Tag

podcast

Feb 18
Love21

Phil Vassar

By Music, Podcast No Comments

For 25 years, Phil Vassar has written and performed songs that defined an era of country music. But behind the hits like Just Another Day in Paradise, Carlene, and The Sound of a Million Dreams is a story of rejection, resilience, health scares, and hard-earned perspective.

This week on Here’s What We Know, Phil reflects on the roadblocks that nearly stopped him, the heart attack that changed his outlook, and why he believes songwriters are more like therapists than hitmakers. From owning his own bar in Nashville to outlasting the gatekeepers who said piano players would never work in country music, Phil opens up about what it really takes to build a lasting career.

This is a conversation about instinct, grit, healing, and the power of a song to carry you through the hardest seasons of life.

This episode is sponsored by:

In This Episode:

  • Writing Songs Is Therapy
  • “They Said Piano Players Don’t Work in Nashville”
  • Building a Following Before a Record Deal
  • The Hits They Hated
  • Knowing When You’ve Got Something
  • Surviving a Heart Attack and Stroke
  • Just Another Day in Paradise
  • The Story Behind Carlene
  • The Sound of a Million Dreams
  • Bands, Egos, and Going Solo
  • Toby Keith, Vince Gill, and Songwriting Brotherhood
  • Slowing Down After 25 Years
  • Ending with Piano Man

Quotations:

“Now I’m just going to play when I want to play and write when I want to write, you know, it’s just good.” ~ Phil Vassar

“Everybody in Nashville really respects songwriters. I mean, I think it’s because most artists don’t write their own songs.” ~ Phil Vassar

“I don’t want to be in a band because I’ll kill somebody, you know, and it’s just the way it is. And I realized that I’d rather sit on a stage with a piano and play my songs.” ~ Phil Vassar

“You can’t hide anything from a writer.” ~ Phil Vassar

“That’s the thing about your writers; they’re almost like therapists. It’s a therapy to write a song.” ~ Phil Vassar

Bio:

Phil Vassar is a chart-topping country artist and acclaimed Nashville songwriter whose piano-driven sound helped redefine modern country music. Raised in a home filled with Motown, gospel, bluegrass, and classic rock, Vassar developed an eclectic musical foundation that blends heartfelt storytelling with unforgettable hooks. Influenced by artists like Billy Joel and Elton John, he found his true voice behind the piano, crafting songs that resonate across generations.

Over a 25-year career, Vassar has earned two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards, ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist honors, and scored 10 No. 1 hits including “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Carlene,” and “Six-Pack Summer.” As a songwriter, he’s penned major hits for Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, and others, cementing his reputation as one of Nashville’s most versatile hitmakers.

Now celebrating the 25th anniversary of his breakout success, Vassar continues to tour nationally, blending his classic hits with fresh interpretations and new music. After surviving a life-altering heart attack in 2023, he brings renewed gratitude and perspective to both his life and career. At his core, Phil Vassar remains a passionate storyteller dedicated to creating songs that move people and stand the test of time.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://www.philvassar.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPhilVassar/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philvassar/

Feb 11
Love25

Jason Cole

By Author, Podcast, Sports No Comments

What really happens inside the room when Pro Football Hall of Fame decisions are made?

This week on Here’s What We Know, we sit down with longtime NFL writer and Hall of Fame voter Jason Cole to pull back the curtain on a process most fans think they understand but usually don’t.

Jason explains how Hall of Fame voting actually works, why the math matters more than people realize, and why some obvious names don’t get in right away. We talk about grit, greatness, coaching versus players, and the thin line between legacy and perception. Along the way, Jason shares old-school football stories that remind us why this game still matters so much to so many people.

If you’ve ever argued about the Hall of Fame at a bar, on the couch, or online, this conversation will give you a whole new perspective.

This episode is sponsored by:

Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!

(Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!) License #: 679261

In this Episode:

  • How Pro Football Hall of Fame voting really works
  • Why first-ballot decisions are more complicated than fans think
  • Coaching impact versus player greatness
  • What separates legends from very good players
  • Stories that remind us football is still a human game

Bio:

Jason Cole has covered or written about pro football since 1992. He is one of 49 selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has served as a selector since 2013. Cole has worked for publications such as Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, The Miami Herald and The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. He started his career with the Peninsula Times-Tribune in Palo Alto.

Cole has authored or co-authored eight books, including the biography of Hall of Famer John Elway (Elway: A Relentless Life), Shut Up, Your Kid is Not That Great, including a foreword by Tom Brady Sr., Giant with Plaxico Burress, Heart for the Game with Simon Keith, and Ocho Cinco with Chad Johnson. Before covering the NFL, Cole covered the NBA, Major League Baseball and high school sports in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Cole’s five-year investigation of Reggie Bush and the University of Southern California resulted in Bush becoming the only player ever to relinquish his Heisman Trophy and USC losing its 2004 national championship. Cole is a graduate of Stanford University, served as an adjunct professor in the Journalism Department at the University of Florida for 11 years, and is the father of two Eagle Scouts.

Guest Contact Info:

X: https://x.com/jasoncole62

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-cole-1330266/

Jan 28
Love24

Hannah Marie Kelley and Gabriel Kelley

By Music, Podcast No Comments

Every once in a while, after years around country music, you hear a voice that makes you stop and listen.

On this Once Around the Country Edition of Here’s What We Know, we welcome singer and songwriter Hannah Marie Kelley and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer Gabriel Kelley, a real-life country music couple creating music that does more than entertain. It heals.

