Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 29 December 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – BOBBY TOMBERLIN
After missing the opportunity to meet Bobby Tomberlin during our Nashville trip, I requested a phone conversation–and found the songwriter relaxing in his hometown of Luverne, Alabama, during Christmas break.
My first question was about the song Jeannie Seely recently recorded, “If You Could Call It That,” an unfinished Dottie West song that Bobby Tomberlin and Steve Wariner completed. I asked, “How do you go about finishing somebody’s song?”
Bobby first told me the story of how he got involved. Ron Harmon, who works with the Country Music Hall of Fame, was going through some of Dottie’s boxes and noticed her notebooks of unfinished lyrics. He suggested to Dottie’s daughter, Shelly West, that perhaps something could be done with some of the songs. They showed the notebooks to Bobby, and this one song immediately caught his eye. “She had a start, a few lines,” he recalls, “but I didn’t feel like I should finish it, because I didn’t know Dottie. I thought somebody who really knew Dotty should work on this song as well.” He called Steve Wariner, who loved the idea.
Then Bobby answered my question. Dottie had some lines and the title. Steve knew Dottie’s songwriting style after having worked with her for years, and Bobby was familiar with her music from listening to her record albums. “We felt like we totally tapped into what she would have done,” he explained, “and maybe even what she was thinking, melodically, when she wrote those lines. It was like channeling her. That’s what we were doing that day.”
When they finished “If You Could Call It That,” they pitched it to Jeannie Seely, who told them, “I would have been really upset if somebody else recorded this song.” (You can hear it on Jeannie’s newest CD, An American Classic.)
I asked whether Mel Tillis discovered Bobby as a songwriter or a singer. Songwriter. He’d spent several years in Muscle Shoals after leaving Luverne. “I call it a country music education,” he says. “So many great songwriters there. I met Jim Martin, who’s had a lot of songs recorded now.” They wrote together until Jim moved to Nashville and became an intern at Mel Tillis’s publishing company. Mel loved the songs Jim played for him, and he wanted to demo them to pitch to other artists. Bobby attended one of the demo sessions in 1990, and Mel asked, “Would you like a deal?” That was an easy decision. Bobby returned to Muscle Shoals to give his notice and then moved to Nashville. He had his first publishing deal, for one hundred dollars a week. “I’ll just be forever grateful for the opportunity,” Bobby says. “It was so amazing to be with him.” I asked if Mel actually worked with Bobby and offered advice. Mel lived in Branson and would come to Nashville every Monday, Bobby says: “He would be at the office in Nashville, and he’d want to hear new songs. He was so encouraging, and that meant so much to me.”
During those early years in Nashville, Bobby worked at Kroger at night. “People like Diamond Rio and Brooks & Dunn and Crystal Gayle and Patty Loveless would come through my checkout line,” he marvels. “It was so encouraging, and funny, that Diamond Rio were the ones that put me on the musical map, with ‘One More Day.'”
BMI recently presented Bobby with a Five Million Airplay Award for “One More Day,” recorded by Diamond Rio (and written with Steven Jones), as well as a One Million Airplay Award for “A Good Day To Run,” written with and recorded by Darryl Worley.
Last month, Bobby extended his contract with Curb Music, marking his 27th year as a Curb songwriter. A recent MusicRow article states that Bobby “has had over 100 of his songs recorded by the likes of Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Josh Turner, Dylan Scott, Rodney Atkins, Joe Nichols and the Oak Ridge Boys. He was also a co-writer on the Willie Nelson and Barbra Streisand single, ‘I’d Want It To Be You.'” About the song he co-wrote with Stephen Dorff and Jay Landers, Bobby tells me, “I never dreamed I’d be part of a song that was recorded by either one of them. Two of the biggest musical icons.”
Bobby’s focus is writing for other people, and he takes pride in having “songs all over the map. From Little Jimmy Dickens to Josh Turner to Kenny Rogers and Willie and Faith Hill. From one end of the spectrum to the other.” He enjoys having his heroes record his songs. “It’s a highlight,” he says.
