Well, Bless Your Heart with Leanne Morgan

feel like I've been invited to the prom. Thank you, honey. I know you were probably forced in this, gone to your head. But thank you so much. This is my Christmas. This is your Christmas present. Oh my, you are too funny. Welcome back to Living and Learning. I'm Riva McIntyre. Well, this episode is bittersweet because it's our last episode of season two. It has me reflecting on some of the amazing conversations I had this year, like talking to Keith Urban about Johnny Cash. How much we love him so much and how much we love performing at Caesars. Then of course, Gene Smart. We got to talking about why would we stop doing what we love so much? She's just going to continue acting, which raised the Lord for that. And I loved catching up with my buddy Trisha Yearwood because she's so funny. And one of my best friends in the music business, I just love her to pieces. And then I absolutely loved getting to share Rex Lynn, my boyfriend with y'all. I even learned some things about Rex I didn't know. So that was really special to me. And this last episode is going to be a real treat. Our guest today is a hoot and I can't wait to talk with her. She's a hilarious comedian who's ruthless about all of the relatable things you just have to laugh about. Welcome to my show Leanne Morgan. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Now, you said we met. Please refresh my memory. Forgive me for not remembering honey. I know you're a big doll, honey. I know you could you had people swarming around you. It was at the CMA after party at Brooks and Dunes. Do that you did with them before the COVID. Okay. Ronnie's wife, Janine, found me and became a fan about something about men of Paul's video. I didn't. And they invited me. And it was the niftyest thing I've ever seen. And you said, who are you? And we blocked eyes. And I thought she's got one of the tiny fanies I've ever seen. I thought if I ever make it in show business, I've got to quit ain't because look at little tiny room as little fanning and legs. That's what I thought. And I told you, I said, I feel like I've met the the president of the United States. Oh, you are too cute. And Reva, this is the crazy thing. People have said to me all of my life since I was a little bit of girl. Well, I mean, I'm 56 years old. So we're close to the same age. But when you hit it big, people would say to me, you sound like Reva McIntyre. Can you sing? And I'd be like, oh, no, I can't sing. I won't. But people have told me that all my life. And the funny part about it, when I first started singing, doing concerts with Red Steve Gaul. And I'd open the show for Mel Tillis. And I always wanted to tell the jokes and be funny. And finally, after one show, mom looked at me, she said, Reva, shut up, just saying, leave the funny stories and the jokes to the people who are funny. And I kind of hurt my feeling. But I stuck with it. If I do say anything though, I have to really think about it and get prepared. Yeah. And I don't think you're that way at all. I think you just, you're funny all the time, aren't you? Well, kind of. Reva, well, no, not well. Yeah. I mean, I think because of my accent, I think because of my accent, things that, you know, I could say Clorox wipes, you know, and I could kind of put a funny span on it. Yeah. But my act, I mean, that takes a long time and I know, where do you get your material? When we were doing the Reva TV show, they would come pitch a story to me. And I'd say, okay, where did this come from? They said, well, we were in the writer's room and trying to come up with an idea. And so and so said, y'all aren't going to believe you're just not going to believe what my Aunt Thelma did last week. And they would form an episode off of his Aunt Thelma or somebody that did something silly. So what do you get your material? It's from my family and my everyday life. And, you know, going to jazz or size or going to see death leopard in journey or with my husband or but my kids mainly, I mean, I'm a storyteller and I started doing this when my baby child was about 18 months old. She's 23 about to turn 24. Wow. And so I started in the flood hills of the Appalachia Mountains. My husband had bought a used mobile home business that refurbished mobile homes and never stepped in a trailer before when he moved me up there and I started selling jewelry to women like Tupperware. And so that could be with people and meet people and make a little money and I started really that was my comedy club. But it was I started telling stories about being pregnant and breastfeeding and hemorrhoids and then and that resonated with people. And so when I finally got to go to a club and it's really started doing comedy, we moved to Texas and then my babies were, you know, playing T-ball and I'd pick them up in the pickup line and my middle child slapped me in the back of the hand with the backpacks. You'd be so tired and hungry. But anyway, it's always been for my children, my husband. Yeah. Because that's all I've known. I mean, I've raised three children, my husband's an executive with a company. So he would be gone trying to make a living for all of us. And I