Brothers Osborne were the musical guests last night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, they sang their latest single "All Night" from their new album 'Skeletons'... 

Sam Hunt was the musical guest last night (October 28) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He sang his new single "Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90's"... 

Kane Brown stopped by virtually on The Late Late Show With James Corden to talk about his upcoming performance during halftime show at the Dallas vs Washington football game on Thanksgiving in partnership with The Slavation Army. He also sang his new single "Worship You"...

Wynn's Weekend Watch -  20 years ago today, this was the number one movie (How time flies)           Meet The Parents

One Year Ago - This was the Number One Movie!

Cinema Safe – Great site for movie theater procedures (Site)

Box Office - Let Him Go! November 5

Hallmark – Christmas movies started over the weekend! (Story)

There Is A Hallmark – Christmas Movie Drinking Game (Story)

Christmas Movies - That are really terrible! (Story)

WOW – New article says it was ALMOST George Clooney that starred in the Notebook and Paul Newman would have been in it too! (Story)

Tim Burton - May possibly develop the live-action Addams Family TV series. (Story)

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Saved By The Bell is getting a reboot with four of the original cast members returning to reprise their roles. Yep, Zack, Kelly, Jessie, and Slater are back! The show will premiere on November 25th exclusively on NBC's Peacock TV and they just released the trailer today! 

This week Sam's Emporium, an Akron local business staple is our sponsor of our Polar Express Ticket Stops! I went down to their legendary location on Exchange Street and met Lee and his incredibly professional and veteran staff.

This is the kind of place you want to buy your jewelry from. You can feel the honesty and the family feeling there.  It was my first trip there, and it wasn't my last, nor will it be my last. I went back the very next day to have two of my favorite watches worked on. They are now fixed and running like new for a fair price.

Watches Fixed!

I love finding gems like this!  Places I really like to do biz with.  Let's face it, most of us do not buy a lot of jewelry and we want to get it right!  And thanks to places like Sam's we can!

Love this place!  Good, good people!

And good luck on winning The Polar Express Tix!

Sam's Facebook Page

Sam's Website

Angella sent me a note asking about Ronnie Milsap as her "much older" sister was a big fan, but Angella was not into country then and was too young.  I'm glad you asked because Ronnie Milsap was a gigantic star for many years.  40 #1 hits and 35 million albums sold. And the amount of CMA, ACM, Grammy, and other awards he won is simply staggering!

Pure Love - His First Number One!

Milsap's story is a cool one.  He of course is blind, was abandoned by his mother, but he rose up to be a great star, showman, and piano player. He has some cool highlights too, like playing keyboards on Elvis' classic, Kentucky Rain - (a song Eddie Rabbitt wrote, both of them unknown at the time.)  Also the legendary Charlie Pride gave him advice (in a chance conversation after seeing him sing at a club) in Nashville, that he should concentrate on COUNTRY music.  - Milsap took that advice  - A few years later Milsap scored his first #1 solo hit with Pure Love (another song Rabbitt wrote.)   At that time no one could have imagined that would be the first of 40 #1's for him.  Not a bad average considering he released only 69 singles.  (58% went #1)

This Song Changed A Lot Of Things - Incredible Performance!

Country is very different today, as it evolves each year as much as any genre.  Each trend and evolution brings us more fans.  Understand that during his run, he was the one that set the pace in country.  Also, when writing these, I always look for the intangibles they brought to us outside of the music. Milsap had many, but he really introduced country to literally millions who had never listened to us before. His image, story, likeability, and some darn good music was his calling card, and he enjoyed a whole lot of crossover success in addition to country.  He also, from my seat, had the most powerful and best voice in Nashville for a long time. He may be the best pure singer we have ever had.  His incredible range, and mainstream sounding voice was loved by virtually everyone.  He is on the "Mt. Rushmore" of more recent classic country artists.  He's in the same breath and Dolly, George Strait, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson, just a bit earlier for the most part.

Some Early Success Was Remaking Classics Like This One

After a good start on the charts that included some remakes of traditional country songs, in 1976 Milsap recorded a song that changed everything.  It Was Almost Like A Song, is a big, powerful ballad that elevated Milsap to the next level, and he would stay there for the next 15 years or so.  It's also one of my favorite Milsap songs.  He then had 7 #1's in a row, and was on his way.  The very best songwriters in Nashville were now writing for Ronnie Milsap.  - All of them!  And even though a lot of his run was during the Urban Cowboy craze, he was not.  Milsap was - Milsap.

Smoky Mountain Rain -  Huge Hit!

The 1980's were great to Milsap. Smoky Mountain Rain was a huge hit both country and adult contemporary as most of his singles did well on both charts.  He then discovered a songwriter named Mike Reid, a former NFL player turned songwriter/singer. Reid had a few hits on his own, including a wonderful song, Walk On Faith, which went #1.  But he wrote 7 number ones for Milsap including, Stranger In My House, In Love, and the absolute gem, Lost In The Fifties Tonight.   The list of his hits is too long to list here, but a Google search will astound you!

An Absolute Masterpiece - HUGE Hit!

Milsap recorded with everyone, performed with everyone, and was loved by everyone.  I emceed a couple of his shows during his run, and they were always incredible, plus his concert voice was as powerful as his recorded one.  I saw him in Nashville just a few years ago perform in a show that involved many contemporary stars in a showcase.  He was about 70 at the time and he was terrific, and it was fun to watch MOST of today's biggest country stars sit and watch him in awe perform. Sue Wilson and I interviewed him a number of years ago, and he still does a great interview!  He is now 77.

Stranger In My House - Many People Discovered Us When They Heard This Song!

Ronnie Milsap came from very little and rose to the top of the ENTIRE MUSIC WORLD, not just the country music world.  He was an international star, one of our first. If you are unfamiliar, or too young, I strongly suggest you discover him.  We owe him a thank you for expanding our horizons, and helping us discover where we could eventually go.

Any Day Now - #1 Country and Pop   (Written by Burt Bacharach)

Milsap was as good as they got.  A giant of his era, with timeless music, that sounded good then, now, and in 50 more years.

Keith Urban is celebrating a birthday today, so I thought I would celebrate with one of my "Top 5" lists. Of course, this was another hard one, Keith has has so many great songs and hits over his career, but here goes...

5. "Never Comin' Down" 

4. "Somebody Like You"

3. "Where The Blacktop Ends"

2. 'Long Hot Summer"

1. "Stupid Boy" 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and clearly this year it is going to be very different for many and obvious reasons.  And maybe since you've been cooking so many meals at home over the past few months, you are not as thrilled about cooking a huge Thanksgiving feed if you don't have to.   Especially if your gathering is going to be much smaller.

Here is a website that can help you!  Maybe consider this, and support some local biz in your town at the same time!

If you want someone else to make your Thanksgiving meal for you, click this!

I'm Off The Hook!

Always here to help!

This is so cool! Graphic designer Ruby Perman creates celebrity portraits using food found in her kitchen, and her videos are going viral. Check out this video interview with her from Good Morning America, and then head to her TikTok account to view all of her creations!