Legendary keyboardist, writer, and producer Bill Cuomo joins Circling The Drain to share six decades of music-industry stories. From crafting the iconic intros to “Bette Davis Eyes” and “Oh Sherrie” to working with Alabama, Trace Adkins, Herb Alpert, Barbra Streisand, Little River Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd**, and more, Bill walks through the evolution of recording from analog to digital, lawsuits with major brands, and why he prefers the studio over the road.

He also opens up about surviving Catholic school, building a dome house in the forest, moving from LA to Nashville, and what AI means for today’s musicians. Candid, funny, and brutally honest.

**Episode Highlights:**

- 0:04:18 – Leaving LA and choosing Nashville

- 0:06:31 – Building a 5,500 sq ft Arrington home and basement studio

- 0:09:37 – Alabama, Trace Adkins, and “firing” himself from country

- 0:15:43 – Becoming “the intro guy” and tape-era risks

- 0:16:20 – Crafting the “Oh Sherrie” intro at home

- 0:21:57 – Analog vs. digital and why he kept his console

- 0:29:38 – Watching Little Richard destroy pianos nightly

- 0:32:58 – Why he prefers the studio to the road

- 0:38:24 – “Welcome to Tennessee” and handshake deals

- 0:40:07 – Suing Ford and J. Walter Thompson over “Oh Sherrie”

- 1:02:27 – Gospel work and being a “recovering Catholic”

- 1:10:36 – Trace Adkins and Nashville’s work ethic

- 1:13:05 – Inside the Barbra Streisand / Kim Carnes duet

- 1:24:54 – Reimagining “Bette Davis Eyes”

- 1:30:23 – AI, voices, and the future of music

- 1:33:30 – Skynyrd, Ed King, and “Sweet Home Alabama” money

Listen and subscribe at www.circlingthedrain.net

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Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co

Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim McCarthy dive into their most memorable celebrity encounters from decades in radio, records, and concert production.

You’ll hear stories about:

• The gherm-iest radio promo guy in a stained satin jacket
• Delivering a giant get‑well card to Amy Grant in a dying station vehicle
• Glen Campbell shredding in an Opry dressing room and cracking jokes at the urinal
• A Steve Earle meeting that went from dream chat to guarded on‑air interview
• Hank Thompson’s rough day and sincere later apology
• Why Raul Malo and The Mavericks should have been massive
• Boarding Donald Trump’s private plane during the 2016 campaign
• Jerry Lee Lewis at the Stockyard, an impatient Kenny Rogers backstage,
  Trace Adkins calling in after a rant, plus memories of Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark, and more

A funny, honest look at how fame collides with real human moods—and why backstage is usually the worst place to watch a show.

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

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Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co

In this episode, country artist and hit songwriter Deborah Allen joins the Three J’s for a warm, funny, and deeply personal conversation.

Deborah shares:

• The story and long tail of her signature hit “Baby I Lied”
• Early days at Opryland, touring Russia with Tennessee Ernie Ford, and how Shel Silverstein nudged her into songwriting
• Growing up in Memphis around the sounds of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Mitchell, Al Green, and the Hodges brothers
• How she wound up sleeping on Elvis’ tour bus and later cutting pioneering overdub duets with Jim Reeves as “The Mystery Girl”
• Getting a brand-new song from Prince after a brief meeting at Sunset Sound
• A major health scare, surgery at Vanderbilt with Dr. James Netterville, and why she says “the devil’s not stealing my smile”
• Celebrating her mom’s 100th birthday, her mom’s younger boyfriend Ed, and the belief that every person you meet is a gift

Highlights & Timestamps

• 0:40 – Introduction to Deborah & “Baby I Lied” on country, pop, and AC radio
• 7:35 – Opryland, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Russia tour & meeting Shel Silverstein
• 12:19 – Memphis influences: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Mitchell, Al Green
• 18:39 – Elvis’ bus at her parents’ shop & “I slept in Elvis’ bed”
• 23:10 – Overdubbing duets with Jim Reeves & the “Mystery Girl” campaign
• 29:30 – Pushing for her own songs at MCA & “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me Baby”
• 34:56 – Writing hits for others: Patty Loveless and “Hurt Me Bad (In a Real Good Way)”
• 35:06 – Prince writes her a song as Joey Coco after a Sunset Sound encounter
• 41:33 – Her mom at 100, Ed’s nightly visits, and Opry birthday roses
• 50:12 – Metastatic carcinoma scare, holistic support, and successful surgery
• 1:01:22 – How old friendships (doctors, musicians, neighbors) ended up saving her

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co