would get an idea from something that would happen. Picking them up from school, something on the T-ball field, they go into white waters, you know, everyday life. I feel like Jerry Sunfield can write a joke about a cotton ball. I don't have that gift. There's people who are brilliant know how to write a joke. I don't know how to do that. I just tell stories and things that happen to me that I find funny. And everybody else does too, evidently. I guess so honey. Everybody feels fat in their plants and everybody's raised bunch of kids and, you know, things they can relate to. Yeah. That's what I always thought was a successful country song is when people can relate to it. When I sing something that's, oh, you're, you're singing that exactly to me straight to me because I can relate to it. Yes. But to work out a new 45 minutes or an hour, it's hard. Yeah. And in this day and age, with everything going on the internet, you know, they consider that burn material for a comedian. And then you got to come up with a whole new hour and it's hard. My first 45 minutes took me 10 years. Wow. But I was also raised by raising a bunch of kids and doing what I could. I couldn't go out and work every night because, you know, I wanted to raise my own children. And so I just tried, I had to carve a path out in a different way than most comedians. You know, God put His hand on me and put me in places with people that lifted me up and gave me a chance because, you know, to be a comedy club, comedy, you got to be out in comedy clubs every week and go big on five days a week. And my husband, honey, had the health insurance and was the provider. We needed him to keep working like a dog. So I, I just tend to chuck and job where I could. So, you know, I do shows for their school. I do churches every once in a while. I do little private corporate things. I'd, and then I'd get on a tour with other female comedians and we do dates, you know. So, anyway, it's hard to come up with that material, but especially now, when my, I had all these children and they were at home with me and, and I could find stories every second of the day. And then they went through middle school and said, "Do not speak my name." And I, I couldn't talk about them. That was a dry time. But now, see, they're grown and they don't live with me, Rayba. And it's hard. I, now it's me talking about my stomach and my pants and my husband, you know, my hormones. Now I'm in menopause. So I've really just talking about what's going on at that time at that day. But when you and I met at that CMA after party, you were about to start this podcast and I said, "Oh, what are you going to talk about?" And you said, you know, things about life and having elderly parents and launching children and all those kind of things. And I think that's wonderful. That's, I mean, that's the stage of life I'm in. I've got my little mom and daddy. I've got my husband's, my little mama. And I've got children, you know, launching into the world. I've got my first grand baby. Yeah. All those things, you know, people can relate to you. Oh, absolutely. Who do you try out besides a comedy club? Would you set your kids and your husband down on the couch and say, "I listen to this routine. I've got these jokes. Would you ever try it out on them?" I try it on my cans. My husband, I know he thinks I'm funny, but in my mind, he's my horse's critic, not a horse, but he just, he's very introverted. He doesn't show a lot of emotion. So I don't run it by a big old child. I run it by my kids and I run it by my girlfriends. And when my kids were in school, we would all go to McDonald's after school or Chick-fil-A, you know, on the way to some practice. And I would be standing out by an SUV and trying it out with women. That was my best audience. As I would try to out with girlfriends and people. And I would just went out with a bunch of my friends for Christmas and we went out to dinner. If I'm talking about something and trying something, I can try it out with them. And I don't even tell them I'm doing it. But if I get a reaction of them, I think, "Okay, this may have legs." It's that kind of thing. I talk it over with my friends, mainly. But my kids are funny. My kids are funny and they've got a good sense of humor. And you know what? I think this grandbaby has got a good sense of humor. He knows when to lie off. Well, how does your grandbaby right now? He just turned a year old last week. He started walking officially two days ago. We all have screamed our heads off. Oh, cute. He lives 20 minutes from me. He's at daycare today. I would be raising him because I am from the country of 500 people in middle Tennessee, a farming community outside of Nashville on the Kentucky Tennessee border near Clarksville. And if I didn't have a big tour, I would be raising him because in the country, me, my old stay at home and raise a baby. And I'd be making Pinto beans and they could let him off in the yard and we would have a ball and we would take naps together and all that. But I said to my husband, I said, "Should I quit this tour so I can take care of Charles Wilber?" And he said, "Good Lord, Lincoln." No, you need to keep making that