What I found amazing is that Bobby only started singing about ten years ago. “It just kind of happened,” he says. “It’s happened in a natural way in the last decades. It’s been really a nice surprise.” He sang in high school, as part of the FFA string band, and he was in a band right after school. But when he moved to Muscle Shoals, he focused on songwriting. “That’s what got me in the door,” he explains, “and then after having a lot of songs recorded, it gave me the opportunity to start doing songwriter events.” From there, he went to bigger shows, such as theaters and festivals. He incorporates songs by his heroes. “When I do a floor show, I’ll do like a Waylon or Johnny Cash, Hank Williams,” he says. “I think that’s important. I love to share stories, too. I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of them. It’s the highlight for me, the friendships in this business.”
He knows when a song is right for him. This past year, he released “I’ve Lived Country Music.” He calls it “my story in four minutes” and says no one else could have done that song. Although he loves doing shows, and he likes finding new music for himself, he reiterates, “But my main focus is definitely writing for other artists.”
Bobby reminded me that he’d contacted me years ago on Facebook, after Faron’s biography was published. “I had to tell you how much I enjoyed that book,” he remembers, “and how I’m glad someone did that, because it definitely needed to be done. All of those stories needed to be preserved.” He adds, “It held me from the beginning to the end. I remember I couldn’t put it down. What a character. Just endless stories. That had to be a challenge, just what to use. Anyway, I loved it.”
What does Bobby have coming up in the New Year? A lot of shows that are getting finalized but aren’t on his website yet. A lot of songwriting appointments. He’s looking forward to the upcoming country music cruise. “That will be a fun time,” he says, “with so many artists I respect and love.” He has more songs being released in 2022, “a couple I can’t even talk about yet, and I can’t wait to share.” You can keep up with him at http://Bobbytomberlinmusic.com.
NEWS
Bluegrass Today reports the death of J.D. Crowe, 84, on December 24. He died in hospice care at home and had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for two years. Born James Dee Crowe in 1937 in Lexington, Kentucky, he grew up with the music of Flatt & Scruggs. His first major professional job was playing banjo with Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys. He formed his own band in 1961 and changed its name to J.D. Crowe & The New South in 1971. Their 1975 album, The New South, featured Tony Rice on guitar and lead vocal, Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and tenor vocal, Bobby Sloane on bass, Jerry Douglas on reso-guita, and J.D. on banjo and baritone vocal. According to Bluegrass Today, the album “announced to the world that a new generation of bluegrass music had arrived.” J.D. toured with his band until his COPD forced him to retire in 2019.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville held a premier on December 13 for the upcoming Randy Travis documentary, More Life, reports Sounds Like Nashville. Just prior to the screening of the documentary in the Ford Theater, Peter Cooper moderated a panel discussion that included Randy and Mary, longtime producer Kyle Lehning and director Shaun Silva, among others. Following the screening the crowd moved upstairs into the Hall of Fame rotunda for a private reception. Silva, who co-produced the project, first began working on the documentary over a decade ago; Randy’s performances were filmed in 2012. Zach Farnum, Randy’s publicist, says there will be an announcement in 2022 to let fans know where they can see More Life.
The Guinness World Records association recently presented Dolly Parton, 75, with three new world records. She has set a new record for the most decades on the US Hot Country Songs chart (female), with seven. She broke her previous record of six, which was awarded in 2018. The song that put her there was her duet with Reba McEntire on “Does He Love You.” “Dumb Blonde” in 1967 had been the first one. George Jones is the only other country artist with chart hit records spanning seven decades. CMT News reports the second Guinness World Record recognizes her as the country female with the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs. The third is for having the most hits on the chart in general, with 109 on Billboard.
Audrey Pierce, 95, widow of Webb Pierce, died December 20. She lived in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Audrey Grisham, born in 1926, married Webb in 1952. Webb died in 1991 at age 65.
Ray “Chubby” Howard, who was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2015, has died at age 95. I reported in an earlier newsletter that his 24th annual Steel Guitar Show was held Sunday, October 3, at Richard Lynch’s Keepin’ It Country Farm in Waynesville, Ohio. Chubby was still hosting his weekly Chubby Howard Show on WBZI Real Roots Radio in Xenia. Born in 1926, in Goose Rock, Kentucky, the World War II veteran died December 23.
