The Mike Stone Show; Music, Stories and Conversations
Former Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone shares our rich music culture and stories. Featuring classic hits, soulful Motown, blues, and gold-era gems with authentic community connection.
The Mike Stone Show; Music, Stories and Conversations
Inside the Circle: Travis Woods Remembers the Greats
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In this special episode of The Mike Stone Show: Music, Stories & Conversations, Mike Stone sits down with Travis Woods for an unforgettable conversation filled with remarkable stories from a lifetime in music.
Travis shares behind-the-scenes memories of the artists, songwriters, and legendary performers he has known throughout his career, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the people behind the songs that have become part of America's musical heritage. From Nashville stories and career-defining moments to humor, inspiration, and unforgettable encounters, this conversation celebrates the friendships, experiences, and music that continue to shape generations.
Whether you're a lifelong music fan or simply enjoy hearing great stories told by someone who lived them, this episode delivers warmth, laughter, insight, and a deep appreciation for the artists and songs that have stood the test of time.
Every musician has a story. But every now and then, you meet someone whose story has been written alongside some of the biggest things in music. My guest today is Travis Woods, a gifted musician whose talent has taken him from local stages to unforgettable moments with artists like Vince Gill, Chris Stapleton, Brad Paisley, and Keith Irvin. We'll talk about the music, the memories, the friendships, and the lessons learned along the way. So settle in, because I think you're going to enjoy this conversation with a man who truly knows what it's like to live the music. My conversation with Travis Ford starts right now.
SPEAKER_02Today's guest has spent years around legendary artists' unforgettable performances and moments that most of us only dream about. Along the way, he's collected stories that are funny, inspiring, and deeply rooted in the country music history. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this conversation with a man who has seen it from all the unique perspectives. I'm Mike Stone, and this is Music, Stories, and Conversations. And we're going to be talking with Travis Woods. Travis, welcome to the Mike Stone Show.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much. I'm glad to be here. Real excited.
SPEAKER_02Well, Travis is a good friend of mine. We go pretty far back, uh, he and his family, and what a great musical family. Raised up right here in North Louisiana, a little bitty community of Ansley. Am I right, Travis?
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Ansley. And I think you went to uh the high school there, Equipment High.
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. Went to Quitman and then attended Louisiana Tech.
SPEAKER_02Well, why don't we just start around there with uh Ansley and Quitman? And first made you uh pick up a guitar and decide that music was going to be part of your life.
SPEAKER_01Well, um mom and him bought me a guitar early. I was about 10 years old, and I started started playing. And, you know, Joe Woods would come to town every now and then, and he'd pass through and show me a few things. And my brother, Marty, went off to the Navy, and every every time he'd come back, he'd show me two or three more chords. And I guess my first time to play, my first stage was at the Angley Union Church. I was 13 years old, and I played uh the preacher had me come up there and I did the old rugged cross.
SPEAKER_02At 13 years old, you and your family are very musical, and as you said, you had an uncle named Joe Woods. Joe's very much known around these parts. He uh just a great guy, and he started a little show here called The Wild Wood Express. We'll get into some of that, Travis, but first we're gonna talk mostly about you. And after you uh graduated high school, I guess you came to Louisiana Tech, is that right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. Came to Louisiana Tech and the uh the Lawson Company in Ruston had that uh uh that syndicated program. If you were in the city limits of Ruston and you had cable vision, then you could get their TV shows. And we had a television show called Dance Time that went from four o'clock in the afternoon to five o'clock. Uh but that was right there while I was going to tech, and a bunch of the guys in the band were still in high school. So they'd get out of school every day and come to the studio, and we would record Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Then we could sit at home on Friday and watch a rerun of ourselves on TV on dance time.
SPEAKER_02Americana Studios, located right here in Ruston, Louisiana, and owned by the Lawsons, Phil and his brother Steve, and they're dad. And you know, I never realized there was a TV show produced there. Uh I never knew that, Travis.
SPEAKER_01It was, man. I'm telling you, we we were so green. All we knew how to do was play music. And they would say, stand over there and play. And every now and then we'd get too loud. And boy, they they'd go to grabbing their headphones and throwing them down on the floor, and I knew I had done messed up.
SPEAKER_02Well, uh, did you you had your band, did y'all play at other venues and things around uh during that time?
SPEAKER_01We did. We played birthday parties, we played dances, we played the illustrious skating rink out on the north side of town.
SPEAKER_02Man, it's big time, Travis. Big time. Well, did you have a name for your band?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Uh uh that band was called the Faded Image.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's a great name. Faded Image. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Faded Image, yes, sir. And then it went on to grow into Hickory. And we'd changed the name to Hickory later on.
SPEAKER_02Right. Now, I suppose you met your wife, Lois. Did you meet her? Where did you meet Lois?
SPEAKER_01Well, um, there was a friend of mine that I knew, and she had a friend. They were dating, and they uh they both said, I got somebody I want you to meet. Well, I was playing with a club band in Monroe. We was playing at Dynasty Lounge in different places like that. And one Sunday afternoon, Lois worked at the movie theater. And one Sunday afternoon I got all messied up, went to the music theater, knocked on the door, and she came and opened the door, and I said, Hey, my name's Travis. We were supposed to met a long time ago, but they never did set it up. So that's how I met her. Just walked up and introduced her.
SPEAKER_02Right. Now, your bands, you said you played a lot in Monroe. There's another band in Ruston area called the Spectres. We've done a lot of uh stories on the Spectre. Do you remember the Spectres at any time you were playing around some of those bands and or venues in Monroe, Travis?
SPEAKER_01You know, I remember crossing paths with them. We had some battle of the bands from time to time, and uh, or we'd do a festival or two, and I remember seeing them. I didn't really know the guys, but I remember seeing their band. Sure do.
SPEAKER_02So uh let's let's take you on a little bit further now. You uh graduated university. What was your next move?
SPEAKER_01I was working my way through college being an electrical helper. And when I got out of college, my cousin owned the electrical shop. He had bought out Mallory Electric, used to be a Mallory electric in Rustin, and he he offered me a chance to come on with him. So I did. I just stayed on with him, became a journeyman electrician, and eventually that's what brought us to Texas as a master electrician. Corporate America moved us down here about 32 years ago.