money. These children need that money. Lord, you're going to have to help all these kids. But I wish I could raise him. But his little mama works full time. My boy works full time. My daughter-in-law is going to MBA school. Oh, wow. Good for her. I know in that wonderful, but it's hard owner. You know, it's hairy. We're all helping. My daughters live here too. My middle child works for children's hospital here and raises money for them in non-profit. My baby child is a makeup artist, professional makeup artist, and she's gonna move to do a film in New Orleans for Sony. So she helps with the baby and picks him up. My husband has a course, we all have course seats. We all go and pick him up at daycare and I get him when I'm off the road. I try to get him once or twice a week when I'm not out, but they're working me like a dog, Reba. I know. I'm going and doing, I'm off these two weeks and then I go back out and I usually work like three cities in a weekend. Yeah, I'd like to do just three and then go home. The pop rock people when they go out and they'll be out on the road for 18 months and then go home for a year. And I like a little bit at a time. Once you get tired of the road, you're back home. And once you get tired of home, you get to go back out on the road. Right, right. Keep things interesting. Right. I've got the attention span of a two-year-old. So that works really good for me. (laughs) (upbeat music) So you started out early. You got encouragement from your mom just like I got encouragement from my mama. What will we do without our mama's? Bless their hearts. I love them so much. The one thing I read about you that I thought was so interesting. Your mama kept you from kindergarten. Let's you skip that so you could stay home watch TV. Yeah, she'd say, "Does your stomach hurt?" And I'd go, "Well, kind." And she'd say, "Okay, let's stay home and watch Hollywood Squares or Match Game." But it was because, Reba, my mama is very smart and reads all the time and couldn't go to college. Mary Young had my sister and I young, but it's always loved to learn and didn't want me to keep from learning. But that in the state of Tennessee, that law had not changed that your baby had to be five before you sent him to kindergarten. So I was four. Oh, and she knew that I needed a big nail. And so she just started keeping me at home and she said, "You're smarter than all them anyway." And my little mama daddy had a grocery store. The only little grocery store in the town of 500 people and a farm and my mama would work at the cash register and smoke cigarettes and let me send her a lamp and do the cash register. And we'd talk and dazzle people. And so I kind of, instead of going to kindergarten, I worked in a grocery store and drank tab and watched her smoke. And then we would stay at home and watch Match Game. I mean, is that crazy? But we had a ball. And we loved comedy. She loved, she's always loved, Lucille Ball, Carolina, Red Skeleton, and me too. Yeah. The day I got to meet Lily Tomlin and Carol Burnett was one of the happiest days of my life. My people that I'd looked up to and watched their shows and their movies. I loved to be around people who are funny. That's why I love to hang out with Melissa Peterman, my sight and kick on the Reba TV show. Oh, yes. She is so funny. Just so much fun. And yes, I want to be around fun people, not but whole people. Oh, never, never. Okay, let me tell you another connection I have with you. Mike Clemmitz. Oh, Mike. Yummy Mike Clemmitz was my producer on my first television deal with ABC and Warner Brothers that did not make it. Yeah. I have all kinds of deals that never make it. But anyway, Paula Dean was gonna play my mother. Oh, my gosh. Mike Clemmitz would tell me Reba's stories all the time and he worshiped you. And he said, oh, she is so darling and fun. And I'm not trying to both smoke up your butt. But everybody I've talked to said, oh, she is so down to earth. And so precious. Oh, that's nice to hear. They say it. And let me tell you, Lance, this was one of my big moments where I thought, oh my gosh, I may have made it. I was in Durant, Oklahoma the week before you were. Yeah, at the Choctaw. I did a night, one night at that casino. And your picture was everywhere. And you were gonna be there the next week. Yeah. And I called my people, my mom and my cousins, everybody. And sent them a picture and they were like, oh, my lord. And so that was a big deal for me. And I was like, where's Reba gonna sleep? Can you show me her door? That kind of thing. So anyway, I was in Durant. That was a wonderful casino, that Choctaw casino. I love it. I do too. I usually play it every weekend after Thanksgiving. But of course, last year we didn't get to cause of COVID. Yeah. That's what they told me. That you were raised near the air. Oh yeah, just up the road. Matter of fact, I went to college there at Durant. Oh. So you get to be with your family and then do a show. Yeah. When I do a concert, people expect me to do the songs that have become hits over the last 50 years. I didn't get a number one record till I was in the business probably seven years. My audience, they want to hear the songs that