johnny the clock: Journal

Well here we are in August of 2007 already... my how time flys when you are having fun!

My travels with Lee Roy, J.C. and Charles this year have been a blast as usual.

We have been very blessed to have the addition of J.W. Williams in the organization this year as manager.

With J.W. on the road with us and taking care of things back home, there is NEVER anything to worry about. He's always one step ahead of us and looking-out for our well-being in every sense of the word; a better man I do not know.

My wife Jeanne has been joining us on some of our trips this year and she fits right in as 'one of the boys'! Much to her excitement, Lee Roy has invited her onstage to sing Daddies & Daughters on a number of occassions. What a special thrill it was for me to look-up from behind the kit at the Grand Ole Opry recently to see my better-half on stage with us!

The latter part of the summer and this fall promise to bring more unforgettable moments and a suprise or two also ;)

This year my friend Shawn Byrne released his album, "But I Digress", that I had the honor of playing on.

We've been doing shows here in-town to showcase the new material... please check-out the album... it's great!

Another friend, Chip Greene, has started doing shows to showcase his music also and I've been filling the drumchair. Chip's music falls more in the 'modern rock' catagory... lotsa fun.

I recorded tracks for a yet-to-be-released album from singer/songwriter Lani Nash earlier this summer. Look for that to be released later this year. If the initial tracks are any indication..the album will be great!

Ok, I'm forgetting and leaving out lots of stuff Im sure, but that's all the more reason to get my butt back here and fill you in more often; I'll do my best ;)

JTC

Hello everyone at long-last. I am on the road with Lee Roy Parnell right now supporting his new release "Back to the Well".

The tour has been going well and we are currently enjoying a "day-off" in Cleveland,OH.

Be on the look-out for more updates from the road and some pictures soon too.

Bye for now!

Can't type long... I've got tons of woodshedding to do for my upcoming soul adventure. Beginning in March, I'll be on tour with Lee Roy Parnell. I'm really looking forward to playing some soulful music with him and friend, Jon Coleman and MN bass man, Charles.

If you're in Nashville on March 5, make plans to come out and help us kick off the tour at 3rd & Lindsley / Lightning 100's Sunday Night Live show.

Hope to see you there!

Hello to everyone from Key West, FL and a big "Happy 4th of July" to you all also.
I am in the middle of a 10-day run through Florida with Blue Mother Tupelo and so far everything is going great.
Ricky,Micol and I traveled all-day on Friday from Nashville to Stuart,FL. About 12 hours later, we made it to Stuart to spend the night for some needed rest.
On Saturday we drove into Key West (another long,slow drive) with just enough time to check into our hotel and go to the Bottlecap where we played Friday and Saturday night.
Many thanks to Carmello for having us at the Bottlecap and making us feel very welcome.
We are "off" today and tomorrow and will play on Wednesday in Marathon and then Big Pine Key on Thursday before leaving the Keys.
Im sure we will all take-in some fireworks tonight and a good time will be had by all.
Ok, thats it for now..more updates to come.
Ciao!

Hello from Chicago everyone.

I'm here in the Windy City with Blue Mother Tupelo.

Ricky,Micol and I are having a great time. All of our shows have gone great and everyone here has been nothing but friendly and warm to us, not to mention very receptive of the BMT vibe.

Today was our day off and I'm sure we will all be well-rested for the 2nd half of our run here in Chicago.

Friday night we will head to Sedalia, MO after our show at Buddy Guy's Legends.

Saturday we will perform at a blues-fest in Sedalia (hopefully we will partake in some great b.b.q. too)!

Sunday morning we will have to hit the road bright and early to make a 2:30 show that afternoon at home in Nashville for the Artisan Festival at Centennial Park.

Thanks to everyone here in the Windy City for making us all feel very welcome and at home.

See yall soon!
jtc

Hey y'all, this latest journal entry is in reference to the most recent posting on my Guestbook Page. The entry refers to my "nickname" and pretty much implies that I'm an idiot for using it.

First, to the gentleman that wasn't willing to leave an e-mail addy or name to contact him by, I say "I'm Sorry". I would NEVER intend to imply that somehow I'm "perfect" in my timekeeping or playing in any way. Should this person had taken the time to actually ask me why I might use that nickname, I would have given an explanation.

The subject really doesn't deserve this much attention, but basically the nickname "the clock" was GIVEN to me by some folks Ive played with over the years. I would NEVER give myself that nickname; it's really more in fun than anything. As my wife would tell you, I have often thought about dumping the nick for fear of giving the wrong impression as has obviously happened with this mystery man... but, it has kinda stuck and folks seem to remember it as well.

By the way, there is no doubt in my mind that virtually every night, my meter is ANYTHING but perfect; thats because music ebs and flows and really all I want to do is to serve the music I'm playing and do my best to make it feel good.

So, I will leave that entry on the guestbook for awhile... no biggy. I will eventually take it off just cause of the negative vibe.