SPEAKER_02So you and Lois were married in 1977, is that correct? Yes, sir, that's correct. 49 years ago. Oh my. About to have the big 5-0 there, Travis. That's right. Yes, sir, next year. So I know she was a big, big part of your whole musical uh career, and uh that's been a great thing for you to have her as a supporter all throughout your, well, your your uh regular job and your music career as well.
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. That's correct. Whenever I worked for Corporate America, I always required Lois to be my secretary because I knew when I called in, if I was in Georgia or Alabama or somewhere, and I called in and needed something, I knew she would take care of it. And then Lois sang with the Hickory band in Ruston. She always had a good voice, sang on the wildwood two or three times, and uh Lois had become a real accomplished songwriter. That's where all the songs came from on our new album.
SPEAKER_02Well, I did not know that little uh bit there. So we're gonna have to give Lois her her due on the whole uh the whole thing here about your musical career then. So uh in 1979, Travis, I believe y'all decided to pack up and move to Branson, Missouri. The of course the place there with all the great theaters and everything else that they had, especially back in that time, Travis, in 1979.
SPEAKER_01That's right. There was only 13 shows in town. We had the Starlight, we played at Starlight Theater across the road, He-Haunt Theater, Bill Thers. We got to uh uh Lulu Roman and the Hager Twins. The lady that owned the show where we played, they moved it out of Grapevine Opry. So it was Starlight Theater presents to Grapevine Opry. And that gal dated one of the Hager twins, Jim Hager. So we were kind of up close and personal with the Hager twins and Lulu Raman and Gordy Tapp, Misty Rowe. One of them was at our theater every week, just kind of hanging out, watching what was going on. And we were one of the first theaters in the area to wear tuxedas and tennis shoes and still, yet still have a little slapstick comedy in the program.
SPEAKER_02Hey, if anybody has ever watched Hee-Haw, they know who you're talking about with Lulu Roman and the Hager twins, and but they were all right across uh from you all from the Starlight Theater, correct? That's correct. Yes, sir. So you stepped in there in 1979, as you said, there, you know, it was uh sort of just about to get hot there. Landing a steel guitar position with the famous Soji Tobacchi. Is that right?
SPEAKER_01Tabucci, yes, tabucci, yes, sir. What it was, Lois and I had gone up there on vacation, pulled in a gas station about midnight, filling up Cheese out Child's that owned the Great Vine Opera out of Great Vine, Texas. She walked in the gas station and uh and I said, Hey, how would somebody go about getting a playing job up here? She said, Well, we open in two weeks. You know, what can you do? I said, I didn't play pretty much anything on stage. Guitar, bass, steel. She said, I need steel man. Can you open in two weeks? I said, Yeah. We literally went home and some friends of ours from out in Simsboro helped us move in two weeks, put everything in a in a storage building, and we moved up and rented a place on the lake. And on Sunday afternoon, we moved on, moved in there with a band. I mean, it went from there. Sure it is.
SPEAKER_02My goodness. Now, everybody uh who is for me with Branson, uh, he had one of the most familiar shows around Soji, I'm talking about. And so uh you stayed with him for maybe four years. And so what uh what was Soji like, you know, when the curtain went up, we know he was a great entertainer uh compared to backstage. I think you traveled around with Soji quite a bit, and you've probably learned a lot about a lot about the man and a lot about who he was.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, Shoji was a great guy. Lois kept books for the for Shoji, okay? In other words, you had a bookkeeper for the theater, then you had a bookkeeper for Shoji, then you had a bookkeeper for the Masters for Quartet. And the Masters for traveled in their bus. We traveled in our bus with Shoji, and he was an all-around great guy and just do anything for you, and just just so appreciative. I mean, everything was thank you, thank you very much, you know, with Shoji.
SPEAKER_02And uh the Masters for Quartet, you mentioned them, they were also part of the show. And I guess he had special entertainers come on the show, and so man, that was uh you were learning some chops, or you already knew a lot of chops, but you were learning quite a bit there in Branson and playing for him, and uh, I guess going to other shows and just having uh maybe the time of y'all's life, maybe, I hope.
SPEAKER_01You know, we really were because we didn't have any kids and uh it was just Lois and I. She was the only wife that got to travel with the show. And I mean, we would uh in October, we'd close the show down, get on the bus and travel all winter. Yeah, I mean, you may be home for two or three weeks and then go out again for a week, but we would travel doing shows, and I'll never forget we opened for Don Williams in Norman, Oklahoma, south of Oklahoma City, downtown. They had a theater, kind of like the Dixie in Ruston. And we opened for Don Williams, two o'clock in the morning. We pulled out of uh Norman, Oklahoma from Denny's, driving across the state of Arkansas to the forum in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and I was one of the guys that could drive. There wasn't two of us had commercial license. So I was backing up to the building, and Lois said, Who are we opening for? And I said, I don't know. I don't have a clue. She looked up on the big sign that said, Welcome, Barbara Mandrell. You know, so that was a pretty good show.
SPEAKER_02Oh my. So if anybody thinks the music life is uh just an easy deal and everybody's uh just all great, you know, they're traveling around and all the things, trying to get all the equipment in. But opening for Barbara Mandrell, boy, she was about as hot as a Falk Racker during that time.
SPEAKER_01She was. She had her own TV show, and people said, Oh, did you get to meet her? I said, No, I would have done better having a seat on the front row. I could have got closer to her. She had so dang many cops around her, guarding her. You couldn't even get away by the you know.
SPEAKER_02A lot of security even back then at that time. Get back to uh Branson when you were at a show just about, or two shows maybe a day, I'm not quite sure. But you were part of the stage band. Uh, tell us what what a typical day was like, you know, during your Branson season when you were there.
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. A typical day. Lois and I would get to work at four o'clock in the afternoon. We had band practice. Lois would open the ticket office, start selling tickets. I'd go up on stage and the band would practice from four to six. Then we'd start getting dressed and we had a show from seven to nine, okay? And the show was over at nine o'clock. We'd put our instruments away, talk about tomorrow night show, because we ran shows seven nights a week and two shows on Sunday. We had a two o'clock matinee on Sunday. So we'd leave there at 10 o'clock, and the Greenbrier Hotel was right down the road from where our theater was, and the Greenbrier would let all of us come down and swim in the pool because they closed a pool at 10 o'clock for their guest, but they'd let us come down. So, I mean, Lulu Raman and the Hager twins and all them would come down, we'd all jump in the pool and and cool off for an hour or two. And then some of the guys and gals would go down on the uh old Pennycomo Lake and they go fishing for trout at night. I mean, we did it a few times. It was pretty cool. It wasn't nothing like bass fishing, though. You know.
