Noted Stories
Noted Stories is a weekly podcast that explores the true stories behind the songs of artist and songwriter David Ray Skinner. Drawing from more than 50 years of songwriting, each 24–25 minute episode features two or three of Skinner's original songs, along with the inspiration, experiences, and moments that gave them life.
Episodes
11 episodes
Lone Star Stories
This episode is called “Lone Star Stories,” and it’s all about Texas. The three songs include a fictional romance, a larger-than-life true story and a Texas-sized tall tale.I wrote the first song, “Café Texaco,” not ...
Bible Story Songs
Growing up in Nashville during the 1950s and ’60s, I spent many Saturday afternoons watching Flatt & Scruggs. When they removed their hats, Lester would announce it was time for a “sacred number.” In that tradition, this episode of <...
All Thumbs
“All Thumbs” is mostly about my brief and checkered career as a hitchhiker. I first tried hitchhiking during a college fraternity race to Atlanta. I managed to survive the experience so later, I dreamed of hitching to California and wrot...
The Greatest Generation
Growing up in Nashville during the Civil War centennial, I was fascinated by stories of soldiers and battles from another era. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was surrounded by another generation of heroes—men and women who had jus...
Uncivil War Stories
The Civil War transformed America, and my fascination with it began as a child when my Uncle Ray gave me the book, “The Civil War in Middle Tennessee,” a reprint of a series by Ed Huddleston, originally published as four separat...
From Watermelon Evenings to Big Apple Days
By the end of 1975, I’d graduated from college, lived in East Tennessee, worked for a newspaper, traveled to California, and returned to Nashville to write songs with Lee Owens. We recorded demos and performed at San Antonio’s River Festival, b...
Severe County Times
I’ve always been fascinated by the Domino Effect—the idea that one small event can trigger a chain of unexpected consequences. This episode’s Noted Stories is a perfect example. The first domino fell in the spring of 1973 when I...
Contents Under Pressure
During my first week at college, I met Paul Dunlap when he wandered into my dorm room while I was playing guitar. We quickly discovered that our voices blended well. A few nights later, Filmore Strunk heard us singing, added a perfect third har...
Good Old Nashville Days
This week's episode features one true-story song and two tall tales—you can decide which one stretches the truth the most.The true story, "Nashville Summer Evenings," recalls my childhood in postwar Nashville. My parents, both Wor...
Crazy Ol' Frisco
This week's Noted Stories features two songs inspired by one remarkable trip to California in 1975.While exploring San Francisco, I unexpectedly witnessed Sara Jane Moore's encounter with President Gerald Ford—an experience that...
A Teen Voyager and an Elderly Bombmaker
Welcome to the first episode of Noted Stories. I'm David Ray Skinner, and for more than fifty years I've written songs inspired by real people, real events, and real life. This podcast shares the stories behind those songs.The f...