Frankie Staton in Nashville tried for years to bring attention to black country music performers. She became the force behind the Black Country Music Association in 1997, showcasing her artists at places such as the Bluebird Café. “As long as you’re in the shadows and can’t be seen,” she tells News Channel Five, “the world will never know what you have to bring to the table.” The organization eventually folded because, she says, “I just didn’t have the support.” Now, a new record label, Roseville Collective, is being launched to sign artists of color to record country music. The National Museum of African American Music recently held a summit for the new label, bringing in country music artists from under-represented communities to talk about their history.
Seven men have been indicted in the death of a Nashville disc jockey, FOX17 of Nashville reports. Dallas Barrett, 22, was at Dierks Bentley‘s Whiskey Row in August, when he got in a fight with security after reportedly becoming unruly and being asked to leave. The security staff allegedly held him on the floor where he was found unresponsive when police arrived. He died at a hospital that night. All seven men face charges of reckless homicide and aggravated assault for his death by asphyxiation.
After “Waste of a Whiskey Drink” debuted and died at No. 60 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, Gary Allan is rethinking his recording future. The song appeared on Ruthless, his first album in eight years. Like all his albums since 1999’s Smoke Rings in the Dark, it was released by Universal Music Group Nashville. “I don’t think radio is coming back to me,” Gary tells Rolling Stone. “I’m wondering if I even need a record label right now. Let’s just go make the records that we want to do. And we’re having hard talks about that over the next couple of weeks with my management.” He adds, “There’s so many other avenues, and I’ve never got to make a record without radio in the back of my head. To make a record without even considering them would be so much fun.”
TikTok, a social media app that dates back to 2016, has become popular with country acts since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the music business in March 2020. According to Wide Open Country, “Artists accustomed to connecting with their audience through stage banter, meet and greets and other extensions of life on the road needed a new means to safely and responsibly maintain country music’s fans-first image.” One of the first to embrace TikTok was Randy Travis. His wife, Mary, says, “We’re 62 years old. They call him Grandpa TikTok now. It was not on our radar. Our kids were looking at TikTok, but we didn’t know how to operate it or turn it on or look at one.” After following his publicist’s advice to create a TikTok account, Randy has expanded his global platform. Walker Hayes, 41, who had tried for 15 years to get a hit, achieved his first No. 1 after “Fancy Like” went viral. Tim McGraw also interacts with TikTok performers to broaden his reach. When Reyna Roberts posted her rendition of Reba McEntire’s “Fancy” on TikTok, Reba shared a watch-along video. She then invited Reyna to join her in March for three nights of the Reba: Live in Concert tour.
Alexandra Kay is gearing up for a big year on the road in 2022, a press release announces. Tim McGraw made a personal phone call to invite her to join him on a 17-date tour. She will also join Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker for a few shows. Alexandra has become the most followed solo female country artist on TikTok, earning recognition from Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, and Tracy Lawrence, while building a massive audience across digital platforms including over one million fans on Facebook.
Taste of Country reports Eric Church was invited to the White House to participate in the PBS special titled In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season. Performances were taped from historic White House rooms, including the East Room, the State Dining Room and the Blue Room, home of the Official White House Christmas tree. Eric was one of the first country artists to advocate COVID-19 vaccinations. He recently completed a full arena tour to promote his latest album, Heart & Soul.
Nashville-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Alex Kline became a trailblazer when Canadian country artist Tenille Arts took “Somebody Like That” to No. 1 on the Mediabase Country Aircheck chart. She produced the song and co-wrote the uptempo look at love with Tenille Arts and Allison Veltz, making it the highest-charting country hit produced, written and sung by an all-women team. It’s the first No. 1 country song solely produced by a woman–the first to reach the top of a country music radio chart. “In a genre historically guilty of gender disparities,” Wide Open Country reports, “few roles remained as much a boys’ club over time as record producer.” Gail Davies was the first woman producer in mainstream country music (she produced her own solo album The Game in 1979), and “Tennessee Whiskey” co-writer Linda Hargrove worked under the tutelage of Pete Drake. The late Lari White co-produced Toby Keith’s 2006 album White Trash With Money. Alison Krauss is another female producer on the very short list.