are recognizable. Is that the same thing in your business? They want to hear the same stories and the same jokes, or do they expect new material all the time? Well, first of all, Reba, I'm so jealous of you and country music, because if they do want to hear everything you've ever done and how wonderful in our business, I think half do and half don't, half get mad at you and think, why didn't you do the competition cheer joke about the little children and little hoar out fence? And then the other half of the people are like, I've heard that she's doing all material. You know, this isn't, I don't hear anything new. And they get upset. So we're different. We're called in a hard spot right now in the comedy world. Somebody like Jim Gaffigan is coming out with a new special every year. And you know, it used to be Eddie Murphy had one special in how many years, 20, you know, and so it's just a different animal now, comic set around, and we're better, we've sent it all around. Oh, you know, everybody wants to hear it clapped and sing his wonderful hands. You know, all of that, Reba's wonderful hands. I mean, I'll have a bunch of people go, why didn't you do the so and so and I think, I wanted to, yeah, I'm trying to figure out now on this tour of mine. I've got a hundred city tour biggest things ever happened to me, Reba, and I'm 56 years old. I'm so happy for you. Thank you. And I thought it was going to happen when I was a lot thinner and younger, but oh, well, I'll take it. But, um, but in this hundred city tour, I'm trying to figure out, should I do an encore maybe and do the own, because people love me talking about the cheer out fans. Uh-huh. A good one about my, my middle child being mean when she was 16, because a lot of people, you know, teenage girls can be real hateful and everybody, you know, that's the thing they go through. Oh, yeah. And everybody can relate to it. And then they come back around the end of your best friend. But when they're in high school, they're so hateful and we're scared of them. The death leopard in journey has been a huge hit of me taking my husband and looking at old people going to concerts. You know, everybody's got plantar fasciitis when they're walking out of Thompson Bowen Arena. And I know you've played there several times. People love that one. And I love to do it. It's so fun to do. But I, I may do an encore and try to do my, my new hour. And then an encore, I'm trying to figure that out. And, and we're always wanting to do material, new material that we can promote the new album. And Elton John used to say, all right, we're going to do some new songs. So anybody that don't want to hear him, this is a good time for you to go to the bathroom. Just right out front acknowledge that this is not usually the favorite of the audience. But you know, you've got to get your new material out there the way we are. And I like that idea about doing the new stuff and then leave them with the favorites. That's a great idea. I'm going to vote for that. Who did you grow up listening to? Who's your favorite comedians? Oh my gosh. I loved Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Red Skeleton. I would watch them with my little mom and daddy and my grandparents. Oh yeah. I love Saturn and I love and my dad would get so mad at me and my mom. and say she didn't need to be watching this field. But we loved Jim Belich and Yilder-Addener and all of them. - Uh-huh. - Oh my gosh, I'm always love comedy. The Ellen DeGeneres, when she first started, she blew me away. Rosanne on the tonight show, blew me away, Jay Leno. I love, I just got to do, I co-headlined with Jeff Foxworthy, two shows, and he was precious. And I'm always looked up to him. And he was so gracious to me. I felt like, I don't need to go in the hospital. So overwhelmed. There's, I just don't know anybody I don't like. I love Chris Rock, I love Dave Shapale. - Oh, me too. - I love Dave Shapale. - Yeah. - And even though I'm pretty clean, you know, if something's dirty, if it's funny, you know, it doesn't bother me, just 'cause I'm not blue. You know, I enjoy all kinds of comedians. I'm a shimmer, Chelsea Handler. - Yeah. - You know, I've been to several comedy festivals and work with several people, Caroline Ray. I've never gotten to work with Melissa Payterman, but I've always thought she was funny. And I know she's your big buddy. - Oh, you guys would have a blast. You would have a blast with her. You know, I never got to watch "Saturday Night Live" because I was always working on "Saturday Night." Even when I was in high school or college, and when we played clubs, honky-tonks, rodeos, whatever we could. But later on in my career, I got to be a part of a movie called "North" and I got to be with Dan Acroid in that movie. And I thought it'd just be funny all the time. He's very serious. - Is he? - He's a very serious man. - An introverted like Steve Martin is. When you meet them, it's not like Robin Williams. Robin was always cutting up and being funny constantly. But I sure enjoyed being around him. He was very intelligent. - Oh my gosh, and didn't he have a beautiful wife. - I didn't get to meet her. - And she was in that TV sitcom with