Nashville Years I (Related Diary Entries II)

From 1 December 1981

As usual I have fallen to being slack again. So many things have happened since [16 June 1981], I'll have to finish out this log book I guess.

Jerry and I returned safely from the wild, wild West.

Bobbie Tweed and the kids took off for a week at the beach so I moved in with Mike for a week. We hit many clubs (harmlessly) at first but finally settled for the rest of the week at Delmonico's where we enjoyed the "Groovin'" sounds of Little Royal and the Royal Showmen featuring Tammy Williams. Tammy and I immediately hit it off and spent quite a bit of time together through the week that followed. When the band left town at the end of June, I almost joined them as a guitar player but I figured it might hurt my career more than help.

The first or second week of July, the whole [New Orleans] recording deal fell through so I got all mad and bummed out but I soon got over it, deciding that someday they'd just be one of many to miss the boat for the Michael A. Cody "tour de force."

Jack and Anita were married on July 18. I sang "Longer" and a song I wrote for them called "Seasons."

In August, Royal came back to town, Karen Smith left town with Stan, and Cindy Byrum came back into my life via Ron Weathers. Cindy and I began some rehearsals together but did no playing.

Come September, I entered Fantasy Sound Studios in Hickory (meeting Glen, Tim, and Mark) where we recorded "Just You and Me." I went to Michigan with Joe to pick up Ernie. We had a great 3 or 4 day visit. From sometime in summer I had been reunited with Anita [not the one mentioned above]. She fell in love, I didn't' a sad affair over this month. Cindy and I continued rehearsals. Saw Dallas Holm in concert with Jack and Anita, Butch and Ginger. Became reunited with Hannah Anderson. Began work on "Take Me in Your Arms" at FSS.

During October I played a lot of clubs with Cindy and without and in this time I got to know her a little better. Reunited with Terry Davis and Jim Stapleton [White Water Band] either this month or September. Broke up with Hannah November 5^th. Ron, Patty, and I met with Earl in Nashville and he offered a record deal. Incredible! Things moved quickly at first then slowed to a crawl. Cindy and I go to see a lot of movies. I go to New York and spend a glorious weekend with Jack York, Tina Perrone, Linda Cardaro, Karen Trisciki, and John (?). Because of tension of waiting news on the record deal, I can hardly sit down to write anything; only one song the whole month! I turned 23 and had a great Thanksgiving. Reunited with Tom Duvall after almost 2 years. Kissed Cindy for the first time on Nov. 30.

. . . Still livin', livin' for the Lord