CORY YOUNG Page 62 1 Katy Waugh, Publisher Frank Bridges, Computer Guru Writers: Linda Hebert, “Diamond Dave” Bevens, Todd Alexander, Eric “EB” Babin and Mike Nash

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APRIL 2017

TROP ROCKER OF THE MONTH CORY YOUNG Page 62 1 Katy Waugh, Publisher Frank Bridges, Computer Guru Writers: Linda Hebert, “Diamond Dave” Bevens, Todd Alexander, Eric “EB” Babin and Mike Nash. [email protected] PO Box 754, Gautier, MS 39553

Our Amazing Sponsors Articles & Such PHiP News 4 Phin Addicts - Summer Solstice 3 Trop Rock On The Radio 8 Another Voyage To Paradise 6 Music On The Bay 10 The Jake Sullivan Series 7 Tallahassee Parrot Head Club 16 The Buck Reilly Adventure Series 9 Tales From The Far Side of the World 18 Gene Mitchell 17 Calendar of Events 26 Key West Songwriters & Storytellers 27 A Listeners Take—Thom Shepherd 30 Meet Me In The Keys 28 Parrot Head Club of Tidewater 36 Keyboard Advertising 29 Stars Fell On Alabama 42 Panama City Beach Rendezvous 34 Laid Back Attack 54 Dani Hoy 35 St. MinneSomePlace PHC 58 Rob Hill 40 Monthly Trop 40 61 Laid Back Attack 41 Trop Rocker of the Month, Cory Young 62 Move Coastal - Re/Max 52 Quilt Raffle for Cystic Fibrosis 71 Greg Dillard 53 Trop Rock Music Association 76 Sail Windjammer 56 More Amazing Sponsors Reggie Starrett 57 Radio Trop Rock 75 Radio A1A 60 Donny Brewer 78 Tiki Man Radio 67 Pit Stop Party Too 79 Cory Young 69 John Friday 80

PUBLISHERS NOTE: Every advertiser has a link to their website and/or Facebook page. Just hover over their website and click. Please take time to visit them and let them know you found them in PHlockers Magazine! A special “Thank You” to everyone who sent in photos and articles too! Keep sending in your stories to share.

All submissions must be received by the 15th of each month by 5:00 p.m. Central time. Editing may be required and by submitting to this publication, you are implying express permission to do so. Email all advertising requests to the above email address. All rights reserved. The terms Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, Parrot Heads, Parrotheads, Parrot Head Club, Parrothead Club and PHC are registered trademarks of Margaritaville, Inc. This site is not directly affiliated PHlockers Magazine December 2015 Page 2 2 with Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville.com or Radio Margaritaville. All photos have been submitted and used with permission of their respective submitters. 3 The 26th Annual Meeting of the Minds 2017 Update!

Andrew Talbert By Andrew Talbert, PHiP Director of Conventions

Hello Everyone! Here is the latest update for the 26th Annual Meeting of the Minds 2017 “We’re Still Here!”

The 2017 Meeting of the Minds Schedule! The Meeting of the Minds entertainment schedule will be published in April. There are a few con- tracts and details being finalized as this update is going to press. Stand by for more information but get registered for the awesome ticket drawing!! There are less than two weeks until we announce the winners for 2017! The Casa Marina Remains Sold Out! We are still sold out at the Casa Marina but we are collecting names for the wait list as some level of cancellations will always happen and we need to keep the hotel sold out! If you want to be on the wait list just follow the steps below: The 2017 MOTM Wait List for the Casa Marina - Here are the 3 steps below: 1. Register for Meeting of the Minds 2017. REMEMBER YOU MUST BE REGISTERED FOR MEETING OF THE MINDS 2017 TO STAY AT THE CASA MARINA OR BE ON THE WAIT LIST FOR THE CASA. 2. Book your room at the Reach Resort. While our awesome Parrot Head rate is only valid at the Casa Marina the Reach is offering a discount to our group this year. This Reach Resort rate will not be as low as the Casa rate but it is a booking discount. There are some Casa Marina cancellations every year so booking early will put you up the list as we do go in order to move people over as va- cancy happens through the year. This can happen right up to the event so give the hotel your cell number not your home number for contact! 3. Email our MOTM Director of Registration Rick Fyffe at [email protected] Put in the title of your email "MOTM Casa Marina Wait List." Tell Rick you are booked at the Reach and registered for MOTM. Rick will add you to the Casa Marina wait list in the order in which you contact him. We have to fill the Casa Marina so we will work very hard to move everyone we can as cancellations occur. We will be working down the order in which you reply to Rick Fyffe. Sorry for any confusion but it is best to manage this list through Rick vs. contacting the hotel. 4 Here is the special link to the Reach Resort for our group discount – Again this is NOT the same rate as the Casa Marina. Simply click on the link below to access the exclusive rates available for this group: Casamarinasecurelogin.com

The Call in link is: ZZPAR9 The Reach reservations line is: 305-296-5000.

2017 MEETING OF THE MINDS REGISTRATION REGISTRATION FOR THE 26th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MINDS 2017 is OPEN and going very well! Don’t get left out as we stop registration at 3,500 or September 15th whichever comes first!! Here is the link: https://www.phip.com/meeting

If you have ANY QUESTIONS about Meeting of the Minds registration questions are generally answered at this FAQ link: https://www.phip.com/meeting-faq TWO DRAWINGS!! THERE ARE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO ENTER!! CHECK OUT THESE PRIZES!!! THANKS TO MARGARITAVILLE FOODS! IF you register FOR MOTM 2017 before April 1st, 2017YOU will be put in a drawing to WIN a pair of JIMMY BUFFETT and THE CORAL REEFER BAND concert tickets and access to a pre-show VIP party for any 2017 Live Nation tour date within the U.S. or Canada. Concert date must be selected at least 8 weeks prior to the show or as soon as possible, if concert is announced with less than 8 weeks notification. https://www.phip.com/meeting NEXT….THE CASA MARINA RESORT IS SOLD OUT FOR Meeting of the Minds. IF YOU ARE ON THE WAIT LIST AND GET MOVED OVER BEFORE APRIL 1 YOU WILL GET ENTERED TO THE DRAWING! If you booked your room by April 1st, 2017 you will be put in a drawing to win a FOUR NIGHT STAY DURING MOTM 2017 IN A TWO BEDROOM OCEAN VIEW SUITE FREE!! Only the people who are on the Casa Marina reservations list and registered for MOTM 2017 by April 1 will be eligible for the drawing. This is the fifth year in a row this prize has been offered. Ask some of the previous winners how cool this is to have this awesome suite right on the water in Key West during Meeting of the Minds for FREE!! The winners will be announced in APRIL!!! Standby for more Meeting of the Minds News!! 2017 is gonna’ ROCK! Until next time, I’ll see you, down the road…

Andrew

Andrew Talbert Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc.

5 6 7 Where to Find “Trop Rock” On The Radio -Satellite Radio- Radio A1A Sirius Satellite Radio/Radio Margaritaville *Big Burrito Radio: Mad Marty and Dan *Island Time Radio Show: DK the DJ *Live from the Red Neck Riviera- Thom Shepherd *Radio A1A * Beachbar Radio * Beachlife Radio *Beachfront Radio Last.fm * Radio Trop Rock via Tunein.com * Permanent Vacation Radio * Radio Trop Rock * Songwriters-Island Summer Wind Radio Songwriters Island Radio * Southernmost Radio  The Shore

 The Tiki Man Radio

 The Tiki Pod Tiki Island Radio * Party In Paradise * Tropic Wall Radio

8 9 Music On The Bay 2017

By Dorothy Bedlin

The Music on the Bay Committee, consisting of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Space Coast and Key West Parrot Heads Clubs work tirelessly for a year to bring Music on the Bay to you! They plan every year in delivering the best band line-up and bringing something new that will bring excitement and add to the carnival-like feel of the music fest. As Parrot Heads, our heart and soul is “Party with a Purpose” and anticipate this weekend to be Phenomenal. This year Parrot Heads and Trop Rock fans arrived from 39 States and Canada to gather for the four day fund- raising music fest held at Whiskey Joe’s Barefoot Beach Bar. Since attendees come in from all over the United States, Tampa Bay Parrot Heads opened their general meeting to enjoy tacos and music by Jeff & The Camaros. In an effort to have the bar lines run smoother, MOTB introduced the specialty drinks to be served during this year’s event.