SPEAKER_02Well, sound like uh maybe you had a little time, but after a show, I mean it takes a while to wind down, and then uh you gotta get back up and do it the next day, and then two shows on Sunday. They worked you pretty hard, and people think again how easy that life is, but it is difficult, and people who really know how that is, it takes a lot of toll on your your whole body there, try to get up and get ready for the next day. Is there any one uh memory that maybe sticks out, makes you smile even today?
SPEAKER_01You know, uh the Presleys and the ball knobbers, you know, love them guys. I mean, we knew them from way back, and Mike Eto played fiddle for the ball knobbers, and and I saw his name in lights the other day, so I pretty much know he's still with the ball knobbers. But the Presley's, you know, they've been there, you know, them and the ball knobbers longer than anyone. It was neat because, see, if you lived in town and you were a musician, you got because we worked out of the Kansas City local. So we had a we had a union card. And if you had a union card, a lot of times we'd run six nights a week instead of seven. So that one night off, we'd go to another show. And you walk in and you flash that card and you got in free. So that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You had four years there in Branson Hall with the Starlight Theater.
SPEAKER_01So Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_02And in the winter months, during those times, you were traveling all over the place, as you said, and going from here to here, from town to town, trying to make it to the next show.
SPEAKER_01That's right. And I'm gonna tell you, we were some of the first people to play football arenas. We went all the way to St. Peter's St. Petersburg, Florida, and played in a big outdoor arena. There were two or three other bands, and we did seven shows with Dave and Sugar and Tony Olando and Don. That was in Florida. Started St. Petersburg and kind of worked our way up to up into Georgia.
SPEAKER_02Sure it is. Amazing career. I mean, unbelievable. Open for all these people. You opened for Don Williams, I think, one time. Did you get a chance to talk with him at all?
SPEAKER_01Oh, we did. We had done, besides opening for him one time, we had gone seen him four different times and got to go backstage and meet and greet, all that kind of stuff, because I knew the booking agents that were booking them. And he was Lois' favorite. So, man, we got books of pictures of us and Don.
SPEAKER_02We can share that. Well, let's uh let's move on again and uh let's fast forward you. I know you have a had a big job there in Texas, and you started a band called the Classics Recovered Band. Uh, how'd that band, how'd that group come together, Travis?
SPEAKER_01You know, a friend of mine called and said, Hey, uh, we're gonna, there's a couple of us gonna get together and play, bring a guitar, and I want you to play with us. And I said, Okay, I will. So I went, we were playing, and Tracy Bird's manager, uh Joe, I forgot his last name, Joe was there, and we were playing and clapping and having a good time. But two of the guys in the band worked for Moktiva Refinery, the largest refinery in the northern hemisphere. And Joe came up and said, Hey, you playing music with them guys? I said, Yeah. He said, Look, uh, we booked Charlie Daniels Coming to Town. This was 2009. We booked Charlie Daniels Coming to Town. Y'all want to open for him? I said, Yeah, we didn't even have a drummer. We had a bass player and a mandolin player and a couple of guitars. And I said, Yeah, we got this. And then when the guys looked at me, they said, and how are we gonna do this? I said, Well, just hide and watch. So I called a friend of mine who came and played drums. We had a we had a bass player that was out of Kansas City. He was local working on a project, and I put all them boys together and we played in front of 3,500 people in 2009, open for Charlie Daniels, and that's how the Classics Recovered band got started.
SPEAKER_02I know you and our good friend Buddy Terger from right here in Ruston. Uh, Buddy had a great friendship with Charlie Daniels as well. So I know you and him have talked about your relationship and his relationship with Charlie Daniels. Uh, Buddy Tertier has played with him many times, and uh, I know you and Buddy have talked about that quite a bit.
SPEAKER_01Sure have. And see, when I booked that show, I called Buddy. I said, Buddy, you've done some stuff for Charlie. Yeah. And uh I said, we're gonna open for him Saturday night. He said, Well, it's Charlie's birthday. So I went and had a plaque made uh to one real American, your friends in Southeast Texas, the classics were covered band, and that plaque is hanging in Charlie's museum in Hendersonville, Tennessee, right next.
SPEAKER_02Oh my goodness. And uh I didn't know he had a museum, but he has one in Hendersonville, Tennessee. That's right. That's correct. Okay. Well, people need to go there and take a look at that plaque that uh that you uh made for him. That would be pretty neat. So, Travis, what do you think uh Mace Country music and the classic rock that you played with the classic recovered band? How's that a perfect fit for the combination for your audiences, really?
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, we don't mind playing oldie but goodies. We don't mind playing, you know, we open up with a Creed of Clearwater Revival song, then we go into Merle Haggard, okay? And uh then we may go into Moody Blues. So we are a total mix of music. That's why people like us, and you looked at that list I sent you of all the folks we've opened for, you know, Mickey Gilly and Johnny Lee and Soria Brown and Reba McIntyre, you know, we opened for Reba. Her fiddle player, backup singer, was my keyboard player's sister. Okay? And we opened for them. Their mom was real bad off with cancer. So the girls took mom to town, bought her a gown, bought her a wig, brought her to the concert. And I heard a photographer, I said, You take pictures of them gals with their mom every time somebody moves. Well, both gals was on stage with me. We opened the show with San Antonio Rose. So, see, we had pictures of Reba's backup singer standing beside me and my keyboard fiddle player on the other side, and they did about 10 songs with us. Then they went and spent time with their mom. Their mom had not heard them play together in 20 years, and it worked so good, flawless, took over 300 pictures, and three months later their mom passed away.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's a great, great story. So uh Reba is one of the biggest stars ever, but I understand she's just a real down-to-earth and easy to talk with, and you found that to be true.
SPEAKER_01Yes, sir. She is just as country as I come. I mean, just a great gal. Handed her my cowboy hat. She signed uh signed my cowboy hat, and it's it's hanging on the wall in my little museum down here now.
SPEAKER_02Oh my. Well, you said you opened for Mickey Gillian, Louisiana, guy from Faraday, Louisiana, and of course, all his cousins, and Johnny Lee. Of course, they represent maybe a great era there of country music. Got any favorite members of Mickey Gilly and Johnny Lee?