Hannah shares her powerful story of growing up in poverty, surviving trauma, and finding refuge in music long before she ever imagined a career. What began as survival slowly became purpose, and songwriting became a way to make sense of pain, faith, and resilience.

This is a conversation about music as medicine, finding your voice when life tries to silence it, and recognizing undeniable talent before the rest of the world catches on.

This episode is sponsored by:

In this Episode:

  •  Hearing a Voice That Stops You Cold
  • Discovering Hannah Marie Kelley
  • When Music Becomes Survival
  • “Singing Saved Me”
  • Music as Medicine
  • Faith, Pain, and Finding Purpose
  • Learning to Write the Truth
  • A Thanksgiving Day Meeting
  • Falling in Love Before the Music
  • What a Producer Really Does
  • Why Simple Singing Matters Most
  • The Power of Harmony
  • Reimagining a Familiar Song
  • Influences That Shape a Voice
  • Redefining What Success Means
  • Believing in Talent Before It Breaks
  • Staying on the Journey

Quotations:

“I think it’s the one thing in life that I have been confident in my whole life, consistently, is my voice and music. It’s the thing I’ve clung to forever.”  ~ Hannah Marie Kelley

“Singing saved me and writing healed me.”  ~ Hannah Marie Kelley

“I would connect to them. I would focus on melodies, and it would just take me to a place that was happy and comforting. And I didn’t start writing till way later on, but I always had music. 

And it really did. It got me through. It kept me from going insane. It kept me from making bad choices. It was like the mother I did not have.”  ~ Hannah Marie Kelley

“I might write a song that means X, Y, and Z, and this is where it’s coming from, and this is what I’m trying to get out, but somebody else might be going through something different in their life and perceive those lyrics as completely different, and it means something completely different to them than the writer intended it. I think that’s the beauty of music.”  ~ Hannah Marie Kelley

Bio:

Hannah Marie Kelley is a singer and songwriter whose music blends emotional honesty with a timeless, roots-driven sound. Raised in the Appalachian tradition and shaped by lived experience, her voice carries both vulnerability and quiet strength.

Drawing inspiration from classic folk, country, and Americana, Hannah writes songs that feel intimate and lived-in, often exploring themes of resilience, faith, and healing. Her approach is unforced and sincere, letting melody and storytelling do the heavy lifting.

Gabriel Kelley is a singer, songwriter, and producer whose work is guided by a simple belief: find the music that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

Raised on a family farm in rural Georgia, Gabriel’s journey has taken him from music school in Sweden to songwriting rooms in Nashville and from street corners to concert halls across the country. Along the way, he developed a distinctive voice and a songwriting style rooted in honesty, restraint, and emotional connection.

As an artist, he has released the critically acclaimed album It Don’t Come Easy, with more music continuing to follow. As a producer, he is known for a hands-on approach that prioritizes authenticity and performance over polish, helping artists uncover what makes their music undeniable.

Guest Contact Info:

Website:

https://www.gabrielkelley.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578188618490#

https://www.facebook.com/GabrielKelley

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/hannahmariekelleymusic

https://www.instagram.com/gabrielkelley

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GabrielKelleyMusic

Jan 21
Love20

Bryan Wetzel

By Business, Podcast No Comments

This episode was supposed to be about education.

It turned into a long, winding, honest conversation about growing up Southern, malls as social centers, life without air conditioning, aging bodies, faith, comedy, celebrities, grief, golf, gyms, and the strange moments that make you wonder if the universe is paying attention.

This week on Here’s What We Know, we sit down with Bryan Thomas Wetzel, author, gym owner, former TV host, lifelong entrepreneur, and a guy who somehow shares about 90 percent of my life experiences, just arranged in a slightly different order.

No debates, no shouting. Just stories, curiosity, laughter, and the kind of conversation you don’t want to rush. Pull up a chair. This one wanders in the best way. Tune in now!

This episode is sponsored by:

In This Episode:

  • Small towns, big heat, and why Chick-fil-A used to only exist in malls
  • Playing golf with men in their 90s who can still stripe it
  • What happens when celebrities disappoint you (and when they don’t)
  • Why radio people are wired differently
  • Aging, fitness, and the moment your goals shift from “looking good” to “staying alive”
  • Faith, doubt, near-death stories, and moments that don’t fit neat explanations
  • Why kindness from strangers sometimes arrives at exactly the right time

Quotations:

“Celebrities have the ability to make someone’s day or their week just by saying nice to meet you. You don’t have to do anything more than that.” ~ Bryan Wetzel

“Generally speaking, a lot of people have trouble talking when they think people are judging them.” ~ Bryan Wetzel

Bio:

Bryan Wetzel is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and media professional with more than 30 years of experience launching and leading companies across education, fitness, hospitality, and media. He has founded multiple successful businesses, two of which were acquired by larger enterprises.

He is the author of The Real Problems Destroying Education (2024), inspired by his work with school administrators and district leaders while leading Skubes, an education startup recognized by Dig South as a top education company prior to its acquisition in 2017. His most recent book, A Path to Faith Through Science and Common Sense (2025), explores belief, reason, and lived experience.

Brian currently owns and operates The Local Gym in Georgia and Texas and previously founded Cedarcrest Grill, which was sold in 2022. Earlier in his career, he built and ran a production company for over two decades, working in television, film, and live events, including projects tied to the 1996 Olympic Games. His work has earned 16 national and international awards.

He now writes on Substack and continues exploring entrepreneurship, faith, health, and creativity through writing and conversation.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://www.bryanthomaswetzel.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onefourtwo/

Substack: https://bryanwetzel.substack.com/