Thursday night is getting bigger and bigger every year. James Lich, the newly elected head Shrine Potentate, along with Bill Connolly and Dorothy Bedlin welcomed everyone to the opening night. Sunny Jim, John Frinzi and Howie Golub (The Boat Drunks) kicked off the opening act and was followed by The Bamboozlers to close the evening out with a huge successful sound. The crowd danced and sang along to some of their favorite songs. One of the best times that attendees remember are the “out of the ordinary” and different incidents. This year they offered to the first 50 registered MOTB guests along with other special guests en- trance to “You Should Have Been There”, Thursday late night, hosted by Rich “Schooner” McGuire and his band members Jimi Camastro, Bill Cockrell, and Rudy Cox. Rich invited a showcase of Phriends which included Bob Banerjee, Jim Asbell & several of his Tropiholics, Wayne Edwards on the djembe, Jimmy Maraventano, the Bamboozlers, Steve Hopper, John Frinzi, Sunny Jim, Howie Golub, The Young Rebel Goombas, Donny Brewer and Mike Connelly. It was a huge success and enjoyed by all.

10 As Friday dawned, last minute touches were put on the venue, vendor tents and bar areas getting ready for attendees to arrive and for Jake Tatar and Andy Gaines (former Boat Drunks members) perform a duo act on the main stage to start the day. Friday on the Deep Eddy stage brought on the Young Rebel Goombas and The Southern Drawl band to a closing night with fan favorites Jimmy and The Parrots.

MOTB committee is always coming up with new and better ways to promote a “carnival-like atmos- phere” for everyone to have fun and to raise the bar. This year didn’t disappoint, on Friday during Sunny Jim’s “Monkey’s Threw a Party” they had an Adopt a Monkey with papers all in the name of charity. They sold out of over 50 sock monkeys and raised $540 going directly to Shriner’s Hospitals for Children™. Continued on page 12

11 Music On The Bay 2017 Continued from page 11

In addition, on Friday afternoon the Rumbrella parade, the brain child of Mary & Jimmy Wilson, conga lined down the ramp styling in different themed umbrellas and danced in front of the Margaritaville stage. The Rumbrella parade delighted the crowd with beads and PHun dances. Always a crowd pleaser they had an annual visit by the mermaids during Jim Asbell and the Tropiholics.

Saturday morning on the Margaritaville stage kicked off with Thom Shepherd and Coley McCabe with special guest stars Jesse Rice and Donnie Brewer. Joining them on stage was a surprise guest, Mayor Gonzo from Key West, along with the Music on the Bay committee. Moving into the day, there were memories of Jim Morris and a tribute to him as The Big Bamboo Band played.

Sharon Leverett gathered shirts donated by Sharon Morris and Julie Peacock and had a Jim Morris memories quilt made for a raffle donation. Saturday afternoon was full of tributes and memories as friends sang along to the lyrics of Jim Morris.

12 2nd Annual Hat Contest had some great creations! Bill Wharton the original Sauce Boss, who sings blues, zydeco and rock n roll as we he cooks gumbo later to be served for a donation with all proceeds going to the Children. This year the newly elected Shrine Potentate James Lich helped stir along with Jessica, Patrick, Ana and Crystal all pa- tients at Shriners Hospital’s for Children and later helped to serve up gumbo. Laura Spink made each of the Shriners Children feel special by giving them each a color lei’s. Stewie (cartoon character from Family Guy) and Peanuts the Clown showed up and was part of the gumbo party. Thanks to the Sauce Boss they raise $700 for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The 2nd annual MOTB Club Award went to Charlotte Harbor Parrot Head Club for bringing the most attendees. Parrot Heads of North Car- olina won on 2016 and have aptly named the award “Sir Walter Ra- leigh”. Who will win the Sir Walter Raleigh MOTB Cub Award next year?????? Although Saturday night ended on a high note with The Boat Drunks and A1A band, they had one more day to please. Continued on page 14

13 Music On The Bay 2017 Continued from page 13

New this year were weekend raffles. This year they opened Sunday with a last chance to purchase tickets for a Kenny Chesney autographed guitar, Rick & Laura Spinks Built to Last Furniture donation and a handmade MOTB portable bar by John McNelley. Steve Hopper and the Wolf Island Band opened Sunday on the Deep Eddy stage. Jack Mosley owned the Margaritaville stage as he sang his songs and serenaded the audience. New to MOTB this year was Corned Beef and Curry who were high energy and PHun to dance and listen to. Bob Banerjee, the lead singer plus fiddle/mandolin/guitar player performed with so many of the bands throughout the weekend. Steve Tolliver held everyone’s interest as The Trop Rock Junkies closed Music on the Bay. As sad as it is to end this amazing weekend. Music on the Bay is only going to get bigger and better. During the weekend, there was a lot of excitement as folks registered onsite for MOTB 2018. Tampa Bay Parrot Heads invite you their meeting on Wednesday, February 28th.

14 Stay tuned for online registration to open up and more information for Music on the Bay, March 1st – 4th, 2018.

15 Tallahassee ParrotHead Club Annual St. George Island Chili Cook-Off

The annual St. George Island Chili Cook-off fundraiser has been a staple for the Tallahassee Parrot- Head Club (TPHC) for many years. Each early spring our club looks forward to raising money for the volunteer fire department by shaking off our winter blues and shaking up our ParrotHead tail feathers! Club participation and enthusiasm for 2017 was one of the highest in years. TPHC donated 256 volunteer hours and $1,500 in just 8 hours, for which TPHC earned two awards – the High-Yield Award and the Showmanship Award – WA-HOO! This year, the St. George Island Chili Cook-off was co-chaired by Susan Crolla and Gregg Weimer, two seasoned veterans who stepped up to the plate to take on one of our biggest events of the year. As Captain of the Tallahassee ParrotHead Club, I would like to thank our two chairs and all the PHolks at TPHC who made this event such a PHun and successful experience. See you on the island in 2018! Ron Crolla, Captain Tallahassee ParrotHead Club Proud Member since 2005

16 17 Tales From The SOUTHERN DRAWL BAND Far Side Of The World VISITS CUBA!

Mike Nash, Writer Melissa Donor, Photographer 18 SOUTHERN DRAWL BAND VISITS CUBA!

Continued on page 20 19

Tales From The Far Side Of The World -A Travel Blog-

By Mike Nash Photo’s by Melissa Donor

Hello fellow PHlockers! Lately it seems like we’ve had a lot of folks telling us how much they love following our travels on Facebook, and a lot who have told me I should start a travel blog…so when our good friend Katy Waugh asked me to write this column, it seemed like the perfect timing and I’m honored to do it. I’ve never really thought of myself as much of a writer (well songs maybe, but not travel blogs!) so please overlook my incorrect grammar and terrible spewlling! “I can’t pronounce my r’s and g’s when I’m speakin’ Southernese.” As most of you who know us could attest, Melissa and I LOVE to travel. Now trust me when I tell you, it’s not like we have our own airplane or a billion dollar bank account…we do it on a shoe string budget, but honestly I think that’s the best way and I’m a firm believer that if you just make the deci- sion to do it, things seem to have a way of falling in place. I wanted to start this first column with re- views of our recent trip to Havana, Cuba being that very few of us Americans have been yet. There’s a lot I feel responsible to share about it since we will be some of the last Americans to have seen it as it is before the big cruise ships start dumping 3000 of our citizens on their shores twice a week. Melissa and I (likely like many of you) have been talking about/dreaming/wishing & making plans to go to Cuba for well over the year since the U.S. starting lifting travel restrictions. We (finally) decided last week to just pull the trigger and go. I'm glad we did!

After going there I have to tell you though, Cuba is very different from the other places in Latin Amer- ica that you may have been. Havana is a very unique city and must have certainly been one of the most advanced and beautiful places in the entire world at one time. Every building is an architectural masterpiece and not a single detail was left un-crafted when they were built. Though there is definitely a lot of beauty still left to see, sadly there is a lot of it in decay. Giant piles of rubble (that have likely been there for decades) clutter the landscape; buildings that were once glorious examples of a culture's wealth and success now lay in ruins at the doorstep of their opulent cousins who are man- aging to somehow cling to life. Frozen in time. If you went there and only saw the view from the main streets, (ocean side or in the "tourist area") you'd be fooled. The building's facades are well kept, freshly painted, and very beautiful at first glance. But if you dig just one block deeper, you'll see that most of the city looks more like a war zone than an international tourist destination. 20 Honestly, it was a very eye opening experience to see what 50+ years of communism/ socialism and/or the US trade embargo has resulted in. I (truly) wish that every single one of us Americans could go there and see with our own eyes how much worse life could be than the minimal "troubles" we think we have. These people's only crime is that they were born into this. I'm certainly not an overly political person, but after seeing Cuba, I can at least assure you that the result of this last year's election in our country must surely be better than the possibility of our country leaning any further towards socialism or anything of the like. ...we may not be perfect or have all the answers, but it's better than the alternative I can assure you. Continued on page 22

21 Tales From The Far Side Of The World Continued from page 21

The most impressive thing we saw is (in stark contrast to the decline of the city) that the Cuban people couldn't possibly be more friendly, nice or welcoming. They aren't just "okay" with us Ameri- cans...they truly love us as one might love a big brother. We were told by several local's we met that they consider us as an extended family. That our country has helped in so many ways with our longstanding "wet foot, dry foot" policy as it has given their family members who made it to our shores a safe harbor and a chance at a better life. And of course the opportunity to send money back and help even in the least improve life for a few. Honestly I have to say that these days it's a pretty awesome feeling to receive such a warm welcome and hospitality from a people who still hold Americans in such high regard!