Ken Kragen, executive producer of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour TV series and manager of many country music stars, died December 14 in Los Angeles at age 85. His clients included Trisha Yearwood, Dottie West, Travis Tritt, Olivia Newton-John, Burt Reynolds, The Smothers Brothers, and Kenny Rogers. He organized the Grammy Award winning anthem “We Are the World” in 1985; the all-star charity recording became one of the biggest selling singles of all time.
I watched the final episode of this year’s The Voice to see if Wendy Moten would win. She didn’t; the lead singer of the Time Jumpers came in as runner-up. Country Now reports she is recovering from extensive surgery at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University to repair injuries she sustained in a fall on the NBC TV show. “Counting the days until I have fully recovered from my elbow surgery so I can get back to work finishing recording my new music and performing live,” Wendy writes on social media. “I’ll most definitely keep you all posted and I hope there’s something in the works with @blakeshelton too.” Before her surgery, she told People her elbow had been shattered in the fall: “It’s no good. I have to have surgery to put metal plates and bolts and things. I’m amazed that I was able to still keep going with that knowledge.”
Brenda Lee, 77, told The Tennessean in a recent interview that she’s retired but not a recluse. She still occasionally rides in parades or appears at local charity events. She served this month as the Grand Marshall for the Hendersonville Christmas parade, and she surprised a Grand Ole Opry audience by joining Mandy Barnett on stage for a rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” her best known song, which she recorded in 1958. She is the only woman in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame; the men in that rarified class are Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and the Everly Brothers. Brenda is looking forward to spending the holidays with her children and grandchildren. She decorates inside her Nashville home, where she covers her Christmas tree with ornaments passed down from her mother. A “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” pillow sits on a couch in her living room.
Guest host on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 29 will be Brad Paisley. MusicRow reports this is his first time hosting the daytime show and his seventh visit overall. “I was so honored Ellen asked me to guest host during her final season,” Brad says. “It shows so much belief… letting someone host a show that’s going off the air anyways.” Last weekend, Brad presented the Harmony Award to the musicians of the Nashville Symphony during their annual Symphony Ball. He has also launched his own American Highway Bourbon brand in collaboration with Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Lee Greenwood and TV chef Paula Deen will co-host a patriotic post-Christmas Helping A Hero Telethon on December 27, to raise money to build homes for 100 wounded veterans. According to Sounds Like Nashville, Helping A Hero is one of the largest home-building organizations in the nation. With recipients in 23 states, it has already built 150 homes for veterans who suffer from permanent injuries that have left them paraplegic, quadriplegic, as amputees or with other severe limitation. Performing during the one-hour fundraiser will be Crystal Gayle, Debby Boone, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Conlee, The Gatlin Brothers, and Darryl Worley, among others.
Martina McBride has produced a new album for her father, Daryl Schiff. Satisfied features Martina and her brother, Marty Schiff. MusicRow reports the 15-song collection includes two covers by Martina, three by Marty, and family harmonies throughout. Daryl started the family band, The Schiffters, when Martina and Marty were children; that’s where they learned to play and sing. “I chose the songs I could relate to from the things that have happened in my life,” says Daryl.
Skip Ewing–Christmas is the newest album by Skip Ewing. The seven-track collection includes originals such as “Christmas Carol,” which he wrote years ago with Don Sampson. He tells Sounds Like Nashville, “I remember us saying, ‘What if Carol was actually a little girl?’ We thought through the story about her being born on Christmas day and being orphaned. The story is not true. We don’t know a Christmas Carol, but we know stories that are like that, and we know children that who are orphaned and need a home.” He first hit the charts in 1988 with “Burnin’ a Hole in My Heart.” As a songwriter, he has had songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Clint Black, Conway Twitty and numerous others. Hits include Collin Raye’s “Love, Me,” Diamond Rio’s “I Believe,” Randy Travis’s “If I Didn’t Have You,” Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello,” and Brian White’s “Rebecca Lynn.” Numerous artists have recorded “It Wasn’t His Child.” After decades in Nashville, Skip discovered a passion for working with horses and moved to Wyoming, where he lives with his wife, Linda, an equestrian photographer. He began writing new music in 2018, which resulted in the album Wyoming, co-produced by Kyle Lehning. “I enjoy being in the studio with Kyle,” Skip says, “but I already had a lot of respect for him knowing the records he had made.” Kyle also co-produced Skip Ewing–Christmas.