SPEAKER_01You know, I really do because we have never been around them. And, you know, their bus pulled in the civic center. Of course, we were there watching the stage being built. We had about a thousand folks that night, and and it was a cattle baron's ball. We played the cattle barons ball a dozen times. But anyhow, uh I walked out and met the bus, and uh his manager got off the bus and said, Hey, can you send somebody to go get some vegetable soup? And I said, Yeah, what's the matter? He said, Well, Mickey passed out on stage last night in Houston. He was dehydrated. So we need him to eat some soup before he can play tonight. So I sent and got him some soup, got on the bus, gave it to them, but they came backstage. We had a dressing room for them. Mickey came back there and sat. Both of them were riding one of them little scooters, you know, and to get up to the stage. And then they waddled out on stage and sat on a stool. But after the show was over, I mean, these guys did the urban cowboy songs, I mean, flawless. And after the show was over, we was all sitting backstage with Mickey and Johnny, and and Mickey, somebody said something about uh Gillies over in Pasadena. He said, Yeah, you know, uh we had Gillies going one night and Mel Tilly showed up. He had played Gillies, and he got on one of those bucking bulls, and that bull flipped him, and he had them old big bell bottom breeches on, and he ripped the center all the way out of them breeches, the whole backside. So we took him breeches and threw them up in the uh rafters of Gillies, and I guess they burn up when the building burnt down.
SPEAKER_02You know, Travis, I'm wondering if uh Mel Tillis could speak straight after he got through with all that uh encounter with the bull. He probably started talking even straight. If anybody doesn't know, Mel Tillis, I don't know if he used that. I think he really did have a stutter. Nonetheless, a great songwriter and a great entertainer. Now, this guy here, Travis, um, one of my favorite, this guy, unbelievable talent, Steve Warner. Well, he's a phenomenal guitarist. You get talk guitars with Steve Warner.
SPEAKER_01Let me tell you what, we have got tight with Steve Warner. I got him on speed dial. He's come to guitar shows and seen us, but we booked Steve Warner for the Cattle Barons ball, and my band opened for him. Well, Tracy Byrd was in the audience watching the concert, okay? Well, we were playing right in the middle of it. I looked over on the side on the stairs, and Steve was standing there watching. And I'm thinking, what is this guy watching me for? He's making me nervous, you know? And we finished our gig, and his manager came up there and said, Hey, uh, Steve wants to use that amplifier you got. I had a real kind of a mid-80s music man amplifier, one pin inch speaker, but it really was hot. It was a nice amp. And he said, Can you leave it there? Steve wants to play it besides his amp. I said, Yeah, I'll do it. So we went off stage, went backstage, shook his hand, took pictures, because one thing, when I opened somebody, my contract reads 15 minutes backstage, meet and greet and pictures. So we went back there and we visited and uh he talked about my amp and stuff. And then we went out and sat down and watched his show. Right in the middle of his show, he called Tracy Bird up and they did work in Man Blues together. And Tracy Bird's from Beaumont. I mean, I've known him a long time. And so that was pretty neat. And then uh the next year he came to a guitar show, sat down in the booth, looked at some of our guitars, just visited. Then, a few months later, I get a phone call. Uh, this is Steve Warner's office. Steve will be in Beaumont, Texas, playing Saturday night. He he will have tickets for you backstage if you care to uh uh come. I said, yeah. So me and Lois went and we went on the bus with him for about 30 minutes. And he signed autographs and we took pictures on the bus and all that. And then we went on in and took our seat, and he came in and did the show and and called my name from the stage. I mean, you know, stuff that a country boy from Ant and Louisiana, you know, the only the good Lord could make that happen.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's really unbelievable the people you've made contact with, the artists and the entertainers. But Steve Werner, I mean, Chet Atkins has got him on the one of the certified guitar pickers. There's only about four of them, and Steve Werner is one of those. And I think you met the other one, Tommy Emmanuel. You got up here with Tommy Emmanuel, who has been here a couple of times. He's worldwide, of course, the guy from Australia. But Tommy Emmanuel, what a unbelievable guitar pick. I mean, I don't even know what to call his type of guitar playing. Do you, uh Travis?
SPEAKER_01You know, it's uh classical with a little rock in there, but the guy is so down to earth. He walked in my booth and picked up a guitar, and his bus driver is a friend of mine from Orange, Texas, Scott. And he walked in and grabbed a guitar and strummed one chord. And him and Scott started singing cotton picking old hillbilly song way down yonder in the bayou country, you know, dear old Lucian. They were clapping their hands and singing our cappella to the top of their lungs. And I said, you know, only in Cotton Pink and Nashville, Tennessee can this happen.
SPEAKER_02What a story. I tell you, these these stories you're telling our audiences, uh, I hope you believe everything, because Travis is telling you all the truth here, folks. And it's uh really an amazing life. And uh he doesn't take it for granted at all. I I know you cherish every moment you've had uh with these artists and all the musicians, and I know, I know passion, your passion for music. How about uh the the group Saw Your Brown, which, oh man, do I love Sawyer Brown? Uh boy, they they bring a lot of energy. Uh I know you opened for them, too, I think.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we did. Mark Miller, and I'll have to send you that picture. Uh Mark Miller's a great guy. He's our lead singer. They took two four by eight sheets of plexiglass, screwed it down on the stage all the way across the front. Well, we were opening for them. So we was we was out there hammering, and I turned around. I had cowboy boots on, and my cotton-picking foot slipped, and my leg went up and bent, and I was going down, and the photographer took a perfect picture. Boom. People said, Oh, how did you play with one foot up? I said, Well, I did not hit the floor. I caught myself, but I dang sure didn't move around anymore because when Mark Miller gets up there, he goes shuffling them feet, and he can dance from one side of the stage to the other, but he's dancing on plates of glass. A lot of folks didn't know that.
SPEAKER_02I didn't. I have seen a YouTube video of him, and he does not stay in one place. He goes from one side to the other on that whole stage. He sort of brings some energy there to that whole thing. Unbelievable, really.