Tom Hanks that I used to love and I can't remember what that was 'cause I have brain fog. I'm in menopause, breathing, I can't think of my name. But all that, I've always loved television. I love sitcoms. - Me too. - My dream was to have a sitcom. Maybe in my age, growing up in the 80s, 70s and 80s. And I knew I wanted to be in show business where I was five. But I thought, oh, I'm gonna be a sitcom star. And so I've had all these sitcom deals that have never made it. I've got one right now and who knows what'll happen? But I've watched yours. But that was my idea of making it. And now, it's just so hard to get anything on TV. It was when I started. But now, I mean, what's streaming and all that. Who knows what's gonna happen? But this live tour has, I couldn't even imagine how wonderful this was. I know you've always been in front of big crowds. This is, I just never even dreamed it would be this wonderful. And so it was even sweeter than what I imagined. Oh, I'm so happy for you. Why did you call it the big penny tour? How'd you get that idea? I love it. Well, thank you. And you know, I've had people say to me, I've had some of my good friends that go, I don't wear big panties, so I can't come. And I'm like, good Lord, that's not what that means. Okay, even if you got a little fanny, you can come. I noticed that women were coming to my shows. I would meet people afterwards and they go, oh, I brought an extra pair of panties because I paid. And somebody say they've pee-pee during my show. I mean, that's a big deal. That's a good sign. Darling women say, oh, I brought an extra pair underwear. And they bring out their underwear. And it would be this huge pair of flesh-colored panties from Costco, you know, that you can get three in a pack. And I have changed my panties in the last several years. I have gone to a high-cut leg brief that covers my stomach and has got a little microfiber in it. And I don't know. I just thought at this stage in my life, I just got to studying about my panties. And I thought, you know, I want to be comfortable. I want to have a good time. I deserve to be comfortable in my own skin at 56 years old. And big panties, a good, big, comfortable pair of panties. Just means that to me, it says that to me. You know, freedom, comfort. But there you go. And you're free to talk about it if you want to. Yeah. Do you ever have any hecklers in the audience? Not usually. I think because I am pretty self-deprecating, I don't go after anybody. Nobody's ever come for me. I do think, every once in a while, a little woman will have too much drink and you'll see section. You know, she just wants to be part of the show. Yeah, exactly. She wants to tell me about her birthing or whatever. But not usually. I mean, there might be just darling women who whoop it up. Because I think this reba, in the comedy world, there's not many people like me speaking to everyday women out in the middle of the United States. True. That's so true. And so I think when they do finally get to come to a show, a lot of the women that come to my theaters to come to this tour have never been to a comedy club or never bought a ticket to go see a comedian. And they are, they are ready to have a good time. And you talk about the sweetest, cutest people in the world. Yeah. And during this pandemic, when they announced my tour and it was the biggest thing that ever happened to me and I started spending that money in my head. And I thought, I'm going to finally replace these toilets. My husband's very tight, reba, very frugal and has made us a wonderful living. But no luxury wants us to suffer. And I thought, I'm going to redo some of this and I'm going to get rid of this old lighting and all that. And then, but during the main steppe COVID didn't come. And I thought, well, my life is over and I stared in space. But these women, these fans, it grew even bigger during the pandemic. And they started sharing, I'd say something about fixing my little mama, some Jell-O salad, a gelatin or a fluff because she has had a stroke three years ago and she has to have pure eight foods. And women started sending me recipes, mailing Jell-O molds to me from my little mama. And then, you know, I put on Facebook, well, I've just made a blueberry salad and then, Diane and Fargo would say, you know what? Maybe you ought to try a little pop feeling in there. And then somebody, you know, and Doran Oklahoma would say, well, you know, I like a cream cheese topping more than I do. And it became this big bunch of best friends. And I know they worship you. I'm sure they worship you. It was very, very sweet. I just couldn't believe it. And my grandbaby being born, everybody's wanting to hear about my grandbaby and my mama Lucille. Has Lucille doing. And everybody's just been precious. And if they do, you know, post a clip about me talking about, you know, trying to lose weight on weight washers or whatever, everybody then tells me their story. You know, they type out their thing with weight washers. So it's really been really sweet. Sweater than I ever thought it was going to be. Oh, I love that. It is so funny that they do want to know more about you and get into your personal