22 Even as we were walking alone through streets and dark alleys that would make a gangster in Chi- cago Heights nervous, we never felt the least bit unsafe at all. A total different world! We actually met several locals who speak (very good) English and we were able to get around (on my very limited Spanish) with ease. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that (although by our stand- ards) these people have hardly anything, are so oppressed and controlled by their government, live in such poverty and have no obvious reason in the world to be so genuinely good...they still are!? The people we met co-exist in such a beautiful harmony with their world that we could all stand to learn a thing or two from them. The people are worth going for.

If there is one thing I can say was the worst part of the trip, it's the exchange rate. For anybody who's ever traveled in any other Lain American countries you know that our dollar is always worth a lot more. Unfortunately for us, (for some reason) the Cuban government is very proud of their money! CUC's it's called. For one of our dollars we got back .87 cents!?? Even the Euro gets no re- spect at an exchange of .96 to one! I gotta admit, it feels a little insulting to exchange your America- no dineros (which btw is the strongest right now that it's been in a long time) for less...but it is what it Continued on page 24

23 Tales From The Far Side Of The World Continued from page 23

is. The sad part is that the average monthly wage there is about $20 a month so all that extra money is certainly not going to the people. Oh and if you're thinking about going you should probably know that American credit cards are NOT accepted anywhere. Hotels, bars, ATM's...forget it! Ain't gonna happen! So take more cash than you think you'll need just in case.

Other notables: bring your own hot sauce (they don't even know what it is) and condiments as they have hardly none. The food was nothing to write home about, but it was very cheap. We had lobster for $10. Same with liquor...they only have a small selection and it's mostly Havana Club rum (which isn't the greatest in my opinion). If you're a whiskey drinker, take my advice, BRING IT with you or it’s gonna be a long weekend!

24 Aside from the hotels, which are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced (to the tune of $300-$1000 per night) everything else is pretty cheap. You can grab a cab for a couple bucks to get around and we paid $10 for a two hour bus tour of the city. It's a huge city by the way....easily as big as any of our major cities. We got our apartment on Airbnb for $30 a night and it was sufficient for our needs. Plus it's a good feeling knowing that at least some portion of that $30 went directly to our host Rolando to feed his family instead of to the Cuban government.

One of the biggest reasons we felt in such a hurry to get there before more Americans start flocking there in droves in a few months was that we wanted to see things as they are before its tainted by our American footprint like so many other Latin American countries have been (with a Walmart and McDonald's on every street corner). After seeing it, I can tell you there's no need to rush. It'll be a long time (if ever) before anything like that happens. Hopefully the best result we'll see is that our tourism dollars will go to help rebuild this once beautiful place to its former glory. And maybe our new relations and friendships will inspire the people of this country to require a little more from their government than a free dilapidated shack to live in, a couple weeks worth of meager food rations to feed an entire family for a month with, and $20 a month salary for a job they are forced to work 12 hours a day at.

-Mike Nash & Melissa Donor 25 Calendar of Upcoming Events

Quad City Havana Daydreaming, Davenport, IA, April 1, 2017 www.qcph.com Panama City Parrot Head Rendezvous, Panama City, FL, April 20-23, 2017 [email protected] PHINS Golf Tournament, Jacksonville, FL, April 29, 2017 www.phinsjax.org/golf-tournament One Particular Phlocking, Princeton, NJ, May 5-7, 2017 www.oneparticularphlocking.com Meet Me In The Keys, Key West and FL Keys, June 6-11, 2017 http://www.southernmostcoconutcastaways.com/MMITK Songwriters In The Sand, Riviera Maya, MX, June 14-18, 2017 www.PiratesAndPoets.net/InTheSand Riddles In The Sand, Galveston, TX, July 27-30, 2017 gbphc-riddlesinthesand.com Phlock To The Falls, September 16, 2017, Niagara Falls parrotheadsinniagarrasouth.ning.com Meeting of the Minds, November 1-5, 2017, Key West, FL www.phip.com/meeting Please send in your events, complete with dates, locations and website to: [email protected] to be included each month.

To Advertise Your Business Contact Katy Waugh at [email protected] For Rates and Details!

All submissions must be received by the 15th of each month by 5:00 p.m. Central time. Editing may be required and by submitting to this publication, you are implying express permission to do so. Email all advertising requests to the above email address. All rights reserved. The terms Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, Parrot Heads, Parrotheads, Parrot Head Club, Parrothead Club and PHC are registered trademarks of Margaritaville, Inc. This site is not directly affiliated with Jimmy Buf- fett, Margaritaville.com or Radio Margaritaville. All photos have been submitted and used with permission of their respective submitters. 26 A PHUN MAGAZINE FOR PHRIENDS WHO PARTY WITH A PURPOSE! 27 28 Serving Key West and the World For Over 25 Years!

Contact Marc Hollander for ALL your promotional needs! [email protected] 305.619.4414 "Promotional Products and Apparel" KeyboardAdvertising.com. 29 A Listener’s Take Thom Shepherd “Saltwater Cowboy”

By Todd Alexander

Thom Shepherd was one of the first performers I heard/met as I entered the Trop Rock world. In general, I don’t consider myself a big fan of Country music but somehow, I’ve always enjoyed Thom’s music. Many of his songs show up on my ever-growing favorites list. In the past year or so, I’ve noticed some changes. Thom seems to be growing as an artist. He no longer seems to be writing songs for any particular genre but seems more content in letting the song take him where it needs to be. While still having country roots, the music is freer and has a little more punch. The trop- ical themes seem to be easy and natural. Thom seems more comfortable with his music and his audience. His nomadic life seems to have become a breeding ground for new songs. I caught up with Thom to talk about life and Saltwater Cowboy. Listener: How's the RV life? Favorite thing about it? Worst thing about it?

Thom: I love living in the RV. The greatest things about it are not having to pack a suitcase, being able to bring all of our merchandise and sound gear with us, and being able to sleep in our own bed at night. People say, "stay at our place and sleep in a real bed," but I have a REAL bed, it's the queen size bed we had at our house in Austin. It's great to walk out the door at the venue after a long night and be just a few steps away from our home. Worst thing is not having constant high speed internet (although we have a hotspot), and having to dump the black and grey tanks (which all RVer’s can relate to).

Listener: How did you get involved in music?

Thom: My dad picked up the guitar as a hobby when I was in elementary school and he always encouraged me to give it a try but I didn’t really get fired up about it until my senior year. My dad had a bunch of guitar chord books and the first song I ever learned was "Proud Mary." The first sheet music books I bought were Randy Travis Greatest Hits and The Eagles Songbook. Joined my first band in 1990 after responding to an ad in the local paper. Played in bands around Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia during college and on campus at George Mason University with a friend named Steve Baikauskas, who really only knew Jimmy Buf- fett songs. That’s where I first learned Buffett's songs other than "Margaritaville”. After graduation, I moved straight to Nashville.

30 Listener: Kind of like the character in Without The Song, did you ever think of giving it up?

Thom: Yes for sure, I still do, daily. Just kidding. It's a tough business to make a steady living at. I did well in Nashville but the songwriting business there has changed so much over the last few years that it's really tough to write songs for a living anymore, unless you write top ten hits, which is like buying a winning lottery ticket odds-wise, even for guys with a track record like me. But I am so thankful that we have finally found our fan-base, and they are like one big huge family, very loyal. The joy we get from perform- ing makes all the miles and hard work of traveling worth it for us.

Listener: How did you get involved in the Parrothead/ Trop rock world?

Thom: In 2007 a guy named Brad Bohannan booked me on the Six String Music Festival in New Orleans. It's defunct now, but we are talking about reviving that festival in New Orleans, and calling it something else. I was hooked after that first weekend and one show led to another. What was kind of a side thing has become our main thing now.