SPEAKER_01That's right. That's and one cool thing about that, they came backstage and we had our dressing room next to theirs. And I always put three or four guitars back there. Hey, let's work on that harmony before we go out, guys, and we'll grab a guitar, a couple of guitars. Well, their guitar player walked in. He said, Whose guitar is that? And it was one of mine. It looks like a Dobro with a metal resonator with a round neck. So you can play it like a regular guitar instead of a slide. He said, Who's is that? It was a big old Gretch. I said, That's mine. He said, Can I play it? He walked over and picked it up. He said, Wow, I've never had nothing like this. I said, Well, you know, play it all you want. He said, Could I play it tonight on two songs? I said, Yeah, knock yourself out. So he took it out on stage, and I got pictures of him playing my guitar on those two songs, you know.
SPEAKER_02Oh my goodness. That great song, uh, This Night Won't Last Forever. I'm sure they played that. Uh you recall what song I'm talking about. I don't think that's original by them, but they had a number one hit with that song, and I remember them playing, well, they were bringing it. Interesting time with that with that group of guys, I am sure. And that's uh call a couple more names here. John Michael Montgomery. Tell us about that guy.
SPEAKER_01John Michael is such a great guy. When he showed up, these guys got off the bus, and I said, Is this your band? He said, No, that's my hunting buddies. We're leaving here going to Colorado elk hunting. And then another bus pulled up, which was his band. But John Michael, he sat around and, you know, a lot of people said, Oh, you know, we don't we don't want to hire him because he drinks too much. No, that guy was as down to earth as you as you want to be. And he came backstage and visited with us, and we talked about some of the songs that he had written. So, you know, where did you find that song and stuff like that? And I'm telling you, that guy put on a great show. And then when the show was over, he and his buddies got on his bus, headed straight to Colorado on a big elk hunt.
SPEAKER_02Sounds like fun. These guys gotta have a release there some sometime. They gotta do something fun. Oh, Neil McCoy, the guy was uh he has a lot of humor. And uh I guess he kept everybody laughing backstage, I would imagine.
SPEAKER_01You know, he is such a great guy, and he uh he autographed now every one of these folks, including me, but anybody, when we get in front of them, they autograph a guitar from me, an acoustic, and I donate that acoustic to charity. We've given away over a hundred acoustics in 10 years, and probably 25 fiddles from Charlie Daniel. And Neil McCoy was no different. He autographed the guitar farmy, you know, lad cut up. And when he takes the stage, he commands the stage. I mean, he'll walk, he'll point to people, talk to them, put on their ball cap, all that kind of stuff. But Lois told him about a story that he had that song, Gimme That Wink, W-I-N-K. And Lois said, I gotta tell you about my mom. And he said, What? He said, Mom was listening to your song one time. Mama's favorite part of fried chicken was the wing. And when that song came on, he said, Give me that wink, she said, Well, I'll tell you one thing, I wouldn't give you my wing. Oh, that is that is hilarious. He thought that was a funny thing.
SPEAKER_02Well, you opened twice for a guy here swinging, oh John Anderson.
SPEAKER_01Telling you what, John. John is such a great guy. His fiddle player lives in Benton, Louisiana, about 15 miles through the woods from where we live. Great guy. We had about 5,000, had an outdoor concert, big stage set up, and John Anderson and Rodney Millshot was on the same ticket. So we got to go backstage and meet them and shake hands and autograph some stuff. Somebody started talking hunting with John just before he went on stage. And it took 15 minutes. His manager had to go around there and say, John, your band's warmed up for 15 minutes. You got to get out there. He was talking hunting with somebody, and that was so funny, you know. He is a great cotton-picking guy. And my daughter was working for a veterinarian here in town, and and our veterinarian folks loved him too. So we got them uh tickets backstage, and they got to meet him and get autographs and all that good stuff. But we did that one there, about 5,000 people. Then a couple of years later, we opened for him at the cattle barums mall, which is about a thousand folks. You know, everybody dressed western and all that stuff. But John is a great musician, guitar banjo, all that kind of stuff, you know.
SPEAKER_02And you said Ronnie Milsap, the great piano player, of course, he uh lost his sight very young, uh maybe even born that. But uh one of the greatest entertainers, maybe in country music history, Ronnie Milsap. And you got a chance to talk with him and admire his work right up close and personal.
SPEAKER_01That's right. I mean, I walked up behind the stage, walked up beside the drummer, and stood there and watched Ronnie play from the side. And I'm gonna tell you, that guy had a set of lungs like a blue pick hound. I mean, he could sing and just as smooth as silk and hammer on that piano, and he was just such a great, great guy. Sure was.
SPEAKER_02Well, a couple of more guys here, Joe Diffie and Daryl Singletary. If anybody knows country music, boy, they represented what I would say maybe traditional country music. What would what would you say, Travis?
SPEAKER_01Well, let me tell you, they are origin what I call original country. Darryl Singletary, we opened for him, probably had 500 people at that event, and all of our wives came with us. Well, he's a pretty guy. So they all had to have their picture beside, he had a big white bus, and they got their pictures made beside the bus. And and we were up there practicing, and we were working on one of the creed up songs or something, and he walked by in front of the stage and stopped and sang a verse or two with us, you know, just sing at the top of his lungs. Just the greatest guy in the world, just an all-around good guy, sure was.
SPEAKER_02My goodness. And I know these two young men here have a big place in your well, in your heart, I'm sure. And you have uh really uh taken to them and they've taken to you. And that would be Ricky Nelson's two other, I believe they're twins, Matthew and Gunner Nelson. Ricky Nelson uh from the famous Ozett and Harris show, and Ricky Nelson from Garden Party. And if people uh know that tradition and know that, but Matthew and Gunner Nelson. Tell me a little bit about your relationship with those two young guys.
SPEAKER_01Well, we met him at a guitar show, and they came down the aisle and they looked at guitars and we took pictures and they autographed and stuff, just about like I do Vince Gill for 15, 16 years in a row. And I said, Look, guys, y'all out touring? Yeah, we do Daddy's show. We do a memory show of Ricky Nelson. I said, Man, we want to book y'all in Port Arthur. So I came down, talked to the folks that that I helped help them book some stuff, and we booked them in Port Arthur uh Saturday about 12 o'clock, the day of the concert. We took them out to eat seafood and we was visiting. They said, Did you bring a guitar? I said, Yeah, but what do you want me to bring a guitar for? Well, we figured we're gonna let you do garden party with us because you you booked the event. And I said, Well, that's good. So we went, two o'clock, we had the sound check, we went through the song, and luckily it they didn't ask me to sing no words. And on the way back home to get Lois, it was about an hour drive. I listened to Garden Party about 20 times, coming home and going back. And when it came time, their show was almost over. They called me up on stage, I put in my earbuds, walked out there, and told them, you know, how proud I was to be up there with them. And I said, How are we gonna do this? They said, Matthew, first verse, you second verse, Gunner, third verse. And we pulled it off without a hitch. And you can you can see it on YouTube. And when you're watching that video, you're gonna look over there at Gunner. And when I finally said my last word and backed up from the mic, you saw Gunner go, we made it. We made it through. He did not fix it, yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01And then them guys, I've been to their house, picked up guitars, took them on consignment at the guitar show. These guys are down to earth. I mean, good old boys.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yes. Well, hey, let's let's talk a little bit about uh you and Lois. Y'all been in the guitar collecting business uh for probably more than three decades. How'd that uh how'd that start, Travis?