life. They just want to share with you. I'll never forget. You know, we'll promote stuff on social media and get a few hits. And then I put up a picture of mama unwrapping her birthday present. And she's got a Bud Light sitting right there beside the recliner. And 80,000 hits immediately. Your mom loves Bud Light. That's my favorite beer. As you know, mom likes Bud Light. Yeah. Oh, Rayba, I beg you. No figure. I beg you. If people want to see your little mama and see you at Cracker Barrow, what is Rayba going to order? Uh-huh. You know, dumplings. What is she getting? I bet you've had that where people like, Rayba's my friend. You know, she could be my friend. If I lived in Durant, we went to college with each other. We would have, you know, great Bud Light and had a cigarette behind a dumpster. But I think I, and you know, I know that I'm not Rayba McIntyre, but I do feel like that has been the biggest blessing of all this is that people feel that connection to me. I love that. And I just didn't realize what that was, what fame was or what, you know, the entertainment industry. I didn't understand that part of it. Either you got it or you don't. Mm-hmm. And when I was at that party at that CMA party, when you open your mouth, when you would go to sing at that microphone, people just stopped and wanted to see what you were doing. You know, you've got that thing and that is from, that's like Jay Lowe and Michael Jackson. You know, Rayba, and do you ever think, "Long word by me?" You've got that thing. It's like there's something that, you know, we couldn't keep our eyes off of you. Not everybody has that. Oh, that is so sweet of you to say that. Really it is. It's just something that I've always wanted. Ever since I was a little bit of a kid, it was that good attention, not the bad kind of attention that you get when you get in trouble. Mm-hmm. I wanted the good attention. So when mom and daddy would have people over to play moon, a domino game, Paik Suzy and I would go in there and we'd sing for them and that they'd stop playing and they'd listen to our song and then mom would say, "All right, y'all get out here, we're going to play our game." And, but I just love that attention. That's why I like to be on stage so much. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I loved it too. I didn't know how to sing. I tried to tap dance on the hardwood, but mostly I tried to make people lie off. It's fun. You know, it's fun when everybody's having a good time. Oh, really, but I got to open for Alabama. Really? Yes. In South Carolina a few months ago, and Randy, all of them, I mean, when I watched them and how people loved them, and they were so precious and they would just hold their heart and Blown kisses. And I got set back there with Randy's wife, darling, his country's, I'm uh huh yummy. Yeah, but I'd realized country music. I've always felt a bond with country music because I was raised right outside of Nashville. So I would say Johnny Cash and Jean that Sharon Williams buying paint. I've bought bras next to the mandrel sister. I've eaten ice cream with Porter Wanger at Rivergate Mall. You know, growing up, I go to service merchandise and see all the professional wrestlers and the bluegrass people and all that. So I've always felt a kinship even though I can't sing a tune. But when they let me open for them, I thought, oh my gosh, these are my people. Absolutely. And I got to be at the ramen. I sold the ramen out in June. Congratulations. It felt like I was not even in my own body. Yeah. Then I got to do the grand o'opry and I got to meet whispering Bill Anderson. Yeah. And I have loved him all of my life. I grew up going to the opry, my little antlyla who never had her own children, bald antiques. She bought Roy A. Cuff's couch. And it was a pale green velvet couch and we all just stood and stared at it for years because that was our claim to fame. Ain't Lola got Roy A. Cuff's satay. So anyway, I'm just saying that the country music people are to me, I think because I've been out in L.A. a lot. And of course, she's been out there a lot more than I have. But the country music people are really like down home people love the lower. Yeah. I think they love the lower. And I think they know where this gift comes from. And they're just precious to be around. And anyway, little Randy's wife, Kelly, I could have eaten her lips off. We had a ball. I met Kelly in '81 when we were all on the same new faces show. That was the up and coming artist. And so it was Alabama and Lacey J. Dalton big out downing and Sylvia and me. And that's when I first met Kelly. I haven't seen her in years, but there was just a special kindred there between her and me that I really thought the world of her. And I can see where you'd get along with her very well too. We had a ball. She had on a flip flop. And was just as darling and they're raising cows and her grandkids are in 4-H. Lower, I was raised in 4-H. Anyway, I just me too. I love me too. You were in a talent contest in 4-H club. Was it called share the fun? I tell you what I went to a 4-H camp in Columbia, Tennessee when I was 10 years old. And I don't know what they called it, but I got up