Listener: Any special inspiration for any of the Saltwater Cowboy songs?

Thom: I didn't write the song "Saltwater Cowboy," but always thought it would be the perfect bridge between Texas Music, country, and Trop Rock. "Fake ID" was written with longtime friend Kevin Fowler. "She Makes Everything Good" is a love song about Coley. "The .22 Long" is based on a true story my old neighbor in Kyle, TX told me one day. "Rum Punch" was written with John Cunningham and is part of the storyline to his book "Maroon Rising." "Last Letter Home" is the prequel to "Riding with Pri- vate Malone" and was inspired by conversations and emails from many veterans and active duty people I have met. "American Dream" is the first song Coley and I wrote in our Fleetwood American Dream motorhome, and we wrote the whole thing while driving it down the road. Continued on page 32

31 Thom Shepherd “Saltwater Cowboy” Continued from page 31

Listener: Favorite song on the CD?

Thom: I think Homesick Cowboy turned out really great. The title track, "Rum Punch," and "Fake ID" have been getting great reaction at shows, and so has ".22 Long" Hard to pick a favorite.

Listener: I did notice your vocals seems to have an extra gear than in the past. A little more power and range. Anything different?

Thom: I have been practicing! But seriously, my engineer used the same vocal processor that they use on Steve Perry from Journey, and I think it really gave my voice a great tone.

Listener: Where can people get your music?

Thom: At our shows, on iTunes, and at thomandcoley.com

Listener: Any special gigs coming up?

Thom: After the success of the Lone Star Luau we are looking into doing more big events in the coming years. Too many great gigs coming up to mention, but we are doing a float trip down the Guadalupe River in June that is getting a lot of interest, it's called Tubes 'n Tunes.

Listener: Any details about Lone Star Luau 2018?

Thom: We have a beautiful venue booked called Lakeside Pavilion that can hold twice to three times the amount of people as last year. We are sticking with pretty much the same line up as this year, which was spectacular, but adding in a few new sur- prises. Tickets have been made available so far only to people who came last year, regular tickets are coming soon. We are working on a VIP ticket, and setting up lev- els for people who want to be sponsors. I believe Hampton Inn is already 100% sold out.

The Songs Saltwater Cowboy- An excellent song about a cowboy’s migration to the beach, though this cowboy has a few “issues”; this song mixes Texas, Country, and Trop Rock music to help this cowboy stay in natural state Corpus Christi Bay- Thom’s version of the Robert Earl Keen song; this song has been stuck in my head a few times ln the past month Fake ID- a fun song that rocks; Thom’s ode to growing older She Makes Everything Good- A love song about Thom’s equally talented wife Coley; it’s pretty clear that Thom believes in that old adage. The Bottom Of This Glass- a Texas version of an Irish drinking song Over And Over Again- a song about picking yourself and trying again- and having your priorities The .22 Long- an amusing story of a family heirloom; most of us can relate to some degree about some of the things and stories that bind the generations Rum Punch- Despite the title, this is not a drinking song! Just kidding! A playful song with fun audience participation parts; listen up- it’s not very hard (“Rum Punch!”) Last Letter Home (2016 version)- This has always been one of my favorite songs; the new version really does a good job of musically setting the mood for what’s happening in the song. If you don’t know this song, you should. No Working During Drinking Hours- Workaholics need to rethink their priorities and have a little fun, hopefully this song can show some of them the errors of their ways Homesick Cowboy- A classic 80’s country song; an emotional song about missing home and regrets of a person driven a little by his passion and drive to suc- ceed; some dreams aren’t worth the price you have to pay American Dream- A cleaver, swinging country song about pursuing your dreams and Thom and Coley’s RV- sounds weird but it works; everyone should have a dream but it’s best when you actually reach your dream If you like Trop Rock, you’re going to like Saltwa- ter Cowboy. If you love your Trop Rock with a more Country flavor, Saltwater Cowboy will be showing up frequently on your playlist.

33 34 35 Parrot Head Club of Tidewater Celebrates Milestone Event with Record Total!

Submitted by Andy Harrell

On February 3rd and 4th 2017, the Parrot Head Club of Tidewater held its 20th annual Bonnie Harrell Parrot Head Charity Beach Ball at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront, The event benefits the Southeast Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, specifically the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Named after club founder Bonnie Harrell, who along with Ruth O’Lill, then Development Director for the chapter, conceived the idea one Wednesday evening in 1996 on the beach at the Duck In in Virginia Beach. 5 weeks later, the first Beach Ball was held and netted $1,100 to the Alzheimer’s Association. This year’s event theme was “The Jolly Mon, A Pirate Adventure to End Alzheimer’s Disease” and costumes were encouraged. By the end of the weekend, the over 340 attendees had raised nearly $75,000 to the local chapter! Bonnie, who lost her battle with Ovarian Cancer in December of 2010, would have been so proud! The original concept of the event was to hold silent and live auctions, provide live entertainment for dancing and gear it more towards the getting the community at large involved in what Parrot Heads do…Party With A Purpose. That format is still firmly intact with more than 2/3 of the over 340 in attendance not affiliated with a Parrot Head Club. We began on Friday evening with our Pre-Party, a kind of warm up event to Saturday. Great live music was provided by local favorite EverAfter, with a special appearance by Robbie Meade of CalypsoNuts fame. There was a suggested donation of $20 at the door and we held our infamous “Heads or Tails” give away, in which a prize is awarded through the process of elimination by flipping a coin. Special guest Mistress of Ceremonies Tina Gullickson helped to make this year’s event even more special. A veteran of the event it was great to have Tina back with us for the 20th year; and to make it even more fun, she was a finalist in the Heads or Tails competition! 36 Saturday evening began with our silent auction and live music from Mike Proffitt and Dana Silvercloud. Attendees had an hour and a half to bid on some 181 auction items…everything from fresh baked gourmet cookies to custom artwork, autographed memorabilia, wine, golf packages and even a life sized statue of Jack Daniels! As the silent auction closed, the buffet opened and dinner was served as the crowd moved into the main ballroom. Live entertainment there was provided by “Hotcakes”, a local dance/show band. After a short set, it was time for the live auction. Attendees bid on 15 items ranging from outdoor furniture to a weeklong getaway to Key West, to a remote control cars to the sequined jacket worn by Michael Utley in the photos on the inner jacket of Jimmy Buffett’s ‘Tis the Sea Son’ album. At the conclusion of the live auction, the crowd was introduced to Karen Garner who spoke about losing her hus- band to early on-set Alzheimer’s disease. After a very moving story, attendees were

Continued on page 38

L to R: Charley Gingrow, Tina Gullickson, Andy Harrell 37 Parrot Head Club of Tidewater Continued from page 37

Robbie Meade on stage with EverAfter asked to raise their auction paddles if they would like to make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Associa- tion...something that has come to be known as “The Ask”. Donation amounts ranged from $1,000 down to $50. After all of the paddles were raised and counted, over $25,000 was donated by a very generous if not tearful crowd. Hotcakes retook the stage and it was Party Time while the results of the silent auction, live auction, The Coral Reefer Band member Tina Gullickson chatting with Ask and the heads or tails were tal- Heads or Tails winner Teresa Hartleben lied. The music was stopped one last time as we presented Gino Columbara, Executive Director of the South- east Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s association a check for $73,100! We are very proud to have celebrated 20 years of this fantastic event and know that we are fortunate to have partied with a purpose for so long!

38 L-R: Gino Columbara, Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Association, Southeastern Virginia Chapter, Guest Speaker Karen Garner, Beach Ball Committee Co-Chair Glenn Jenner 39 40 41 “Stars Fell On Alabama” Still Shining On …

By Cyndi Moncreiff

Sunny days and starry nights … the 17th Annual “Stars Fell On Alabama” phlocking event took place in beautiful downtown Mobile, Alabama, at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel from March 16 – 19, 2017 – and there were plenty of “stars” involved, from musicians to event hosts to attendees. All of them were definitely needed to pull off yet another wonderful and amazing weekend of PHun and a major “party with a purpose” this year.

A little history of “Stars” … this is not the first hotel or entertainment venue change for this venera- ble event. It has moved hotel locations and entertainment locations more than a few times, for a variety of reasons. The event founders, Charlotte Skinner (Mother Hen), Vince Allison (Captain Vinnie), and John Thornton (Woo woo!) came up with an idea while at Lulu’s original “Lower Ala- bama” restaurant for the expansion of an annual “Parrot Head” party that was hosted by the local Parrot Head club with help from a local Mobile hockey team, the Mobile Mysticks, including a trip to Lulu’s for food and music.