LETTERS
Gene Burkhart writes from Sun City, Arizona, “Each newsletter just keeps getting better than the last. You certainly put a lot of time and effort into the news about the music we all love. I have played and sung country music since I was 17. I worked my first job made $5 good money in 1951. I got to meet over the years several country stars thru my good friend steel guitar player Gary Boggs who was in several bands of different country stars, like Nat Stucky, George Jones, Connie Smith, and more. I did not mean to get so carried away when I only wanted to thank you for the news.”
Dominique ‘Imperial’ Anglares writes from France, “Thanks for that newsletter. Keep the good work going on all through the year that will come. Nice from you to have given a mention to Buddy Merrill and Margaret Everly. May there be a song in your heart all through a Merry Christmas.”
June Thompson says, “Thanks for such a fun letter. Glad yawl had such a good time in Nashville and got home safely. I pray that you and your family will be richly blessed and have a merry Christmas and Happy and prosperous New Year. Thanks for the pleasure your letter gives me.”
Priscilla McPheeters writes from Lawrence, Kansas, “This was so well written Diane. I enjoyed every word of it. Especially the video and Bill Anderson. It was very touching to watch; I can only imagine what a joy it was for you to be there in that special group. I’m so proud of you for being invited. And for good reason. Have a wonderful Christmas!”
Jackie Thomas in Sun City, Arizona, says, “Wow, what a great newsletter!! I drove through Nashville once in the ’60s but have never been there. What a fabulous trip you had. Now I’ve just got to plan a visit there. Thanks for the great newsletters.”
Jean Earle writes from England, “Thank you for your most interesting and colourful tale of your recent journey. Lovely to see all those fine photo too. We hope the lovely folk in Tennessee are making good recoveries after the dreadful storms. We heard from Alana, that her family is safe and well. We hope you enjoy a lovely Christmas with the girls and your family. We intend to snuggle down in our little home and make the best efforts to wish in a Happy New Year. We really do live in the converted Yorkshire farm Barn. COSY!!”
Elliot Mclanahan says, “I was greatly saddened by the death of Stonewall Jackson. There was a fabulous tribute to Stonewall on WSM. I had the pleasure of listening to that on the WSM app. The DJ ran between 7 and 9 PM I think it was Thursday night. For a great deal of his career my favorite song that he did was also ‘Smoke Along the Track.’ I heard one rather sad little ballad, though, during the tribute that he had recorded in an album that was written by Roger Miller called ‘I Pawned My Past Today.’ Terrific song; though I have always been a great fan of Roger Miller‘s writing. Hope you have a very very merry Christmas; and keep those fabulous newsletters coming. I look forward to every one that is on the way.”
Wendie Beckerdite writes, “Woooooo Hooooooo !!! Thank You So Much for putting me on the list for your WONDERFUL Newsletter!!! I’m smiling : ) You can’t imagine how surprised I was to see my name in print. I hope the people who hadn’t heard about Lee Slagle (aka Lee Shannon on air) will say a prayer for his wife, Lee Ann, and family.”
Donald Ewert says, “I just got a Christmas present for myself in the mail. I found Linda Martell’s CD Color Me Country on eBay. I tried once before but wasn’t fast enough, I guess, but this time I was. As most people know, Linda Martell was first black female star in Country Music. I’m listening to it right now. If others are interested, there might be another one or two still available on eBay. The CD is a remake of her LP of same name that came out in 1970.”
Mike McCloud writes, “I am so sad to hear that The George Jones closed. How is Nancy doing? I hope The George Jones reopens somewhere else in Nashville. There’s not too many places anymore to hear traditional country music.”