and saying, "Blue moon." Long word. But I mean, I got some good laughs. But I don't know what that was called, but it was at that 4-H camp. That was in Columbia, right? Anyway, I'd never been away from home. I was scared to death and I don't know why I put myself in that talent show. If there was a stage, I tried to get on it, which is pitiful because there was not many stages around. And Ray, but this is crazy. I went to a little bit of Doreland Country School. Future farmers of America was big. All my friends worked in the fields. Got out at 130 in the afternoon. I graduated 42 people. And four boys started the Red River boys. Really? They got one record down. They did okay for four little boys. Yeah. And they would get out and sing songs, cover songs. And I'd go, you know, and I made out with a couple of them. And we had a speech and drama teacher that was precious. And we did improv. And all those boys were so talented. And one of them went on to Julliard. And then was in the ABC Nashville. I'll be that series. Nashville played Bucky, the manager. And so I had these creative people around me in this little bit of country school. All I'm were farming boys. Yeah. And we had a ball. And I remember that was one of those things in my life. I thought I can do things. I can I can do things. But you know, I didn't know how I didn't know. So I went on to the University of Tennessee and made terrible decisions. Reba made horrible decisions in the eighties with me and you wouldn't want your feet on. And then through a bunch of, you know, terrible things ended up marrying my husband. And then selling Julliard and then becoming a comedian. Is that not crazy? That's the American dream right there. It is. It is. It's been a wonderful time. They tuned after the break will be right back with more. Okay, Leanne. On each episode of our show, we like to play a game inspired by one of our guests. And as country ladies ourselves with, of course, only the best manners. I thought it'd be nice to honor the time honored tradition of the Southern backhanded compliments. So you know when somebody says, Oh, bless her heart. You know, that's just a real sweet way of saying what the hell are she thinking? So we're each going to think of a scenario, maybe a recent interaction at the supermarket. Something you saw someone do at a restaurant, you know, our crazy family and stuff. And I'll tell you, I had a lot of bless your heart moments while we were out in Las Vegas with tall drinks that they'd have. We called them adult sippy cups. Yeah. And they'd be walking around playing slot machines. And some of the girls had mascara down around their cheekbones and, you know, been out all night long. And us going to breakfast and seeing that, that's a old bless her heart moment. That is one hot and a yes, Lord. Tons of those out there. I don't know if I can be fine with women and a casino with mascara down to there. All right. You know, there's a, I can tell you, Lance, I was down in Nashville on Broadway. I had to do a private corporate thing for an insurance agency. That's how glamors my life is. And there were, there were women drawn down there. And somebody was pushing a card that had, I think cannabis marijuana in it. And there were people with dogs. And I don't even know what all I had not seen. I had not been on Broadway. And I don't even know when it's the last time I was on Broadway. But that little girls, I say little girls, you know, Bachelorette's and short shorts and rod and scooters and their thighs jiggling because everybody's been through the pandemic and beaten by it. And people just honky-tonk and then make an out and slapping and doing. And I thought, what in the world is all that this is there was many of that I thought this is all. Well, yeah, yeah. Pedaling, pedaling and drinking. I've never understood how somebody could pedal and drink. You know, they got those things that those, I don't know what they're called, but they're pedaling with short shorts. I had a tavern, the taverns. I'm just shocked more people don't fall off those things. Oh, I know. This is a bless your heart when you're walking around talking on the telephone, trying to get into the car and looking for your purse, looking for this. And then look over at a person, say, have you seen my phone and they're talking on it? I've done that before. Or you're looking for your glasses and it's up on your head. Where's my glasses? Oh, they'll turn up. As you bend over, they'll turn up. Oh, yes. And my 23 year old that's had to be at home during the COVID that makeup artist, I am driven hurt. She goes, you're making me. I'm going to have a nervous tick because I'm always around her going, where's my phone? And she'll be your own it. Yeah. She is so tired of me. You know, now I got an Apple watch and the only thing I use on this Apple watch is the thing that things to help you find your phone. Oh, no. That's the only thing I figured out. I need to be exercising and closing my rings. Matter of fact, I've got one and I've never taken it out of the box because I just hadn't had time. We've been in Vegas and so we just got back. So I need to get that out because that would be worth wearing a watch to find my phone. That's the only thing that's worth doing. I'm not kidding. 