So … as far as that history of venue changes goes, “Stars” became an event as a concept at Lu- Lu’s first location on Weeks Bay – opened in 1998 as Lulu’s Sunset Grill – located near the Fish River bridge in lower Alabama . When Lulu’s moved and grew to become Lulu’s Homeport Marina on the Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores, “Stars” and its Saturday afternoon of PHun and food and entertainment moved along with it.

The very first “Stars Fell on Alabama” was held in 1999 in historic downtown Mobile, with the Holi- day Inn. Over 150 Parrot Heads attended hockey games, a Parrot Head parade on ice, conga line parties, a balcony decorating contest, parking lot parties, a bus trip to LuLu’s and great entertainment from two well-known Parrot Head bands. That first “Stars” was a two-day weekend event that raised a total of $3000.00 for the local Alzheimer’s Foundation. A mullet toss was added to the event along with the parade on ice, and the event grew to include music at Grand Central in old downtown Mobile (at two decades old, it closed its doors in November of 2014). The Mobile Mysticks hockey franchise suspended operations in 2002; ending hockey games and parades on ice for “Stars” and leaving a need for other fun to be had.

42 So … off to the beach! “Stars” landed at the Winfield Hotel in Orange Beach, Alabama – along with vendors and late night “jam” sessions that had the spring break crowd complaining about Parrot Heads making too much noise. A few good years there came to an abrupt end with destruction of the hotel property by Hurricane Ivan in September of 2004. Time for another hotel as a home for the event – and so SFOA found a new “home” at The Island House Hotel in Orange Beach, complete with an evening music venue at “Live Bait” and a silent auction there also. A fourth club was added to the host groups, which helped out – and then there was a change from evening music off site to adding a tent on the beach at the hotel. We had some cold nights and some even warmer nights in that tent, which became a big draw for the event in addition to having an entire hotel “all to our selves” for the weekend. After years of growing, refining, moving to that “new” location on the beach in Orange Beach, and three full days filled with wonderful entertainment, “Stars” truly began to develop a life and a reputa- tion of its own. Annually, “Stars Fell On Alabama” was drawing Parrot Heads from all over the country, meeting its registration cap in a matter of months, filling three days with non-stop Parrot Head fun and raising close to $10,000.00 or more annually for local club charities. Continued on page 44 The Soul Kitchen stage with a late night jam

43 Stars Fell On Alabama continued from page 43

More changes … The Island House renovated its convention center buildings, and so registration and vendors and silent auction had to be renovated, too. A live auction at Lulu’s Homeport was added to the event for additional fund raising. More changes … a new executive director, not a tremen- dous problem – just a change from Mother Hen to Tabasco, with only a few hiccups.

Then another MAJOR change … hotel room renovations that ran behind schedule. In 2016, there wasn’t an official “Stars” event – no hotels on the beach could accommodate a group of the size that “Stars” had grown to become. No hotel, no rooms, no problem – the event moved forward as a one- day afternoon event at Lulu’s Homeport Marina. Still good food, good music and good fun with the promise of being back on the beach again in 2017.

Below: Matt Hoggatt fans created their own t-shirts for the event!

44 Fast forward to mid-January of 2017, completely with a potentially event-ending announcement. Due to renovation issues, and a series of major delays in construction on the property, The Island House Hotel would not be available until June, and so had to cancel all rooms and events planned for their property through the end of March. Suddenly the Stars Board was faced with the same issues and concerns for “Stars Fell On Alabama” as in 2016; no hotels on the beach with the ability to set aside 160 dedicated rooms and space for the event. A “mad scramble” doesn’t even come close to the flurry of decisions and changes made to be able to move forward with the 2017 event, especially if “Stars” was to survive.

Long story short (less trauma and drama), “STARS Fell on Alabama” returned to its “roots” in downtown Mobile, setting up on a rooftop area adjacent to the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel pool for “poolside” entertainment within earshot and sight of the Port of Mobile cruise ship terminal. No tent, no problem – the hotel was close to the Dauphin Street location where off hotel site music first became a part of “Stars” – Grand Central was located at 256 Dauphin Street; the beach tent was replaced by the Soul Kitchen Music Hall at 219 Dauphin Street. Two nights of music and late night “jam” shows there and a night at the hotel’s own Fathoms Streetside patio bar area for the final evening. Whew!!! Continued on page 46

Below: Rick Lamb, Paul Roush, Donny Brewer and Eric Babin at Lulu’s, Gulf Shores, Alabama

45 Stars Fell On Alabama continued from page 45

“Stars” did still fall on Alabama; the event’s stars truly shined, from musicians who happily accom- modated the venue changes to Parrot Heads from all over the world (yes, we have attendees from outside of the United States), for three days of Parrot Head fun, and even that goal of raising $10,000.00 for local charities – we may have just managed to pull it off once again. Kudos go to the “STARS” host clubs – the Isle O’Bama PHC, Towns Around Biloxi PHC, Mobile Bay PHC (did we mention that a host club had a name change, too?), and the Lower Alabama Parrot Heads - succeeded yet again in putting together another talked about Parrot Head event. “Did it really happen? Was I really there?” You bet - woo hoo! http://www.starsfellonalabama.org/stars_info.htm

Below: Donny Brewer and Michelle Brewer stand up for Bob and Margit Patterson as they renew their vows on their 45th wedding anniversary! Officiated by Katy Waugh at Lulu’s.

46 Below: Lance “Flipper” Steen on stage at The Soul Kitchen. Below Center: John Friday at The Soul Kitchen. Below Right: Fred Wunder getting bitten by the Parrot Head at the Renaissance Riverview Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. More photos on page 48

St. Louis PHC won the award for most members in attendance

47 Stars Fell On Alabama continued from page 47

A very special “Thank You” to Greg Dumas for the photos!

Above Left: Rain Jaudon of Rhythm & Rain. Above Center: James “Sunny Jim” White with Donny Brewer. Above Right: Matt Hoggatt performs on the rooftop of the Renaissance Riverview Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. Bottom: Table and chairs from Margaritaville New Orleans, one of the featured items in the auction.

48 Above Left: Michelle “The Bling Lady” Ware Above Right: “Cooler Dave” Spenny with The Parrot Head. Right: Executive Director, David Barnes with Brent Constransitch.

Below: Southern Drawl Band on stage at Lulu’s.

49 Stars Fell On Alabama continued from page 49

Above Left: “The Big Pecker.” Above Right: Phillip & Connie Hadaway sand-dancing. Below: Phin Addicts perform.

50 Above Right: Brad Jones. Above Right: Southern Drawl Band phans with the band. Below: Kimberly Barnes with Phillip & Connie Hadaway

52 53 Laid Back Attack Links Trop Rock’s Legacy To Its Future By Katy Waugh

In their fifteenth year of presenting the TRMA-nominated Laid Back Attack, the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound set their sights high. Not only was PHoPS determined to match or exceed the 2016 lineup billed as the best trop rock lineup ever assembled for single event west of the Mississippi River, but they aimed to do something else. They aimed to link the past, the present and the future of the genre. “The genre is at a crossroads,” said PHoPs new president Gordy Bryan. “We wanted this year’s LBA to pay homage to the genre’s origins, to celebrate its pioneers and its established stars while also pointing ahead to the amazing future that’s being shaped by the young artists that have injected so much creative energy into the trop rock music scene in the last few years.” Laid Back Attack, scheduled this year for July 20-23, borrows its name from a song penned by one of those pioneers, Jim Morris, whose song “Barstools and Beach Chairs” gives rise to the overall theme of LBA 2017 “Memories You Can Never Erase” and whose song “The Floating Opera” is the guiding theme of the Saturday Night fina- le at this year’s event. “Jim has always had a presence at Laid Back Attack even when he wasn’t physi- cally present,” observed LBA committee member Phil Pompeo, who co-chaired the event for several years. “That will probably always be true, and we really want to keep that torch burning for Jim and his music even as we are in other ways passing the torch to these great young artists.” It would be hard to dispute that the 2017 lineup appearing this year at the Hotel RL Olympia in the Washington State capital city of Olympia indeed matches or even eclip- ses last year’s “Best Ever” roster of performers. And with established veteran performers like Coral Reefer Peter Mayer, Don Middlebrook, Eric Stone, Latitude, Ramajay Intercoastal and Jim Hoehn joined by rising stars Donny Brewer, Aaron Scherz, South- ern Drawl Band, Drop Dead Dangerous and home town girl Brittany Kingery, the lineup, especially with the spirit of Jim Morris so prominently on display in the event themes, ties together the genre’s legacy and its future.