SPEAKER_01You know, that started with me and Ricky Nelson and Mint Scott from Ruston.
SPEAKER_02Ricky Nelson, not the same one, not the same.
SPEAKER_01That's right, different one.
SPEAKER_02But a great guy, nonetheless, no doubt.
SPEAKER_01But we went to a show in Dallas, watched the guitar show. All of us had guitars at home in the closet under the bed. We said, hey, why don't we try this? So we did a show in Houston and sold a bunch of guitars, made a bunch of money, and as time rocked on, Rick had to pull out and Mitt moved to Dallas, and Lois and I just kind of hung on to it. And uh it's called Wildwood Music of Texas. So we're keeping the dream alive. We've been doing it for 32 years, been a member of the Amigo Guitar Shows in Texas. You know, we do a rock and roll show May 1st weekend every year. We do Nashville the third weekend of March, and we'll do Mesquite the last the third week of uh October. And and you talk about, I mean, meeting people in Dallas, there'll be rock and rollers. Billy Gibbons will come walking down the aisle, and he walked in, and and I got him to autograph a picture and got pictures with him. And oh, one big thing about the guitar show, I gotta tell you. We was in Dallas, probably 5,000 stringed instruments in the World Trade Center. Big deal. I walked off to go get Lois and myself some lunch. When I came back, a guy from across the aisle walked over and said, Did Lois get his autograph? I said, Well, uh, I don't know. Lois, did you get an autograph? No, from who? He walked over and he said, You didn't get his autograph? She said, Who was it? He said, Eric Clapton in a three-piece suit with a little old A model, one of them little flat hats on, you know, and an open collar, you know, just walking around. And he came in the booth and sat down, played a guitar, got up and walked out, and Lois looked around in the booth, and there it was an orange guitar pick with Eric Clapton on it. He left his calling card.
SPEAKER_02Slow hand himself, right?
SPEAKER_01That's it.
SPEAKER_02Eric Clampt. And you mentioned the Gibbons guy, that's Z Z Top. Yeah, everybody knows the Z Z top guys with the long beards, and uh I think one of them has passed. Gibbons.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Dusty passed away, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So uh the guitar shows in Dallas, Mesquite, Nashville, and maybe Chicago. Uh which one has been probably the most unforgettable memory there at a guitar show, uh Travis? I know a lot a lot of them, and I'm and don't tell me yet, but I'm because I'm about to tell everybody in the audience who you all become friends with at your guitar shows. I'm about to give those names. But Nashville, hands down, Nashville, Tennessee. That's the most memorable, and I'm sure that's where uh most of the stars. And here's, ladies and gentlemen of the Mike Stone show, here's the people that Travis has become acquainted with and become good friends with, and he's met them at the guitar shows. That would be Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Tommy Emmanuel, and of course many, many others. He sent me a picture, ladies and gentlemen, with his wife, with Keith Urban's uh, well, then wife, Nicole Kidman. And they were hugging up there, Travis. I mean, they looked like they were best buddies. I know.
SPEAKER_01She sat down in the booth for an hour while Keith walked around and looked at guitars, and her and Lois just carried on and visited like she was just uh, you know, just a good old friend.
SPEAKER_02Well, tell me, I I think we've talked about this, but Vince Gill wanted to get one of your guitars, and he wanted it real bad, but uh, you know, you had to have it because what you do is uh sometimes you go and you look at other people, they'll call you and come and look at their guitars and appraise them, and you take them to the shows trying to uh make a sale. Correct. Vince was there wanting to get one of the guitars, but you had to make a sale at a certain price. But uh tell us a little bit about that story with Vince.
SPEAKER_01Vibs walked up and he saw that because I had the only 1952 fender in the house that day. So when he walked in, somebody walked over and pointed him out to us, and he came over there and he and he called me Tex. He said, Tex, you got a 52 black guard? I said, Yeah, right here. So I handed it to him, plugged it in. He sat there and played it, huh? And he stood up and he said, Okay, what you want? And I told him, well, he wanted to give me about five grand less. I said, No, no, I can't do that. I'm I'm this is on consignment. I'm doing this for a friend, and I gotta have this much, or you just put it down and carry on. Well, I'm leaving tomorrow, going to uh Ireland. I'm gonna be on tour over there. I said, Yeah, I know, and you got more money in me and gunk. Come on, dude. You know, and he laughed. And but I found that picture last night. I'll send it to you of me holding the guitar, had my hand going up and down talking to Vince. He was looking down at me because he's a lot taller than me. But Lois took that picture from the side, so you'll get a kick out of that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. Now, one of my favorite, boy, did I love this guy and his band. That'd be Jeff Hannah from the nitty-gritty dirt band. And uh, think you had a chance to talk with him. Jeff Hanna, by all accounts, just a sway old guy.
SPEAKER_01He really is. You know, he hangs out with Vince a lot. They come to the show and walk around together. And he and Lois, you know, he came in the booth the very first time, probably 15 years ago. And he walked in and Lois said, uh, she makes brownies and chocolate chip cookies. And she said, uh, would you like a brownie? And he said, Uh, are they the good brownies? And Lois said, Well, yeah, they're the good brownies. What do you mean they're good? You know, I make these, and Lois took it offensive, and I stopped. I said, wait a minute, wait a minute. And I put my hand on her shoulder. I said, Dear child, he was raised in California. They cook at wacky weed, and and boy, her cheeks turned red. She said, No, I'm not. And she put a lid on that thing and walked off. And he followed her to the other side of the booth, give her a big old bear hug. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. And they have bonded ever since.