90% of my time is looking. I know. That's all I did. Okay. I'm going to be in Las Vegas at the wing and on court theater, March the 10th and my husband, he works all time. The only time he's ever wanted to come to a show is when I was working with Jeff Fox for I think because he was a fan. And then he said, where are you going to be in Las Vegas? And I said, it's called the wing in. Debbie. Why? He goes, I know what the wind is. And so he's going to come out fire. And it oh, oh, good. Yeah, he wants to come in and see me out there. So I'm excited. Oh, I'm excited for you. I knew y'all were doing that Vegas run. Yeah. I've always wanted to see y'all out there. Oh, what you had of Brooks and Don, right? Y'all, but y'all finished it. Yeah. We finished in December, our last run there. We had a great time. We started in 2015. And it was just a real unique show. We came on together and I'd leave and they'd do three songs. Then they'd leave and I'd come back on them. We get back together. It was a lot of fun. Oh, wow. But good luck to you at the wind. March 10th. Okay. You're going to do concerts all over the country then, right? Yes. I have this 100 city tour. I've probably got 75 cities left. Good Lord. It's without that concert out of Nashville. And I'm all over the United States and their end dates all the time. We're adding second shows in some places. Wow. Yeah. Good for you. I'm going to have to get all these people today with Lord murder. I'm on testosterone, estrogen, cream, progesterone, oral. I've got my vitamin D levels up. I mean, I'm supposed to be exercising and they go, you better train like you're going to go to the Olympics. And I said, okay. And then I never did a fine, but I I'm going to try to day better so that I have the stamina to day this because you know, it's hard. Lord, you've been doing it. Have any years. I shouldn't even say that yet. Well, this is my 46th year in the professional. That's not counting the clubs, mere joints, honky talks, and rodeos I played. Oh, my God. Good luck to you. And I was going to say anybody who wants to find out where you're going to be. All they got to do is get on your website, right? Yes. Landmorgan.com/tour. Yeah, it's all on there. I want to do that myself. I want to come see you. Oh, my darling. I would love for you too. And I just did the rhyming and they offered me the grando offer by myself and my team wants me to wait until 23. I think, but I'm going to be all over. And if you're ever anywhere you want to go, oh, I would be thrilled to have you and you can eat cheese and croutotay in the bag. They always have me a little bit of vegetables with them. And they got me on this gear. Darling, caramel, sea salt, dark chocolate squares. And I've got to get all of them. I eat them at night after I get on stage and I'm lowered. I'm going to end up by bed if I don't, but they're so good. It's so good. And I was drinking a little bit of red wine every night, just a little damn. That made me have hot flashes and I'm wallard in the band all night. So I'm going to get all for the end. But if you can drink the wine and I'll drink a dark coke and have a little chocolate with you, doll. Honey, thank you. So much. Rainbow Mac and tire. I've got your sheets. Oh, my gosh. Do you really? Oh, yeah, I do. Lucille Flancher, my little mama, honey, would rather go to a delirge in Clarksville, Tennessee and find your sheets. She has bought several scents and they have held up so wonderfully. I am thrilled to you. I'm not kidding. I could go and show you. I could go put my hands on them. Yeah. But anyway, you don't. Honey, thank you. This has been like me getting to go to the prom. I'm not kidding. Well, you're too sweet. It's been a blast get to talk to you again. I'll just remind everybody that you're 100 city big penny tour on the road right now. Get on the website. Leanne Morgan dot com slash tour and you're just you're just precious. Thank you, right? You get any free time. Let's go have a glass iced tea and some meat loaf and fried taters and so on. Oh, my love plant with green peas. I would love that and maybe a little cobbler. Okay. I'll go for that. Or we could go to Crockerbarrow and have some dumplings. Oh, I would love that right. But thank you, my darling. Leanne, thank you. Good visiting with you. Thank you. Good luck on your tour. Stay safe. My darling. Thank you. Thank you all so much for tuning in to living and learning here on Spotify. This has been a great season. Thank you all so much for tuning in and being a part of the show. It's been my honor and my pleasure getting to be a part of this podcast. Y'all stay safe and healthy and until next time, see you later. Well, thanks for listening to Living and Learning with Ribbon McIntyre, a Spotify original production. Our lead producer is Dylan Rupert. Our executive producers are Gina Delvac, Yassie Solic, Danny Traybatch, and Justin McIntosh, editing by Cheryl Crosby, original music by Doug Seismore. Special thanks to Leah Edwards, Robert Adler, Casey Simonson, and Kyla Cunero. I'm your host, Ribbon McIntosh. Follow us only on Spotify.