54 “One great thing about trop rock is that there really isn’t much of a generation gap,” observed LBA Co-Chair and performer Rob Hill, who regards himself as a “tweener” – too new to be a veteran and too old to be a young gun. “Younger musicians tend to feel a lot of admira- tion and gratitude toward those that have done the trail blazing. “ And speaking of trail blazing, the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound have certainly had a hand in raising the bar with Laid Back Attack, an event which despite its distance from trop rock centers and the very modest size of the host club, has been nominated as the Trop Rock Music Association Event of the Year three years running, and in 2016 raised about $40,000 in three days for its charity partners the USO Northwest and Emmit’s Magic Animal Rescue. In 2016, the LBA became the first major trop rock event to offer rescue animal adop- tion opportunities and on-site tattoo artists to guests (services that proved exceptionally pop- ular and will return this year. And this year, LBA becomes the first major trop rock event to offer complimentary round trip luxury airport trans- portation for attendees arriving by air (a 50 mile trip and a value up to $350). Phlockers magazine is proud to join Radio A1A, Beachfront Radio, Shorelife Radio, Palm Tree Radio, Songwriters Island Radio, Beach Bar Radio and Radio Trop Rock as media sponsors of Laid Back Attack, along with presenting sponsors Corona/Pacifico Beer, Toyota of Olympia, Heritage Distilling Company and Evo- lution Ink Tattoo as presenting sponsors of Laid Back Attack. Laid Back Attack begins officially on Thursday July 20, and runs through the weekend featuring more than 25 hours of great live music. Arrive early for the epic Parrot Head Pub Crawl through downtown Olympia on Wednesday July 19 and stay late for unoffi- cial events on Sunday afternoon, July 23. Limi- tations and restrictions apply to limousine ser- vice offer. Register today at www.laidbackattack.com. 55 56  Booking NOW for 2017

 Download the Brand NEW Song with Donny Brewer “Rum and Somethin”

 Catch Reggie at Summer Solstice, June 22-25

706-713-1985 [email protected] www.reverbnation/reggiestarrett.com

57 St. MinneSomePlace PHC 7th Annual Polar Plunge For Special Olympics

This year marked the 7th year that the St MinneSomePlace ParrotHeads on Ice Polar Bear Plunge Team has taken the plunge into the frigid waters to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. We started with only 2 members who plunged into Prior Lake back in 2011 and that year we raised less than $500 but not to be deterred, one of those original plungers, Jim Goodchild (I was the other), took the event under his wing and promoted it and the next year we had 6 plungers that raised over $2000. Since then we've averaged about 8 plungers and $2500 raised. This year we had 4 plungers and we raised $1800. The state organization allows teams to direct 1/2 of their contribu- tions to a local organization so in 2013 and 2014 we partnered with the Lakeville Association. Our former club president's son was an active participant at that time. Since 2015, we have partnered with the Saint Francis Association where one of our members' god daughter is an active participant in Special Olympics.

58 Typically, there is a platform built on the ice and a hole is chopped out and the plungers jump into the lake and then run/walk out to the beach - not quite the same as wading out of the Gulf onto a beach in Florida - but the beach is still the goal. The water is always a cool 33 degrees F, but we've had air temperatures from the mid-40's down to 10 above with a minus 10 wind chill, which when you're dressed in shorts and a flowered shirt makes for a very cold wait to plunge. This year the air temperature was 18 degrees with a 5 above wind chill, but due to the warm month, there was no ice so we had to run into the lake and then around some cones and back out. Personally, I really like the plunge better because you don't stay in the water as long but you do go deeper and can get to- tally soaked. There are emergency personnel in the water to help, but we've never had anyone that needed it. And there's a tunnel with warm air blown in to take some of the chill off of the plungers up after the jump. As you can see from the pictures, we always have a blast, even when facing a splash down in the frigid water. And as ParrotHeads are known to do, we have a social after the plunge to celebrate another successful event. The camaraderie with fellow ParrotHeads after the plunge is always a great ending to a great event. John Sherwin Bartender, St MinneSomePlace in Paradise [email protected]

59 60 61 62 TROP ROCKER of the MONTH

Cory Young

By Linda Hebert

He’s called his stuff, “Middle-Aged Married Guy’s Music” (as opposed to “Bro-country”). But it's so much more. More than anything else, he seems to excel at painting a picture with his music (the kind that any self-respecting Parrot Head can relate to, like “You and Me” and “Life Looks Best”). He knows how to deliver a drinking song (the kind that’ll make you want to get “Shipfaced”, or have “Another Margarita Morning” or a “Rum Day”) and he’s not afraid to sing a love song (the kind that put his woman on a pedestal like “I Still Do” and “Postmarked”). He’ll catch you off guard with a catchy sing-along (the kind that’ll stick in your head like “Itallstartstorumtogether”). And then there’s the riveting single, “The Call,” that’s oh so memorably meaningful. So if you don’t know him yet, you may be asking…

Who is Cory Young? Well, if that was the correct answer on Jeopardy, the question (read by Alex Trebeck) may just have been: “He’s the newest nominee for the Trop Rock Music Association’s next ______Award!” Read-on to fill in the blanks and learn all about the fascinating life of this overnight success, twenty- one years in the making!

Q.) So Cory, please tell us about your background and how you got your start in music-

A.) “My music career actually started by chance. I spent my teenage years being raised by my grandparents in Carleton Michigan. There I spent a lot of time riding and training quarter horses so I naturally fell into being a fan of country music. Then one day somebody at the barn actually invited me to come up and sing at a bar. At the time I had just turned eighteen so now I could legally get into the place. And that first time I ever sang with a band, lead to a weekly thing at this bar called Lu- cille’s.

Then at the age of nineteen, I attended a concert at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. Kenny Chesney was opening for Toby Keith and I got a chance to go backstage and meet some people and I really got inspired. Within a couple of weeks, I sold my house, packed my 1988 Toyota MR2 and headed for Nashville. There I fell into some great stuff and got an independent record deal. We made an album and did a limited tour of shows, including once getting to perform with Vince Gill on stage. And I have to say that having Vince Gill playing guitar and singing background for me was pretty awesome!

Then there was a brief period when I moved back home to Michigan. During that time, my wife, Jes- sica was pregnant. While I was there, I got diagnosed with cancer and I got really sick. As a result, my wife and I lost literally everything we owned. I had been running a horse farm training and shoe- ing horses. I was also working for the airline, and as a repossession agent in Detroit. I was working all kinds of crazy hours chasing the American dream, which for me, was this big farm and a lot of debt. But when I got sick, we found ourselves going from a twenty acre horse farm with a big house to a eight hundred square foot condo...And it was the best thing that ever happened to us. Continued on page 64 63 Cory Young continued from page 63

This whole experience made us realize that our American dream was not a bunch of stuff but what we really wanted was to be free and we wanted time. Time is the most valuable thing. Obviously I wanted to spend the most time I could with my family. After I was clear of the cancer for one year, I took a trip back to Nashville. There I met with my buddy, Ty Thurman and we wrote a song called, “Indianapolis.” On the way back, my son, Colby and I listened to that song the whole way home. And once I got there, I told my wife that I just had to move back to Nashville. And once I did, doors just opened up in an uncanny way for me. I interviewed at the most reputable agencies Williamson EMS as a paramedic and got hired. I still don’t know how that happened. Everything just opened up. Jessica was currently in paramedic school in Michigan so she stayed back for almost a year and we commuted to see each other while I fired up the music career.”

Q.) And how did this lead you into the Trop Rock world?

A.) “After a couple years of doing the Nashville scene, I observed that Nashville had changed so much since I had left. Maybe my sweet spot would have been in the 90’s, but the stuff that was being promoted there at this time was something that I was just not able to really relate to or write. Then we took a vacation trip to the Florida Keys as a fluke, and it was a total disaster! Five and a half of our six days there had torrential record rainfall. But virtually everybody we talked to while we were there, all kept saying the same thing, ‘I live on a boat in Boot Key Harbor.’ On the last day of our trip, we took a snorkel boat tour. The water was so rough that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face but we wanted to at least get out on the water one time. This boat took us through Boot Key Harbor and as I looked around, I saw hundreds and hundreds of large sailboats and trawlers and power boats that people were living on. And I had never even sailed a boat.