SPEAKER_02Ah, good. What a story. Yeah, Jeff Hannah from Long Beach, uh, California. That's where they got together out there. And yeah, we were able to see them over here at Shreeport at the Strand Theater, him. And his son is playing with him. But boy, what a great, great entertainer and pretty fantastic musician, Jeff Hanna.
SPEAKER_01I'm telling you, he really is. And he married Matresa Bird, who has like 30 number one hits, Reba McIntyre and all these different people. So they are a super music family, you know.
SPEAKER_02No doubt. And now this guy, Rick Vito, I think he took over from Lindsay Buckingham with the famous Fleetwood Mac, and he's played with Bob Seeger. He's played with everybody, Rick Vito, and you had a chance to uh pile up with him.
SPEAKER_01I'm telling you, we've known him for probably 15, you know, 12, 15 years. He is a great guy, wears dark glasses, dresses a little prippy. But uh, you know, I love to sit down and say, okay, tell me, tell me what's the neatest concert you ever did. And now I know right now he'll fly to Hawaii, and Mick Fleetwood has the McFleetwood Blues Review Club out there. I think it burnt down during the fire and they built it back, but he'll go out and work with him. And generally, when we're in Nashville at the guitar show, Rick is performing somewhere in town with somebody. You know, it it may, I think uh that last time we was up there, Ringo Star was playing somewhere around there. And I said, uh, where's your next gig? He said, Well, I guess I'm playing Moringo tomorrow night. I said, Star? He said, Yeah. I said, where? He said, Oh, one of these casinos somewhere. You know.
SPEAKER_02Wow. Well, you uh take the place of Lindsey Buckingham with Fleetwood Mac. You got something going, wouldn't you say, Travis?
SPEAKER_01Hey, I'm gonna tell you what, Lindsey Buckingham is way up there with the Ted Atkins. I mean, that guy can do so much. He came to Orange, Texas and did a concert here at one of these theaters by himself, had three guitars, and he was swapping guitars, and he did he did an hour and a half show by himself. Man, that guy's good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and a great songwriter as well. And uh, yeah, as you said, unbelievably uh unbelievable guitar player. Well, man, I tell you, I don't know. I hope our folks can understand, and I know you don't take it for granted, you're humble about it, and uh, I never knew uh that you played with all these people or met all these people. I mean, you mentioned the Wildwood. We will talk about that just briefly here. There was a show started by your uncle named Joe Woods, and it was here in our little town, Rustin, Louisiana. It was called the Wildwood Express, and Joe had that for many, many years. I was fortunate enough to play with him uh as a singing deputy back in the day. Yeah, and had a great time. But Joe since passed away, and Travis, you have done something very tremendous for this community. You have come back here and you have produced and uh made this show possible, the reunion shows. If you can talk just briefly about what the Wildwood Express show means to you and what you've done here, I know it's been a labor of love because I know you didn't get anything for that, but tell us just briefly about uh the Wildwood Express show.
SPEAKER_01Well, the Wildwood Express show is a country music show, starts at six o'clock on a certain Saturday night once a year, and it's over at eight o'clock. I try to run about two hours and I let folks come in. Some of the folks are have never been on the big stage before. That's what Joe always wanted. He always wanted to give somebody a chance to get on the big stage and to be able to sing in front of a crowd. And we'll have some get up there that sing with us that are flawless. They sing the song all the way through. Some may forget the words and they look at me, and I try to mouth the words for them to get them rolling again. But that's what Joe did, and I'm trying to keep the dream alive. Now, this year, coming up, May the 1st, next year, on a Saturday, you put it on your calendar. We have got someone that started on that show when she was 13 years old, Linda Davis. Linda went on to play, uh, to go out on the road with Reba McIntyre and do that song, Does He Love You, CMA Award, Grammy nomination. Then she went out with with uh uh Kenny Rogers for two or three years doing warm-up shows with him. She will be on that show. The Wildwood will be backing her up in the second half. And I'm so excited about that because she is a pro from way back. And for me to be able to call and say, hey, would you consider doing this? I mean, you know, that just uh makes me swell up inside.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's a don't miss show. That'd be next year, right, Travis, in 27. And you said uh what was the date again? May the first. May the first. That's gonna be easy to remember. May the first of 2027, right here in our little town, the Dixie Theater. And it's a great venue, the beautiful venue there, and it's a great, great uh sound system. What a show. And as I said, Travis comes back here, and of course he's got kin folks here, but he comes back here and he puts on this show for nothing. And uh he is trying to carry on the legacy of his uncle Joe Woods. And Joe had a great partner in Mary Ann, and she just passed away. What a great, great couple they made, and what a great contribution they made to Lincoln Parish and and the surrounding area. But back in the day, Travis, uh, when I was playing, and right there, you could have people lined up for city blocks to try to get into the show.
SPEAKER_01That's correct. Yep. Sure could. And and you know, we we had so many good people come through there and play Blackie Gidry and different ones. And, you know, it I look back at all that good stuff and I think, wow, you know, that was pretty neat to be able to be backstage and work with them people and back them up and learn their songs and and what that was doing as a musician, it was making us really pay close attention because none of us could read music.
SPEAKER_02That's another amazing thing, uh, not being able to read music, but there's a lot of great musicians who couldn't read music. Glenn Campbell may be one of them. The music comes out of your soul, and that's where it comes from with Travis and a lot of the other artists. So uh Travis, let me ask you, after decades now in the music business, uh, what still excites you when you walk out on the stage, buddy?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna tell you what, the crowd, and you'll hear this from any musician, you know, or any entertainer. He'll say he gets his excitement and his strength from the crowd. Because when you walk out and they all start hollering and screaming and all that kind of stuff, and that and that you hit that first note, you know, I'm gonna tell you, and I've surround myself with professionals down here. I mean, these guys can even play Hotel California. You know, this band is really put together good, but that that's kind of what excites us is when the people start hollering and screaming and all that kind of stuff. And knowing that you're set up when you turn around and look behind you, you've got the Charlie Daniels band, or you've got Rema McIntyre, or you got their band set up behind you. And you know you're all a part of that part of that deal. So, you know, it's really a blessing.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Now you have uh you and your wife have a gospel album, I think, is going to be out maybe this fall. Now, what inspired you to do that project and uh what can we expect uh when that comes out?