Hey, ya' know, if more people feel like this person does, by all means let me know by posting at my guestbook.

Anyway, mystery guy, if ya' want a personal response, lemme know... this is the best I can do on the info you left (or didn't leave I guess).

Beyond this subject, I hope everyone is well and safe. I'm in Chicago playing with Blue Mother Tupelo, and so far we're having a great time. I'll post more from Chicago soon.

Y'all be well... Johnny

Hey everyone! Its been awhile since Ive added to this journal and for that I apoligize.
BUT, its gonna be a fun next 30 days!
Im leaving this Friday with Ricky & Micol Davis to head to Chicago for a week's work of shows. We're gonna have a blast takin the heart and soul of BMT to the Windy City.
After that trip will be a variey of fun gigs in the Nashville area including a show with Ben Blakenship at the Sutler and another installment of Jeanne (my favorite person in the whole word) & The Roundabouts at the French Quarter.
Finally the next 30 or so days will cap-off with another trip to Florida with Blue Mother Tupelo. We will be hitting the Keys again as well as Lake Worth and Tampa.
Please see my calender page for more details on these and other shows,and I will be logging-in here to keep y'all up-to-date with my adventures and travels through-out. Everyone be well....JTC

Hey everyone...hope yall are doing great.
Im gonna be havin' a blast this week playin' a number of shows with Blue Mother Tupelo.
First we will be playing Wednesday night (11th) at the Sutler in Nashville.
This show will be part of a taping for the popular "Americana Tonight" show. Blue Mother Tupelo's set starts around 9:30.
Then, Friday night (13th), we will be doing a show at Douglas Corner opening for some great friends and a wonderful band...the Jamie Hartford Band. This is sure to be a kickin' show from beginning to end. Please join us with the music starting around 8:30.
Finally I will head east with BMT to Clinton,TN to play a private event...sorry ya cant come to this one!!!

On Saturday night (April 30), I played with Blue Mother Tupelo in Johnson City,TN at an event called the Little Chicago Blues Festival.
This yearly event is held at the Down Home. The Down Home is a great listening room that hosts a wide variety of music.
Blue Mother Tupelo headlined the event, delivering a funky,rootsy set to a packed house.
Look for a fun week of shows with Blue Mother Tupelo next week, starting with an "Americana Tonight" taping at the Sutler on Wednesday May 11.

Hi everyone.
This last Friday I had the honor of playing behind my favorite person in the world..my wife Jeanne.
Jeanne performed a 30 minute set of her original music at the French Quarter in east Nashville.
This was the first time that Jeanne used a full band behind her to perform her own material, and she did a great job.
We were lucky to have Kiwamu Stewart and Steve C. playing guitar and Hubert Knight on bass; they all delivered in a big way. Hopefully there are many more of these fun shows to come.

Hey everybody. This weekend I played a couple really fun shows in Bristol,TN.
The artists on the show were The Drifters,The Coasters and The Marvelettes.
The shows took place in a beautifully re-stored theatre called the Paramount Theatre.
All of the guys in the band did a great job. Dale Herr was m.d. and guitar player, Hubert Knight was on bass, and Jeff Lisenby manned the keyboards.
As usual, all the acts put on a high-energy/entertaining show to packed-houses both nights.

Last night I got to see the great Steve Gadd put on a drum clinic. Steve hasnt done clinics in years and is doing only 12 this year for Zildjian. Nashville's clinic last night (sponsered by Forks Drum Closet), was the 4th in the series. Steve has played and recorded with everyone in the biz..Chick Corea,Eric Clapton etc..and will be on tour with James Taylor this summer. The clinic featured Steve's legendary groove/playing,and his humble observations on drumming,groove,feel and music. This was a night I will not soon forget.

Hey yall! Today I got to do a cool recording session with a singer/songwriter named Tom Brehm. My good buddy Dale Herr helped bring me in on the session...something I really appreciate. Anyway, we recorded 6 songs. It was mostly a rock n roll session, though one song had a "train beat" "alt-country" thing goin on...very cool. The session took place at another friends studio; Eric McConnel's. Eric's studio is where Loretta Lynn recorded her critically acclaimed "Van Lear Rose" album. Yall have a GREAT week!
jtc

I had a blast last night with BMT at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, doing their weekly "Frist Fridays" event. A good time was had by all. Tonight,on a rare night off, Jeanne and I will go hear some great music at 3rd & Lindsley (Pat Buchanan followed by Jeffery Steele).

We (Blue Mother Tupelo) are back from our trip to Florida. We had a great time and made many new friends. The band was well received everywhere we went and we look forward to many trips back to the Keys. I'm looking forward to jammin' again with my friends Ricky & Micol tomorrow night in Nashville. (Look for pics from the Florida trip in the photo gallery soon)!

Today BMT and I are taking off for a 10 day tour in Florida and a little bit of Georgia. Can't wait to lay down the grooves.