Well within two weeks of going back home, I purchased a twenty-two foot Catalina sailboat. We were going to learn to sail and make a five year plan to move to the Keys and live on a sailboat. Two months later, I bought a thirty-two foot sailboat. At that point, we had gotten re-established in Nashville and were living in a three bedroom house and were on our way back to chasing that American dream again. But this trip kinda made us have a reality check. So within a couple months, we sold everything we owned along with that house and moved upon our sailboat, still with a five year plan to relocate to the Florida Keys. And as it turned out, within fourteen months of that first Keys vacation, we were living in the Keys on a thirty- six foot boat! Continued on page 66 Ty Thurman with Cory Young 64 65 Cory Young continued from page 65

We spent every summer traveling on that boat. We toured the Bahamas and spent time together as a family just enjoying life. And to reflect a bit on the irony of the situation, I had left Nashville since so many people I knew, including myself, were struggling to adapt to the direction that the music scene seemed to be taking there. It just wasn’t what I was used to. Then I come down here, essentially walking away from music and I had never in my life heard the words, Trop Rock. But here I was living in the Florida Keys, enjoying the environment and diving and spearfishing and loving life. Then there was a pot-luck one night and somebody brought a guitar. I hadn't touched a guitar in six to eight months. But I picked up the guitar and started playing. And the next thing you know, I was playing gigs...and the next thing you know,...I was writing again. And this time I was writing songs not to try and fit into a genre that again, I had never heard of, but I was writing songs about my life and where I live. I wasn’t writing songs about the Caribbean, I was in the Caribbean writing about where I was. And it started to resonate with people.

The actual Trop Rock connection came by chance. I had a bunch of songs that I’d now written and really wanted to record. So I called in a bunch of favors and booked a recording session in Nashville. Then I called my longtime friend, Aaron Scherz and I said, ‘Hey I really want to make an album and I can’t think of anybody else that I’d want to produce it that I would trust more.’ I’ve known Aaron for about eighteen years and without any hesitation, he said, ‘Absolutely!’ So with Aaron on board, we got a huge gang of musicians that are just the best players in the world. And we went into the studio and made the ‘Life Looks Best’ album. So we did that album and then somebody made the connection and put me in touch with Harry Teaford and Lyle Wilson. And the next thing you know, my music was being played on Radio A1A and this is how I was officially introduced to Trop Rock!

And this has been such a wild ride. It’s just been amazing and I’m excited as a person who doesn’t think of myself as old by any means, but as I hit that forty mark, I was thinking my music career was done. I had tried so hard since I was nineteen in Nashville and I just thought it was over with. And now all of the sudden, I have this revitalized career and people that want to hear my music and I’m just thrilled for people to hear it! Trop Rock has actually changed my life. It has given me something that I’ve always wanted and always tried for, and that was just to play my music for people and be able to make a living with it. And I’m able to do that now, and it is truly amazing!” Continued on page 68 Cory Young performs with Donny Brewer 66 67 Cory Young continued from page 66

Q.) Tell us about your writing process and the songs on this album--

A.) “Well, I wrote the title track, ‘Life Looks Best,’ in my head while walking around Key West-- ’Hanging out with roosters and six toed cats, sitting at a bar and getting fat,’ (that bar, by the way, was Kelly’s and we were drinking coconut tequila which is coconut 1800 tequila). So that’s how that song started; and it was actually finished with Eric Stone’s old guitar player, Steve Hall on his boat in Boot Key Harbor. So I think it is about as authentic as Florida Keys music gets.”

Q.) And your song, “The Call,” gives credit to those who’ve chosen a life as a First Respond- er. It is so moving and listening to it had me wondering if you might have a relative who inspired it?

A.) “Actually I myself, have a background and many friends in this field. And as far as dealing with people in need of urgent medical assistance, I’ll tell you what, the cancer was the real catalyst for me. Hands down, cancer made me gain perspective in ways that I couldn’t have gained in any other way. I had been an EMT and then during that time in my life I was in paramedic school which was intense. And when I needed my treatments, I would have to sit in a chemo chair at University of Michigan hospital for eight hours at a time, five day a week and then drive two hours back and forth to school, sometimes being in class all night. But my program instructor would not let me drop out. He even offered to drive several hours just to come teach me at chemo if I couldn’t make it. And my classmates did everything they could too. It was just such a great support system. The one thing I can say that I know for sure I was good at, was being a Paramedic. I was very fortunate to be able to help as many people as I did and impact others’ lives in the way that I was, and for the way they im- pacted mine. There have been some tough moments and faces I can still see. This all left its mark on me. But I don’t think I would have been as good a medic if I had not had cancer. Both the cancer and the experience as a paramedic changed me funda- mentally. And hopefully this sentiment comes through in this song.”

Q.) And is your wife, Jessica your inspiration for all of your ballads? Tell us your love story-

A.) “Yes, back when I made my first record, the promoters wanted to garner some initial interest by having me make appearances in my hometown; so I went back to Michigan for a couple fairs, festival and shows there. And on one of these trips, I was in a bar in Bellevue, MI getting ready to go back to Nashville, when in walked two flight attend- ants. And as I gravitated toward them, it occurred to me that they were both beautiful, but one of them, I just had to talk to, and that was Jes, who I married three weeks later on our sixth date! Two months later, she became pregnant with our son, Colby who was delivered at Baptist Hospital, just a couple streets from music row in Nash- ville, by the same nurse who delivered Faith Hill’s babies! He is now a 6’2 blue eyed, long haired, amazing person, who may just turn out to be a better singer than I am. But whether he ends up following that path or not, I’m certain Continued on page 70 68 69 Cory Young continued from page 68

that he will be amazing at whatever he chooses to do. He actually graduated from high school at sixteen with a 4.0 and now he’s just trying to decide what he wants to do next and I’m not in any rush for him to decide. We suspect that quite possibly he and somebody’s daughter/granddaughter out there, may just fall in love once we start gearing up our future house concert bookings! And back to mine and Jessica’s love story, I cannot tell you how supportive my wife has always been. No matter what I’ve ever asked of Jessica, she told me years ago, ‘Where you go, I go.’ I’ve actually always wanted to write a song about that.”-- (read-on for further info on that to follow…).

Q.) So your son and daughter have been home-schooled and travel with you on tour?

A.) “Yes, that’s the plan! We now live aboard a Diesel Pusher RV that is ready to hit the road and sadly, our boat is for sale. But back when we moved onto that first sailboat back in Nashville, the boat next door to ours was the school! As I said, Colby has already gotten his diploma but Peyton, our twelve year old daughter is working on hers in addition to being obsessed with gymnastics. She is also a budding musician. She has a little Martin guitar that she plays. What I love about the Trop Rock genre is that it’s a big phamily phriendly genre which goes hand in hand with the four of us doing this all together as a family.

I’ve been booked for a few house concerts thus far. I was excited to play at Eric and Gina Babin’s last year at their Big Beach Concert Series ‘Last Mango’. I’ve also played at Landshark Landing in Pensacola, FL. I’m thrilled with all the places I have played so far, whether it’s been these type of house concerts or in front of a crowd at a bigger show, I’ve gotten invited back and people seem en- thusiastic. I’m excited about some additional ones coming up like one I have booked at Geri Salitsky’s ‘Sun and Fun Tiki’ in Englewood, FL in June, and one at Diane Greenfield Christ and Pablo Hein’s ‘Diablo Creek’ also in that city. Then I do have steady gigs throughout our home base in Marathon and the surrounding areas. But we think ideally, we’d love to spend half the year traveling and getting to know Trop Rock phans throughout the country and then spend the other half near- by home (preferably the winter months!). One of things that was disappointing about Nashville was that there was no personal connection between fans and artists. But what makes the Trop Rock scene so appeal- ing to me, is that it seems to be quite the opposite. And it’s kind of ironic how I’ve seemed to stumble into it. Continued on page 72

70 Quilt Raffle Benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation By Linda Lowery Linda Hanson Lowery The custom-made quilt using vintage Jimmy Buffett concert tour shirts from 1990 thru 2015, was raffled off in November and the winner was Jan Hornenberger of Missouri! She bought her ticket at a Route 66 PHC event. Congratulations to Jan! The donation of $2,022 was made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and now we’re going to do it again. Starting my quest for the cure for Cystic Fibrosis has begun with my 4th quilt featuring Trop Rock Artists tee shirts. You can get your raffle tickets for this year’s quilt by contacting me at: [email protected]. Purchase tickets safely through PayPal at: Paypal.Me/LindaLowery49. To order tickets, send payment (WITH YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER) to: Linda Lowery, 976 Long Branch Rd, Troy, IL 62294, or pay by PayPal at Paypal.Me/LindaLowery49 . Linda will write your name and phone number on the tickets and drop them into the drawing for you. This year we have a Square card reader so I can also accept credit cards at events.

Tickets are $1 each, 6 for $5, 15 for $10, or 40 for $20. You do NOT have to be present to win!!

The date for the drawing is Saturday, November 18, 2017.