SPEAKER_01Well, Lois and I have been writing a song a long time. You know, the Cajun band in Rustin, Cajun de la Rustin, we got about 28 songs on Apple music out there right now. And Lois and I wrote half a dozen of those songs. But Lois was always good at writing gospel music. She'd write the words and I'd put the music to it, and then we'd sing it in church or sing it sitting out under a tree or whatever. And then we looked up one day and she had about 15 songs. Well, Larry Hanson was a good friend of ours from the guitar show. Larry spent 20 years managing Alabama playing lead guitar for them and the Righteous Brothers and all these guys and the Texas tenors. And Larry said, Look, you know, you got all these gospel songs. Why don't you come up here and let's just cut y'all an album? So we said, okay, this was five years ago. So this past March, Lois and I got to Nashville on a Monday, Tuesday morning, we was in the studio because a lot of the music was done. We need to do vocals and a few other songs. So we hit the studio at nine o'clock on Tuesday morning. We burnt 26 hours in three days in the studio, and I covered all the songs with my acoustic and a bunch of dobro, and then Lois sang eight songs. I sang three. The name of the album is Precious Cornerstone, and we've we've already got a deal going with folks that's gonna distribute it, and they'll go to iTunes and Amazon. Should be a fall release date. Now they called the other day, they just about got it ready to go to get mastered. So we'll fly to Nashville and what they call a listening party. We're gonna have a deal at their house, sit out in the backyard and cook and just listen to the album, you know, and then we'll go in the studio and listen to it a whole day and see if there's anything at all we want to add or subtract. And, you know, he brought in a guy and said, you know, this guy right here, and I shook his hand now. I don't know him. He said, Boy, he spent years with Barbara. I said, Barbara, hmm, Barbara Who? He said, Mandrell. I said, Well, I guess you'll do. I mean, and bass players from Johnny Cash, bass guitars that were in the Johnny Cash band, you know, all that stuff, is on our cotton picking album, Somebody from Anthony Lazen. Man, Precious Cornerstone.
SPEAKER_02Is that gonna be the name of the album?
SPEAKER_01That's the name of the album, and that is kind of the title cut. Lois wrote that song. Boy, she put the mojo on that one. Man, it really will uh give you good spots when you hear it. And Larry plays a baby grand piano on it. Oh, sounded good.
SPEAKER_02We are looking forward to that, and I'm gonna give that some air time right here on the Mike Stone Show, Music, Stories, and Conversation. We will certainly give precious cornerstones a little airtime here when it comes out. Well, Travis, man, we have covered some ground. We have talked about some great, great artists, we've talked about some great relationships, we've talked about some great music. So looking back over all your journey from Branson uh stages there and the national tours to collecting guitars and sharing music with your wife and all these other friends of yours, what do you think has been the greatest blessing of all? All of that whole that whole thing we just talked about.
SPEAKER_01Well, knowing when you go to a guitar show and people like Vince Gill will walk up, or Brad Paisley, or Keith Urban, and they'll just walk up and hey, how y'all doing? Has Lois got some cookies, you know, and and you say, Yeah, come over here and get some, and you got people looking thinking, golly, who are they? You know, and all that kind of stuff. And it's just so cool to have those folks to do that, and knowing that these booking agents will call us when some of them big dogs come through town. You know, I didn't tell you about this one, Ford Park will seat, it'll seat about 500 under roof, and they got a big hill out there, and they put about 15,000 people on that. And we had that thing booked solid. We opened for Joe Nichols and Craig Morgan. And, you know, we were the opening act. That was so cool to walk out there and you look and just a sea of people and you say, Wow, how did I do this? Good Lord has blessed me again. You know. What venue was that again, Travis? The venue? That was at Ford Park Arena in Beaumont, Texas. And that was probably six, seven years ago. Just a real good, real good time, sure was.
SPEAKER_02Well, I know you work a lot with youngsters. That's what you said. One of your things that you like to do and Joe did was trying to maybe develop some youngsters. And I know we got one uh guy right here that both you and I know, but if a young musician listening to today to our little talk here, dreaming of a life in music, you know, what advice do you think you could give them, you know, about talent and perseverance and faith and try to enjoy the journey? It's the music business has changed a lot, Travis. Uh, can you speak to that just a moment?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna tell the young guys and gals, be true to yourself. When you sing that song, if it feels good, then you do it again. Because you got to do what makes you feel good, okay? And the music can help you feel good a lot better than cotton-picking drugs and alcohol can. Okay. So please be true to yourself. You want to start a band, start a band. Call somebody, don't talk about it, do it.
SPEAKER_02Boy, I love that, Travis. I love that. The confidence that you're trying to uh make sure, hey, just do it. I mean, you're scared, you do I don't know what I can do, but you won't never know until you walk through that door and try it. So that's like great advice. If somebody wants to do it, hey, do it from your soul, do it from your heart. But most of all, do it if that's what your passion is.
SPEAKER_01That's right. That is right. And and I wanted to uh uh add a little side note here. Joe Diffie autographed for me. Joe Diffie only made 500 of them. This was probably six months before he passed away, okay? And we did that show with him, and and I got five of those albums that are autographed and shrink wrapped, so they've never been opened. Hale's got one on his wall. If you want to see it, you can go out and look at it.
SPEAKER_02Oh, right. Great mutual friend of ours, and boy, he loves his music. And I know y'all have had a great friendship over the years. Well, Travis, uh, we've come to a close here. Uh I don't know, it's been such a fascinating journey for me to talk to you about all of this. People will understand just where Travis Woods has been and his life and what it means to him and his wife.
SPEAKER_01We have kept our nose clean, both feet on the ground, and never, ever become a big shot. Always somebody right around the corner that can push you out of the way, that can sing better than you, play better than you, but always, always sing from the heart.
SPEAKER_02What a great advice. Travis, it's been a great honor and a joy to talk with you. And we will uh see you on the next page, buddy. Thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, man.
SPEAKER_01God bless you all, and God bless America.
SPEAKER_00Travis, thank you for sharing your stories, your journey, and the memories behind the music. It's been a real pleasure having you with us. And thanks to all of you for listening to this podcast conversation. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, share it with a friend, and join us again next time for another great conversation. Until then, I'm Mark for the Mike Stone Show Music, Stories, and Conversations. Thanks for listening, and may your days be filled with great music, great memories, and God's richest blessings.