just another thing I'll learn. Places we go to ones I'd come home where I can still go there being in love with you is something nasty I try to get in you, but there's nothing for him get over you on Will the pain every how much longer will this go on? That's just another thing I'll learn. Is it better to let go just another thing?

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Oh, I mean, we're gonna Thomas Heath with his song Learn All on My Own on Q Country 92.5. Uh, that's the first time we've heard it on Q Country, but I know it's not gonna be a last. I love that song. Thanks for letting us play it.

SPEAKER_04 18:38

Hey, thank you for having it. I was actually over to the side looking up. I was like, when did I write that? And it was May of 2024, uh, and I recorded it that June. Um, that's the fastest I've ever turned around a song, you know. So it meant a lot to me, and I'm glad that it means a lot to you and that you enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

So it's so great. If uh people are just meeting Thomas Heath, uh, what are two other songs of yours you think people should uh check out to get to know you?

SPEAKER_04 19:05

Uh well I've only got two others released um out there, and that's Mystery to Me and The Good and the Bad and the Ugly, which I actually have a poster of right over here uh because it's my one of my favorite films of all time, and uh that that was just a fun one to write.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

So it took like 15 minutes tops and that's the time with it, but that's uh and what's uh what's on the uh horizon uh for you? What should we be on the lookout for from Thomas Heath?

SPEAKER_04 19:30

Uh so I am I have been getting into the studio trying to get a couple of uh specifically those three songs re-recorded. So Learn On My Own is gonna have a full production uh at some point. And uh, you know, as I was listening to it, I was like, man, I've changed quite a bit to it. Um, but nothing nothing too crazy, but it's a little bit more, a little bit more pleasant to the ear because I was like, man, that intro is just a little bit too long for my tastes. But so that just goes to show, you know, how refinement and time uh changes that up. So that's gonna be the next thing, but I've got a couple other things in my pocket too that I'm I'm excited about. So hoping to make my way to Texas this summer to play some venues down there. So then maybe hop over to Arizona and check out Chris over at Q Country.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Well, uh we can't wait to uh have you visit us, but we want to have you back. Uh you're uh coming up with new music, we want to hear it, so please keep in touch because uh we are gonna have you back. It's just a fact. You don't I I hope it's okay.

SPEAKER_04 20:28

Yeah, absolutely. I'll let you know whenever I'm like, hey man, your favorite song's about to get a remix. And uh and so, you know, we'll be adding a whole lot more to it.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Heck yeah. Go ahead and follow Thomas Heath at Thomas Heath Music and uh on all socials, and uh follow him on wherever you stream your live music and download his music, especially Learn All on My Own by Thomas Heath. Thank you so much for your time today, and uh, I'm looking forward to uh hearing some new music from you. Yes, sir, and I'm looking forward to the new shirts you got. Heck yes! This has been Thomas Heath, our country climb, star of the week. Y'all take care. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this?

SPEAKER_02 21:15

It's Ryan McKee.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Heck yeah, our best friend, Emmy Award-winning producer Ryan McKee. Also, Ryan McKee c uh Pays in High School class of '97. And uh you were recently uh in San Francisco for the Super Bowl. I was watching you on the Intuit's uh TurboTax uh Instagram page. It was so cool to see you uh uh do those videos. You have had one video that got over a million views.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

1.9 million views, buddy. Don't you forget it. Don't you forget is a TikTok star.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Well, uh, how did uh you and uh your tracksuits do in uh San Francisco uh for the Super Bowl? Anything juicy?

SPEAKER_02 21:59

Well, people. People love the tracksuits. Uh it's kind of crazy that part of the reason I got this job is from my shed picks videos where I where I display my full array of beautiful tracksuits if people have not seen them. And I started doing those vi videos when I was in a manic episode. And y now they're getting me jobs.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

So that's they're like, oh, awesome. Are you still manic? No, but uh I could pretend to still be manic.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Exactly. And uh San Francisco was very fun. The people uh into it were very good to me. We got to make some fun videos. They bought me excellent dinners. I ate at this place called the House of Prime Rib. All they serve is prime rib, and they wheel it out in this silver cart and they cut off a big piece of prime rib for you. It's pretty awesome. Those who like meat should travel there.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

That sounds good. Did uh you have any celebrity sightings, or did you meet or talk to any celebrities while you were uh there?

SPEAKER_02 23:10

I only saw Spike Lee.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Oh, that's pretty big.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Director Spike Lee. Didn't get to talk to him and saw Tony Dungey, former coach of the Colts and the Buccaneers, who's now a commentator for football. I don't know what channel he's on.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

He's on NBC. I thought you were gonna say Tony Danza.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

I got so excited, but then you said Oh, I would have been way more excited to be Tony Danza. Are you kidding? I'd be like, donate!

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Who's the boss? I'm the boss. We are on the phone with my best friend Ryan McKee on this Friday the 13th and the day before Valentine's, and we learned recently, Ryan, uh, that you have a real girlfriend. She sounded fake, teacher at Harvard, worked at Hooter's, uh, but she is real, but it is a long-distance relationship. So, what are your Valentine's uh day plans and what are you gonna do for your long-distance Valentine?

SPEAKER_02 24:14

I don't have any plans for Valentine's Day, I haven't prepared anything for her. I am a horrible boyfriend, apparently. Um maybe I'll uh I'll definitely give her a call.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Collect call from Ryan McKee. Happy Valentine's Day! Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

You know, you gotta keep the fire alive somehow.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Dude, I've even already ordered my wife a Valentine's Day gift. Like it's so what I got, I got her, uh, I got her some meat and uh cheese, a meat and cheese board, a sharp and but like the cheese comes in X's and O's.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

A good woman loves meat and cheese. Yeah, yeah. I've been watching this Viking series called uh The Lost Kingdom. Uh-huh. And uh oh, it's a lot of meat and cheese in it.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Well, she's also on, I forget what diet. She's on keto, so I didn't I didn't want to get her anything sweet and like, you know, get her to, you know, go off her diet or make it harder for her. So I thought, oh, you know what? I'm like, she's gonna like some some meat and cheese.

SPEAKER_02 25:29

I feel like you're sweet enough for her.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Exactly. That's right. Well, I recommend you go on Amazon today and uh buy something and have it sent to her and delivered to her tomorrow. Okay, I will. All right, awesome. Maybe some long john thongs.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

She would like that.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

Awesome. Well, uh, producer Ryan, thanks for uh calling in, letting us know about your Super Bowl trip. Good luck with Valentine's Day, and uh hopefully we'll talk to you soon. All right, you hit you be good. You too. Bye. Bye. All right, it's that time for me to head out of here. Thanks so much to everyone that tuned in and had fun with us on this Friday, the 13th, on the morning brew. Big shout out to our country climb star of the week, Thomas Heath. And uh make sure you give him a follow on all socials and download his music, Thomas Heath Music. If you missed any of the fun, you could catch it at all in podcast form wherever you listen to Fine Podcast The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett and best friends. For the morning brew, I've been Chris Bennett, reminding you to be nice to yourself, be nice to others, and don't be jerk. And for the morning brew, we say bye.