Diane: According to a Saving Country Music article, Nancy Jones sold the property to a Nashville-based investment group called Possum Holdings LLC in 2016: “Along with the George Jones Museum and all of its facilities, the ownership group also negotiated a Master License to the George Jones name, image, and likeness. The George Jones estate no longer owned the George Jones Museum and Restaurant, nor his name or image.”
John Mogen in Sioux Falls says, “Diane and Perry, Thanks for taking us on your trip to Nashville with your words and pictures. You are an excellent wordsmith, Diane. God bless you two!”
Laura Matthews of Booking Agent Info writes, “Hope all is going well for you this holiday season. I wanted to let you know we just released a video explaining what an artist rider is. If you’re already familiar with the topic, then the information in the video likely won’t be new to you, but it’s still a cool video to check out: What is An Artist Rider. If you know anybody who would find this video useful, I would appreciate it if you shared it with them.”
Bobby Fischer writes from Nashville, “Your newsletter always has the scoop on the country music happy and sad events thanks for informing us. Thanks for running the story about my niece Margo Price entering my guitar into the HOF. Especially thanks for putting up with my terrible one-finger typing. Anything past that is over my head. I just did a story about a Christmas song I wrote with Dan Mitchell and Murry Kellum, ‘A Down Home Christmas.’ As I was trying to remember things, I googled Dan to talk about what else he wrote. An article came up–Dan Mitchell Songwriter of ‘If You’re Gonna Play in Texas’ Has Passed. I couldn’t believe I had not heard it. I still don’t know when it was. He was great/we probably wrote 25 songs. He left the world a wonderful basket of notes and words to share and a great smile to remember. He’s in heaven. Keep that up-to-date news comin’. Merry Christmas to you and yours and a happy birthday to your brother. When you’re back in Music City, give us a ring.”
Diane: I missed the notice of Dan’s death, too. He died May 22, 2019, and I don’t find a mention of it in my newsletter. MusicRow reported he wrote hundreds of songs, which were recorded by Alabama, Moe Bandy, The Oak Ridge Boys, Mel Tillis, Connie Smith, Waylon Jennings, Roy Clark, George Jones, Jack Greene, Joe Stampley, David Houston, Diana Trask, Razzy Bailey, Sammi Smith, Jimmy C. Newman, Big Al Downing, Leona Williams, Leroy Van Dyke, Deborah Allen, Narvel Felts, and many others. He wrote and produced “The Last Outlaw” for Johnny PayCheck and was his manager. Dan also wrote and produced national ad jingles.
Moragh Carter writes from the UK, “I was so sad to hear Tom T. Hall had committed suicide. I suspect he never got over losing Miss Dixie in 2015, and that a broken heart pushed him into depression. I am so grateful to Peter Cooper for taking me to visit them in May 2014. I was able to spend over an hour with them in their home, chatting and taking photos. Miss Dixie kindly gave me a double box set of her bluegrass music. I even have a souvenir peacock feather from one of the peacocks that were roaming the grounds. You seem to have had a wonderful time in Nashville attending Bill Anderson’s event. I wish I could have been there. Lucky you, seeing Lloyd Green there. Lloyd and I have been trying to meet up since 2012, ever since he wrote a blurb for my book. However, we never did manage to meet. But I do get to talk with him every couple of months. I was happy for him when he told me about getting together with Saundra. I wish them all the best. Thanks again for your newsletters.”
SONG OF THE WEEK
I mentioned in my last newsletter that Vince Gill came onstage during Bill Anderson’s gala event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and sang a song they cowrote, “Which Bridge to Cross, Which Bridge to Burn.” Vince’s recording reached #4 on Billboard in 1995. Bill told us in his speech the story of writing that BMI-award-winning song. Bill said he came to their scheduled session with the song title and no idea what to put in the verses. Vince wrote about his current life, although he didn’t tell Bill that until many years later. He had fallen in love with Amy Grant while still married to Janis Oliver of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo. “I’ve got two loves in my life now,” he wrote. “A true love and one that’s brand new. I’m not really sure that I know how to love one and tell one we’re through.” The second verse ends, “Oh, I need to reach a decision and get on with the rest of my life.” He and Janis divorced in 1997, with one of the highest divorce settlements in Nashville history. Vince and Amy have been married since 2000.