Thanks to all of you who supported this raffle and this worthy cause. Linda

71 Cory Young continued from page 70

And like with everything I’ve done, I’m just taking a leap of faith that this will all come to fruition. It may have sounded crazy to leave a job within a few years of earning a pension, but whether you call it God or intuition, I’ve just learned to follow that little voice inside. Since I’ve gotten sick, that’s all I’ve done. I take a leap of faith and I figure it out on the way down. We’re still anxious to see the calendar filled with bookings but I’m confident that if I stay the course, this will all pan out like it is meant to. Some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met have been through this genre (specifically Donny and his wife). A lot of times in life you meet people that have an agenda; but Donny and Michelle Brewer don’t seem to have any other agenda than to just help as many people as they can. I’ve watched the way that Trop Rock phans interact with them and other artists like Thom Shepherd and Coley McCabe and it’s such a uniquely personal connection. I’d love to be able to have the chance to make that happen with people too. I will say that thus far, Trop Rock has given me a breath of new life. And I only hope that I can provide for the fans what they have given me. So far, I feel I’m living the dream and I owe so much to this genre of music.”

72 Q.) Can you tell us about any current works in progress?

A.) “Sure but let me back-track real quick to what happened last November. During the last MOTM, Aaron Scherz had his own show on stage at the Casa called, ‘Aaron Scherz and Friends.’ Some of the other artists that he was playing with were Doyle Grisham and John Frinzi. Anyway he invited me up on stage to play some songs and partake in the show. And that has blown up into opening so many doors for me. To be honest, until recently, I had never heard the phrase, ‘Meeting of the Minds.’ It was actually Donny Brewer that told me, ‘Man you just gotta grab your guitar and show up, trust me!’ Donny is such an amazing musician and great singer. Jes and I look up to him and his wife, Michelle so much. I am so grateful to him and everybody who has ushered me in. That week, Sam Densler (of Songwriters Island) got me some time to play at Willie T’s. Then Melanie Howe and Kitty Steadman (aka Drop Dead Dangerous) invited me up while they played the stage at the Casa; and I was even welcomed up to play with Jerry Diaz too. When I was on stage while Melanie was playing percussion, Donny Brewer on guitar and JD Edge was playing fiddle just making the songs come to life, it was such a thrill for me. I’m going to ride this ride until it comes to a stop. Hopefully that’ll be a very long ride! Continued on page 74

73 Cory Young continued from page 73

So now to answer your question, yes I’m in the process of recording a new album. And I think that this one will be even better than my current one. And one of the strongest songs on this album (which will probably end up being the big single for me) was written with Ty Thurman and Donny Brewer. When someone can play incredible guitar, among so many other instruments, and is so talented like them, it inspires me to write. I feel that no one person is as good as two working together and much of my inspiration tends to come from who I’m writing with. So I’m excited to collaborate more with these guys. At heart, what I truly am is a songwriter. I just love to write music. While I love to entertain and do my artist thing, I also really look forward to catching up with them more because I tend to write better with other musicians, who are also such great people. That being said, every single time I am playing, even the smallest bar, I think to myself that I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do what I love. I really am thankful for all of those frustrating years in Nashville because it’s given me such a sense of gratitude about the opportunities now before me.

And like I mentioned earlier, I’ve also always wanted to write a certain song for my wife and sometimes when you’re in the right place at the right time with the right person, that magic just falls into your lap. Such was the case when I sat down with Ty to help write the new song “Wherever you go”. I knew what I wanted to write and once we got started, it felt like this song almost wrote itself. It may just end up being the title track. And I’m proud to say that so far, all of the songs on this album are originals.”

Q.) So when and where can we expect to find this new CD and all of your material, as well as booking information?

Standby for upcoming information about the new CD release event and for now, all else can be found at: www.coryyoungmusic.com or on Facebook at Cory Young Music

74 75 Eric Babin Trop Rock Music Association By Eric Babin

Although the Trop Rock Music Association is going on its fifth year there are still a lot of questions regarding the organization. The purpose of this article is to attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions, but more importantly spread the word about a group that is working hard to promote the trop rock genre, and the artists that are part of it. Much of this article was taken directly from the Trop Rock Music Association website, www.troprock.org.

Bertie Higgins is unofficially credited with coining the term “Trop Rock” in 1986 and later released an album by that name in 2000. Even with Bertie Higgins coining the term, this type of music was still known by names such as Jimmy Buffett Music, American Caribbean, Texas Beach Music, Gulf and Western among many other similar names. That is where the Margarita M.A.F.I.A. enters the picture. In 2005, a group of Musicians, Artists, Fans In Alliance formed an organization with the mission of not only promoting this type of music, and the artists that perform it, but also to have it recognized under one name, “Trop Rock”.

The Margarita M.A.F.I.A. spent seven years growing “Trop Rock” from a no-name musical style to a genre with over 100 artists, growing radio market, music venues, events and house concerts. This now culminates each year in an annual awards show during Meeting of the Minds. They did this with the loyal support of hundreds of members that pay a minimum of $10 each to support the costs of running such an organization and events. None of what the group has accomplished would have happened without the hard work of the TRMA team members, all of which are volunteers.

In late 2011 it was decided, after input from the Trop Rock artists, to change the name in order to give the genre more credibility and make it easier to find. In January of 2012 the name officially changed from Margarita M.A.F.I.A. to the Trop Rock Music Association. The group has grown to include members from 48 states and multiple countries throughout the world.

The goal and mission of the Trop Rock Music Association is to receive the same recognition within the music industry as Blues, Country, Bluegrass and other “niche” styles of music. This can only be done with the large fan base, musicians, and venues that support the genre working together in promotions. The more people unified in the association, the more influence it will have in keeping Trop Rock music alive and prospering for future generations.

76 Each year the TRMA has an awards ceremony during Meeting of the Minds in Key West. This event recognizes the year’s best in Trop Rock to include songs, Albums, vocalists, musicians, radio stations and shows, house concert venues among others. The growth and acceptance of Trop Rock nationwide is becoming apparent. Historically, the majority of the winners were Floridians. This past year Bob Karwin took a “Wave”, (TRMA awards are in the shape of a wave), all the way to the west coast, and no less than five “Waves” made their way to Texas thanks to The Detentions, Pirates & Poets Radio Show (Jon Boy and Dammit Earl), and Donny Brewer.

One of the most frequently asked questions of the TRMA is “Who decides who gets the awards.” The answer is the proof that the membership roster of the TRMA is reaching far outside Florida considering the success of artists in California and Texas last year. The awards are voted on by the members of the TRMA which is made up of industry professionals and anyone that would like to join. The voting process begins in June when the “nominations ballots” are sent to all members. After the nominations ballots have been received the TRMA artist review board (see later in the article) will determine if the nominee meets the guidelines set forth in the Academy Guidelines (available on the website). The top five vote getters in each category that meet the Academy Guide- lines are placed on the final ballot which is sent out to all members in August. Ballots are counted by an independent third party and announced at the awards show at MOTM. An exception to the “all members” decide is in the Songwriter Of The Year category. This category is decided by a vote from the artists.

Now that each of you know it’s TRMA members that determine the winners the next question may be, “How do I become a member?” In order to become a member you simply need to fill out a simple application and pay your membership fee which is as little as $10 per year. It is important to understand that although there is a cost to join, none of the funds go to the TRMA team. The TRMA team is filled with volunteers. “ALL proceeds from memberships and sponsorships go toward operating expenses, and any additional funds go back into the organization.” Operating expenses include maintaining membership, searching out new artists, maintaining the website, and a monthly newsletter. The largest expense each year is the awards ceremony which has a similar format as the big “Hollywood” productions, and includes oversight by a third party.

The volunteer team members from the TRMA include:

Newsletter, PR- Tom Becker Website- Michelle Becker Graphic Design- Lauri Kornilow Statistician- Dave McBride Director of Membership- Eric Babin The TRMA Artist Review Board: Jerry Diaz, Tom Becker, Mark Friedman & David McBride

One way to support your favorite Trop Rock artist, band, DJ, or venue is to join the TRMA al- lowing you to nominate and vote for them. In order to become a member, or renew your membership for the Trop Rock Music Association you may visit www.TropRock.org and click the “Join/Renew” tab near the top. You may pay with check, credit card, or PayPal. Depending on which membership level you choose you may receive a bumper sticker, can koozie or t-shirt. All members receive monthly newsletters, member discounts and voting privileges in the Trop Rock Music Awards. If interested in making an even larger difference, sponsorships are also available. Please remember the TRMA is a non-profit organization.

Visit www.TropRock.org for more information. 77 78 79

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